High-quality responses are key to building trust with prospective students. They make your institution feel approachable and supportive, keep conversations flowing, and ensure prospects get the information they need to take their next step.
This article explains what good looks like on TAP, and how you can set and uphold standards with your ambassadors.
What does a high-quality response look like?
Ambassadors should aim to be:
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Friendly – warm, approachable, and encouraging.
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Responsive – reply within 24 hours (quality over speed).
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Authentic – share personal experiences, not generic or AI-generated answers.
A strong response typically includes:
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Detailed but concise answers – avoid one-word replies, but no need to write an essay.
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Warm introductions – greet prospects and show genuine interest to build rapport.
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Open questions – encourage prospects to share more and keep the conversation flowing.
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Tailored responses – personalise answers for each prospect (avoid copy-paste).
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Clarifying questions – if something isn’t clear, ask for more detail rather than guessing.
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Student life focus – when possible, steer admin-style queries back towards authentic student experiences.
🚫 Ambassadors should not use ChatGPT or other AI tools to generate answers. Prospects value real, lived experiences.
How to set and uphold expectations
1. Recruitment
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Share expectations of quality responses during recruitment.
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Consider including a short written or video response exercise in the application form.
2. Training
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Cover quality standards in onboarding.
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Use role-play to practise friendly, detailed, and inclusive responses.
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Highlight that ambassadors are part of the recruitment team, and first impressions matter.
3. Regular check-ins
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Meet with ambassadors 2–4 times a year to share wins, celebrate great interactions, and gather feedback.
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Share anonymised screenshots of excellent chats so ambassadors can learn from each other.
4. Managing performance
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If standards slip, speak one-to-one with the ambassador.
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If issues persist, reconsider whether they are the right fit to represent your institution.
A final thought
Great conversations often lead prospects to become applicants, and eventually enrolled students. Remind ambassadors that their impact is lasting — today’s prospects may become tomorrow’s ambassadors.
💡 Example: The University of Adelaide ran a welcome event for ambassadors and the students they had first connected with online. It helped new students settle in, while showing ambassadors the real impact of their work.
👉 For further advice, contact your Client Success Manager or email support@theambassadorplatform.com