AI Lead Responses

This guide explains how to set up and optimize Institution Contexts to power your Lead Capture AI assistant and provide accurate, helpful responses to prospective students.

What Are Institution Contexts?

Institution Contexts are question-and-answer pairs that teach the AI assistant about your school. They act as the "knowledge base" that enables the AI to respond accurately and confidently to prospective student questions after they submit a lead capture form.

Think of Institution Contexts as training materials for your AI assistant. The more comprehensive and accurate your contexts, the better your AI can represent your school and answer student questions.

How Lead Capture AI Works

The Connection Between Lead Capture and AI

1. Student Submits Form: A prospective student fills out your lead capture form with their contact information
2. AI Chat Interface Appears: Instead of showing a generic "thank you" page, the AI-powered chat interface launches
3. AI Uses Your Contexts: The AI assistant references your Institution Contexts to answer the student's questions
4. Conversation Continues: The student can ask multiple questions and get immediate, accurate responses
5. Staff Follow-Up: All conversations are saved in your Inbox for staff review and follow-up

What Makes This Powerful

• Instant Engagement: Students get answers immediately, not hours or days later
• 24/7 Availability: The AI assistant works around the clock, even when your office is closed
• Qualified Leads: Students who engage with the AI are more informed and often more serious about enrollment
• Staff Efficiency: Common questions are answered automatically, freeing staff to focus on complex inquiries

Understanding Context Categories

Institution Contexts are organized into categories to help the AI understand the topic and provide relevant answers. The system includes these predefined categories:

Cost & Payment

Questions about program pricing, fees, payment timing, and payment plans.

Example Questions:

• How much does the program cost?
• Are there additional fees for books, tools, or uniforms?
• Do I have to pay the full amount upfront?
• Is there a payment plan available?

Financial Aid

Federal financial aid, FAFSA, scholarships, grants, and discounts.

Example Questions:

• Do you offer federal financial aid or FAFSA?
• Are there scholarships or grants available?
• Do you offer any discounts or incentives?

Private Funding & Loans

Third-party lenders, loan applications, co-signers, and interest rates.

Example Questions:

• Do you partner with any third-party lenders?
• How do I apply for a loan, and what's the process like?
• Can I use a co-signer to get financing?

Curriculum & Schedule

Program offerings, topics covered, training structure, duration, and format.

Example Questions:

• What specialty programs do you offer?
• How long does the program take to complete?
• Do you offer part-time or evening classes?
• Is the program fully in-person, hybrid, or online?

Admissions & Prerequisites

Requirements, high school diploma/GED, placement tests.

Example Questions:

• What are the admissions requirements?
• Do I need a high school diploma or GED?
• Do I need to take any placement tests?

Career Outcomes

Job opportunities, placement assistance, salaries, certifications.

Example Questions:

• What kind of job can I get after completing the program?
• Do you offer job placement assistance?
• What is the average starting salary for graduates?

Accreditation & Recognition

School accreditation and program recognition.

Example Questions:

• Is your school accredited?
• Is this program recognized by employers or industry bodies?

Campus Life & Support

Location, housing, parking, student support services.

Example Questions:

• Where is the program/class located?
• Do you offer housing or help with finding housing?
• Is there parking available?

Start Dates & Enrollment

Class start dates, application deadlines, enrollment process.

Example Questions:

• When does the next class start?
• How far in advance should I apply?
• Can I apply online?

Technology & Equipment

Required tools, equipment access, technology needs.

Example Questions:

• Will I need my own tools or laptop?
• Does the school provide access to labs or specialized equipment?

Student Experience

Daily student life, class sizes, testimonials, contact information.

Example Questions:

• What's a typical day like for students?
• How big are the class sizes?
• Who do I talk to if I have questions?

Setting Up Your Institution Contexts

Accessing Institution Contexts

1. Log in to your School Admin portal
2. Navigate to Engagement in the main menu
3. Click Lead Capture AI
4. Click Create an Institution Context to add a new Q&A pair

Creating a New Context

Option 1: Use a Predefined Question

1. Click Create an Institution Context
2. Keep the toggle set to "Is this a custom question?" = No
3. Select a question from the "Select from predefined questions" dropdown
   • Questions are organized by category
   • The category is automatically set based on your selection
4. Type your answer in the Answer field
5. Click Save

Benefits of Predefined Questions:

• Ensures you cover common student questions
• Automatically categorized for better AI organization
• Covers industry-standard inquiries

Option 2: Create a Custom Question

1. Click Create an Institution Context
2. Toggle "Is this a custom question?" to Yes
3. Type your custom question in the "Enter your own question" field
4. Select or type a Context Category
5. Type your answer in the Answer field
6. Click Save

When to Use Custom Questions:

• Your school has unique programs or policies
• You want to address specific concerns from past inquiries
• Predefined questions don't cover your offerings

Writing Effective Answers

Best Practices

Be Specific and Accurate

❌ Bad: "Our program costs a reasonable amount."
✅ Good: "Our Dental Assistant program costs $8,500, which includes all books, materials, and uniforms. There are no hidden fees."

Use Clear, Conversational Language

❌ Bad: "Pursuant to institutional policy, matriculation requires documentation of secondary educational attainment."
✅ Good: "To enroll, you'll need a high school diploma or GED certificate."

Provide Complete Information

❌ Bad: "Yes, we offer payment plans."
✅ Good: "Yes, we offer flexible payment plans with no interest. You can spread your tuition over 6, 12, or 18 months with as little as $500 down. Our financial aid team can help you find the plan that works best for your budget."

Include Next Steps When Appropriate

❌ Bad: "We have evening classes."
✅ Good: "Yes, we offer evening classes Monday through Thursday from 6 PM to 9 PM. To learn more about our schedule or enroll, call us at [phone] or visit our campus at 123 Main Street."

What to Include in Your Answers

• Specific numbers (costs, durations, class sizes, etc.)
• Concrete details (dates, locations, requirements)
• Contact information when appropriate
• Clear action steps for next steps
• Links to resources (use full URLs)

What to Avoid

• Vague or ambiguous language ("it depends", "maybe", "sometimes")
• Outdated information (old prices, past dates, discontinued programs)
• Promises you can't keep (guaranteed jobs, specific salaries)
• Legal or medical advice (direct students to appropriate professionals)

Organizing Your Contexts

Priority Questions to Answer First

Start with the questions prospective students ask most frequently:

1. Cost: Total program cost, payment options
2. Duration: How long the program takes
3. Schedule: Class times, online/in-person format
4. Requirements: What's needed to enroll
5. Career: Job opportunities after graduation
6. Start Date: When the next class begins

Building a Comprehensive Knowledge Base

Once you've covered the basics, expand to:

• Specific program details (curriculum, certifications)
• Financial aid and scholarships
• Campus facilities and resources
• Student support services
• Accreditation and licensing

Recommended Minimum: 15-20 contexts covering all major categories

Comprehensive Setup: 30-50 contexts for thorough coverage

Enabling AI Agent Mode on Lead Capture Forms

Creating Institution Contexts is only half the equation. You must also enable AI Agent Mode on your lead capture forms.

How to Enable AI Agent Mode

1. Navigate to Engagement > Widgets
2. Find your lead capture widget and click Edit
3. Go to the End Page tab
4. Toggle "Use AI Agent" to On
5. Click Save

What Happens When Enabled

Before (Standard Mode):

• Student submits form
• Sees static "Thank you" message
• Conversation ends

After (AI Agent Mode):

• Student submits form
• AI chat interface appears
• Student can ask questions immediately
• AI uses your Institution Contexts to respond
• All messages are saved to Inbox for staff follow-up

Best Practices

Keep Contexts Current

• Review quarterly: Update prices, dates, and program details
• Monitor conversations: Check AI responses in the Inbox to find gaps
• Update immediately: Change contexts as soon as policies or programs change

Test Your AI Assistant

1. Fill out your own lead capture form
2. Ask various questions in the AI chat
3. Verify the answers are accurate and helpful
4. Add contexts for questions the AI couldn't answer

Cover Common Objections

Include contexts that address typical student concerns:

• "Is this program worth the cost?"
• "Will I be able to find a job after graduation?"
• "What if I have a full-time job?"
• "Do I need previous experience?"

Be Honest and Transparent

• If you don't offer something, say so clearly
• Direct students to resources when the AI can't help
• Always include human contact information for complex questions

Use Your School's Voice

Your answers should sound like your institution:

• Formal vs. casual tone
• Technical vs. accessible language
• Your school's unique selling points and values

Managing and Editing Contexts

Viewing All Contexts

Navigate to Engagement > Lead Capture AI to see all your Institution Contexts in a table format.

Editing a Context

1. Click the Edit (pencil icon) button next to any context
2. Update the question, answer, or category
3. Click Save

Deleting a Context

1. Click the Delete (trash icon) button next to any context
2. Confirm the deletion
3. The context is permanently removed

Note: Deleted contexts cannot be recovered. Consider editing instead of deleting if the information is outdated but still relevant.

What If the AI Can't Answer?

The AI is programmed with a safety mechanism. If it doesn't have enough information to answer confidently, it will respond with:

"I'm not able to answer that question. We'll have one of our staff get back to you as soon as possible."

This is a good thing! It prevents the AI from guessing or providing incorrect information.

When You See This Response

1. Review the conversation in your Inbox
2. Identify the question the student asked
3. Create a new Institution Context with the question and accurate answer
4. The AI will be able to answer this question in future conversations

Monitoring AI Performance

Using the Inbox

All AI conversations are automatically saved to your Inbox with special indicators:

• Channel: Lead Capture AI
• Summary: Automatically generated summary of the conversation
• Full Transcript: Complete chat history
• Contact Information: Student's details from the form submission

What to Look For

• Unanswered questions: Identify gaps in your contexts
• Incorrect responses: Update contexts with better answers
• Engagement patterns: See which topics students ask about most
• Quality leads: Follow up with students who asked detailed questions

Advanced Tips

Use Contexts for Seasonal Information

Create contexts for time-sensitive questions:

• "When does the next class start?" → Update with current start dates
• "What scholarships are available?" → Update for current year offerings
• "Are you accepting applications?" → Update based on enrollment status

Address Specific Student Concerns

If you notice patterns in student questions via other channels (phone, email), add contexts:

• "I have bad credit, can I still enroll?"
• "I'm a veteran, do you accept GI Bill?"
• "Can I transfer credits from another school?"

Create Context Variations

For important topics, create multiple related contexts:

• "How much does it cost?"
• "What is the tuition?"
• "How much is the program?"

While these ask the same thing differently, having variations helps the AI recognize different phrasings.

Troubleshooting

"The AI is giving generic responses"

Solution: You may not have enough contexts. Add more Q&A pairs, especially for common questions.

"The AI said it can't answer something I created a context for"

Possible causes:

1. The student phrased the question differently than your context
2. The context category may be incorrect
3. The answer may be too vague

Solution: Review the exact question in the Inbox and adjust your context to match.

"Students aren't using the AI chat"

Possible causes:

1. AI Agent Mode isn't enabled on the form
2. The interface isn't prominent enough
3. Students prefer to wait for human contact

Solution:

• Verify AI Agent Mode is enabled
• Add encouraging copy like "Ask me anything about our programs!"
• Consider adding a prompt question to start the conversation

"The AI is giving incorrect information"

Solution:

1. Immediately review and correct the relevant context
2. Check the Inbox to see which context was used
3. Update the answer with accurate information
4. Test the correction by asking the same question

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Institution Contexts should I create?

Minimum: 15-20 covering basic questions Recommended: 30-50 for comprehensive coverage Advanced: 50+ for very detailed assistance

Can I use the same answer for multiple questions?

Yes! If different questions have the same answer, you can create multiple contexts with the same answer but different questions.

Will the AI use my exact words?

The AI uses your contexts as a knowledge base and rephrases the information naturally in conversation. It aims to match your tone while adapting to the student's specific question.

What if I don't know the answer to a predefined question?

Skip it! Only create contexts for questions you can answer accurately. The AI will use its safety response for questions without contexts.

Can I see which contexts the AI used in a conversation?

Currently, you can view the full conversation transcript in the Inbox to see what the AI responded with, but the specific context used isn't highlighted. Look for responses that match your context answers.

Do I need technical knowledge to set this up?

No! Setting up Institution Contexts is designed for school administrators with no technical background. If you can answer student questions via email or phone, you can create contexts.

Getting Help

If you have questions about setting up or optimizing your Lead Capture AI:

1. Review this guide: Most common questions are covered here
2. Test thoroughly: Fill out your own form and interact with the AI
3. Monitor the Inbox: See how students interact with the AI in real conversations
4. Contact Support: Reach out to your Lumion support team with specific questions

Related Resources

• How to Create and Manage Lead Capture Widgets (link to be added)
• Using the Inbox to Manage Conversations (link to be added)
• Best Practices for Lead Capture Forms (link to be added)

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