There are few people, if any, that actually take advantage of all of the features of a CRM.
(If you know of someone that does, please send their name so I can write a full article on the world's most technologically-proficient enrollment management professional!)
The key with your CRM is to ensure you aren't using less than 50% of its capability, because if you are,then you're spending money that is being wasted.If you use less than 50% of the capabilities of a CRM, there are other technologies that you could utilize to accomplish the same things much cheaper. That doesn't mean it is easier; in fact, the more different technologies you incorporate, the more challenging recruitment can become.
So let's look at a few ways to maximize your system.
1. Use the CRM's inquiry and event forms as well as its online app systems rather than your homegrown or other outsourced tools. Unless you bought a lemon of a CRM, the value and efficiencies you create with the use of a single system should far outweigh your reasons for keeping multiple systems that may or may not function together well. And, if you bought a lemon, please pause from reading this and ensure that those colleagues most responsible for the purchase know it and then carve out a day in your calendar in the next month to put a plan in place to identify the right CRM that you can move to when you current license expires.
No one likes to implement these technologies, but having the right tool is very important if you want to use them for success. (Now you can continue reading).
2. Ensure you have developed a lifecycle for your prospective students. A lifecycle is the process a prospect takes from the point of inquiry through actual enrollment. Without understanding this process, the system can't help you effectively coordinate and time your communication with prospects.
3. Take full advantage of the email capabilities of the system. Now, when I say, "full," I mean using the list features to ensure you are sending the most highly targeted messages and content as possible. Those lists may be filtered on the prospects' lifecycle stages, program of interest, location of interest, all among other things.
Without having all of that information set for your email, you are sending boring messages that aren't being received at the best time. You are also probably having poor levels of success with those emails. What does that mean? Your open rates are lower than expected, as are your click through rates.
4. Help your team assess and incorporate data results in their recruitment. Find how well each recruitment person on your team converts prospects. And that doesn't mean how well they convert inquiries into students. That means looking at how many new inquiries convert to on-site appointments; how well each recruitment person is at converting prospects with whom they speak over the phone; how well each recruitment person converts prospects by varying programs.
If you look deep enough, you will find each team member's strengths and weaknesses. And while you may already know them, use the data to reinforce what they are with your team members, and use it as a tool to improve their performance.
5. Ensure your marketing team has direct access to your CRM. Don't do it so they take on the responsibility of recruiting your prospects, but to have access to create data and lists without the need of having you or your team do it for them.
They can help you market to your prospects, and they can do that more effectively without needing to always call or email you for the list they need. Imagine if they had access not only to that list, but to create any list they ever need? Rarely do both the marketing and recruitment teams share in the use of a CRM - especially in adult and graduate programs. And they should absolutely have access, and be required to use it.
Many times, it's the bells and whistles that attract you to a CRM initially, but in the end, you need functionality to make the system give you an effective ROI. Be sure you are taking advantage of the basics, and then look to add the extra's that set your recruitment apart.
I see a lot of school's get frustrated because they can't get the multi-variable reporting working the way they saw it in their demo, but that's generally because they aren't using the basic functions that generate the information needed for the data-mining to reveal anything. And let me just add, that if you're one of those folks, then please take this to heart: forget about the data-mining, and put a plan in place to help support your team's improved and advanced use of the system. Once that has been done, the team trained and you have 3-6 months of data, then come back to the advanced reporting you want to see.