Have you ever felt that you’re wasting time on a client that has no intention of using your service? Do you even know if the prospect is going to be your client? For some student education consultant, it’s a yes. How? Experience, obviously! But for those early in their career or having problem managing time with their prospects, read on. This article will not give student education consultant the experience but it’ll help you avoid going south with clients that waste your time.
Note: Bad sales prospects almost always never buy.
It would be a sin in the sales world to suggest that you completely avoid clients that waste your time. Remember, no client is a bad client. But, because some are less serious than others, student education consultant need to choose who to commit more of your energy to.
It is obviously wise not to follow-up on someone who visits your office just to know your fees and is not interested in the service you offer. This is only one example of time wasting client.
Well, basically there are 3 major things that student education consultant needs to know before spending any more time with a potential client. They are:
1. Do they have the intention to study abroad in under a year?
This is a rule of thumb used by student education consultant. If a student is not planning to go abroad for studies then he/she isn’t going to be your client anytime soon. Send e-mails and newsletters to keep them in the loop but don’t commit too much time to them, for now. You can always get back to them when they’re ready. Managing too many leads can be hectic, but most student education consultant uses CRM softwares to easily track them.
2. Do they make their own decision?
Most of the students do not know what they want to do with their life. They don’t know where they want to see themselves and where their interests lie. It’s not just students, we’re all confused about a lot of things in life.
But some students are so indecisive that they come into student education consultant one day talking about how they want to study Engineering in the U.K. While, the next day they’re convinced they want to study Medicine in the U.S. This goes on and on for quite a long time until they’re finally sure about studying Hospitality in New Zealand. Each session spent with them deciding on a city and University would be a waste until they make a firm decision. Thus, recognize these kinds of a client that waste your time and let them be decisive before having a meet-up.
3. Does the student have enough to finance their study?
The major reason student education consultant business is running so well is that they counsel students on how to finance their study-abroad plan. But what if someone is unable to meet the minimum financial requirement to start the process? They’re clearly not going to use student education consultant service. Not anytime soon. If student education consultant does not recognize them early on then they’re going to be the clients that waste your time. Just like I mentioned earlier, keep them in the loop and focus on them when they’re ready. However, know that they are going to be offended if you clearly state that they lack money to fund themselves. So, be as convincing as you can and improvise on your client communication skills.
Any student education consultant who has worked for quite a while now knows it is essential.
Now that you’ve accessed these things about the students, it’s time to see if they show the following characteristics:
Lot of questions with student education consultant, no process initiation.
You met Johnny at an exhibition; a fine young man with an excellent GPA. Plus, he has a hefty bank account to fund himself for abroad study. You explained to him the Visa process and everything there is to know about. He gave you his contact details and even replies to your messages. But when you ask him to fill the University application form, he’s always busy or forgets. It’s been more than a month and he’s still making excuses to avoid filling it. This should be obvious. He’s only fishing around for information and nothing more. He is clearly one of the clients that waste your time. So, before you spend another minute calling him, move on to a more promising client.
Their financials are a secret.
Nobody likes talking about their bank balance or how much their property is worth. If they are hesitant, you need to make them understand the importance of their financial details during counseling. But even after making them comfortable, and they are still reluctant to consider this behavior a red flag. This client is not going to do you any good. Move on. There are plenty of other fishes in the sea.
Annoyance is their key
Convincing someone isn’t easy. Especially when the other person is a turnoff for everything you offer. They’re irrational and are irritated easily. Moreover, they think they know everything because they’re visited every other agency. So, it’s pretty tough to please them. You can use some of these tips to handle such clients that have been used by a lot of student education consultant.
Just like you do to a hot-headed girlfriend that gets angry a lot, makes you do things and doesn’t call you back, do it to your clients too. Stop. Move on. If someone isn’t happy with what you’re offering then it’s better you leave them alone. You’ll surely find someone who does.
They discuss price and discounts more than your service
It’s only natural for someone to ask what fee an agency charges for their service. But, some clients tend to bargain the price that you offer and compare it to that of your competitors without considering the quality of your service. It’s going to be difficult to justify the price to them. So, these clients are either going to be annoyed if their desired discounts aren’t provided or not use your service at all. These are the kind of clients that waste your time with constant pressure to bring down the price. Recognize them early on and, move on.
Clients that waste your time with no deadline
If a client is not sure when they want to start their process then he/she is clearly wasting your time. They’re not necessarily going to become a bad client, but you’ll know they aren’t serious either. Focus instead on those who have a clear deadline about when they want to start. You can always get back to the rest when they’re serious enough. Till then, enjoy talking to them in your spare time.
People are a lot more informed these days than most of us think. Internet and other technology is the reason whereby all the information is in their hands or more specifically, in their smartphones. So, in order to keep up with them, an agency needs to stand out and stay ahead in their business. First stop; save your time just like any other smart student education consultant and avoid bad sales prospects.
