CRM in Education

The Issue

To many institutions, the concept of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an exciting one, especially as the education market becomes more competitive. Deregulation, contestable funding and a blurring of the boundaries, coupled with increased competition on the international front are forcing institutes to reconsider the mechanisms they use to attract and retain suitably qualified prospective students and forge relationships with corporate clients.

Institutes are also looking to improve their conversion ratios, from prospect to enrolment and reducing the number of lost applicants/opportunities.

However, for many answering the question “so where do we start?” is a daunting one.

If you have recently considered CRM as a must do, then some of the following questions will probably have crossed your mind:

• What is it that we really want to achieve with a CRM solution?
• What are our needs and requirements?
• Everyone is so busy at the moment, who can lead the charge on such an important project?

Please click here to learn more about the CRM Solutions S1 has implemented within Educational Institutes.

The Solution

S1 Consulting’s CRM³ is a holistic approach to the design, implementation and management of a complete CRM strategy. The three pillars of CRM³ are People, Processes and Technology. Whether you have installed a CRM software solution or are considering implementing one, S1 Consulting’s CRM³ can help. We start by assessing the current state of the three pillars (People, Process and Technology) and then deliver a design that maps out in detail how to implement and manage a successful CRM strategy.

Below are examples of the type of details we examine within People, Processes and Technology:

• People – We investigate the capabilities of staff in:
  • Sales Execution
  • Presentation Skills
  • Account and Opportunity Management
  • Sales Planning
  • Objection Handling
• Processes – We investigate the effectiveness of processes:
  • Incentive Alignment to Targets and Strategy
  • Account and Opportunity Management
  • Market Segmentation and Patch Management
  • Sales Forecasting and Reporting
  • Team Management
• Technology – We investigate the technological requirements:
  • Type of Access Needed (Office, Phone, Remote, Smart Phone, etc.)
  • Reporting
  • Form Design and Useability
  • Information and Workflow
  • Support Requirements

Through the assessment of the strength and weaknesses of the above elements within an organisation we are then able to deliver a plan that identifies where improvement can be realised. We then manage the delivery of all aspects until the desired outcomes are achieved.

Why Engage S1? 

The following are the Top 5 reasons:

• We’re neither an IT nor Sales focused company. In fact, we have positioned ourselves in between these two and don’t prescribe to a particular software program or sales methodology. This means we can ensure the right product and training is provided to make your CRM implementation a success.
• We’ve got the expertise. We’re a small but experienced bunch with specialists in Sales Training/Coaching, Marketing, IT, Project & Change Management. Plus we’re well connected with strong networks and formal partnerships with various stakeholders.
• We’re authentic and we keep it simple. We don’t hide behind jargon or large words and we genuinely want the CRM implementation strategy to succeed. We provide a service that we’re proud of and it works.
• We have extensive experience in the education sector, so we actually understand the culture, structure and governance you have to work within.
• We’re fast and flexible - and by flexible we mean that we work within your timeframes, can put our people in your workplace. We like to get to know you and your organisation so we can offer the most relevant and accurate advice. 

At S1 Consulting we have very specific local knowledge in educational contact centres, campaign management, international and domestic student recruitment, commercial development, commercialisation of intellectual property, vendor solutions, etc.

For more information, email info@s1consulting.com.au or telephone +61 2 9887 3980.