1. Effective Communication about Budgeting & Paying the Bill
Megan Kennerknecht
Assistant Director of Financial Aid
SUNY Geneseo

2. Agenda Keys to Effective Communication Knowing Your Audience
Stages of the conversation
Positive Phrases
Conversation Preparation
Practice Makes Perfect
Questions

3. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
- Maya Angelou

4. Keys to Effective Communication
Active Listening
Eye Contact
Paraphrase and/or ask questions
Keep body language open, professional, and positive
Do not interrupt
Silence is OK
Reduce distractions
Note the content, not the delivery
Clear Messaging
Be mindful of your tone & volume
Be aware of your body language
Avoid jargon
Keep your emotions in check
Take a solution-based & student- centered approach
Use professional language
Directness over ambiguity

5. Know Your Audience Money is personal, the conversation should be too.
Everyone has a story. While we don’t have time to hear the whole tale, we should:
Exhibit cultural competence
Recognize learning/processing styles
Be mindful of subconscious bias
Acknowledge the student by acknowledging their problem.

6. Stages of the Conversation
Introduction Gathering Information Problem/Issue Identification Exploration of Options Making the Plan Closure Follow-Up, if needed Don’t forget to document! 

7. Positive Phrases:
Great question, let me take a look… What options have you explored?”… Okay, let’s figure it out together. Happy to help. I don’t have that answer for you right now, but let me find out and get back to you. I understand your frustration/confusion/have to make a difficult choice. I’m happy to go through the options you have available. Take your time, we get it- this can be overwhelming. I want to make sure I understand… or Tell me more about… Please let me know if you’d like to go back over anything. What other questions do you have?

8. Conversation Preparation
Review the account thoroughly. Look for options before meeting with the student, if possible. Know the resources available to the student on the campus. For frequently asked questions, create a quick handout/fact sheet/reference list for the student to take with them.

9. Practice Makes Perfect

10. Questions