Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) is of significant importance for all businesses in today’s time, including colleges and universities. To provide a unique customer experience and pursue efficient customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention, companies across sectors are adapting CRMs. In educational institutions, the students are its customers, and the implementation of CRM software can enable institutes to leverage technology for long-term success.
What Is a CRM For Higher Education?
Like all other businesses, the education sector also ran all its processes manually until recently. It was unimaginable for the education sector to be digitized or operate many of its functions in an auto mode. But things have been changing rapidly, and many higher education institutes are implementing CRM software for better communication and quicker data sharing between different team members.
CRM in the education industry can automate several processes like lead generation and management, email integration & marketing, chat support, employee tracking, sales forecasting and reporting, customer collaboration, resource management, and a lot more.
CRM implementation in the education industry can provide multiple benefits by automating several processes. Recording essential data in one place and making it easily accessible to the stakeholders make operations smoother and more efficient.
Advantages Of Using CRM For Educational Institutions:
CRM for educational institutes is an essential tool that can transform the way universities and colleges operate. It can gather crucial information about students that can then be used to establish stronger connections with current and future students, alumni, parents, etc. Some of the other essential advantages CRM provides are:
1. Track the best candidates
Many prospective students look for universities and colleges they wish to apply to on social media and other websites. CRM for higher education can track which sites and social media pages students are logging on to for information and use it to reach them while still making their decision.
Institutes can build a relationship with prospective students even before becoming a part of their college. This will allow you to create targeted marketing strategies for attracting students.
2. Streamlining the admission process
The admission process involves multiple steps that must be carried out before a student’s enrolment is over. There is a lot to be taken care of, from filling several forms, collecting important student details, and submitting the fees. And CRM can help you streamline all these processes. With all the information stored in one place, you can easily access it without manually looking for it in the heap of files and papers. This not only streamlines the entire admission process but also makes it faster.
3. Cost-effective and efficient services
As CRM automates several manual processes, the time spent by employees on such tasks can be reduced considerably. This enables them to concentrate on more important tasks and provide better services to the students. With all the important information regarding the students readily available to the management, they can better understand their needs and provide them with the required services accordingly. Quicker, efficient, and error-free services also mean that institutes can handle more students at a time. Thus, implementation of CRM eventually proves to be a highly cost-effective step for the institutes.
4. Develop loyal customers, and track potential ones
CRM creates a centralized data system of all the information regarding the students and their parents. This gives the institutes a chance to provide targeted and dedicated services, creating a satisfied and loyal base of customers. These customers will further spread the good word to their acquaintances, bringing more footfall to the institute.
5. Easy implementation and integration with third-party apps
CRM systems have evolved with time and have become much easier to install. All you need to do is download and install the file, and it is ready to ease your workload. Additionally, CRM systems are extremely easy to integrate with third-party applications like social media apps, SMS notifications, emails, different payment systems, etc.
CRM in the education industry has significantly impacted the way colleges and universities handle their student, parent, and teacher relationships. The dynamics in the education industry are changing rapidly. Increasing competition is forcing universities and colleges to constantly up their game, and CRM software by Flavor can help them win over their competitors.
Flavor designs customized CRM systems to fulfill the unique needs of every educational institute, providing easy management, automated communication, robust integration, and seamless payment. This allows educational institutes to power ahead of their competitors and provides existing and prospective students with a unique experience.
