One of our counselors asked me this week:
Could I chat with you this week regarding a difficult family and if we should work with them? There are several red flags, but it could lead to more business from that particular high school if I worked with them. My gut says that I should say no, but I’m wondering how to balance that gut instinct with our goals to grow the business.
My advice: say no. Politely refer them to a competitor who’s a better fit.
I’ve written before that the best way to make your customers happy is to choose customers who are predisposed to love what you do. But what I may not have pointed out as well as I should have is that this is also in the best interest of the family.
Every family who hires a college counselor deserves to work with someone who appreciates them and their unique circumstances. A family who might not fit with us and what we do might work very well with a different counselor. Why not give the family the chance to find a counselor who will celebrate the opportunity to work with them?
Students get to do this, too, with colleges. Nobody is forcing you to apply to colleges that are likely to reject you. You get to choose. Make the choice to pick colleges who appreciate you for exactly who you are and what you’re looking for. Don’t limit your list to schools that would prefer you had better grades or higher test scores.
Do we sometimes work with families who aren’t necessarily a perfect fit? Sure. And I have no issue with students reaching a little beyond the schools most likely to accept them. But whether you’re a private counselor choosing customers or a student choosing colleges, make the bulk of your choices based on the mutual fit.