The eight CRM capabilities a study abroad consultancy actually uses, ranked by how quickly you notice their absence.
1. Several open applications per student
Non-negotiable. A student applying to five countries has five deadlines, five document sets and five stages. One status per student is wrong from week one. See application tracking.
2. A calendar that includes deadlines, not just meetings
Sessions, deadlines and follow-ups need to be on one view. With two calendars, the one holding the deadlines is the one nobody opens.
3. Documents attached where they are used
A transcript belongs on the record, reachable from the application that needs it. A shared drive works until two people name a folder differently.
4. Enquiry capture that does not need re-typing
Enquiries come from Instagram, WhatsApp, your website and word of mouth. Copying a name from a message into a database eventually stops happening. A hosted form that writes straight into the CRM removes the step. See registration forms.
5. Payment and invoice tracking against the student
Fees are usually staged: a deposit, a milestone, a balance on submission. Knowing who owes what without opening accounting software changes when you chase.
6. Per-person access
Once a second counsellor joins, you need roles. EduCRM has owner, admin, counsellor and viewer, with workspace isolation so no data crosses between organisations. See the security page.
7. Session notes that are actually searchable
A note is only worth what you can find before the next meeting. Notes on the record, timestamped by session, beat a notebook and let a colleague cover for you.
8. An export you can leave with
Ask before you sign, not after. A vendor who cannot export your student and application data is a vendor you cannot leave.
What to skip on day one
- Automation rules. Build the habit first, then automate what turns out to be repetitive.
- Elaborate custom fields. Every field is a question someone answers forever.
- Reporting dashboards you have not yet decided to act on.
For the full evaluation framework and vendor questions, read the CRM buyer's guide. For how these fit a study abroad workflow, see study abroad CRM.
Check the list against the product
The demo is the real software. Work through the eight points above in it.