Best Practices in Recruitment and Retention Strategies

Presented byRick Newberry, Ph.D.

Rick.Newberry@EnrollmentCatalyst.comwww.EnrollmentCatalyst.com

© 2012 Enrollment Catalyst

Our Goal

During this session, we will discuss best practices in recruitment and retention strategies to enroll new families and retain current families at your school.

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Enrollment Catalyst partners with schools to provide coaching for school leaders in their

school’s enrollment management and marketing systems, strategies, and solutions

needed to reach their goals.

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School GrowthThere are many factors that affect enrollment growth at your school.

School Growth

Leadership

Quality School

Experience

Vision

Faculty and Staff

Parent Satisfaction

Reputation

Location

Price

Competition

Enrollment & Marketing

Plan

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The Plan and BudgetIt is important to begin with the development of a strategic enrollment and marketing plan for your school.

Know where you are going Develop a plan for your school’s enrollment

and marketing effort—and do everything you can to implement it.

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The Admissions Funnel Admissions Goals Admissions Reports The Admissions Team Inquiry Generation Inquiry Processing and Follow-up Application Generation and Follow-up Admissions Marketing Materials

Developing Your Recruitment Plan

Communicate your Plan Communicate your enrollment and

marketing plan to your faculty, staff and parents. It is important for your community to know where you are going and how they can become involved in the plan.

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The goal is to allocate 3% of your school’s operational budget to marketing and enrollment strategies.◦ Where are your currently spending your

marketing and enrollment budget?◦ What is the size of your school’s marketing and

enrollment budget?◦ How much should you allocate to these areas?◦ Your budget should be a reflection of what works

in generating interest in your school.

The Budget

The Admissions Funnel

From inquiry to enrollee, it is critical to understand the admissions funnel.

The Admissions Funnel

Inquiries

Campus Visits

Applications

Admits

Deposits

Enrollees

Prospects

Enrollment GoalsIt is important to know what you are aiming for in order to evaluate your results!

Enrollment Goals Develop specific enrollment goals for the

following areas:◦ Total Enrollment◦ Retention◦ Admissions

Inquiries Campus Visits Applications Deposits New students

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Enrollment Goal Worksheet

Enrollment ReportsAn effective enrollment management strategy is dependent upon a data-driven approach.

Provides a snapshot overview of the re-enrollment of current families and enrollment of new families.

Enrollment Dashboard Report

The Admissions TeamRegardless of your size, it is critical to have staff committed to this critical task of recruiting families to your school.

Staffing Commit resources to staffing in the

enrollment and marketing areas at your school.

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Direct administrative responsibilities for admissions◦ Director of Admissions/Enrollment◦ Head of School/Principal

Additional involvement in admissions◦ Secretary/Receptionist◦ Administration◦ Faculty and Staff◦ Parents◦ Students

The Admissions Team

Develop, implement and manage the recruitment plan

Strive to reach and exceed all of the goals Provide an outstanding campus visit experience

and follow-up for all inquiries and applicants Increase awareness of the school through

feeder schools, churches and other groups Encourage and facilitate the involvement of

parents in the recruitment strategy Report weekly on the progress toward

recruitment goals

Essential Responsibilities

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Parent Ambassadors

Parent Ambassador Program Recruit a team of parents to help you in

your admissions effort by:◦ Presenting tours of campus.◦ Hosting new family “desserts” in their homes.◦ Mentoring a new family throughout their first

school year.◦ Calling and/or writing personal notes to parents

and welcoming them to your school.◦ Connect with feeder schools and churches in the

community.

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Parent Ambassador Program

Provide a card in your admissions package that includes the names, child grade levels, phone numbers and email addresses of your parent ambassadors.

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Generating InquiriesYour new student enrollment strategy should begin with an aggressive strategy to generate interest in your school.

Word-of-Mouth Website and SEO Google Social Media Online Presence Feeder Churches and Schools Open Houses and Campus Visits Direct Mail Traditional Print and Media Advertising

Inquiry Generation Strategies

Referrals “Word-of-Mouth” is the most powerful

marketing tool you have for your school (as long as it is positive!).◦ Current Parents, Alumni, Faculty/Staff, Real Estate

Agents, Feeder School Administrators, etc.

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Prospects and Applicants Current Parents Alumni and Friends Faculty and Staff Realtors

Ask for Referrals

Should you provide a tuition discount or an incentive to encourage referrals from your parents?

Paying for Referrals

Tell the story of your school by communicating experiences in their own words.

Write an online review of their experiences online at GreatSchools.com, Google or Yelp.

Invite a friend to experience your school by visiting and touring campus.

“Like” your school’s Facebook page and participate in the conversation.

Direct friends to your website to check out your school.

Refer a friend to the admissions office.

Ask Your Parents to Help (TWILDR)

Focus on sharing stories that relate back to your unique selling propositions:◦ Website◦ Blogs◦ Social Media◦ Video vignettes◦ One-on-one meetings◦ Small groups◦ Events◦ Online reviews

Tell Stories

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Website

Website Your school’s website should be the hub of

news, activity, information and stories about your school.

It is the most important marketing and communication’s tool for today’s school.

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Key Elements of Website Design Brand—It is important to convey a strong

brand for your school—including your logo, colors, and tagline.

Photos—Large, professional photos on the home page will draw the visitor to your school.

Content—Dynamic content and a compelling message is important to keep users returning to your school’s website.

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Use of school logo, name and brand Use of large, compelling, rotating photos Drop down navigation

◦ About Us, Academics, Admissions, Arts, Athletics, Support Us

Descriptive, keyword-rich school content Stories—Features and news Social media links Quicklinks

Home Page Recommendations

Admissions Section Welcome from Director Your school experience Life after “your school” Online inquiry form Online application Admissions process and timeline Campus visit information Affording “your school” FAQ’s

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SEO Strategies

Search Engine Optimization SEO is the process of adjusting websites

and pages to gain higher placement in search engine results.◦ Where does your school come up on a web

search? Organic versus Paid

◦ Organic – page titles and keywords in your website

◦ Google’s AdWords – pay-per-click advertising for keywords.

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A successful SEO strategy begins with research to discover the keywords that your prospective parents use to search for your school.◦ Use Google’s Keyword Analysis Tool

Keyword Research

Competitor Keyword Research◦ Go to their website◦ Right click; view source

Every page of your website should have a unique title that is reflective of the content and keywords used on the respective page.

Page Titles and Descriptions

Canterbury SEO Assessment

• The CSF website does not have unique page titles or meta page descriptions for search engine optimization.

Canterbury website description in a Google search:

SEO Assessment

Google Search: Private School in St. Petersburg◦ Results

Google AdWords shows ads for Shorecrest and Northside Christian.

Canterbury listed #6 behind Shorecrest, Admiral Farragut and Keswick Christian.

Assessment

Google Search: Christian School in St. Petersburg◦ Results

Google Ads shows ads for Shorecrest and Northside Christian.

Canterbury not listed on first page in search results (appears on the second page).

Assessment

It is critical for you to focus on search engine optimization as part of your marketing strategy.◦ Keyword research◦ Page titles◦ Page descriptions◦ Keyword-rich content◦ Dynamic content

Focus on SEO

School administrators most often focus on website design when launching a new site but fail to focus on the most important elements – SEO and content development.

It is critical to focus on developing content that is:◦ Relevant◦ Keyword-rich◦ Dynamic◦ Compelling

Focus on Content

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Social Media

Facebook Facebook can be used to connect to alumni,

parents and friends of your school.◦ Main page for your school

Provide regular updates on your fan page Tell stories of your alumni and faculty Encourage interaction among your fans Enter into conversations with your fans Connect with alumni to keep in touch with them

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Your goal is to post at least one update every day.

Types of updates that generate engagement:◦ Stories◦ News◦ Video vignettes◦ Events◦ Blog posts

Posts

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Feeder Schools and Churches

Develop a target list of feeder schools. Visit current and potential feeder schools. Send information packets to parents of target

feeder schools. Utilize current parents to reach out to feeder

schools. Invite feeder school administration to tour campus

and enjoy a special brunch/lunch on your campus. Have your students perform at feeder school

assemblies. Hold an area private school fair.

Feeder Schools

Develop a list of the target churches in the area for potential referrals. Begin with the churches represented by families at your school and then add other churches in the community.

Apply some of the same ideas from the feeder school section.

Use current parents to reach out to feeder churches.

Invite pastors annually to campus for an appreciation breakfast or lunch to show appreciation for their leadership.

Feeder Churches

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Campus Visits and Open Houses

It is better for parents to visit your school in a one-on-one environment than to attend an open house in the evening or on the weekend when the school is not in session.

Every day should be an open house for prospective families at your school.

Campus Visit Program

Once you get a family to your campus, make sure you have an outstanding visit program set up for them.

An effective campus visit program should include:◦ Tour of campus◦ Meeting with admissions director and

administrator◦ Review of the application process◦ Introductions to key staff◦ Connections with Parent Ambassadors

The Campus Visit

Reserved parking space with the family’s name. Reception area with personalized welcome sign. Name tag with printed large first name. “Everyone is expecting you” attitude and

approach. Personal greeting from head of school and/or

principal. Tour by admissions director and current parent. Handwritten follow-up note.

Best Practices

Welcome Sign

Flier and pack of cards sent to current parents about Welcome Wednesday’s at Lakeland Christian School

Host a special “friend’s” day for current students to invite their friends to spend the day with them at your school.

The goal is to encourage and motivate current students to focus on inviting their friends they want to encourage enrolling in your school, especially when students are key to the decision!

Friend Day

Inquiry Tracking and Follow-up

Once you receive an inquiry, tracking and follow-up will be key to enrolling new families.

Inquiry Tracking and Follow-Up

What you do you after you get an inquiry will make a difference in your admissions effort.◦ It is critical to have a follow-up plan in place to

encourage your inquiries to apply and then to enroll.

◦ Effective inquiry processing and follow-up is a critical element of any successful admissions operation.

◦ Effective contact with inquiries results in a greater conversion rate to applications and, ultimately, to increased enrollment.

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30 Day Follow-Up Plan

Step 1 – Make initial contact with inquiry Step 2 – Send information packet on school

with personal letter (within 24 hours of inquiry).◦ Make sure the letter is personalized and well-

written to sell your school.

30-Day Follow Up Plan

Step 3 – Call one week later to discuss your school and encourage the parent to take the next step (seven days after inquiry date).◦ Phone call should focus on the following:

Make sure information was received in the mail. Encourage the family to visit. Use the time to better understand the parent’s needs

and sell the parent on your school. Send hand-written note immediately after call is

made.

30-Day Follow Up Plan

Step 4 – Send postcard to remind the parent of your school (15 days after inquiry date).

Step 5 – Personal contact from a current parent (25 days after inquiry).◦ Use a parent ambassador from a similar grade

level to contact the inquiry. Step 6 – Send personal letter with another

application (30 days after inquiry).◦ This is the final letter in the regular inquiry

sequence. This letter should create some urgency to enrolling at your school.

30-Day Follow Up Plan

Follow-Up After 30 Days What should you do with your inquiries after

your 30 day follow-up?◦ Monthly contact with inquiries.◦ Send your school’s email newsletter.

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Re-RecruitmentRetention is the strategy of re-recruiting current families back to your school for another year.

Re-Recruitment The strategy and process for recruiting your

current families to continue enrollment in your school for the next year.

Re-recruitment is the activity that leads to retention.

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False Assumption We can no longer assume that just because

a family is enrolled this year they will be back for another year.

More Cost-Effective It is more cost-effective to retain a family

than it is to recruit a replacement. Typically, retention is the greatest issue

between the transition years (Preschool to Kindergarten; 5th to 6th grade; 8th to 9th grade).

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Parent Satisfaction Retention statistics and reports Responsibility of re-recruitment Connections to community Customer service The re-enrollment process Focus on the transition grades Parent communication Internal marketing Parent feedback

Re-Recruitment Strategies

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Parent Satisfaction

Parent satisfaction is the key for retaining families at your school.

The higher the satisfaction level, the higher the commitment and likelihood of your parents to stay and pay for another year.

The Key to Retention

Academic program College preparation Faculty (teaching, individual attention,

experience, etc.) Community Extracurricular programs Safety and security of the school

environment

Main Areas of Satisfaction

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Retention Statistics

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Retention Statistics It is important to track your school’s

retention rate.◦ Retention Rate = (# of students re-enrolled in

new year) / (Total number of students in previous year minus graduating class – students eligible to re-enroll)

◦ By Division◦ By Transition Grade◦ By Grade Level

FMS Grade all of your students eligible to re-

enroll using the following grades:◦ F – Firm = very likely to return◦ M – Moderate = on the fence◦ S – Shaky = unlikely to return◦ Z – Cancel = will not return

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Role of Faculty and Staff

Everyone’s Responsibility Retention is the responsibility of every

faculty and staff member at your school:◦ Performance◦ Relationships◦ Quality◦ Communication◦ Service

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Role of Faculty and Staff

#1 – Your first and primary role at your school is to serve the school with excellence in your area of responsibility.◦ You are the school’s brand.◦ What you do best when you close the classroom

door.◦ Everyone is equally important in this effort.

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“The brand on the outside is only as strong as the brand on the inside.”

– Karl Speak, President, Beyond Marketing Thought

Role of Faculty and Staff #2 – You have the opportunity and

responsibility to turn negative conversations and gossip into positive brand moments.

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Administrators

Role of Faculty and Staff #3 – Everyone should be a story-teller for

your school.◦ Stories about faculty, students and alumni should

be a regular part of your conversation. We need to communicate stories that will lift up the image of the school.

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Role of Faculty and Staff #4 – Celebrate your students, parents and

colleagues.◦ As a community, we have the opportunity to

celebrate the successes of our students, parents and colleagues.

◦ Acknowledge student successes—Send at least five positive emails every week to parents in your class.

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Role of Faculty and Staff #5 – Welcome visitors on campus

◦ When a prospective parent visits your classroom, stop what you are doing and introduce yourself and your class to them.

◦ When you see a prospective parent on a tour, take a moment to welcome them to your school.

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Role of Faculty and Staff #6 – Focus on retaining students and

families in your sphere of influence.◦ Excellence in what you do.◦ Positive communication.◦ Timely response to parent concerns.◦ Encouragement to remain part of the community.◦ Channel concerns to the administration.◦ Sell and promote the next level of the school.◦ Make it your focus to retain the students and

families in your class.

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Role of Faculty and Staff #7 – Provide outstanding customer service

to the parents that you serve.◦ Roll out the red carpet for your families.◦ Create a “WOW” experience for your families.

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Role of Faculty and Staff #8 – Make every effort to make this one

school where everyone works together toward the same goal.◦ When the preschool wins, the entire school wins◦ When the upper school wins, the preschool wins

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Role of Faculty and Staff #9 – Take the time to make personal

connections with parents and students.◦ A handwritten note.◦ A positive email about their child.◦ A birthday card on their special day.◦ Something memorable that will be talked about.

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Community Connections

Connections

Families are more likely to remain enrolled when they are connected to groups within your school community.

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Begin with new students School-wide events Parent Ambassadors Mentoring programs

◦ Student to Student◦ Parent to Parent

Buddies School spirit Head of School/Principal coffees, chats, etc. Home dessert vision casting

Community Connections

Students become part of the Flamingo’s or Pelican’s at Palm Beach Day Academy which culminates each year in a field day competition.

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Customer Service

Must Read on Customer Service

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High Point University Donna Cutting uses High Point University in

The Celebrity Experience as a premier example of customer service. What do they do?◦ Director of WOW! ◦ Wowing campus visitors◦ Delivering birthday cards◦ The President and his gumball machine◦ Valentine’s Day◦ Free valet parking◦ Construction dust and car washes◦ Kiosks with free water or hot chocolate

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High Point University provides “WOW” moments for prospective and campus students

Do something unique on every student’s birthday

Give students something memorable on special days

Surprise students with the unexpected Show parents that you appreciate them

Apply this Model to Your School

Standing Out in a Crowded Market Exceptional customer service can help your

school stand out in a crowded marketplace!

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Re-Enrollment

It is your goal to re-enroll your parents in a timely manner so that you can have enrollment predictability and budget accordingly.

Why Re-Enrollment?

High demand and limited seats Re-enrollment/matriculation fee Tuition deposit/down-payment Discount by early date Penalty applied if re-enrolled after date Assume continued enrollment (automatic)

Re-Enrollment Strategies

We live in an online world and parents are used to conducting business this way.

Your parents expect to re-enroll online.

Online Re-Enrollment

January and February ◦ Launch re-enrollment◦ Launch internal marketing campaign◦ Transition grade meetings◦ State of the school report◦ Coffee meetings◦ Parent ambassadors contact parents

March and April◦ Discount ends or penalty applied◦ Contact all families that did not re-enroll and set

up a personal meeting with them.

Re-Enrollment Timeline

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Transition Grades

A school will typically lose the most students in the transition grades.

Therefore, the retention strategy should focus on the transition grades (Pre-school to Kindergarten; 5th to 6th grade; 8th to 9th grade).

Focus on the Transition Grades

Hold personal meetings with families as part of your “one-family-at-a-time” approach.◦ Focus on their level of commitment to continue

enrollment◦ Deal with specific issues and objections◦ Better forecast retention earlier on in the school

year

“One-Family-at-a-Time”

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Dessert Briefings Ask parents to hold a dessert “briefing” in

their home to discuss the transition to the next level at the school.◦ All parents in a transition grade would be invited

to attend an event in the home of a current parent (preferably a parent from the next level).

◦ Head of school and appropriate leadership provides overview of the next level and allows for questions and concerns to be expressed.

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“Next Year and Beyond” Meetings Hold informational meetings for parents at

the school to gain an overview of the next grade level.

Step-Up Days Hold “Step-up” days in early Spring for

students in transition grades. This will help students experience what it will be like at the next level.

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Mentoring/Buddy Program Create a mentoring/buddy program to

connect a student in a transition grade with a student in the next level of your school.

Connect older students with younger students in a buddy program.

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Communications and Internal Marketing

Internal marketing is the effort to continually reinforce your brand to your parents. Every message should reinforce your brand distinctiveness.

When your parents are very satisfied with their experience at your school, they will be your greatest asset to help you reach your community.

You must do everything you can to market your school internally to your parents.

Internal Marketing

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Communicate to your Parents One of the most important components for

your retention strategy is communication with your parents.◦ Communicate often and then communicate again.◦ Focus on communicating your brand

distinctiveness.◦ Share stories about your graduates making a

difference in college and in the world.◦ Share stories about your faculty and students.

Tell Stories Communicate stories about your alumni,

faculty, staff and students and relate them to your brand.

Parents need to see their child in the story of your school. Therefore it is essential for you to share stories of real people and real stats that focus on your key brand messages.

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Email Newsletter Focus on telling stories in your email

newsletter:◦ Reinforce the value of the investment.◦ Tell stories of life after graduation.◦ Tell student and faculty stories.◦ Emphasize and reinforce your brand

distinctiveness.

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Tell Your Story in Person Large group meetings State of the school address Small group coffees One-on-one meetings Virtual meetings

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Raving Fans You will create raving fans and inspiring

brands when you:◦ Commit to developing and defining your brand◦ Communicate your brand message consistently in

a visually compelling way◦ Concentrate on the role that everyone must play

in branding and marketing your school◦ Celebrate the people and the positive, life-

changing difference you are making at your school

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Parent Feedback

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Parent Feedback Survey your parents annually by conducting

an overall parent satisfaction and perception survey.◦ Look for areas of dissatisfaction to improve the

quality of the school.◦ Report findings from the survey back to parents.◦ Best time to survey parents is October/November

and January/February/March.

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Exit Interviews Conduct exit interviews when parents

choose not to re-enroll at the school.◦ Email Survey◦ Phone Survey◦ In-house versus Consultant

Q&AQuestions and Answers

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If you are interested in discussing your current enrollment challenges or marketing needs, please contact Rick to set up a time for an initial consultation:

Rick.Newberry@EnrollmentCatalyst.com727.647.0378

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Blog and Consultation

For More Information:

Enrollment CatalystRick Newberry, Ph.D.9770 Indian Key TrailSeminole, FL 33776

727.647.0378Rick.Newberry@enrollmentcatalyst.comBlog: www.EnrollmentCatalyst.com/blog

@RickNewberry

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