Brenda Harms discusses the importance of retention-focused communication with students from the time they commit to attending an institution through graduation. She emphasizes maintaining engagement from the initial "yes" decision by addressing concerns, celebrating milestones, and reinforcing why students made their choice. Regular check-ins and encouragement are recommended during the application process, early coursework, difficult classes, and as students near completion of their programs. The goal is preventing attrition by ongoing support and engagement with students throughout their academic careers.

1. Communicate to Retain
Brenda Harms Ph.D. – Senior Vice-President
April - 2015

2. Converge Consulting is a higher education marketing firm.
We use research, Google Analytics, inbound marketing, and strategic
communications practices to positively impact student recruitment and
alumni engagement for colleges and universities around the world.

3. April, 2015
Where we left off…
• Previous webinar focused on communication
designed to engage students who were
considering your school or program
• Communication was designed to be focused on
the student needs, engaging to them to allow you
to take the journey toward decision making with
them

4. April, 2015
The Role of Communication…
• We often do a great job communicating with
prospective students while they are making their
decision but allow them to completely slip off the
radar once they start school
• Retention focused communication allows for
more than “its time to register for class”
communication
• Retention focused communication allows for an
ongoing reinforcement of the decision that a
student has made to select you as their
educational partner

5. April, 2015
Retention Today…
• Perhaps one of the most important areas of
higher education
• Starting is not the goal – finishing is the goal
• Our ability to stay connected to our prospects as
they move toward enrolled and eventually
graduated students will be a critical part of
enrollment success

6. April, 2015
Retention Today…
• We typically think of retention as enrolled
students – term to term, semester to semester,
year to year
• Retention efforts actually need to begin from the
moment a student decides yes, I want to attend
with you

7. April, 2015
Retention Today…
• Working hard to get them in on the front end is only worth
it if they persist to graduation
• In several states funding (for publics) is being tied to
persistence rates
• Good quality classes can not be depended on to hold
students in school
• Some of the strongest relationships students have in
education is with their recruiter and academic advisor

8. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• The moment a student commits to your institution
(whatever that looks like in your situation) is the moment
they start wondering if they made the right choice
• Continue to sell the choice they have made
• Beware of buyers remorse
• Be prepared to help them overcome the resistance they
will now face with others
• Ask permission to “stay with them” – thus showing them
your commitment to their success

9. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes
– Reinforce the decision
• Continue reminders of the professional and financial
opportunities they will have upon completion
• Acknowledge that they have made a brave choice (if the
decision is to return to college keep in mind it is far easier to
continue on as is)
• Openly discuss the fact that they may now be overwhelmed with
the idea of actually starting
• Connect them to other current students or peer mentors
• Continue to help them navigate the sometimes messy process
of financial aid, course registration, buying books, getting final
official transcripts, etc.

10. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes
– Check in on their own support system
• Supporters during the consideration process can occasionally
turn into detractors once a person has finalized their decision
• Look for ways to build out support systems – encourage
students to create back up plans now, before they need them if
there are snags in their return to school
– Work
– Children
– Financial
– Transportation

11. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes
– Stay connected
• Think about how diligent you were in your process of recruiting
this student – stay just as diligent with keeping them until they
get to those first few classes
• Connected “starting students” to one another – Facebook “class
of” groups are very popular – what else can be done?

12. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– Stop EVERYTHING and take a moment
• Celebration and Congratulations – have a party (or at
least take a moment to say WOW)
• A human being has just made the huge decision to
give up time and money for the next few years in an
effort to better themselves – get a card, send a note,
do SOMETHING

13. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
“I know we celebrated when you were in my office but I
was thinking more about your decision to return to school
while I was driving home last night and I just wanted to
send you a note. Please know that I am so happy for you
that you have made this commitment to yourself. I can’t
wait to hear about the journey along the way.”

14. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 8 weeks to the start (as an example)
• Process and paperwork (application complete, official
transcripts on file, financial aid application in place, books
and materials, deposit made, etc.)
– Provide a before you get started checklist and include
some fun notes
» Celebrate your decision
» Call your friends or family and tell them your great
news
» Take yourself back to school shopping

15. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– BEWARE of the financial aid award
• Because the financial piece is often the one hurdle that
people most fear it can also derail the best intentioned
person – get in front of it
– Work closely with FA
– Know when difficult news has been delivered
– Reach out immediately to students who have received
disappointing (or not what they expected) news
– Brainstorming ahead (see support system slide) you
can prevent a stop out at this point – discuss the Plan B
for paying for college

16. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 6 weeks to the start (as an example)
• Prepare beyond school
– Send email sharing some helpful tips
» Double check work schedules
» Child care
» Review the term for conflicts

17. April, 2015
Personal Electronic Communication Sample
“I was thinking about some of the things that concerned you
when you were considering returning to college. I wanted to
check-in with you that you had talked with your supervisor and
were comfortable that your employer would work with you on
your schedule. Please let me know if you were able to get that
worked out or if we need to take a second look at your
schedule.”

18. April, 2015
Personal Electronic Communication Sample
“I know you were thinking about back-up plans for your
daughter for while you are at school a few weeks ago when we
last spoke. I’m just checking in to make sure you had found a
Plan B in the event your sister was not available to watch her
while you were in class. I’m not sure if I recommended it or not
but I know the YMCA has drop-off daycare until 9pm on the
evenings we have class. Please let me know if this is
something you were able to get worked out.”

19. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 4 weeks to start (as an example)
• Phone message
“I was looking through the list of students who will be starting
classes next month and saw your name. I really am pleased you
have decided to take this step, I know finishing your masters
degree is a significant goal for you, my advice to you – let nothing
stand in your way!”

20. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 3 weeks to start (as an example)
• Electronic Communication
“As students at XYZ University prepare to start classes in a
few weeks we wanted to share with you an interesting chart
that really reinforces your decision to earn your degree.
While your financial future might not be the only thing you
had in mind when you made your decision it is certainly a
piece of the decision for many of our students.”

21. April, 2015

22. April, 2015
From Yes – Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 3 weeks to the start
• New Student Orientation (if you do this)
– Re-Affirming the decision
– Reviewing next steps
– Discussing support services

23. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 1-2 weeks to the start
• Phone call appointment
– Any final questions
– Reviewing classrooms
– Asking them to let you know how it goes after the first class

24. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– Start of Class (if you have a standard first class start)
• In person well wish
• Ask them to let you know how it goes (again)

25. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– Two days after classes start
• Send email – acknowledge how overwhelming this will feel
• Ask them to let you know how it went

26. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– Two days after classes start
• Send email – acknowledge how overwhelming this will feel
• Ask them to let you know how it went
*** If you are serious about retention – make a phone call as well
*** This will let you know who you need to be most worried about
right from the start

27. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– Two weeks after classes start
• Email – Hope things are going well
• A nice place for the formal final handoff to advising

28. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 1 week prior to the end of the term
• Congratulations on your great success
• One step closer to completing your goal

29. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 4 months into program
• Reminders of why they made the decision
– Bettering their lives
– Increasing their professional marketability
– Positioning themselves for more opportunities

30. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 25% complete point
• Acknowledge all that they have accomplished – credits earned, difficult
classes successfully completed, steps taken toward achieving their
goal

31. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– That difficult class
• Every student has a class in their program they are fearful of taking.
Flag it in your system and send several supportive messages during
this course

32. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 50% complete
• Half finished!! Celebrate that they are closing in on their goal (and that
time is flying by)

33. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– 75% complete
• You would be shocked at the number of students who get within 15
credits of finishing a program and stop-out
• Cheering that the end is in sight – remembering how worried they were
at the beginning that they could pull this off – celebrating GPA

34. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– Last Term (or last group of classes)
• Help them stop and look at what they have accomplished.
• Pull out of the CRM some of what motivated them in the first place to
attend – remind them of goal completion.
• Speak to how much confidence they have gained both personally and
professionally

35. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• From yes…
– Last weeks of class
• Thank them for giving you a front row seat in watching them
accomplish this goal
• Share with them that you will celebrate their success with them at
graduation (if you attend)
• Be appreciative of the honor and the privilege of being a part of their
journey

36. April, 2015
From Yes - Keeping Students Engaged…
• Build on the relationship
• Find reasons to celebrate
• Look for ways to be a part throughout that have nothing
to do with process or paperwork
• Birthday notes, holiday cards, the no reason note in the
mail – you never know when your timing will be perfect

37. April, 2015
Thank you

38. April, 2015
Future Webinars With Converge
May:
Digital Storytelling for Competitive Advantage:
http://convergeconsulting.org/index.php?cID=1235
June:
Authentic v. Automated Communications
http://convergeconsulting.org/events/webinars/
webinar-authentic-v-automated-content-yes-you-
can-do-both/

39. April, 2015
October 21-22, 2015