As a way of background, the stats shared below have been culled from recent Keller Fay research data. These stats are priceless research information that can benefit any marketer in any industry.
1. The average American consumer mentions specific brand names 60 times per week in conversations.
2. 50% of all consumer conversations about brands refer to a company's marketing activities.
3. 65% of all WOM conversations are "mostly positive."
4. Less than 10% of word of mouth conversations happen online.
Read the full article here.Regularly reviewing your call-handling process is just smart business management. Below are a couple of ways your admissions department may improve call handling and avoid losing potential students.
Listen to the caller
Is your admissions team trained to listen
to what the caller is asking for first? And then to look past that and
find out what they need to succeed as a student? Teach the team to:
Then, the key to identifying holes in your staff's call-handling process is to use a lead-tracking system with a recording feature. A call recording system will let you play conversations back at a later date, so you can monitor admission reps, spot any problems with the call-handling process, and fine-tune those holes to turn more callers into enrollees.
Stay on topic
Some admissions reps may overdo the need
for a "relationship" by compensating with excessive chatter. Others may
spend an unwarranted amount of time on irrelevant information, delaying
enrollment and distracting the caller. While you do want to build a
relationship and make your callers comfortable, the goal is to schedule
appointments and take the caller one step closer to enrollment. If
financing is the topic, don't coast too far off on tangents like the
local facilities or extracurricular events. Save that relationship
chatter for later, like when they are in the orientation process!
Follow up on leads
Just because someone does not enroll
immediately doesn't mean he won't be interested later. Follow-up is a
critical aspect of admissions that is often neglected. The key to
making the most of every incoming phone lead is to employ a
lead-tracking system that provides caller information like name,
address, and phone number. This will help you capture that essential
information and allow you to keep that prospect on your radar for future
follow-up and pro-active marketing campaigns.
A thorough analysis of your callers' experiences as they are introduced to your school will speak volumes on where your admissions team excels and more importantly, where there is room for improvement. If you don't already have a lead-tracking system with call recording, find one today and get started. You'll undoubtedly identify areas and specialists that need training. Improve their call-handling skills and you will see your enrollment rates rise.
Laura Noonan has 16 years of
experience in the vanity 800 numbers and telecommunications industry.
She coaches hundreds of clients each year on using toll-free vanity 800
phone numbers as direct marketing tools to increase advertising response
rates. Laura can be reached at
lnoonan@800response.com or 1-800-NEW-SALES.
It is often
said that successful advertising campaigns are born from well-conceived plans;
we say yes and no. The beauty of advertising is that it is not set in stone.
You may have a solid plan that includes agreements with advertising outlets,
but you usually have the flexibility to change your creative direction and turn
a lackluster campaign into a success.
There are
some simple components to address when developing your advertising's creative
content that will help create a successful advertising campaign.
Have a
unique position
A strong,
memorable, credible position is at the heart of every effective creative
advertising strategy. Successful dealers use advertising messages to
distinguish their business from those of their competitors in ways that capture
consumer's hearts as well as their minds...all while asking them to act. Apply
these messages consistently and visibly in all aspects of your operation to
build a unique selling position. One way to ensure a call-to-action is
memorable is to include a branding response tool in your ads--like a toll-free
number that fits your brand. Consumer research has shown that people tend to
believe more in companies that advertise a toll-free number. A vanity 800
number brings in the element of memorability and provides a unique position in
your market.
Expect
accountable performance
Your
advertising may at times be a trial run of messages and sensory components. You
cannot know exactly what is going to work with your target audience, so you
need a way to test and measure your ideas and assumptions. There are a few ways
to measure and analyze advertising to make it accountable, like standard A/B
advertising testing. However, you can also easily refer to response metrics to
identify successful ad messages, or failures. Testing can be time intensive,
while monitoring response rates with real-time metrics is immediate. Armed with
response metrics, you have evidence of what advertising messages are producing
leads, and what ones are underperforming. The beauty of having this knowledge
is the empowerment you now have to make slight creative changes that will have
a major impact. Small changes to your advertising message or call-to-action
will help drive more traffic into your store.
Here is a
scenario--Imagine you've just spent your budget producing television and radio
spots for a new campaign. You test the messaging and believe you have
communicated your image in an understandable, unique, and persuasive manner.
The campaign launches and you expect that you will be getting hundreds of calls
within weeks of the launch, but you are proven wrong. Your messages are
probably not resonating; calls and leads are trickling in, not flooding in.
Your budget is blown and your store is not seeing a return on investment.
What
questions should you ask? Should you have incorporated a different position?
No, you feel your positioning and image are fine--your ads are memorable and
believable. They are relevant and engaging. There is a call-to-action and it's
noteworthy!
Ironically,
often we have found that what is missing is an easy action item for the
consumer. Ask yourself...is my phone number easy for the consumer to recall? What
about my website address? Adding these easy-to-recall elements to the scenario
may turn a poor-performing campaign into a successful one.
If you are
running a campaign that is not producing a significant number of leads compared
to what you've spent, make minor adjustments now that will have tremendous
impact with more leads coming into your store later. We have seen the big
dealerships do this when they needed to refine their image, or add an offer to
boost sales. You can do it too. A small change to your advertising message will
turn a fledgling campaign into one with lower cost-per-lead and improved ROI.
Laura
Noonan has 16 years of experience in the vanity 800 numbers and
telecommunications industry. She coaches automotive clients each year on using
toll-free vanity 800 phone numbers as direct marketing tools to increase
advertising response rates. Laura can be reached at lnoonan@800response.com
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript
enabled to view it or 800-NEW-SALES.
Toll Free
Phone Numbers - 5 Companies That Must Have One
Article posted
on August 16th, 2010
Toll free
phone numbers are synonymous with business success. They are almost taken for
granted by customers these days, as any major company wouldn't be taken
seriously without one. Most companies are going to benefit from having a toll
free phone number. However, there are some companies that will benefit the
most.
1. Companies that want to enhance their
company image - Toll free phone numbers provide instant credibility to a
company, giving the appearance of being large and established regardless of the
company's actual circumstances. Even though these numbers are relatively easy
to acquire these days, in their earlier days they were only available to the
largest, most prestigious of companies. This belief still remains deeply lodged
in the psyche of most consumers regardless of the reality that even a one-man
operation can obtain one. Companies can use this to their benefit, as consumers
want to use a business they can trust.
2. Companies that want to increase their
customer base - Toll free phone numbers get a company remembered, especially
when they are vanity numbers. Companies with numbers like 1-800-FLOWERS
begin_of_the_skype_highlighting
1-800-FLOWERS
end_of_the_skype_highlighting and 1-800-GO-FEDEX begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-GO-FEDEX end_of_the_skype_highlighting are numbers
that are not easily forgotten. Companies with numbers that are easily memorized
will be the first to be remembered when it comes time to purchase. This leads
to an increased response rate, both for orders and pre-sales questions. Given
the choice between calling two companies, customers will most likely call the
company with a toll free phone number first. As most customers buying from the
first company they call, this leaves any company without a toll free number
immediately at a disadvantage.
3. Businesses with customers that demand
added convenience - Having a toll free phone number saves time and reduces
problems. Toll free phone numbers can be routed to any phone, without callers
knowing the difference. They provide "number portability," meaning that a
company is free to move anywhere, switching providers while preserving the same
number. This convenience preserves branding a company builds with a particular
phone number. Businesses do not have to change business cards and other
marketing material because of phone number changes.
4. Businesses requiring improved customer
service - Having to call a long distance number for customer service ranks as
one of the top complaints consumers have with companies. Companies offering a
toll free phone number show their commitment to customer service, especially
when the customer does not have to pay for it. Nothing annoys customers more
than having to call a long distance number for support on defects, missing
components, or other problems immediately after purchase. Toll free phone
numbers provide customer satisfaction, knowing that in the event of a problem,
regardless if it is the company's fault or that of the consumer, the consumer
can be put at ease knowing they don't have to pay for the call. This is
especially comforting when the consumer is placed on hold.
5. Companies that want to increase revenue -
Companies exist to make money. Toll free phone numbers are key to achieving
this goal, increasing order size, decreasing returns, and encouraging repeat
business. Consumers spend more when speaking to a customer service
representative on the phone. Even when customers place orders online, they are
more likely to have previously spoken to a customer service representative by
phone that provided reasons to purchase from their company, perhaps even
encouraging them to purchase additional products. Toll free numbers make it
easy for consumers to contact a company for pre-sales assistance that often
leads to increased order size. Without a free and easy way to get support,
consumers resort immediately to returning the product for a refund. In many
cases, there is just a small misunderstanding that could be cleared up in a few
minutes over the phone. A free number is all that it takes to significantly
decrease product returns, which then equates to increased profits. Consumers
tend to stick with what works. If a company delivers a good product backed by
excellent free support, consumers will keep coming back. Repeat business is
always good for any company's bottom line.
With
benefits like increased profits, improved customer service, and a greater
overall company image, it would seem as though every could benefit from a toll
free number. The question should no longer be "What are the top five companies
that need a toll-free phone number?" but "What companies couldn't benefit from
one?" The answer to this question would almost certainly be close to none.
Click to learn more about using a toll free phone number in your business. Or
to get a 15 Day Free Trial visit http://www.Freedom800.com, a leading provider
of toll free phone numbers for small business.
Vanity
numbers must be expensive and clients are cutting costs, not adding...
If you (or
your client) think they cannot afford a vanity 800 number - think again! No
matter what the size, if your clients are not including a vanity 800 in their
ad campaigns, then they're losing a significant portion of incoming leads -
like 25-50%!
FACT: Custom 800 number costs are minimal compared to your
clients' overall advertising budgets. In fact, a quality vanity
800 number is typically just 1% of a broadcast ad budget. A vanity
800 number will increase the leads and sales from ad
campaigns, providing a healthy advertising ROI.
Your clients can't afford NOT to have a Custom 800 number.
Don't take our word for it though. We work with businesses in many industries
that experience more incoming calls and sales after they add one of our Custom
800 numbers to their ad campaign. Here's what just one of our career college
customers has to say about advertising with a Custom 800 number...