Transcript
Rick Newberry: Hey Andy!
Andy Lynch: Yes, Rick?
Rick Newberry: Andy, you know... Pickleball has gotten crazy popular over the last few years.
Andy Lynch: Mm -hmm.
Rick Newberry: But have you heard about the new sport called quiet tennis?
Andy Lynch: Quiet. tennis, Rick? I haven't heard of that. What's quiet tennis?
Rick Newberry: Well, it's like regular tennis, but you know, without the racket.
Andy Lynch: Hey, everybody. Thank you for joining Rick and me for the Enrollment Marketing Geeks podcast for school leaders. We're so excited that you've joined us for another episode. I'm Andy Lynch, president and CEO of Tassel. And with me is my friend.
Andy Lynch: Dr. Rick Newberry, President of Enrollment Catalyst. We're delighted to share these podcasts with you. They drop on the 1st and the 15th of every month. In Season 1, we focused on the unique contributions to healthy enrollment, specifically contributions from the head of school, the director of marketing, director of admissions.
Andy Lynch: faculty and staff, the board and currently enrolled families. So if you didn't catch that series, I'd encourage you to go back. listen to season one, and and hear about those unique contributions to healthy enrollment.
Andy Lynch: from each of those stakeholders and as we step into season two we're going to focus on recurring questions that we hear from school leaders And in this first episode of the new season.
Andy Lynch: We're going to unpack a question that Rick and I have heard. many times over the years. How do we turn around? declining enrollment so rick always a hot topic a pressing question you know these are This question comes from school leaders who are concerned about numbers moving in the wrong direction.
Rick Newberry: That's right.
Andy Lynch: And it could be that they're on the front end of this decline, or in some cases, it could be several years into a decline, maybe in a single age and stage. Maybe high school is declining or it could be.
Andy Lynch: across multiple divisions. so Rick, ah always a pressing. issue when we get this question.
Rick Newberry: Yeah, and we we actually receive this type of question quite often. I know I do. And I think it's important as we... think about this this key question um that schools need to understand what's causing it.
Rick Newberry: and You have to really know what's behind it before you can actually fix the enrollment problem. uh you know i think a lot of times school leaders are looking for that quick fix you know just tell me the magical solution of what i need to do wave that magic wand and let me do this one or two things and that'll make a difference in the enrollment and being able to turn around that decline.
Rick Newberry: um You know, it's it's not. that you can often find those instant results. But you have to understand what's going on. you know, what's behind those root issues.
Rick Newberry: and not just treat the symptoms.
Andy Lynch: Yeah, that's right. and If we... and go upstream here a little bit I think it's really important that school leaders first uh, that the leadership team is in alignment, that, hey, we've got some issues here.
Andy Lynch: And unfortunately, if school leaders are not in touch with the right numbers, At the right frequency, sometimes this can take them by surprise. If they're just assuming things are okay,
Andy Lynch: they're not having the right conversations at the right intervals or perhaps They're just assuming that. you know word of mouth or that this will take care of itself. um I think that it's really important that school leaders. face the reality that is rather than the one that they hope to see.
Andy Lynch: and get out of these issues. early. But. should a school leader find himself or herself in this scenario where they are facing an extended decline. uh they've got to take decisive action taking a wait and see approach typically doesn't work out. So I want our listeners to eavesdrop on what this question might sound like. And and Rick, as we've talked about this, ah the the question could come so could come packaged sort of like this. so
Andy Lynch: We're experiencing declining enrollment over the last three years. We've tried increasing advertising, maybe improving the website. Maybe we've done a billboard or direct mail. We've tried some different things with open houses, but nothing seems to be working.
Andy Lynch: We're stuck. We're out of answers. What should we do?
Rick Newberry: That's where I think we really need to jump in and and look at diagnosing the problem. before we actually move to solutions. You know, I get these calls all the time. And I.
Rick Newberry: It's not something that you can just answer in a half -hour conversation.
Andy Lynch: Mm hmm.
Rick Newberry: It really takes time and effort. In fact, the way I structure it is I need to spend a couple days on campus. working with a school to really diagnose the problem. And so when I go through an assessment like that, I want to understand. the enrollment trends.
Rick Newberry: you know To understand those numbers, you know we're looking at... enrollment by grade level. over the last three to five years. That's very important. Where's the decline? Is it specifically in?
Rick Newberry: kindergarten in the early years or is it in the upper grades or is it across the board and i've seen it all In fact, I just started working with a school recently where they're specifically having issues at the lower level.
Rick Newberry: And so we're trying to understand what's going on. So you look at those trends. ah You understand. where the enrollment losses are occurring. And you want to separate those.
Rick Newberry: New student numbers from the returning student enrollment. because those are two separate issues.
Andy Lynch: hu
Rick Newberry: that make up. the complexity of the situation. to understand truly why. the school is experiencing that decline so it could be recruitment It could be retention.
Rick Newberry: It could be both. So I always like to start with looking at the trends, looking at the numbers, and that really moves us into the admissions funnel. specifically as we're focusing in on the recruitment of new families coming into the school.
Andy Lynch: So that term admissions funnel, I think most of our listeners are going to be familiar with that. But take a moment and just put a finer point on that. When you say admissions funnel, what are you referring to?
Rick Newberry: Yeah, so typically it's a sales funnel. So you have the inquiries coming in, their parents are expressing interest, and then you're moving them down through the process, you know, to visit, then to apply, then to enrollment. And so we want to understand each level of the admissions funnel.
Rick Newberry: Like, for example, if we're down in. the number of new students. then is that because we're down in inquiries?
Andy Lynch: Mm -hmm.
Rick Newberry: or visits. or applications or all three and so it's important to understand those numerical values. And it always surprises me when I started working with a school that they may have incomplete.
Rick Newberry: data points. They may i may not even know how many inquiries came in this past year.
Andy Lynch: Mm -hmm
Rick Newberry: So that's an issue we have to address as well, is making sure that... Those data points are there in the future. So we have to understand each level of the admissions funnel and find out what's happening along the way.
Rick Newberry: Look at our yield relationships. But also on the other side, retention is just as important. That's where we have to understand why families are leaving.
Rick Newberry: You know what? What are the reasons why they're choosing to? not stay, not return. at your school. so it Could be that they've just been there one year, they never intended to stay, they were just coming for preschool, or perhaps they've been a long -term family nurse school.
Rick Newberry: And the grass seems greener on the other side when they approach the high school years. But that's where you have to really have that understanding. as to what the withdrawal trends are the reasons for those families not returning ah You have to do some research around that.
Rick Newberry: Usually that's through a non -returning parent survey. Could be focus group issues. or our conversations that reveal those issues that could be affecting parent satisfaction.
Rick Newberry: and confidence. So those are the three areas that I would want to take a look at. to really understand what's happening. ah with that enrollment decline along the way. so
Andy Lynch: Yeah, part of what you're getting at here Rick is is taking a look at the numbers and in some cases I know this is an opportunity for coaching for many teams where they have not been particularly sharp at the numbers. you know It's not unusual to find enrollment teams. that are very relational.
Andy Lynch: ah They are people people. but they would not necessarily think of themselves as data people. But the reality is it takes both. to run a successful enrollment effort. So I know in some cases,
Andy Lynch: You're having to do some coaching on what numbers they should be tracking. You can't go back and fabricate numbers that you weren't tracking along the way, which could be. One of the reasons why they are in trouble is they didn't realize they had a problem until it was too late. But I know that's an area where.
Andy Lynch: You come alongside teams and coach them up in terms of this is what we should be tracking and what we should be looking at. And then what intervals? So that could be a helpful. ah outcome of that.
Andy Lynch: initial assessment. So as you as you're going through this initial assessment process i mean typically that's gonna lead you to a handful of root causes. i mean rarely is it In some cases, it could be one glaring issue.
Andy Lynch: But ah in in many cases, it's usually not just one. major contributing factor but you're you're you've got your divining rod out and you're looking for those ah yeah what's below the surface there. and They typically typically falls into to four.
Andy Lynch: major categories. So walk us through those those categories of root causes that you often see.
Rick Newberry: Yeah, often... You know, the first area that I may see is a changing market. So you you think about the location of your school. You can't. pick up and move. You can't change your location typically. So you're in a way stuck with your local demographics. And if those change.
Rick Newberry: along the way, you know, and maybe there's a different family type that's moving into the community, or maybe there's just not enough. families with young children. There could also be changing family expectations, maybe issues with. ah tuition affordability and the perceived value of a private education. So all that's kind of wrapped up into the changing market.
Rick Newberry: and what's taking place. There also may be the second area, which is weak differentiation. And I know, Andy, you talk a lot about this as you work with schools about.
Rick Newberry: how a school needs to communicate and market themselves. as being different in the community.
Andy Lynch: Yeah.
Rick Newberry: Tell us more about. this.
Andy Lynch: Yeah. um It can be surprising ah when when schools... take a ah look at how they compare in the marketplace. In many cases, there's just a lack of distinction. There's a lack of differentiation. And one way that's manifested is they use a lot of the same language.
Andy Lynch: um I can remember. ah Years ago, I had... a director of marketing at a school. when meeting with their executive team, printed out. the about us pages from several Local Christian school websites removed the names of the schools and asked her executive team to choose which one was their school.
Andy Lynch: And most of them could not successfully choose, which.
Rick Newberry: Hmm.
Andy Lynch: description was of their school is because they use a lot of the same language and differentiation is hard so that if if it's hard to do internally it's going to be even harder for prospective families to do.
Rick Newberry: That's right.
Andy Lynch: And I think that this is even more important than the emerging age of AI when families are doing extensive research, not just looking for options, but. getting answers from ai platforms before they ever even visit the school's website much less the school's campus. So if they struggle with the foundational question, like why us? What makes us unique? What are we particularly good at?
Andy Lynch: This will also manifest and in just sort of generic. ah messaging or a lack of of precision in the messaging i'm a huge advocate of schools.
Andy Lynch: articulating their value proposition by age and stage, not just one high -level overarching message. but specifically addressing the aspirations, the concerns. uh the the interests at at the age and stage level.
Andy Lynch: And it could be a disconnect also. between what a school focuses on what it promotes in the marketplace and what prospects or actual prospective families actually value. what they're interested in.
Andy Lynch: um I think a school can be different in ways that don't matter. to prospective families. They can also think they're different in ways that they're not. But that lack of. clear compelling identity in the marketplace.
Andy Lynch: can be a major contributing factor to why they're not getting traction with prospective families.
Rick Newberry: Yeah, it's so interesting, Andy, you know, as I work with. many, many schools. Often the admissions staff will say, well, we're like a family. you know it's It's our community, and that's not differentiation at all.
Andy Lynch: Yeah.
Andy Lynch: That's right.
Rick Newberry: So.
Andy Lynch: That's right. what school wouldn't say. It feels like a community of strangers.
Rick Newberry: That's right. Exactly.
Andy Lynch: Area number three, that ineffective admissions process. I know you go deep here. Walk us through that that third area. the third root cause.
Rick Newberry: Yeah, I'm actually yeah I'm actually working with a school right now that's experiencing decline and and we're looking at the admissions process. And so it's a combination of not having that sales mentality, not being aggressive or proactive in the follow up contact. So it's often. uh something to do with those types of issues.
Rick Newberry: ah There may be, for example, on the campus tour itself where you're not closing the deal. um You're not planting seeds as to the next step in the process that would be great if you take the next step in the next week and be able to submit your application. so And it could be coupled with teams not understanding and their specific role in admissions. you know we We talk a lot about admissions and sales, and that's often misunderstood.
Rick Newberry: in schools, and I think that's an important. potentially root cause of an enrollment decline that we have to address. And then there's a fourth area, and that's apparent dissatisfaction and declining retention. certainly you know There could be...
Rick Newberry: uh you know many issues that could be unresolved concerns or maybe there's communication challenges maybe there's an issue with a particular teacher or maybe it's a quality issue in the upper school program. Whatever it is, it's important to understand what's going on.
Rick Newberry: to be able to address that dissatisfaction because that will affect the retention at a school. so
Andy Lynch: Yeah, and and on that on that subject. ah School leaders may not know because they may not be asking. and It's surprising to me, even in large schools.
Andy Lynch: Uh, the lack of feedback loops, particularly in the form of of surveys. um where they're at regular intervals asking. current families and and different stakeholders within the school community.
Andy Lynch: about their experience and about their perceptions. And if they're not doing that. um They are. ah flying blind. so uh This is this is ah a really important area of focus, getting at at the root causes here, Rick. We'll continue in a moment.
Andy Lynch: So Rick, we're moving pretty quick through these concepts. But once a once a school has an understanding of what some of the root causes are, they want to...
Andy Lynch: Translate that into a turnaround. strategy building that enrollment turnaround strategy How should they prioritize? fixes and in many cases there's going to be way more to do than they can possibly tackle, certainly in an afternoon or in a week or in a month. How how would you coach them on prioritization?
Rick Newberry: I think the first priority is just stopping the decline. And that's a win in the first year. I've seen that. over and over again with schools that they've experienced decline over several years and so Don't think all of a sudden you're going to rebound and experience growth in that first year.
Rick Newberry: We've got to find ways to be able to just stop that decline. And so it could be an issue of strengthening and retention. you know, understanding and identifying those families who are at risk of leaving and being able to proactively work with them.
Rick Newberry: ah address those recurring parent concerns that are coming up. and really develop. and implement those intentional strategies to rebuild that parent confidence within your school.
Rick Newberry: So I think that's step one. is really focusing internally on the community and trying to keep the families currently enrolled.
Andy Lynch: And I think this is. where the leadership team is so important, the executive team, because ah That first priority, you have to have your leadership team locked in.
Andy Lynch: and all committed. to that that priority of stopping the losses. Divisional leadership, departmental leadership. That has to be the rallying cry. And that can't just be.
Andy Lynch: you know, the the head of school or a particular division lead or certainly folks in the marketing and admissions team. um That has to be a shared priority. with clear roles and responsibilities and contributing to that priority. So priority two.
Andy Lynch: You want them to focus on strengthening the admissions process. Walk us through that, please.
Rick Newberry: Yeah, that's exactly right. and you know So that decline specifically is around new families. And know as you've seen those metrics in your admissions funnel declining over the years, then it's important that we. respond quickly and personally to inquiries. First of all, we need to make sure the inquiries are there and that's the marketing effort. So we need to make sure that they're at the top of the funnel.
Rick Newberry: coming in, and then we're dealing with them in the appropriate way. And that's aggressive and personal proactive follow -up. with our inquiries. And then we're working on...
Rick Newberry: providing that conversion. So we want to see them go through the admissions process. you know each step along the way you know, to be able to. come on campus to visit. whether it's a personal visit or an open house, and then to take that next step and apply and then to commit.
Rick Newberry: by enrolling in your school so Could be everything or anything related to. uh each level in the admissions funnel as we look at that process. you know like It could be simply improving our campus tours.
Rick Newberry: or maybe improving our follow -up. and So it doesn't mean that the entire admissions process is broken. that's why we have to understand through an assessment where things are actually added in this process so that we can work on improving it.
Rick Newberry: And.
Andy Lynch: Yeah, I love that this is priority two, strengthening the admissions process, because this is all about taking advantage of the opportunities that are right in front of you. ah Because before you increase the velocity of the inquiries.
Andy Lynch: Would you? There's certainly a priority that's coming. you You want to make sure that you're fielding that interest. cleanly and effectively. ah Before you just. turn up the volume.
Andy Lynch: um Because. if that is in fact one of your root causes is you're just sort of sloppy in the interest You may not realize the negative impact that's having in terms of word of mouth of families who have expressed interest. I mean, Rick.
Andy Lynch: it is It blows my mind. um We've talked to... uh, admissions teams over the years that say oh if it if an inquiry comes in through this channel we don't even reply We're just too busy.
Andy Lynch: And I think, oh my goodness, what that is doing to your reputation in the marketplace. I mean, you think you have the luxury. of infinite of infinite supply, infinite demand.
Andy Lynch: And you don't. ah So so when when you... give someone um the cold shoulder in the admissions process or a sloppy experience. um you You are hurting future opportunities because.
Andy Lynch: Who do prospective families know except more prospective families?
Rick Newberry: That's right.
Andy Lynch: On to priority number three, clarifying the school's value proposition. So. when When I think about. that That concept of value proposition earlier, I asked you to to clarify. uh the the funnel the admissions funnel term i want to clarify this term value proposition and i think about the school's value proposition is having three parts it's For the Right Fit family.
Andy Lynch: If you engage in our proven process, here's the outcome you can expect. So for the right fit family. If you engage in our proven process, here's the outcome you can expect. And that might seem like an incredibly basic statement.
Andy Lynch: But. I think it's easy for a school to assume that they know how to answer that question. and that families understand how you answer that question. So understanding what families value in your school.
Andy Lynch: your distinctive strengths. who you're for and who you're not for. and then how to how to communicate. the outcomes, not just in. The Portrait of a Graduate. I like Portrait of a Graduate, but I think that comes pretty late in the process.
Andy Lynch: Especially if you have... You know, a kindergartner that's 13 years away. I'm looking for a portrait of progress. At each age and stage, ah in a cohesive model.
Andy Lynch: So how is this going to go? Uh, I... routinely say in my workshops. that Education is the ultimate trust fall. We're saying to...
Andy Lynch: families give us your time your money and your kids and in several years it's going to be great that's That's a tremendous trust fall. We have to be able to demonstrate our value proposition um and help them understand.
Andy Lynch: why they should choose you. and why your tuition is worth it. So clarifying the school's value proposition priority three and then priority four. develop a focused enrollment growth plan. so So walk us through this.
Rick Newberry: Yeah, I think it really begins with understanding what the goals are. So you know it could just be stabilizing enrollment. or experiencing some growth. Um, you need to understand what those numbers look like so what is the total enrollment goal How's that broken down by grade level?
Rick Newberry: Um, What are the number of new students that need to be brought in, as well as the retention of current families that you want to stay? So it's always a combination of that. I'm walking a couple schools through that right now that have experienced decline.
Rick Newberry: And they were looking at. um being able to put in place specific goals that'll help. motivate them, inspire them, keep them on track of what they're trying to achieve.
Rick Newberry: And then I think you need to align your. ah strategic seasonal priorities. along with those goals. So what is it that you need to do it? particular points of time during the enrollment cycle. to be able to move the needle.
Rick Newberry: So. What are the types of strategies, the priorities that we need to work on implementing now? Because you can't do everything. And that's where you have to understand what the priorities are at this particular point in time in that season.
Andy Lynch: That's right.
Rick Newberry: And then I believe it's important that there's responsibility. and accountability for your team. So if you have ah a director of admissions or a director of admissions and marketing that's leading that department.
Rick Newberry: and that person has the ultimate responsibility of motivating and guiding their team and providing that accountability. Um, It's not a hands -off approach.
Rick Newberry: It's a very intentional. focused time that You're looking at. what's happening and the results and providing that accountability along the way.
Andy Lynch: So. to to put a finer point on that concept of seasonal priorities within the growth plan. So you have your enrollment goals. ah which is reflective of your recruitment and retention goals. But in pursuit of those, goals you're going to have a handful let's say three to five strategic seasonal priorities give you an example of that that that could be for example uh our our branding just feels tired and dated.
Andy Lynch: When you look at the other schools in the marketplace, We just look like. We're operating in a different era. And the reality is that curb appeal matters in school world.
Andy Lynch: Or it could be that your website has just fallen behind. ah And again, that. window shopping experience you just sort of look sort of drab and dowdy. like We haven't.
Andy Lynch: taking care of our digital house in recent years. and Or it could be. that your digital strategies, your... your social media strategies, your digital advertising strategies.
Andy Lynch: ah AI SEO, how you show up on AI platforms, search platforms. It could be that you just have not had a consistent. um approach for your digital presence. So those could be seasonal priorities. It could be sharpening your messaging or intentionally.
Andy Lynch: intentionally Setting up ah ah a... Parent ambassador. program. a fan program. ah So. those Those are some examples of specific areas of focus where you are focusing or where you are.
Andy Lynch: investing in exposure and growth and generating increasing volume and handling those opportunities. more effectively. Rick anything to add to that?
Rick Newberry: Yeah, it just... It's key to identify those and ah to put action in place. uh I'll give you an example. I'm working with a school right now that actually two schools that have experienced decline.
Rick Newberry: And so we've identified some key areas that we want to. improve. And so it's everything from adding some additional lead generation strategies on the front end.
Rick Newberry: like Halda, that's something we've talked about before, and in in implementing online marketing, paid search campaigns, and then making sure that we have the right follow -up steps in place.
Andy Lynch: Yep.
Rick Newberry: ah so that we have a lead nurturing sequence. of contacts and that admissions is proactively communicating with those prospective families. Those are just examples of priorities that we've identified. that I've identified working with these schools that they're implementing that will pay off.
Rick Newberry: and that will help them. turn around that enrollment decline.
Andy Lynch: you know one area. that we... we haven't touched on yet. um one One priority may be team alignment.
Rick Newberry: Mmm.
Andy Lynch: Uh... And. the The reality is. That. Not everyone on the team. uh currently may be the right fit for the role.
Andy Lynch: um If you suspect that might be the case, I'd encourage you to go back and listen to what we covered in Season 1. um about unique contributions. And. I think.
Andy Lynch: realizing that that's okay if that's part of what you discover in the process if you have someone in a marketing role, an admissions role, even in a divisional role. or a a position of responsibility.
Andy Lynch: And. you determine like... You know what? We need something different from that. position. Um, It requires courage and in many cases to have the conversations that you need to have to make the moves that you need to make.
Andy Lynch: ah in order to put the school in a healthy position. And. Those are uncomfortable conclusions to reach. Um, These are. you know, in many cases likable people who love the school and want to see it succeed.
Andy Lynch: But the reality is if you have... uh a seat fit issue. you're going to find yourself working around ah that impediment. and not getting from that role what you need from it.
Andy Lynch: And I'm not speaking exclusively just about the marketing emissions functions. I can think of... schools we've worked with that reached conclusion like we have a leadership issue in a particular division um Or we have.
Andy Lynch: uh some some challenges with certain team members that we haven't dealt with and that's it's causing. ah retention issues in certain divisions.
Andy Lynch: So. in In many cases... it is an external awareness challenge But in in some cases. It's just a matter of. Are we going to have the conversations we need to?
Andy Lynch: to remove impediments. among our team. and you know that That could be a... a focused priority that you have to work through. ah to get to a healthier place and and turn around the decline.
Andy Lynch: So... Rick. um like let's Let's land the plane here. This is good stuff. And and ah i'm I'm confident that we've got... folks listening who are living living out this reality right now. They're either feeling an initial shift in the wrong direction.
Andy Lynch: like, hmm, I wonder if this is just a blip or if this is a sign of... ah things to come. um if we don't take some decisive action or it could be that they've been in a multi -year enrollment decline And... You know, they're having to make cuts and like, okay. We've.
Andy Lynch: We're not going to get through this without. some significant. change? what What two or three steps should they take now to start turning things around?
Rick Newberry: Yeah, I think it really begins with understanding your enrollment numbers. You know, as we talked about this earlier, looking at your recruitment retention trends. to identify where students are being lost. And then secondly, You need to listen to your families.
Rick Newberry: understand why they're potentially. you know, leaving your school or on the front end choosing your school. and just really trying to address any issues that may be there.
Rick Newberry: And then number three, create that intentional plan. So think about your. highest impact enrollment and marketing priorities. making sure that it's assigned with clear responsibility for implementation.
Rick Newberry: You know, the reality is, Andy, that enrollment growth doesn't happen because the school simply. decides it wants more students.
Andy Lynch: yeah
Rick Newberry: It happens when school leaders understands the reasons behind those challenges and then intentionally addresses them. The goal really isn't just to attract more families.
Rick Newberry: is to create that. experience that attracts the right families or as we say the right fit families and gives them compelling reasons to stay.
Andy Lynch: Yeah, this has been good. Just quick, quick recap. um first Look beyond the quick fixes declining enrollment. It's it's not just a marketing problem school leaders have to be have the courage and ah the a clear -eyed view.
Andy Lynch: of the root cause issues, not just looking at sort of superficial silver bullet fixes here. ah Second, diagnosed before prescribing. rather than just jumping to conclusions. That assessment process is really important, looking at the numbers, understanding the data, and looking at what the data tell us about our emissions funnel, the reasons families are leaving.
Andy Lynch: ah the clarity of how we stack up in the marketplace. Number three, address the core challenges. And this, again, gets back to the courage of dealing with the underlying issues, facing the reality that is rather than the one that we hope to see.
Andy Lynch: Do we have? weak brand differentiation do we have gaps in our admissions follow -up process that need to be addressed. Do we need to address programming? related to declaring declining parent satisfaction. Number four.
Andy Lynch: focus on that turnaround strategy. So what are your priorities starting with? clarifying your and enrollment goals, your recruitment and your retention goals. and then supporting those goals with clear priorities, seasonal priorities.
Andy Lynch: ah What are you going to work on? Who's going to be responsible for it? And how are you going to hold the process accountable? And then number five, take action. ah Things aren't going to get better by themselves. so Look at the retention. Look at the recruitment data.
Andy Lynch: listen to current departing families current and departing families. and ah focus on an action plan, developing an action plan. And it could it could look like calling my buddy Rick.
Andy Lynch: and having this conversation with him. and engaging with them in his enrollment catalyst program. All right. Very good. Um, Last announcement for the Enrollment Marketing AI Summit November 11 and 12 at the First Academy in Orlando. This is part of our...
Andy Lynch: enrollment marketing geeks on the road series um This is going to be a day and a half of ah not not just intake, but... but doing so you're going to bring your laptops to ah to this event.
Andy Lynch: And Rick and I will be there with our orange glasses. And if you come, you too. will get. your own pair of orange glasses. ah Earned, never given. But we would love to see you there. You can learn more at enrollmentmarketinggeeks .com. The window for registration is quickly coming to a close.
Andy Lynch: Rick it's been great. uh so let me wrap up with a dad joke here do you ever get calls from people trying to sell you stuff you just don't need.
Rick Newberry: Yeah. I hate that all the time.
Andy Lynch: Yeah, so this guy called me yesterday. Trying to sell me a coffin.
Rick Newberry: A coffin?
Andy Lynch: Yeah, a coffin. I told him that's the last thing I need. Well, thanks man. This has been great.
Rick Newberry: Thank you.
