Perception is everything. How your prospects interpret what you say makes a specific impression in their minds. They use this perception to evaluate you and to influence their buying decisions. To make a better impression during enrollment inquiry calls or center or home visits, here are some words to toss out of your vocabulary and replace with better options.
Day care. Use child care, early care and education, or early childhood, but not day care. The perception of day care is custodial. Using the others presents a much more professional impression. I like the comment from a professor in the Early Childhood Department at Pacific Oaks College, who says, “The day will take care of itself. We take care of children.”
Slot. Use position, space, or place in our classroom. Think in the prospect’s perspective. How would you like to picture your own child put into a “slot”.
But. When you are addressing objections, it is tempting to acknowledge the objection, then to say “but” before responding to the parent’s concerns. The word, but, makes you sound defensive. Use the word, however, instead. “I can understand how it might sound expensive compared to others you have looked at. However, here at our center, you will get (then go on).”
***CONTEST***
Those of you who have been in my live seminars, on my teleseminars, or who have experienced my training on CDs, know there is one other four-letter term I recommend be banned from enrollment interviews and replaced with one that has a much better prospect perception. Email me the word you think it is, to julie@juliewassom.com. If yours is a correct guess, we will enter you in a drawing to receive a free copy of MarketMate, my newly updated resource of marketing and enrollment sales management tools. The winning entry will be drawn and notified August 16, then announced in the August issue of Wassom’s Child Care Marketing Wisdom.
Using professional, carefully-selected words is a cost-free marketing tactic that will improve prospect perception and contribute to higher enrollment.
Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com
