Question

Topic: Strategy

Urge Enrollment Without Sounding Desperate

Posted by Anonymous on9/26/2006 at 5:53 AM ET 250 Points
Our company is involved in IT-focused education with two main thrust: Associate Degree (two-year courses) and Training programs (short courses). The most recent addition to our Associate Degree course is the Digital Arts and Design. It is gaining a lot of attention that even professionals would inquire to study parts and parcel of this course. Thus, we came up with a short course on Animation. It is made up of modules starting from basic drawing to 2D Animation and ending on advanced 3D Animation.

Due to budget constraints, I can only do so much in marketing. We already advertised in two different dailies, posted in learning sites and local forums, conducted email blasts and used our website.

We monitored inquiries and it is doing well. A lot of people are interested with the course. But from those calls and other inquiries, conversion is the problem. Only a few enrolled, so few that it might not even be enough to mount the first batch.

Being resourceful on a shoe-string budget, I came up with a FREE mini seminar on Animation as an awareness campaign. The plan is to get interested parties to attend while we give helpful insights and backgrounder in the industry, we also discuss our course. Hoping they would be interest to enroll as well. Announcement of the free seminar were disseminated thru web postings and email blast. It got so many hits that thru word-of-mouth and these efforts that we are conducting our 4th free seminar this Saturday.

A lot would inquire and confirm their attendance to the seminar. On the event itself, attendance is good and people really stay till the end. But the problem is our conversion. A very few people enrolled or at least reserved for a class, it’s still not enough to mount a class.

We haven’t really received any feedback as to why. We’ve never heard of someone complaining about the price or schedule. Our schedule is designed for working professionals- night classes after office hours or on Saturdays. Now, I really can not figure out why they are not enrolling. It seems that they are interested enough with the subject since they reserved and attended the seminar till the end. I know some are just in it because it is free. They may even be after the certificate of attendance. But I know somehow there are those people who are considering of enrolling. How can I urge them to enroll now without sounding desperate?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted byHarry Hallmanon9/26/2006 at 8:37 AM Accepted
    Ask them. I assume you collected email addresses so why not do an online survey (surveymonkey.com) asking how you can make the seminar better and also asking some questions that will provide the answers you want. Did you enroll? Why not? and so on.

    You may find that the course is not advanced enough, or too expensive, times are bad and so on.

    听起来你在做正确的事情get people interested, now you have to find out why they are not closing.
  • Posted byFrank Hurtteon9/26/2006 at 10:42 PM Accepted
    Offer your free seminar with a nominal registration fee. This will seperate the lookers from the buyers.
  • Posted byCorpcommeron9/27/2006 at 12:25 AM Accepted
    I agree with my colleague that asking people is a great idea.

    More food for thought -- Most likely, some of your targets are unemployed. Do you offer any kind of job-search assistance for people who purchase your courses?

    Because of the low number of students graduating and entering their desired fields, I understand there's legislation afoot to get colleges to do more to help students to actually succeed in school and assist them to go out into the job market. If you don't have an intern program, consider aligning with companies that would benefit from having one of your students work there for a short-term as a "junior" staffer. The student would do real-world work and get to make new contacts in the field. Internships/short-term assignments are for people of all ages at the starting gate in all fields.

    Good luck.

    MC
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