CRM: Walking the walk not just talking the talk

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April 2012Daniel Falls

Customer Solutions Consultant - HobsonsNicky Chapman

Director – ND Events and Marketing

Higher education in this country is no longer dominated by 18 to 21 year olds living on campus, studying full time, attending classes, enjoying a social life dominated by their colleagues, and being taught by a privileged academic elite. Large numbers of students work long hours in paid jobs, study off-campus or in the workplace, learn in flexible ways that involve networked technologies as well as face to face teaching, live at home, and commute to university. Most belong to social networks that reach far beyond higher education.

More broadly, there is growing recognition that students have a major role to playUniversities and colleges are increasingly positioning students as engaged collaborators rather than inferior partners in assessment, teaching, course planning and the improvement of quality, and are using student representatives as central contributors to the business of enhancing the student experience.I have seen a real focus on the student experience globally, such as the recently established awards for excellence in the Swedish system, and the course experience questionnaire in Australia, the latter of which helps to shape the future of course content and delivery.

It has been driven partly by initiatives from funding bodies and their agencies and partly by institutional aspirations to retain and grow market share for students in a global environment Students view the opportunity to gain a degree as a right, and a service for they will pay forGiven the latest government (UK) funding cuts, the most prevalent outlook in Higher Education today is one of business, forcing institutions to reassess the way they are managed and promoted to ensure maximum efficiency, sales and ‘profits’

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During the enquiry stage, all communications are highly designed and are written in a friendly tone giving the impression that you are interested in them and would like them to come to your University

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Once an application has been received, the tone changes to be more directive and the style of communications becomes more corporate.

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After a student has enrolled, once again the tone changes to be very corporate and dictatorial potentially giving the student the view, now we have you we don’t need to try anymore.

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How are you differentiating from other institutions?Are you doing the same thing you’ve always done?What’s your favourite piece in your communication flow?

What’s your least favourite? If money was no object, what do you wish you had?Do you personalise anything to your audience?Is your material specifically addressing your key audiences, or is it general?How do you get students interested?How easy is it to get a new project completed internally?

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Understand your own HEIAre you using systems to its full ability?What other systems are in use?What type of CRM do you need?Undertake a touch point analysis exercise internally

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Integrating different media and messaging to:reach the right audienceincrease efficiencyincrease numbers of touch points and emotions reacheddrive personalisation

Making sense of the situation:analysis of current student populationnational and/or local brand valuewhat makes sense from students’ perspectivescurrent areas of success

Executed through:Custom designed/written emailsUnique printed materialsDigital magazinespersonalised videos

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With around 25,000 students from 80 different countries, Birmingham City University is one of the largest universities in the UK and our popularity has grown significantly in recent years. Between 2008 and 2010, we had the highest rise in UCAS applications of any university in the Midlands.Situated in Birmingham, the UK’s second city, we are proud of our strong links and close collaboration with the region, which dates back to 1843. The University puts more than £270 million into the regional economy and supports thousands of jobs in the city and surrounding area.Our six academic faculties offer over 350 courses, from foundation level, through undergraduate degree programmes, to taught Master’s courses and research doctorates. About a third of our students study part-time, combining employment with our professionally relevant courses, improving their career prospects.

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The University’s popularity has grown tremendously in recent years; between 2008 and 2010 BCU had the highest rise of UCAS applications of any Midlands university. However, it had no coherent approach to enquiry management with enquiries received centrally within Marketing and each of its six academic faculties. Almost half of prospective student enquiries received were not being logged at all and other than Open Day invitations and an ad hoc magazine, there was very little by way of nurturing.

Decentralised administration processesDid not collect enquiry informationWhich led to no way of tracking enquiriesLarge teams using disparate systemsEveryone had their own way of working

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Pull together a resource planGet the right people on the team:

Skills requiredLevel of influenceAccess to resource networksCapacity to participate effectivelyAbility to work well in a team

Result: a strong, results oriented team!

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Be clear about the project requirements

Identify possible pitfalls

Commit the time and the right people

Who are the right people?

Understand it will not go to plan so allocate a little leeway

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Do not over promise

Do ‘sell it in’ to all the key stakeholders and create excitement within the University

Ensure time for training

Cascade training

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Big bang or phased go-live

Choose a realistic date – build in a little flexibility

Consider institutional and individuals calendars

Do you need a soft go-live then a big bang later

TEST TEST TEST

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Cost saving

Time saving

Enhanced engagement

Improved relationships internally

Ultimately more bums on seats

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Keeping it fresh

Guru’s

Support

Developments

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Birmingham City University – a successful implementation and continuing to work with Hobsons on new exciting projects – Top Secret –watch this space!!

Results speak for themselves

Thank you and any questions