There is a cost-free way to help you convert inquiries and retain enrollment, and it is right in your own backyard. Are you using it?
What I am talking about is a formal Parent Ambassador Program.
Setting up an effective Parent Ambassador Program requires a few steps and good teamwork between you and the parents who partner with you.
- Select those parents you know are positive about your school, can communicate well, and have the time and willingness to do so. Choose at least one ambassador from each age group.
- Meet with your ambassadors to develop the specifics of your program. Let these parents be involved in naming it, determining which ambassador role works best for them, timing and method of parent contacts, etc. The more empowered they feel, the more likely they will be to execute it well.
- Determine specific roles. Ambassadors may have limited time and select interests, so I recommend having several types of Parent Ambassadors.
- New Inquiries – These ambassadors reach out to parents who have inquired at your school but not yet. If the prospective family is also new to the area, this ambassador can provide a list of resources your other parent use, such as local pediatricians.
- New Enrollees – In the first 90 days after a new parent enrollees, these ambassadors contact them for initial satisfaction and unmet expectations.
- Veteran Enrollees – Ambassadors call parents on special dates, such as the anniversary of their enrollment, or the month before their child transitions to kindergarten. The intent is to check in, to make sure the family is satisfied, to invite them to events if they have not been coming, etc.
How do you connect the prospective parents with an ambassador? You do not ask them if they would like to call one of your ambassadors. What is better is to say something like, “Would you like one of our Parent Ambassadors from this classroom to give you a call, so you can get another parent’s perspective on what our center would be like for Bryanna and your family?” If they respond positively, you can confirm permission to give their contact information to your Parent Ambassador.
Not only can a good Parent Ambassador Program help build enrollment, your ambassador parents feel a vital part of your center, and that builds community and retention.
Best wishes and happy enrollment building.
Julie Wassom
The Child Care Marketing Expert and Coach
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
303-910-3083
julie@juliewassom.com
www.juliewassom.com
