When to Text Students, When to Call, When to Let the CRM Work for You

You’re juggling 10 campus tours, a stack of no-show appointments, three promising leads you don’t want to lose, and a recruiter asking why their numbers look soft this week. In the middle of all that, you’re trying to remember:

Did that high-intent lead from this morning ever get a follow-up text?

Welcome to the daily grind of admissions and enrollment where every missed message can mean a missed opportunity. And where your ability to respond quickly, personally, and through the right channel makes all the difference.

But here’s the problem: there are only so many hours in your day.

That’s where the right CRM - one built for the unique pace and people of career education - can make all the difference.

The Reality: Student Expectations Have Changed

Today’s students expect the speed of Amazon, the convenience of DoorDash, and the personalized communication of a boutique service, all while navigating some of the most life-altering decisions they’ll ever make.

• They don’t check email daily.
• They screen unknown calls.
• But they do respond to short, friendly texts that sound human.

To keep up, admissions teams have to be both relational and responsive. That's a hard balance to strike manually.

So… When Should You Text, Call, or Email?

Let’s break it down by funnel stage and intent level.

PRO TIP: Many schools make the mistake of sticking to one channel out of habit. The best communication strategies layer messaging with purpose.

Let the CRM Do the Heavy Lifting

You shouldn’t be setting calendar reminders for every follow-up. That’s where your CRM earns its keep.

With Portico CRM (formerly Verity Dialog), you can:

✅ Automate smart sequences based on inquiry date, program of interest, or last action taken
✅ Trigger the right message, through the right channel, automatically
✅ Personalize everything from texts to emails with merge fields and branded templates
✅ Track engagement to see who’s responding, who’s stalling, and who’s ready to enroll

All while freeing your team to do what they do best: build real relationships.

Why Striking the Right Balance Matters

Let’s say your admissions rep, Jordan, has 75 inquiries this week. If they’re manually texting, emailing, and following up on every single one, they’re either going to burn out or drop the ball.

But if your CRM automatically sends a text the moment someone fills out an inquiry form...
If it reminds Jordan to call high-intent leads after a video view...
If it sends a nudge text when an application is abandoned...

Now Jordan has time to actually connect, not just communicate.

Automation ≠ Impersonal

One of the biggest myths in admissions is that automation takes away the human element. At Portico, we believe the opposite:

Smart automation unlocks more human moments.

Because when the busy work is handled, your team can lean in with empathy, personalization, and strategic follow-through.

From Here to Career, With Smarter Communication Along the Way

Every student you enroll is trying to change their life. That journey starts the moment they click “Request Info.”

Portico helps you respond faster, follow up better, and never lose track of a great lead again.