| Realize how much the tour guide influences the kids-many of them look at the guide and ask themselves, 'Do I like this person? Would I like to be around this person?' They assume you are 'typical' of the school's students. And a `bad' tour guide can mean your kid walks away saying, 'I'm not coming here.'
Offer kids a choice of tour guides-you'd be amazed how often my kid 'switched' the tour group he was assigned to, because he felt more affinity with a guide that, based on 10seconds of introduction, seemed more like 'his type.'
So...a sense of humor is critical, warmth and friendliness, enthusiasm for your subject area, love of the school, a willingness to admit that you don't know something (but will find out)-much more important than what you show us of the campus. That's all a blur by the end of the college tour anyway-it's his impression of you that lingers.
Brochures aren't particularly worthwhile except for those of us who like to analyze marketing materials for the 'meta-messages' they are trying to convey. Your web site is much more important. |