By Mandy Green
2 minute read
Meeting enrollment numbers in a competitive landscape requires more than just working harder – it requires working smarter. The most successful teams don’t just fill their days with tasks; they focus on high-leverage activities – ones that create a positive ripple effect for weeks, months, or even years.
Naval Ravikant put it best:
“Forget rich versus poor, white-collar versus blue. It’s now leveraged versus un-leveraged.”
High-leverage activities allow you to maximize your impact with the same (or even less) effort. They help you enroll more students, build lasting relationships, and create a system that works for you – not just because of you.
Let’s explore a few examples:
- Creating Scalable Content
Instead of answering the same questions over and over, record a video or write an article that clearly explains the answer once – then use it indefinitely.- Example: Create a short video explaining the financial aid process and post it on your website. Now, every time a prospect asks, you send them the link instead of spending 30 minutes repeating yourself.
- Automating Follow-Ups
Admissions teams spend too much time chasing down leads manually. Instead, set up email sequences that nurture prospects automatically.- Example: A well-crafted 3-5 email sequence can guide prospective students through the application process.
- Building Referral Networks
Relationships with high school counselors, community leaders, and alumni create an ongoing pipeline of referrals, reducing the time spent generating new leads.- Example: A strong partnership with high school counselors means they continuously send qualified students your way year after year.
- Developing a Knowledge Base for Your Team
Training new admissions staff is time-consuming, but a well-organized FAQ document or internal training videos can speed up onboarding and ensure consistency in messaging.- Example: Instead of repeatedly explaining how to handle objections about tuition costs, document the best responses in an internal admissions playbook for your team.
- Leveraging Social Proof
A single student testimonial video or case study of a successful graduate can help build credibility and attract more visits, applicants, or deposits without extra effort.- Example: A 2-minute student testimonial video explaining why they chose to visit your school can be repurposed across your website, email marketing, and social media.
Ask yourself:
Which activities create a positive ripple effect in my work that could last for multiple weeks, months, or years?
By focusing on high-leverage activities, you’ll spend less time putting out fires and more time building a system that works for you.