A conference is a huge opportunity to build relationships with extraordinary people, people who might have significant impact on your professional or personal success. To make sure that you maximize the return on your (and your institution’s) investment of time and money to attend, you can’t afford to be a conference commoner. You have to be a Conference Commando.

In preparation for the NACAC annual conference, we encourage you to read these tips from Keith Ferrazzi, author of best-selling book Never Eat Alone and one of the world’s most connected people. He talked himself into Pennsylvania’s Kiski School on scholarship before making his way to Yale for his undergraduate degree and then to Harvard for his MBA. Now, as Founder & CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, he provides market leaders with advanced strategic consulting and training services to increase company sales, and enhance personal careers.

Click here to download a PDF of Keith’s Conference Commando tips.

If you benefit from these tips, you may also enjoy Keith’s Tip of the Week email. Subscribe today by visiting his web site.

Never Eat Alone tells a tale of relationships and how success is about working with people, not against them. “Relationships are more like muscles — the more you work them, the stronger they become.” How to use the internet in your relationships, how to broadcast your brand, how to expand your circle — it’s all there and it is valuable stuff for you, the dedicated college, university, and school professionals who are in it not for the money, but for the process of education. You will find and understand and appreciate the obvious altruism in the pages of this book.

Contributed by: Ross Lenhart
Senior Vice President, Stein Communications

I work for RR Donnelley and all of a sudden I find myself darn proud of it.

For years I thought that big was just plain impersonal — not surprising since I enjoyed a wonderful boyhood in a small southern town, traded in a large high school for a boarding school, went to a small college (twice), and have been privileged to work directly with 124 educational institutions, most of whom have been of the small, private, liberal arts variety. For 40 years, I’ve worked for small organizations — first in the ’60s on the four-person admissions team of a small college, and then in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s in two 24-person educational marketing divisions of rather small printing companies. I have enjoyed tremendously my work relationships and environments. It’s no wonder I have hitched my lifelong bandwagon to small.

That Old Game of Pac-Man: For the last dozen years, like the rest of America, I have been witness to the corporate game of Pac-Man. Wallace chugged along and ate Graphic Industries (Stein’s previous owner); Moore ate Wallace; then RR Donnelley ate both (as well as many others). Through it all, Stein kept being Stein by going about its business of steadily assisting colleges, universities, and schools in portraying their own visions to their publics, no matter who the big boss was or who claimed ownership. Ironically for me, RR Donnelley, who won the Pac-Man game and is thus my current employer, today claims to be “the largest communications company in the world.” In the name of my own livelihood, I’ve bitten the bullet — perhaps now is the time for me to get used to big.

RRD — A Pleasant Surprise: Honestly, I never have been very interested in money. Like most of us involved in education — happiness, a sense of well-being, and doing something valuable, like helping a kid make a good college choice with his or her eyes wide open — these are important things to me. Recently my new boss, RRD, has given its employees a little arm twist here and there in an effort to get us thinking. And so I opened a document entitled Corporate Social Responsibility. Surprise — it seems that this giant really cares about a few things that are also important to me — human, environmental, and quality of life issues. It’s all there written in black and white on its web site. Among important items listed are:

Commitment to Inclusiveness: RRD’s policy on diversity reads like a college admissions policy in the late ’60s on affirmative action. It is “to promote respect, inclusion, utilization, advancement, and success across forms of diversity.” RRD has been recognized by The United Negro College Fund for its hiring practices and by Latina Style magazine as being one of the country’s 50 best companies for Latina employment.

Commitment to External Affairs: RR Donnelley is committed to working with businesses owned by minorities, women, and disabled veterans as major suppliers. We have heard much lately about the hardships of small businesses and startups. RRD appears to be doing something about them and those who run them, especially those who may not have had all the advantages afforded others.

Commitment to Ethical Business Conduct: One of the aforementioned RRD “arm twists” is to request that its employees take a short online course followed by a test on the subject of sexual harassment. I have to admit it was a valuable exercise. Not only did it familiarize me with the law but, more importantly, it caused me to empathize more with my peers in the workplace. Other mandatory courses are of equal value. Simply put, RRD hangs its hat on the idea that “Integrity is what we expect from all of our employees all the time. There is no room for exceptions or compromise.”

Commitment to Employee Safety and Health: I am on an RRD exercise program. Every day I log on to a web site called President’s Challenge. On an honor system, I report my daily exercise, whether it be walking, tennis, golf, or bicycle riding. It could be only 15 minutes, but in RRD’s mind, it is time well spent. The corporate incentive for this not-too-rigorous exercise program is a reduction in my health insurance payments. Also included are free quarterly phone consultations with a health professional. Other health incentive programs focus on waist reduction and heart disease. Insightful — my company realizes that there is a correlation between employee productivity and employee health.

Commitment to Environmental Sustainability: Thirty years ago if you walked through a printing company you may have come out coughing and unable to hear a darn thing. There has been much progress, with the RRD companies leading the way. They are cleaning the air we breathe and managing the waste produced by this industry. Donnelley buys paper only from those manufacturers who draw their raw material from responsibly managed forests. Perhaps RRD says it better: “Sustainability not only makes a difference, it differentiates RR Donnelley.” Al Gore would be proud.

Commitment to the Community: An RR Donnelley foundation contributes dollars to worthwhile community projects where RRD facilities are located. Reading and literacy have been very high priorities, as well as fundraising for the United Way. RRD seems to care not only about its employees’ working environments but also about their quality of life outside the workplace.

There Is Real Hope Out There: We have gone through some bad corporate times in this country in recent years — one example, Enron with its corporate greed and lack of regard for employee well-being. Perhaps now American industry is taking a turn for the better. This giant, “the world’s largest communications company,” has caused this particular employee way down the line to contemplate some important matters. It has also prompted me, at my age, to get off my duff and get some needed exercise. I have come to the realization that I am proud to be working for a company that holds and promotes values that I admire. Yes, they also care about “the bottom line,” but the real bottom line is that there will be more productivity if something is given back — something worthwhile contributed to the human spirit and to the environmental good. So RR Donnelley, you have convinced me — it’s real progress, and your commitment to making it happen seems to be there. For these reasons, all of sudden it’s a matter of pride to be working for you. Thanks!

Contributed by: Caitee Bloss
Web Project Assistant, Stein Communications

In the last three issues of the Scoop, we’ve investigated methods in which admission offices, academic departments, and alumni use podcasting in higher education. This fourth installment unites these groups over a common interest: college athletics.

Who are these university athletics podcasters?

When thinking about college sports, the first enthusiasts that probably come to mind are loyal team fans — whether they are current students, alumni, or hometown natives. Two such fans, University of Iowa seniors Ryan Wallace and Will Marchino, host a podcast From the Cheap Seats. Their show provides game commentary, reviews, and insight into several collegiate sports.

Intercollegiate organizations have also taken up the task of podcasting. The first of these, the SEC Podcast Network (not officially affiliated with the Southeastern Conference) has a very specific mission:

“The Goal of The SEC Podcast Network is to help the independent podcast producers who cover the 12 schools of the SEC and to foster peaceful bonds between those producers.”

Several schools are members of this network, including:

• Louisiana State University: Geaux Show
• University of Alabama: TideCast
• University of Arkansas: RazorPod
• University of Georgia: DawgCast

In addition to supporting the podcasts of other universities, the SEC Podcast Network publishes its own podcast that covers SEC games, makes predictions, and contributes a league commentary.

Another sports association, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), sponsors an intercollegiate podcast that provides one-on-one interviews with NCAA President Myles Brand and focuses on issues facing student-athletes, intercollegiate teams, and the NCAA organization. Mondays With Myles is part of the NCAA’s larger Double-A Zone, which also features a blog and a video news program.

As expected, some of the most popular college athletics podcasts are those hosted by their respective universities. Purposes vary widely, from game announcements and athlete interviews (Virginia Tech’s Hokie Podcast and University of South Carolina Upstate) to original game broadcasts (Oklahoma Sooners). At West Chester University, their student newspaper The Quad hosts its own sports news podcast. At the University of Arizona, podcasts are integrated with corresponding news articles and blogs to form an AZ Sports Hub.

What’s in an athletics podcast, anyway?

The range of information available is as varied as the podcasting population. That said, there are a few common components:

• Talk about the game: If there is one element that most university athletics podcasts have in common, it is sports commentary. One notable podcast, From The Cheap Seats, offers valuable reviews and insight into University of Iowa games.
• Get to know the team: Interviews with coaches and athletes are a great way to help students and fans feel more connected to the team. The University of South Carolina Upstate and the University of Oklahoma podcasts offer discussions with the Spartans and the Sooners, respectively.
• Discuss college athletics: With so many students participating in college athletics, organizations are starting to use podcasts to educate the public about relevant issues. Experts from the National Collegiate Scouting Association give advice on the college recruiting process, and Mondays With Myles focuses on NCAA and student-athlete issues.

So, why a podcast?

Not all sports shows started out as podcasts. From The Cheap Seats was originally a radio broadcast. When scheduling required the producers to tape delay each episode, Will and Ryan decided to take the extra step to host the recordings online.

The ability to keep students and fans engaged has been a desirable draw to collegiate athletics podcasting. To interact with listeners, podcasters incorporate additional media such as:

• Videos: Both the TideCast and the Oklahoma Sooners include video clips, which technically makes them vodcasts.
• Blogs: Blogs allow for the continued discussion of issues touched upon in the podcast, along with listener comments.
• Listener activities: While podcasts are static episodes (especially in comparison to live sports radio), more groups are enabling listeners to offer input for future episodes. The Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association’s CollegeLAX podcast voicemail number allows anyone to leave comments or questions. You can even win a prize by listening to the TideCast — if you correctly answer their weekly trivia question.

Note: Before starting your own podcast or incorporate third-party media, be sure to investigate any copyright or legal concerns.

Does anyone really listen to podcasts?

Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular. In addition to their radio broadcast population, From The Cheap Seats receives between 50 and 100 subscribers during the semester. The AZ Sports Hub, which averages 175 plays per podcast, has been known to receive 300 listens to a single episode. Even more popular is Mondays With Myles, the NCAA’s weekly podcast. The show’s RSS feed received over 24,000 clicks last month — a 4,000-click increase over the previous month.

Boosting podcast reputation and recognition is one of the goals of the SEC. The second half of their mission states:

“Our ultimate goal is to create a group of individuals who have as much respect as other large press organizations, but are closer to the fans than anyone else.”

As we mentioned in the last article in this series (Podcasting in higher education: alumni), podcasts have many advantages over traditional media. They can feature several types of multimedia, are updated frequently, and offer followers the option to subscribe. Additionally, podcasts are available globally. With graduating students and hometown natives moving to the far ends of the earth, widespread team fans will consider these valuable resources.

In our next issue of the Scoop, we’ll explore public relations — our last type of podcasting in this series. To contribute your college’s experiences, thoughts, and concerns about podcasting in education, please email mgwaltney@steincommunications.com.

Contributed by J.D. Fite
Account Manager, Stein Communications

In preparation for an upcoming TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools) presentation, Stein Account Manager J.D. Fite asked his fellow employees at Stein for help. We all pitched in to provide him with a reading list of books we had found valuable in pursuit of professional excellence. In lieu of our normal book review, we thought that sharing such a listing with our readership might be an interesting and worthwhile exercise.

The list is wide and varied. It features Lloyd Thacker and his two College Unranked books that both take on the commercial magazine college ranking system, and also attempts to put values back into the college admission process. Thomas Friedman and his The World is Flat are on the list. Strategic Marketing for Educational Institutions by Kotler and Fox, which has long been a text for graduate programs in higher educational administration, was also nominated. Ironically therein is a chapter featuring Stein Senior Vice President Ross Lenhart as a parent in tandem with his son in pursuit of just the right college. Stein folks have also read the previous book reviews featured in The Scoop: The Price of Admission by Daniel Golden, and Keith Ferrazzi’s Never Eat Alone. The Gatekeepers by Jacques Steinberg is a book to be read and enjoyed by any college admissions professional, as it chronicles a year spent through the recruitment, decision, and matriculation process at Wesleyan University. Well-written, it reads like a novel.

It’s no surprise that our Stein readers have also naturally concentrated on branding, the use of the web, the wants and desires of America’s youth, and the future of higher education. As with you in the halls of ivy, we have always maintained that reading is of great value and will lead to a greater awareness, understanding, and vision in the challenges that we face in working with you to reach the goals that we mutually share.

Therefore, peruse the list, pick out a book, and enjoy the benefits! You can also view this list on Stein’s GoodRead’s account.

The Abandoned Generation: Rethinking Higher Education
By Thomas Naylor and William H. Willimon

Advancing Higher Education in Uncertain Times
By Dr. Larry Lauer

Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth
By Ben Shapiro

Bright College Years: Inside the American College Today
By Anne Matthews

Building Strong Brands
By David A. Aaker

College Unranked: Affirming Educational Values In College Admissions
Edited by Lloyd Thacker

College Unranked: Ending the College Admissions Frenzy
By Lloyd Thacker

Competing for Students, Money and Reputation: Marketing the Academy in the 21st Century
By Dr. Larry Lauer

Designing Web Usability
By Jakob Nielson

The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College
By Jacques Steinberg

Getting the Right Things Right: Personal Strategies for Reinventing the Life You Want
By Charlie Hedges

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
By Chip and Dan Heath

Millennials Go to College
Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation
Millennials and the Pop Culture
By William Strauss and Neil Howe

Mind your X’s & Y’s: Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers
By Lisa Johnson

Never Eat Alone: and Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time
By Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz

The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids
By Alexandra Robbins

The Price of Admission: How America’s Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates
by Daniel Golden

Strategic Marketing for Educational Institutions
By Philip Kotler and Karen F.A. Fox

Thinking for a Living: Creating Ideas that Revitalize Your Business, Career and Life
By Joey Reiman

The Tipping Point: How Little Things can Make a Big Difference
By Malcolm Gladwell

Transforming a College: The Story of a Little-Known College’s Strategic Climb to National Distinction
By George Keller

What Matters In College
By Alexander Astin

When Hope and Fear Collide: A Portrait of Today’s College Student
By Arthur Levine and Jeanette S. Cureton

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century
By Thomas Friedman

NACAC is around the corner!

If you’ll be attending the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) conference next week in Austin, we’d be delighted for you to drop by and visit with us at booth 321. We’ll be showcasing some exciting new campaigns, as well as our web products CommunityYou and ContactPlus.

Nice guys do finish first

We at Stein were recently elated to hear of the election of Mike Maxey as the 11th president of Roanoke College. It especially gets our attention when an admissions, advancement, or college relations professional assumes the presidency of his or her institution — Mike embodies all three. Our relationship with Mike goes back seventeen years; therefore, we are not surprised with his election. Always efficient, always asking the best of us, always fair, always praising when praise was due — in other words, one of the best, and, yes, one of the nicest. Yes, they do finish first.

CommunityYou — now’s the time

“CommunityYou has done well for us. It was fascinating to go to receptions for admitted students on the east coast and have them meeting each other because they had previously met on CommunityYou. It does build community.”
– Mike Maxey, former VP College Relations & Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid, Roanoke College

Have you thought about how social networking sites can impact your enrollment? If so, did you know that there is one that can be branded for your institution, administered by you? CommunityYou is an easy-to-use, cost-effective tool designed to increase yield. Both client and student response has been outstanding. If you are interested in learning more about how CommunityYou can support your enrollment initiatives, please contact Jenny Brower at 404.494.4393 or jbrower@steincommunications.com. When you sign up for a CommunityYou webinar, we’ll send you a Stein “Fresh” T-shirt.

Are you ready to Explore?

Discover new products and services for recruitment and advancement with Stein’s new Explore Stein email promotions, beginning later this month. Don’t worry, we won’t clutter your inbox! Explore Stein emails will be sent approximately every two months. If, however, you do wish to opt-out of our new promotional emails, just click here to manage your Stein subscription preferences. You can still choose to continue receiving issues of The Scoop.

Donning new hats around the office

Congratulations to Stein’s Jenny Brower and Terry Hamrick on their recent promotions! Formerly Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Jenny’s new title is Vice President of Sales and Client Services. Terry advances from Director of Interactive Services to Vice President of Creative and Interactive Services. Best of luck to you both as you take on your new roles and responsibilities.

With Jenny’s promotion also brings new leadership of The Scoop. Under the guidance of Senior Vice President Ross Lenhart and Web Content Manager Meg Gwaltney, The Scoop will continue to serve as an online resource for college admissions professionals. Starting with the next issue, please update your email’s trusted sender list to include mgwaltney@steincommunications.com so that you will continue to receive The Scoop in your email’s inbox.

It’s been a mighty good year

We are on a roll! RR Donnelley recently honored Stein Executive Vice President Rob Glass with one of its most prestigious business development awards. Rob was one of only 25 individuals to receive this award throughout all of RR Donnelley. Our hats are off to Rob for his hard work and for bringing in new, fresh, and interesting projects to challenge our creative minds in the coming year.

Seeking qualified candidates for sales position

Stein is seeking qualified candidates for a sales/consulting position. If you are interested in learning more about the position, please contact Jenny Brower at 404.494.4393 or jbrower@steincommunications.com.

We welcome our new clients

We’re pleased to announce the following new clients:

Charleston School of Law (SC) — recruitment publications
Mercersburg Academy (PA) — annual fund direct marketing and publications
The University of Mary Washington (VA) — case statement design
University School of Milwaukee (WI) — capital campaign consulting and creative
Wesley College (DE) — recruitment publications
Woodberry Forest School (VA) — branding research and identity design

Comments or suggestions for future issues?

We would love to hear from you: If you have a news story you’d like to share with other education professionals or ideas for future issues, contact Ross Lenhart at 843.235.6907, or Meg Gwaltney at 404.494.4403 or mgwaltney@steincommunications.com.