The Hidden Leak

In this episode, Rustam Irani unpacks one of the biggest misconceptions in higher-ed marketing: most schools don’t have a lead problem, they have a leak problem. He explains how institutions can identify hidden leaks in their enrollment funnel, why “speed to lead” matters, and how data modeling can transform student engagement. Along the way, Rustam shares personal stories about standing firm with leadership, building smarter communication strategies, and even rethinking how to keep talented team members engaged. The result is a blueprint for plugging leaks, improving conversion rates, and leading with both data and empathy.Timestamps 00:02 – Why schools don’t have a lead problem, they have a leak problem 01:14 – Generating tens of thousands of leads but not seeing results 02:16 – Identifying leaks: weekend response times & “speed to lead” 03:34 – Different engagement preferences: phone, email, chat, SMS 04:20 – Building data models to identify ideal student segments 07:14 – How AI has simplified lead scoring today 08:10 – Standing up for marketing with data in tough leadership meetings 12:17 – Empathy in student communication and persona buckets 14:37 – Internal leaks: keeping your own team motivated and engaged 16:21 – Action steps to plug leaks and transform enrollment funnels