Counselling Skills

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Ice breaker

Trainer will carry out this session with introduction of self and the participants
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Programme benefits
You will be able to:
Understand effective skills to open conversations with students and identify their reasons for visiting/calling the SMU LC. Understand probing skills needed to identify and uncover the students needs. Propose the appropriate SMU programme/course options in a manner focusing the student. Generate enrolments by using appropriate closing techniques. Put to use appropriate telephone etiquettes Apply telephonic selling techniques Online 3 All rights reserved Lead Management

Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

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Identify how your role as a counsellor at your LC . Explain how to counsel the potential students in a student centric manner. Explain the selling and counseling process in a structured manner. Describe the telephone etiquettes Describe tele-sales techniques Apply counseling process and telesales techniques

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Roles of a counsellor in SMU LC

Student admission: Student care/retention : Assisting

Responsible for proposing the right course to meet the needs of the students and maximise conversion of the database/enquiries to admissions to meet enrollment targets.

students/candida tes in all SMU DE processes and resolve their complaints and problems by adhering to the SMU DE processes.

One key for the role is Student Delight

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Roles of a counsellor in SMU LC

Key mantra to be a successful counsellor is LATER

L A T LISTEN ABSORB THINK

EVALUATE RESPOND

R
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Sales and counseling process

Sales processOUPEC
OPENING

Buying processNEED
NEED RECOGNITION

UNCOVER NEEDS

PROPOSE SOLUTIONS ELIMINATE OBJECTIONS CLOSE SALE

EVALUATE OPTIONS ELIMINATE DOUBTS DECIDE TO BUY

Note how stages of selling process coincide with the stages of buying process.
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Sales and counseling process

PREPARATION OPEN CONVERSATION UNCOVER NEEDS (PROBING TECHNIQUES) PROPOSE SOLUTIONS (COURSES) HANDLE OBJECTIONS GAIN COMMITMENT FOLLOW UP
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7 Stage Counseling process

Stage 1: Preparation

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7 Stage Counseling process -Stage 1: Preparation

Preparation helps in being: Organised Confident Know your industry Know your university (SMU) Know your process Know your USPs and courses Know your key drivers
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Effective

Personal preparation

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7 Stage Counseling process -Stage 1: Preparation

Three key categories of preparation: Know your process Student academic cycle
Admission/re-

registration

Admit card Final examination

Application submission

Assignment /project submission and evaluation

1st Level verification by LC

Face 2 Face Session/practical s/Edunxt ID Card and SLM dispatch

Final verification and approval of admission by University

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7 Stage Counseling process -Stage 1: Preparation

Three key categories of preparation: Know your USPs

Your
LCs Online admission and reregistration facility Self learning material (SLM)
On time delivery (courseware, exam results)

MCQs

Know
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Online exams4 times a year

Edunxt24/7 facility

USPs
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7 Stage Counseling process -Stage 1: Preparation

Three key categories of preparation: Know your USPs & Courses

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24/7 access. Access to collaborative learning with co-students, chat, wikis with LC and SMU faculty/mentor with industry experts. Supports face to face interaction at LCs. Career related information. Practice MCQs. Tracking progress of their learning. Online chat with mentors. Online assignments. E-library. Performance tracker.
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7 Stage Counseling process -Stage 1: Preparation

Three key categories of preparation: Know your USPs Activity: Courses
What are SMUs Top Five programmes? Take a guess which do you think is the biggest selling course? Put it in descending orderfrom highest to lowest. BBA. BCA. MBA. BSc (IT). MCA.

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7 Stage Counseling process -Stage 1: Preparation

Three key categories of preparation: Know your key drivers

Referrals
Word of mouth, existing students, old students, alumni cell

Leads
Enquiries from centralised Lead System Regular follow-up for conversion. Enquiry profiling to suggest appropriate programmes .

Activity
Marketing corporate presentation s, banners/kios ks/ newspapers

Student connect
SMU gets the most number of enrolments from the referrals

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7 Stage Counseling process

Stage 2: Open conversation

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7 Stage Counseling process Stage 2: Open conversation

Greet the prospective student Introduce yourself and your organisation Provide general benefit statement Ask for purpose of the visit politely

A very good greeting and a warm welcome to the prospect makes the enquiring/prospective student comfortable and helps in building a good rapport with him/her.
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7 Stage Counseling process Stage 2: Open conversation

How should you open conversation on telephone? Warm and professional greeting (Good Morning Sir/Madam!)

Identify yourself (This is Varuna, career counsellor from SMU.)

Be enthusiastic (conveyed through voice quality). Seek permission, specify duration, explain the purpose of the call, wait for the response.
Continue the conversation after the prospective student from the other side provides a go ahead or else seek alternate time to call back. Best would be to offer to go and meet-Works most of the times. 18

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7 Stage Counseling process Stage 2: Open conversation Non verbal components

Smile Grooming Confidence Enthusiasm

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7 Stage Counseling process

Stage 3: Uncover needs (Probing technique)

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7 Stage Counseling process Stage 3: Uncover needs (Probing)

Probing helps in Identifying needs Convert weak needs to strong needs Gain an agreement from the prospect to the solution / product offered

Switch to the next stage of proposing courses if you find the needs are clearly stated by the enquiring student.
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7 Stage Counseling process Stage 3: Uncover needs (Probing)

Probing technique

Types of probes: Open probesprovide elaborate answers. Closed probesprovide answers in one word (yes/no).
A mix of both open and closed probes need to be used to identify the needs.

Remember Ask only relevant basic questions, must not appear to be an interrogation Be polite in your tone and use appropriate voice 22 All rights reserved modulation The tone of voice reflects your mood when you

7 Stage Counseling process Stage 3: Uncover needs (Probing)

Probing technique

BBasic Questions SSpecific Questions EEffect Questions AAgreement Questions

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7 Stage Counseling process

Stage 4: Propose solutions (Courses/ SMU Programmes)

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7 Stage Counseling process Stage 4: Propose Solutions

Features, Advantages and Benefits Feature is a statement describing some characteristic of the course, for example duration, fees, courseware, EDUNXT etc.

Features

Advantages

All features (courses/programmes) have advantages and advantages provide benefits to the students. How the course or its features and advantages will meet the needs expressed by the prospect.

Benefits

REMEMBER: State only the benefits of features that match the needs of the prospective student. All the features and advantages of a course may not be a benefit to every student. The features that match the need of the students are only the benefits
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7 Stage Counseling process

Stage 5: Handle objections

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7 Stage Counseling process Stage 5: Handle Objections

What is an objection?
An objection is anything the prospect says or does that is an obstacle to smooth closing. In simple words, an objection is a doubt in the mind of a student regarding a course/university, which needs clarification.

Steps to handle objections

Identify objections Define objections Handle objections Overcome objections Resolve objections

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Welcome objections, Objections indicate the prospective students interest to clarify doubts before decision

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7 Stage Counseling process

Stage 6: Gain Commitment

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7 Stage Counseling process Stage 6: Gain Commitment

Ask for commitment to enroll by
Identifying buying signals & Summarizing the needs Checking whether the concerns of the prospective student have been addressed or not.

Asking closing questions.

Initiating documentation.

Advising the prospect on next step.

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Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCySzmoxKEc

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7 Stage Counseling process

Stage 7: Follow-up

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7 Stage Counseling process Stage 7: Follow-up

Keep in touch with the students. In case they miss the committed date, call them up and ask them whether they have doubts or do they need further clarification. Remind about the dates. Ask them for a re-visit so that they can be counseled again to clear doubts, if any or seek time to go and meet Maintain a thorough database of prospects with all relevant details (name, address, contact number, interest levels, counsellor comments). Keep track/follow up with prospects who have not joined the course 15 days before the start of every batch.

Follow up

Maintain a database

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Summary of 7 stage counseling process

PREPARATION OPEN CONVERSATION UNCOVER NEEDS (PROBING TECHNIQUES) PROPOSE SOLUTIONS (COURSES) HANDLE OBJECTIONS GAIN COMMITMENT FOLLOW UP
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Telephone etiquettes & Tele Sales

Telephone etiquettes

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Objectives

The learner will be able to:

Describe the telephone etiquettes Describe the Tele-selling techniques

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Telephone etiquettes
Face to Face Communication Over the Phone

Tone of Voice 38% Body Language 55%

Tone of Voice 86%

Words 7%

Words 14%

Tone of Voice
Tone of Voice Words Body Language

Words

Play the Audio

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Telephone etiquettes SoWhat does it take to make every call a Magical Experience
Effective Communication I : Voice Components The Importance of a Smile!

Tone Volume Control Inflection Pace of Speech Pitch / Intensity

Smile before you take the call Smile while you greet the customer The person on the other side can hear your smile!!!

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Telephone etiquettes
Key components of Telephone Etiquette

Call opening Conversing with the prospective student Call Hold Procedure

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Telephone etiquettes
Key components of Telephone Etiquette

Call opening

How should you sound when you open your call? Warm and professional greeting (Good Morning Sir/Madam!) Introduce yourself (This is Varuna from Sikkim Manipal University.) Be enthusiastic (Conveyed through Voice Quality).

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Telephone etiquettes
Key components of Telephone Etiquette

Conversing with the prospective student

Seek permission and mention the time duration Follow turn-taking in conversation Be genuinely polite in your tone. Do not convey rudeness or a dismissive attitude Do not get upset when the prospect on the other side bangs the phone, or sounds rude or abusing Be patient and politely seek to know the reason for rejections Escalate continued rude behavior to the centre head if necessary

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Telephone etiquettes
Key components of Telephone Etiquette
Listen Actively

Pay attention and concentrate Listen for key points Use cues such as I see Avoid preconceived notions Ask questions and probe
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Telephone etiquettes Telephone etiquettes

Key components of Telephone Etiquette

Call Hold Procedure Follow appropriate hold procedure Seek Permission Specify the Duration Explain the Reason Wait for the response Get back in the committed time frame

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Telephone etiquettes Telephone etiquettes

Few Dos and Don'ts of Telephone etiquette DOs

Frequently check if meanings are clear as intended. Simple sentences. Listen well. Speak slowly and with clarity. Do not put call on hold language/short DONTS: Mumbling, speaking at a fast rate. Using very LONG SENTENCES. Eating, drinking or smoking whilst talking. Use of jargons. Interrupting when the other person is speaking. Putting the call on hold indefinitely. Abruptly ending the call without thanking the customer All rights reserved

indefinitely. Thank the customer in call closure.

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Telephone etiquettes

Videos on telephone etiquette

Video 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AKLMXzwjYw Watch how the counsellor at an education centre is providing the details of the courses to the telephonic enquiry Video 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cta3UJ8PPrg Watch how the counsellor at an education centre is providing the details of the courses to the telephonic enquiry Video 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7HRAQhK9Wk

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7 Stage Counseling process

Tele-Sales

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Tele-Sales Types of telesales calls

Cold call. Follow-up call. Referral call. Renewal call.

In this program focus would be on Referral call

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Tele-Sales

Tele-Sales process
PREPARE FOR THE CALL OPEN THE CALL GAIN APPOINTMENT OR INVITE TO CENTRE FOR COUNSELLING

IF NO

PROPOSE TELE COUNSELLING + COUNSELL ON PHONE

CLOSE THE CALL

FOLLOW UP
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Tele-Sales Tele-Sales process- Prepare for the call Benefits of pre-call preparation:
Prospects open up more when they can see the counselor is prepared. Counselors come across as being professional and knowledgeable. Being armed with the information gathered during planning helps to make the most efficient use of time.

Three key categories of preparation

Know your process Know your USPs Know your key drivers (online leads, referrals, Activity, Student connect programs etc)

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Tele-Sales

ele-Sales process : Open the Call-Gain Appointment-Close

Warm and professional greeting (Good Morning Sir/Madam!) Identify yourself (This is Varuna, career counsellor from SMU.) Be enthusiastic (conveyed through voice quality). Seek permission, specify duration, explain the purpose of the call, wait for the response. Continue the conversation after the prospective student from the other side provides a go ahead or else seek alternate time to call back.
Seek an appointment / Invite to the centre/ offer tele-counseling. Do not forget to thank before closing the call. Best would be to offer to go and meet - Works most of the times.
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Tele-Sales

Tele-Sales process- Follow up

Objective of follow up calls:

To assess the potential prospects evaluation of the proposed course. To collect information to be able to convey other benefits of the course. To address and clarify the doubts in the minds of the prospect
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M85-rn6daHk

To gain a verbal commitment to enroll.

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7 Stage Counseling process

Practice time

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Practice time

Activity: Role plays

Divide yourself into a group of triads (3 in one group). Role 1Counsellor. Role 2Prospect. Role 3Observer. We will switch over the roles with every scenario.

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Practice time Activity: Role plays

Scenario 1 Admission to MBA. Sridevi wants a to pursue MBA program. She has called you on the phone to enquire. Guide her.

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Practice time Activity: Role plays

Scenario 2 Though I managed to pass, I scored really bad in my accounts papers. I want to improve my grades. Adapt a role of a difficult prospect, for exampleI cant have this black mark on my report card. Every other university allows this, why not you?etc.

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Practice time Activity: Role plays

Scenario 3 Vidya got herself admitted to MBA programme. At the time of reregistration to semester 3, she applied for Finance Management as specialisation, but would like to change to banking later. How to get the specialisation changed. Explain to her and answer her questions

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Practice time Activity: Role plays

Scenario 4
Delay in getting ID card. You gave the admission confirmation to Gaurav on 2nd August 2011. He has not received the ID card till December 2011. Exams are scheduled from 15th January 2012 onwards.

Guide Gaurav on the way forward for taking the exams?

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Activity: Role plays

Scenario 5
Online Lead Ashok Sharma visited the SMU website few days back and left his details showing interest in M.SC IT program. Call up Ashok and carry out the tele-sales process . Hint: Ashok may not be interested in a meeting.
Instruct the participant playing the counsellor to be sitting with his/her back facing the prospective enquiry

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Activity: Role plays

Scenario 6
Referral lead Rajashekar is a software engineer at TCS. His reference has been provided to you by one of your student, Ms Asha who is his colleague Call up Rajashekar and carry out the tele-sales process . Hint: Rajashekar may be interested to meet your representative at his office.

Instruct the participant playing the counsellor to be sitting with his/her back facing the prospective enquiry
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Activity: Role plays

Scenario 7
Walk-in Enquiry You already had a discussion with Rajesh over the phone 2 days back and had invited him to the centre. Rajesh has walked into your centre today. You already have the following details of Rajesh with you. Rajesh is a prospective enquiry and is very clear in his requirements. He has mentioned that he is a BE graduate working as a software engineer since 4 years and it is time for him to look for growth in his career. As a counsellor you are supposed to carry out the counseling process . Hint: Applying probing technique might be helpful to understand Rajeshs requirements better.
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Summary

Summary

Your role as a counsellor facilitating achievement of business results of your LC. Counseling the potential students in a student centric manner. Selling and counseling process. Elements of preparation. Probing to identify and uncover needs in prospective students. Opening conversations with walk-in enquiries Propose solutions to students and enroll them. Telephone etiquettes Tele-sales Online lead management
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ??
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Questions?

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Thank you

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