Goliath CRMs (hello Salesforce, Dynamics et al) are excellent, in the right place. Big up the Goliath Massive ✊
but...
It's just that we believe that UK HE Student Recruitment is not always the right place.
An adapted commercial CRM, or a CRM designed for the US market, will probably lack the precise functionality, insights, and regulatory alignment necessary for optimal recruitment in the UK context.
With potential shortcomings and efficiency losses, these systems could ultimately affect your university's recruitment performance and financial health.
David with the Head of Goliath, circa 1635, by Andrea Vaccaro
Whenever we get the question: “why buy from Student CRM? They are not as big as [insert Goliath CRM name here]?” we kinda love it!
That’s the whole point, we are NOT a Goliath CRM, we are a David CRM.
And David won. 🏆
Executive Summary
Dom Yeadon, Founder of Student CRM, Chief CRM Enthusiast Officer
“Navigating the complex landscape of Higher Education recruitment calls for a system specifically built with UK universities in mind. A commercial CRM, or a CRM designed for the US market, will inevitably lack the precise functionality, insights, and regulatory alignment necessary for optimal recruitment in the UK context. With potential shortcomings and efficiency losses, these systems can ultimately affect your institution's recruitment performance and financial health.
On the other hand, Student CRM, purpose-built for the UK Higher Education sector, brings over a decade of specialised experience and a suite of tools designed specifically to enhance your recruitment strategy. By offering rich student data, data-driven automations, and a robust return on investment, Student CRM is trusted by UK universities and consistently delivers impressive recruitment results.
Making the right decision now means investing in your institution's future success. Choose Student CRM to lead the way in Higher Education recruitment and elevate your university's enrollment performance like never before.”
My thoughts are:
1 - Avoiding the Hidden Costs and Challenges of Commercial CRMs in Higher Education
Choosing a commercial CRM over Student CRM for your university's student recruitment can lead to unforeseen difficulties and setbacks. As these commercial platforms are not designed exclusively for Higher Education, they often lack the precise functionality and insights needed for successful HE recruitment.
The first challenge is the adaptation from a commercial to an HE setting. Commercial CRMs are fundamentally designed for sales and do not fully cater to the unique recruitment needs of universities. This can lead to substantial gaps in service and utility, requiring significant time, effort, and additional costs to customise the system to your needs. Moreover, the necessary customisation can often fall short, leaving universities with a less-than-optimal system.
As a result of these shortcomings, your staff could spend more time wrestling with the system rather than using it to its full potential to improve recruitment strategies. This not only affects their productivity but also causes frustration and dissatisfaction among the team.
Furthermore, these gaps in functionality can limit your access to in-depth, meaningful data specifically relevant to the HE sector. This could affect your ability to make informed, data-driven decisions, potentially leading to less effective recruitment strategies and ultimately impacting the quality and quantity of student enrollment.
Adapting a US commercial CRM for UK university use presents not only a significant upfront investment but also considerable ongoing costs. As these systems are not designed with the specifics of the UK Higher Education sector in mind, continuous adjustments are necessary to keep the system relevant and effective. This requires maintaining a sizeable budget for ongoing external developers and consultants. Over time, these costs can escalate, eating into the resources that could be better used for strategic initiatives or improving the student experience.
Furthermore, constant tinkering with the system might lead to instability and potential disruptions, negatively affecting the recruitment process and overall efficiency. Choosing Student CRM, built expressly for the UK Higher Education sector, mitigates these risks and ensures a more cost-effective and seamless recruitment strategy.
In the long run, opting for a commercial CRM could result in a significant loss of efficiency, effectiveness, and return on investment, whereas choosing a purpose-built platform like Student CRM ensures a seamless, effective, and cost-efficient solution tailored specifically for the Higher Education sector.
2 - The Imperative of Choosing a UK-Centric System: Navigating Legislative, Cultural, and Operational Differences
When selecting a student recruitment platform for a UK university, it is crucial to choose a system built for the UK Higher Education sector, not the US market. Despite the shared language, the two markets are fundamentally different, with distinct legislative frameworks, cultural norms, and operational structures. These differences can create significant gaps in the effectiveness of a system designed for the US market when used in a UK context.
US-built systems often don't cater to the specifics of UK data protection laws, equality legislation, and the unique structures of UK universities. Moreover, there can be nuances in student engagement, expectations, and university operations that a US-centric system might not fully understand or address. These shortcomings can lead to compromised system efficiency, potential legal compliance issues, and a lack of cultural fit that could alienate prospective students.
On the other hand, choosing a platform like Student CRM, which is purpose-built for the UK Higher Education sector, ensures that the system you're using is fully aligned with the legal, cultural, and operational realities of UK universities. This results in a more effective and efficient system that can significantly enhance your recruitment outcomes.
3 - Why Student CRM? Unpacking the Unique Benefits of a HE-Specific, UK-Built System
When evaluating your university's student recruitment platform, consider the unique benefits that set Student CRM apart from the competition:
1. Decade-Long Expertise in UK Higher Education: For over a decade, we've worked hand in hand with UK universities to develop a suite of modules, each specialising in a unique aspect of HE recruitment. This deep experience and understanding of the sector ensure our platform is optimally designed to meet your needs.
2. HE-Specific Recruitment Modules: Our suite of specialised modules seamlessly integrates all aspects of HE recruitment into one platform. This means better usability, greater efficiency, and superior results.
3. Rich Student Data for Informed Decision-Making: Our platform delivers the richest student data available, enabling informed, data-driven decision-making that leads to improved recruitment strategies and higher student enrollment.
4. Data-Driven Automations: Streamline the recruitment process with our advanced, data-driven automations. They eliminate manual tasks and significantly improve efficiency, resulting in considerable time and cost savings.
5. Trusted by UK Universities: We are widely trusted and used by UK universities, underscoring our platform's reliability and ability to deliver consistent results.
6. ROI & Cost Efficiency: By streamlining processes and enhancing recruitment results, Student CRM delivers a strong return on investment, contributing to the financial success of your institution.
7. Exclusive Focus on Higher Education: As the only platform in the UK built exclusively for Higher Education - not adapted from a commercial CRM sales system - we ensure optimal relevance and effectiveness.
Student CRM holds a prominent position in the market as the leading purpose-built student recruitment platform, trusted and utilised by numerous UK universities to enhance their enrollment performance.
Dom Yeadon, Founder of Student CRM, Chief CRM Enthusiast Officer
Want to solve your recruitment problems?
We can show you how Student CRM could help you maximise your university’s recruitment results.
Get in touch with a lovely human who understands HE recruitment unbelievably well
In conclusion, Pulse is the solution for UK university recruitment officers who want to increase their student recruitment results. With Pulse's Touchpoints, Reports, and Performance, you can streamline your workflows, automate your communications, and make data-driven decisions to improve your recruitment efforts. At Student CRM, we're dedicated to helping you achieve your recruitment goals and increase student enrolment. Sign up for Student CRM and start using Pulse today to see the difference it can make.
🚀 Happy recruiting!
Dom Yeadon
Student CRM's Founder, Dom Yeadon, brings unparalleled experience and insights to the world of student recruitment. With decades of marketing, student recruitment, and higher education-specific services under his belt, Dom is uniquely positioned to offer the best advice on engaging students and driving recruitment success.
Why Dom Yeadon's Expertise Matters
EXTENSIVE MARKETING EXPERIENCE
Dom Yeadon has a proven track record in marketing that spans several decades.
His experience and understanding of marketing principles and strategies ensure that the advice and insights provided in the eNewsletter are backed by a solid foundation.
IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENT RECRUITMENT
With years of hands-on experience in student recruitment, Dom has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by UK universities.
His expertise enables him to provide practical and effective solutions to address the unique needs of higher education institutions.
HIGHER EDUCATION-SPECIFIC SERVICES
Dom's dedication to the higher education sector has led him to focus exclusively on providing services tailored to the needs of UK universities.
This specialisation allows him to offer targeted advice and strategies that can have a significant impact on student recruitment efforts.
A PASSION FOR HELPING UNIVERSITIES SUCCEED
At the heart of Dom's work is a genuine passion for helping universities improve their recruitment processes and achieve their goals.
His commitment to the success of UK higher education institutions ensures that the insights and guidance offered in the eNewsletter are both relevant and valuable.