By Shahnaz Mahmud for LeadsCon.com
Just say the word “compliance” and it’s enough to elicit woe-is-me looks from executives across the board. However, for Higher Ed Growth, it has essentially changed the way the company does business, all with the goal of sustainability in mind.
Higher Ed Growth is a sponsor of the upcoming LeadsCon Las Vegas Conference in mid-March. The company, which works to boost enrollment for colleges and universities, shifted its business model in 2013 after seeing the industry experience a major transformation to primarily call-verified prospects. They deployed proprietary and third-party technology solutions to ensure compliance and to provide a level of transparency to their clients that they feel was unprecedented.
“Today, we generate prospects for over 400 EDU brands via call center and Web forms using our end-to-end solution called Call Comply,” explains Managing Partner and Chief Marketing Officer Joe Laskowski. “We have the ability to customize each campaign based on the goals and attributes of the school. No two media plans look alike, and that level of customization makes for a better user experience and ultimately a better outcome for both the student and institution.”
The Uncertainty Factor
Legislation has called for greater compliance, and that continues to be the main challenge the lead gen industry faces or more to the point as Laskowski says, “the uncertainty that surrounds it.”
“We fully support a set of rules or guidelines to better police the industry, but it seems as though it is being driven entirely by those that do not understand the implications or for political gain,” he says. “As more and more governing agencies start to get involved, it becomes clearer that there is a lack of understanding about the overall industry and too much emphasis on a few bad apples. Let’s continue to focus on student outcomes and job placement, but let’s do it together. Cutting out the subject matter experts that are doing things the right way seems quite shortsighted and will ultimately hurt students.”
Laskowski joined Higher Ed Growth in 2011, which by all accounts was a happy accident. The conversation began as to how to potentially work together as business partners and ended with an offer to become a partner.
“It was a perfect match,” says Laskowski. “Four years later, myself and the other three working partners have a great relationship and all bring something different to the table. Together, we have grown revenue 10 times and catapulted our brand to one of the top EDU lead generators in the space.”
Beating to a Different Drum
Great relationships should be a no-brainer to the success of most businesses. But in an industry that sometimes can be transactional in nature, that is not always the case. Laskowski feels Higher Ed Growth beats to a different drum.
“I want to understand our clients and their business,” says Laskowski. “I want to collaborate on challenges and encourage mutual transparency. I want a partnership that breeds mutual success. Probably one or more times a month I pass on a campaign because we are being forced to run it in a way that we know will not work. Three months later we have cashed a few checks, and the client is not happy and moves on. No one wins. I’d rather not do that deal if our opinions and expertise are not considered.” This, he stresses, is the company’s philosophy – one that defines Higher Ed Growth and its culture.
This is something Laskowski hopes LeadsCon attendees will come to understand about Higher Ed Growth. Now in its fourth year of sponsorship for the conference, the company will be on hand to talk about their products and philosophy (and will have a caricature artist in its booth!). Higher Ed Growth will be showcasing its SAAS product, EduMaximizer. “This tech has really revolutionized the way call centers can manage multiple clients as well as how schools may interact with and manage multiple affiliates they may use to generate their prospects,” Laskowski explains. So educate yourself on Higher Ed Growth at LeadsCon Las Vegas.
LeadsCon.com Article Link: http://www.leadscon.com/higher-ed-growths-joe-laskowski-on-compliance-as-the-game-changer/