My Curious Colleague ~ CPG CX - 114 Curious about...Boosting your Lead Engagement thru Text & Chat in Higher Education w/Bill Hartford, VP of Business Development | The Connection Company

114 Curious about...Boosting your Lead Engagement thru Text & Chat in Higher Education w/Bill Hartford, VP of Business Development | The Connection Company

02/04/25 • 24 min

👨🏼‍🎓 This week, I had an insightful conversation with Bill Hartford, VP of Business Development at The Connection Company, on how text and chat technologies are supporting student enrollment in higher education. We explored how text and chat platforms are transforming the way colleges and universities engage prospective students and boost enrollment rates.

Here are the key takeaways from our chat w/stats per Bill:
🔑 Boosting Enrollment with Speed & Personal Touch:
• Immediate engagement through live chat makes universities 400x more likely to secure enrollments within the first 5 minutes of contact. Fast response time is critical!

🔑 Texting Takes It Further:
• Texting allows schools to re-engage prospective students, with up to 15% conversion after 30 days – creating valuable opportunities for long-term connections.

🔑 Empathy & Expertise Over Chatbots:
• Live agents, with real-time access to a school’s knowledge base, offer a higher level of personalized, empathetic service compared to AI chatbots, which ultimately drives more enrollments.

🔑 Flexibility for Both Students and Agents:
• The Connection Company supports 24/7 engagement with flexible scheduling for their agents, which is key to their success in serving a diverse, remote workforce.

If you’re curious about how text and chat technologies can improve your lead engagement strategies, check out my conversation with Bill Hartford. Don’t miss this opportunity to rethink how you connect with prospective students ... AND, if how this might inform your channel strategies in other industries ie CPG! 🎧

Bill's (ie William's) LINKEDIn link: linkedin.com/in/xpertvendor

Thanks again Bill for sponsoring this episode...!

#highereducation #texting #leadgeneration #customerengagement #cpgcx #podcast #innovations #studentenrollment #textmarketing #customerengagement #leads #enrollment #studentrecruitment #digitaltransformation #edtech #educationtechnology #remoteagents #studentengagement #educationmarketing #marketingstrategies

🔑 Texting Takes It Further:
• Texting allows schools to re-engage prospective students, with up to 15% conversion after 30 days – creating valuable opportunities for long-term connections.

Bill's (ie William's) LINKEDIn link: linkedin.com/in/xpertvendor

Thanks again Bill for sponsoring this episode...!

Previous Episode

113. Curious About... My "5 Musings" on Consumer Relations Past and Look Ahead w/Denise Venneri, Host & Creator | My Curious Colleague

I'm thrilled to share the latest episode (#113) of the @My Curious Colleague podcast.... Join me for my (5) “Musings” where I look back and reflect forward on consumer engagement..!

• The Importance of a Seat at the Table: Why consumer focus is now non-negotiable for brands.
• The Rise of New Channels: Exploring the impact of ratings and reviews as the new frontier in consumer engagement.
• Trends Tracking: Being aware of the macro and micro trends that could affect your operations in the contact center.
• Evolving Reporting Structures: How the reporting landscape has shifted towards a more consumer-centric model.
• Consumer Insights: What the future may look like ie more holistic.

Tune in for thoughts IMHO may give you something to chew on as you plan your approach to consumer care in 2025! 🌟

in the news...! I'm honored that My Curious Colleague podcast has been featured in FeedSpot Top 70 CPG Podcasts (#16). Check it out: Top 70 CPG Podcasts Thank YOU!

#mycuriouscolleague #podcast #consumerengagement #cx #cpg #cpgcx

Next Episode

115 Curious about...Getting to know CX industry group's (SOCAP) Board Chair Nicole Nutile a bit Better & her 2025 Vision.

👑In this podcast episode #115, @Nicole Nutile, Board Chair of SOCAP for 2025, shares insights about the consumer affairs industry's future, the role of technology, and the upcoming major shifts for @SOCAP. With a focus on embracing technology, AI, transparency, and accessibility, SOCAP aims to create a more impactful, streamlined experience for its members through enhanced events and leadership.

Key Takeaways:

💡 SOCAP’s 2025 Vision: Emphasizing AI, transparency, and accessibility to keep up with evolving customer service trends.

🤖 Embracing AI: SOCAP sees AI as essential for its future growth, likening its integration to the early days of the internet. Nicole provides a funny Today Show thought from the early days of the internet!

🎤 National Conference Shift: SOCAP is consolidating its events into a single major conference, aimed at creating a stronger impact and broader audience.

🌍 Getting Involved: For newcomers, volunteering within SOCAP is a flexible way to expand your professional network without heavy time commitments.

📔Mark your calendars for this Tuesday, 2/11/25 to listen in to her episode (#115) on the My Curious Colleague 🔍 #CPGCX podcast. Nicole also is Customer Success Lead at Wiley, as well as SOCAP International's Board Chair this year.

Podcast link: https://lnkd.in/gYr8uKPf

#podcasst #cpgcx #socapinternational #socap2025 #aiincx #customerservice #leadership #networkingopportunities #socapevents

My Curious Colleague ~ CPG CX - 114 Curious about...Boosting your Lead Engagement thru Text & Chat in Higher Education w/Bill Hartford, VP of Business Development | The Connection Company

Transcript

denise venneri00:00:00.160

Come to the My Curious Colleague podcast with me, Denise Feneri. I am a twenty year practitioner in the consumer engagement space, having worked for two large CPG organizations. My intent here is really to share best with particular focus around the specialist and analyst roles and to give back to this great community because CPGCX rocks.

denise venneri00:00:28.984

Hello, my curious colleagues. This week, I'm