Customer Relationship Management (also known as CRM) underpins the way we recruit students to the University and has done so for the past five years. It has had a hugely positive impact on student recruitment.

What is Customer Relationship Management?

CRM, or relationship marketing, is how an organisation manages its relationship with customers to encourage loyalty, and sales. At a basic level it is about providing good customer service. When most extensively used it includes activities such as database marketing and personal selling.

The key to effective CRM is personalisation and customisation - seeking to satisfy the needs of the 'customer' through good customer service, information provision and advice, and most importantly engagement through a two-way dialogue.

Why is it so important for student recruitment?

CRM is very important to student recruitment. Universities are lucky in that unlike car dealers or even banks, our prospective students actually want a relationship with us. Higher education is a huge personal investment and as such the decision-making process is a long and complex one. CRM supports this process by building trust and loyalty in the University's brand through the creation and maintenance of a relationship. It plays a pivotal role in conversion. 

What CRM activity is currently undertaken in the Division?

The MyLeicester web portal forms the cornerstone of our CRM activity within the Division. The web portal allows us to send a number of e-communications (through the portal and by email) to help convert enquirers into applicants. We manage enquiries through this system and use it to send out prospectuses and brochures. If we don't undertake enquiries management, we can't then go on to undertake CRM with prospective students.

Supporting undergraduate recruitment

The Undergraduate Student Recruitment Office CRM activity consists of a number of activities that range from following up prospectus requests, school visits and open day bookings with personalised information about the University's social activities, to driving open day attendance through direct marketing.

Within the Marketing Communications Office a PGT communications plan is used to help support postgraduate taught student recruitment - relationship marketing in this instance is used to convert enquirers into applicants and applicants into registered students.

Supporting postgraduate taught recruitment

The PGT Communications Plan is essentially comprised of CRM and relationship marketing. Regular contact with enquirers through a series of ebased communications encourages applications, while further relationship marketing with offer holders is designed to support conversion through to registration.

• Read more about PGT recruitment

Supporting distance learning recruitment

The Distance Learning Recruitment team in the Division is tasked with recruiting students from the UK, Europe and other parts of the world to the School of Management's distance learning courses.

Within this team some of the most extensive CRM activity takes place. This ranges from careful database segmentation techniques to tailor direct marketing communications, to an extensive advisory service and personal selling - all used throughout the conversion process. 

How can my Department employ effective CRM?

The simplest form of CRM is the provision of good customer service. Every interaction with a prospective student is a form of CRM and is a potential ‘moment of truth’. So think carefully about tone of voice, marketing messages and the quality of the information you may provide to prospective students queries either in an email, letter or telephone call.

If you would like to learn more about UG CRM activities and how these can be further refined, please contact Liz Smythe (CRM Officer) eem4@le.ac.uk

You can get involved in developing and refining communications sent to PGT campus based students via the MyLeicester webportal, by contacting our Senior CRM Officer Imran Awan, ia70@le.ac.uk or Remy Clarke (Enquiries and CRM Officer) rlc28@le.ac.uk

If you would like to see how the Distance Learning Recruitment Team works and how you might be able to employ some of the techniques they use, please contact Tamara Vivian theb1@le.ac.uk