If you have ever heard me speak, read my articles, or used my training resources, you know I say, “NEVER take inquiry caller information on post –it notes.” Why? Because it is not an efficient way to manage enrollment building – lost information, no tracking system, hard to follow up, etc.
However, the pandemic has caused there to be ONE TIME when post-it notes work well in helping you be more skilled at enrollment conversion. With COVID restrictions, so many schools are conducting center tours virtually, it means you are often using your desktop, laptop, or a large mobile to conduct the tours.
The skill that helps gain prospect agreement for the benefits you are presenting is called “trial closing”. This is asking a simple, short, closed question you should ask after each benefit statement that addresses an expressed prospect need. You want the prospect’s response to be “Yes.” It is questions such as, “Is this the kind of learning environment you want for Katie?” “Do our rigorous safety precautions make you feel more comfortable?” Can you see Jeremy thriving in this environment?” “Do our hours work for your schedule?”
When your prospect answers, “Yes”, to these questions time after time, I call it stringing the Yeses. When that occurs, it keeps them engaged, and you know your center is likely a good fit for this family. By the time you need to ask the prospect to enroll, they have already convinced themselves your school is the right choice, so it makes final closing much easier.
What about the post-it notes? Put one trial closing question on each of four or five post-it notes and stick them to the bottom of your monitor. Doing so can help you remember to ask them periodically. It will also give you a variety of trial closing questions to ask, so you sound more natural and appropriate for the benefit presented.
So, just this one time, post-it notes are okay to use in the enrollment conversion process. No other prospect information on those sticky notes, though. I might just be watching!
Julie Wassom
The Child Care Marketing Expert and Coach
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
303-910-3083
julie@juliewassom.com
www.juliewassom.com
