Sales Techniques

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Sales Techniques
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Online Education and Distance Learning

• This is the Right Industry To Be In!
• In fall 2009, a record 18.4 million students are
  expected to attend the nations 2-year and 4-year
  colleges and universities, an increase of about
  3.1 million since fall 2000.
• In the fall of 2008, more than 4.6 million
  students took at least one online coursea 17
  percent increase over the previous year.
• The 16.9 percent growth rate for online
  enrollments far exceeds the 1.2 percent growth of
  the overall higher-education student population.
• In 2006-2007, the majority66 percentof
  accredited colleges offered distance learning
  courses.
• Stocks continuously rising

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Discussion
Why would someone choose to continue their
education?
Make more money Career Change Move up in their
companies Better Job Better retirement
package Job security Significance Autonomy and
empowerment Contribution to society Personal
Growth Role Model Life long learner
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Motivation

• Firstly, determine what is motivating the
  prospect by asking why he/she is
• looking to obtain their degree.
• 95 of the time you will hear Career or Money
• It is your job to BUILD on these answers ask
  more questions so that the
• student will see they are looking for ALL of the
  above.

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Group Activity

• Student I am looking to get my degree because
  I want to run the floor of nurses instead of just
  BE a Nurse.
• Rep Really? Thats a great goal we need more
  motivated people like yourself. By becoming the
  manager, will you make more money as well?
• Student Oh yes I will get paid a lot more per
  year.
• Rep Great! And it sounds like you really
  enjoy helping people. You could probably help
  more people in this position, right
• You have taken the students initial want or
  dream and built on it!
• LATER IN CONVERSATION Input sales points
  wherever and whenever there is an opening. You
  are selling the student on the BENEFITS of
  education.
• Student Im looking to go online because I
  have 2 children to take care of at home and Im a
  single mother
• Rep That make sense to me because going online
  is so flexible and accessible. Even better, you
  will be a role model for your children. They
  will realize how important education is

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Pain vs. pleasure

•  The number one reason people do not go back to
  school Pain
•  
• It is your job to take the painful association
  with school and turn that into pleasure
•  
• Where does the pain originate from?
  Possibilities
•  
• He/she is afraid of change
• He/she is afraid of failure
• He /she only has a HS diploma or GED
• He/she hated be in a classroom in the past
• He/she only sees a 20 year old as a college
  student.
• He/she hates to take quizzes, test, and study

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Pain vs. pleasure

• People associate pain with school. You must
  identify all pain points and then correct them.
  How do you change the way someone feels?
• Let the student speak and identify their pain
  point
• Ask them if they are afraid of going back to
  school
• Explain that everyone has fears about anything
  thats important in life
• Use this as a rapport building moment give an
  example of how you were afraid to go back to
  school and how you overcame it
• Focus on the pleasure that education will bring
  minimize the pain
• We have all heard the cliché, No pain, no
  gain.
• No one ever did anything important without being
  scared first. We get over our fears by focusing
  on the outcome or the pleasure associated with
  completion of a task.
• You need to find out what the student really
  wants out of getting this degree.

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Pain VS. Pleasure

• MAKE SURE THE STUDENT ANSWERS QUESTIONS BELOW AND
  ENSURE YOU WRITE THIS IN THE NOTES SECTION AS
  WELL AS TIE INTO THE SOLUTION OF GOING BACK TO
  SCHOOL.
•  
• The ability to make more money? If so, what will
  that money get them?
• Is it about pride?
• To show someone, or themselves that they can do
  it?
• To improve their self image or low self esteem?
• To obtain a better job?
• To advance in a current job?
• The answers to all of the above questions will
  allow you to TIE IN THE SOLUTION (_______ ONLINE
  DEGREE PROGRAM) at any point post speaking with
  the student.

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Students mindset

• Student I dont have enough money to go back to
  school and I dont want to take out financial
  aid
• Representative Okay, I understand taking out
  financial aid can be scary for people but you
  did say earlier in our conversation you were
  looking to provide a better life for your
  children, right?
•  Student Right, but I cant do this right now
•  
• Representative John, let me ask you this where
  do you think that you will be five years from now
  if you have this education? 
• Student Better job, more money, new house, new
  car (Could be any of these answers)
• Representative John, if you were not accepted
  into this program and you never went on to get
  your degree/education/credential, etc. where do
  you think you will be in five years?
• You must ask both questions.

Fear Unwillingness to make change Resistance
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Students mindset

• Things you must remember on every phone call
• People want what they think they cant have
• This is why we make the student sell us on
  admitting them to our school
• People dont have money because they dont make
  enough money. They dont make enough money
  because they lack education. They will never have
  enough money unless they get educated.
• People dont want an education, they want the
  things that education provides.
• Create a sense of urgency and make sure your
  prospect feels the same urgency..
• Never ask a question that you dont know the
  answer to.
•  

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Your mindset

• Always be positive, negativity comes through on
  the phone
• Clear your mind, focus on the student
• Know that you are helping every caller you speak
  with there is no downside to getting more
  education.
• Each student is unique and will have a unique set
  of problems, deal with each as you would deal
  with your younger sibling
• NO does not mean NO
• Expect resistance and dont let it get you down
• Treat every call as if it is your only call, the
  most important call
• Provide solutions
• You are the expert
• Be ambivalent, you are an advisor the only job
  you have is to advise the student what is best
  for them
• Remember the students name and use it often in
  conversation

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Sales Points

• During your conversation with students, you will
  have 2 major
• opportunities throughout the call to insert the
  schools sales points.
• When a student makes a statement about their life
• When you are tying in the solution of the
  school they have been matched to
• Example
• Student The only reason Im a little bit
  nervous about going back to school is because I
  have 2 children and work full time and of
  course have not been to school in 20 years.
• Advisor I completely understand. Were
  going to look for a program that is not only
  flexible and doesnt require you to be online at
  any specific time, but we can also look for one,
  like NECB, where you have your own personal
  academic advisor as well as one on one tutoring
  if that will help your nerves.
• At the end of the script, when you are explaining
  to a student WHY
• you have connected them with a school, you will
  use Sales Points.

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Overcoming Objections

• There are numerous ways advisors may overcome
  objections. Based on the
• personality of the rep as well as the personality
  of the student, it is your job
• to know which response is the best to use in
  any given conversation.
• Common Objections
• Im not ready to start school right now
• I dont have time to go to school online right
  now
• I dont have time to talk (student says at
  beginning of call)
• School is too expensive right now
• Please mail / email me information
• Im not interested (anymore)
• I dont have enough money for the application fee
• I need a job before starting school I was on a
  career site
• How long will this conversation take?
• I have to talk to my husband (wife)

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Overcoming Objections

• Im not ready to start school right now
• Going back to school is like going on a diet or
  quitting smoking no one wants to take the first
  step to get started, but as soon as you do,
  youll feel confident, proud of yourself and know
  youre doing the right thing. What is holding
  you back from starting? (Find out if time,
  fear, money whatever the reason this is
  the students pain and you need to find the
  root of why they wanted to go to school in the
  first place the pleasure they can associate
  with going back to school)
• Really? Thats surprising as the schools and the
  government have worked together to make this so
  easy for people you can go online at your own
  pace and you can utilize financial aid if you
  qualify. These perks may not always be there.
  Why would you wait?
• Is there ever a right time to start school,
  life will always be happening. Look down the
  road, ___ years from now youre complete with
  your degree how has your life changed?
  (student to respond). Ok, now look down the road
  _____ years from now you dont have your
  degree, has your life changed? (Student will say
  no). So why are you waiting?

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Overcoming Objections

• I dont have time to go to school online right
  now.
• Many people feel the same way which is why over 2
  million adults are taking online courses. If you
  would like to better your life, we may want to
  discuss a couple of your scheduling options with
  some of the online programs. The average online
  students works 40-50 hours / week and has 2
  children does this sound like your situation?
• Let met ask you this Look down the roadfive
  years from nowyou have your degreehow has your
  life changed? (Allow students to say, make
  more money, have a better job, have a bigger
  house, better car, etc). THEN make sure you
  follow up with this question Lets look down
  the road 5 years from nowyou DONT have your
  degreehow has your life changed? Student will
  sayIt hasnt. You respond So, now you see
  why it doesnt make sense to wait on this. You
  may never get this opportunity again
• Perhaps I havent done MY job here. Have I
  explained to you that all studies show that with
  a higher degree level, you will have an extra
  600 / week in your pocket? If someone off the
  street offered you an extra 600 / week in your
  pocket, wouldnt you stop and take the time to do
  what they tell you?
•  

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Overcoming Objections

• I dont have time to talk (student says at
  beginning of call)
• You can acknowledge and say, okay then, I wont
  take up too much of your time and continue to
  speak.
• I understand. You must be looking at online
  education because you are so busy, right? (Try
  and engage in conversation and build rapport
  quickly)
• School is too expensive right now
• We all know that college is an expensive
  undertaking, however is there any better
  investment you can make than investing in
  yourself? This is the one investment you
  actually have control over and the government may
  support you in this by offering financial aid
  options. Lets discuss that option.
• If school is too expensive right now, it will
  really be too expensive in a year or two
  tuition prices are raising each year and while
  the country is in a recession, you do have
  financial aid options available right now today
  that may not be there the next time you think
  of going back to school.

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Overcoming Objections

• Please mail / email me information
• Thats actually what Im here for. You can think
  of me as your live course catalogue. While our
  website can give you information about the
  courses you will take, it cannot walk you through
  the day in the life of a student and what Im
  here for is to ensure I answer all questions that
  pertain to how the program works on a day to day
  basis and if it would fit your schedule.
• Thats what Im here for the catalogue is 100s
  of pages long and most students dont have time
  to read it I can answer specific questions real
  time and then when I know what youre looking for
  after we have our conversation, I can put
  together a customized email that only has the
  information you are looking for in it.
• Im not interested (anymore)
• What has changed?
• Even if you just thought about going to school
  for a brief 10 seconds, it may be worth reviewing
  some of your options. School does not get any
  less expensive and the government is pushing
  financial aid right now this is a better time to
  go than any and we can match you to a school to
  speak with directly once you tell us your
  schedule and what youre looking for.

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Overcoming Objections

• I dont have enough money for the application fee
• Have you spoken with anyone else yet about going
  back to school? If you have people that are
  supportive of your going back to school, perhaps
  they would let you borrow it.
• Lets take things one step at a time we may have
  a scholarship for you or may have some
  suggestions.
• I need a job before starting school
• Do you think one of the reasons you may be out of
  work is because you dont have a higher level
  degree? Even while you are looking for a job,
  employers will like to see on your resume that
  you are enrolled in school as this shows
  ambition.
• Online schools are very different than
  residential schools. You dont need to take the
  time to drive, park, sit in a classroom, or
  anything like that. If this is something that
  interests you, you need to do it now.
• This is really a good time to start school. If
  you put in the process of getting a degree on
  your resume potential employers like to see that
  shows you are a person who motivated and
  disciplined.

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Overcoming Objections

• How long will this conversation take?
• This depends on you and how many questions you
  have. We can make the call as short or as long
  as needed to find the right school that meets
  your needs. 
• I have to talk to my husband (wife).
• Absolutely. If youre going to go back to
  school, you want to make sure the people closest
  to you are supportive of what you are doing.
  Lets go through step 1 matching you with the
  best program. Then you can get all the needed
  information this way, you can go to your spouse
  prepared and he/she will know how serious you are
  about this.