enrollment building what business are we in? the cycle of enrollment recruitment enrollment...
TRANSCRIPT
Enrollment Building
What Business
Are We in?
The Cycle of Enrollment
•Recruitment
•Enrollment
•Retention
•Referral
Recruitment• Know your market segments.
•The purpose of your recruitment
efforts is to produce realistic inquiries
to your center for potential enrollment.
What is the Board’s Role
EnrollmentAttaining enrollment in your
center is a three-step process:
1.Creating inquiries
2. A visit to the center
3. Point of sale-the actual enrollment
Conversion rates: an essential factor, often ignored.
• Inquiry to tour
•Tour to enrollment
•Estimate conversion rates
Sample difference for 24 open slots in a 122 slot center:
• If you convert at 40/40%, you will need to generate 210 inquiries to fill the center.
•If you convert at 70/80%, you will need only 73 inquiries to be fully enrolled.
You must log all inquiries to learn:
what are your best sources for inquiries. where are your best sources for
enrollment. who gives most effective tours. who performs best at point of sale. which families should you call back at a
later date.
The Tour-Pay attention to the 80/20 rule.
-The purpose is to gain an enrollment, not to teach child development or quality parameters.
-The “Trusted Expert”.
-“Tell me about your child.”
-Ask for their business-CLOSE!
The Decision to Buy
Parents buy child care based on their perception of value
Touchy-feely factor
What are the things that parents really care about? Rank these:
Licensed centerAccreditedSchool
readinessAdult to child
ratios
Teacher qualifications
LocationAssures safety
and securitySocialization
for children
RetentionGaining your customer’s trust:
1.Tell the truth
2. Know that trust takes time
3. Be reliable
4. Offer outstanding service
RetentionAlways:
• Express appreciation• Communicate, communicate,
communicate• Remember who pays your
salary• Delight the customer• Say “Thank You”
Referral80% of all child care enrollment comes from word-of-mouth
Take advantage of your satisfied customers
Don’t assume!
Stimulate Parent, Board and Staff Referrals
• Sponsor a contest with prizes for the most referrals
•Know your VIP parents and urge them privately
•Cash rewards using referral coupons
Reinforce Referrals
• The prizes and cash rewards
•Send a photo of referred child alongside their own
•A note back to them one month after enrollment
The Board Member’s Role
Reaching the Federal employee and family
What it means to be a federal liaison
Finding new potential customers
Saying thank you
The Subsidy [email protected]
Board and Staff Roles
BOARD
Outreach Personal touch Sign of appreciation Where staff can’t go Talk it up _________________
STAFF
The enrollment mechanics
Outreach, a shared endeavor
Wait List management __________________
Questions,
Bob Siegel [email protected] (312) 551-7139
Other StrategiesComments,
Julie Wassom, childcare marketing, www.juliewassom.com