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"You only have one chance to make the Right First Impression."

Pillar One - Enrollment

“I just don’t want to be too pushy,” she said to me.

 

I was looking at the numbers and trying to figure out why the marketing wasn’t working. Turns out the numbers told a different story: conversion on and after the tour had dropped. More tours had been done, but fewer new enrollments. The problem wasn’t marketing, it was sales.

 

“Why do you detest your parents so much?” I asked in reply.

 

A bit taken aback and stunned, she defended herself, “I don’t! What do you mean?? I love our families and community!!”

 

“Hmmm… then does your program suck?” I followed up with.

I think she was starting to get a bit angry now as she replied, “I’ll have you know we offer the best, most caring, family-like child care in the city! We provide wipes, 3 hot meals a day, we’re flexible with pick up times…”

I listened to the long list… I knew it already, as we’d helping with their advertising for a while. But I’m not the one who needed to hear it again. Once she was done, I explained: “Well, then I’ll go back to saying you must detest prospective parents.”


 

“You’re doing them a DISSERVICE by not following up. By not being pushy, you’re actually pushing them… into the hands of your competition.”

I then continued with, “When you sell, you’re not being pushy, you’re honoring their needs, you’re honoring their children, their spouse, you’re supporting their lives, making their world a better place by keeping their child safe, loved, and preparing them for the rest of their lives!”

Her glare softened a bit, but the intensity remained; the fire of anger was starting to get replaced by fire of purpose.


I followed up with, “If you have such a great program, and *I* know you do, then it’s your DUTY to sell it.To follow-up. To follow-up every day until they do what’s in their best interest! Don’t let them sign-up with the center down the street that’s not as good as you. You know the value you provide. Pushy is not pushy when you BELIEVE FULLY in what you sell.”

Look, VERY FEW PEOPLE love, much less like (ok, even tolerate!), the sales role. It’s a special kind of person who is naturally keen to make the 9th follow-up call. And yet, business doesn’t happen without sales.


Right now, you’re fighting for EVERY ENROLLMENT. Don’t lose a single one. Double – TRIPLE – down on your sales process and follow-ups. If you truly believe in the value you provide, then selling is not selling, SELLING IS A SERVICE to your community.


Enrollment Experience


TIPS TO GET STARTED:

  • Your main objective is to communicate the CULTURE, MISSION and VISION of Stepping Stone School. Share your passion!
  • Your office and any space you will be taking the tour to, will need to be clutter free and clean. You should look at your building with with fresh eyes.
  • Everyone in your building should be aware you are going to be giving a tour.
  • Pay attention to the physical environment – Are the windows dirty? Trash in the parking lot? Crooked pictures?
  • This matters to the overall impression of your school!!
  • Finalize what day they are going to start and walking them through the enrollment process.
  • Start going through CRM, calling all families and getting them scheduled for a tour and enrolled! We have a HUGE opportunity here so we need to take advantage of this!
  • Ask questions!! Ask lots of thoughtful open-ended questions, you should be talking only 30% of the time.
  • The importance of posture, gestures, facial expression, appearance, the tone of voice, humor and overall guest
  • experience all can contribute or detract from the experience. Proper body language and the use of positive welcoming phrases will also enhance the experience.
  • Use descriptive language, talk about the wonderful meal cooking or feel the positive aura of the school.


Enrollment Experience Tips and To-do’s!!

Everyone who is designated to answer the phone must be fully trained, tested and readily familiar with these basic Tips and To-do’s

  1. Try to answer the phone by the third ring. Avoid being in a classroom where children are crying and or very loud.
  2. Answer the phone with a smile in your voice! Sound warm, friendly and happy to be here! No matter how crazy it may be, try to also sound calm, confident and relaxed. Identify the center and yourself by name.
  3. Start an Inquiry Log, jotting down notes as you listen. (Use family information Card
  4. Create a sense of Urgency – “I have 1 space in my two year old program, I can hold it for you until you can tour, can you come in today”?
  5. Build rapport. Ask questions to show interest in the caller and their child(ren), and to gather basic information. Use the parent and child’s name(s) in the conversation. Comment on the age of the child or on something that the caller has said. Be enthusiastic, warm and friendly!
  6. Listen for needs. Ask them what they feel is important for their child. Listen to what they are really saying. If they go on and on about how "at the last center….” they are conveying to you a need that wasn’t being met.
  7. Match our program benefits to their needs. Tell parents how our program can meet the needs of their child. Example: If they are concerned about their child being shy, address this. Talk about all of the ways we would attempt to welcome and invite participation and work on developing social skills in an environment in which he would feel comfortable.
  8. Empathize with the parent. Choosing child care can be a very big &/or difficult decision for parents, and can also be quite scary.
  9. Sell the center. Tell the parent of a 2-year-old what an awesome Older Toddler Room you have, and how really fortunate you are to have such wonderful Teachers in there. Give specific examples of the great things they do. Talk about what we offer that the competitors nearby do not. (security, staff longevity, etc.) Know your centers advantages!
  10. Invite the parent to tour. Ask the parent to commit to coming in to see the center and meet the Teachers. (Know who on your staff can give decent directions!) Give a choice of 2 available times.
  11. Offer to email more information to them – again empathizing, as "it is a big decision" and you “know that they would probably like to have as much information as possible about their choices."
  12. Close the call on a friendly note. Thank them for calling, preferably using their name. If you have made an appointment for a tour, let them know you are looking forward to meeting them on (time/date.)
  13. Follow up with written materials on the center including a short, personal note.


Critical Element of Success - Effective Active Listening Requires

  1. Having an Open Mind
  2. Being focused on the caller
  3. Summarizing the callers' thoughts and repeating them back to them - 'mirroring'
  4. Having a quiet inner voice
  5. Not being distracted - giving that person your complete attention
  6. Not thinking about what you want to say while the other person is still talking

Active listening and reflective paraphrasing clarifies individual needs, demonstrates empathy and understanding, and makes someone feel 'heard'.



Selling the Program

Salespeople who close more deals than their average colleagues might work a little harder or smarter, but what often

casts them apart are unique approaches to attitude, confidence and enthusiasm.

Here’s what’s at the core of top closers:

  • They believe in what they sell. They start every presentation assuming people will enroll with them because they truly have the best possible solution for their family. Passion for their services is their most effective closing tool.


  • They accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative when they’re closing. People respond far better to positive messages than negative messages. Top closers work hard to keep out negative influences, by remaining upbeat, even when dealing with challenging prospects.



  • They don’t feel bad for themselves, even when a sale fails to close. They maintain enthusiasm by repeating positive affirmations to themselves, such as, “I will close the sale because I have the best program.”


  • They constantly focus on the family’s needs. They know that the difference between convincing families to enroll and convincing them to enroll now can come down to a strong understanding of the family’s needs. They use benefit statements to create belief in their products or services.


6 fundamentals for closing every sale, ask yourself:


  • Did I clearly describe all the benefits of my products or services and what they will do for the family?
  • Did I discover the key issue involved in the family’s buying decision)?
  • Did I uncover the key benefit – either perceived or real – that the family wants from my school?
  • Did I make lots of “little closes” – agreements along the way – so that the parent had an opportunity to make small decisions rather than one big one? Create a Yes Ladder.
  • Did I ask the family to enroll – come right out and ask?
  • Did I try one more time – when I thought it might be a lost opportunity? If you answer no to any, you can clearly see where your closing techniques need to be improved.
  • Finish the tour by CLOSING THE SALE - There’s no perfect formula or phrase for closing sales. For the most part, closing is situational. Enrollment professionals need to ask for sale based on the relationship they’ve established, the circumstances they face and the situation they’re in. Bottom line: You need to read the situation and ask accordingly.
  • Creating a sense of urgency and ask for the enrollment. Let those who visit know there is limited space and the program is coveted and in demand, Use phrases like:
  • This teacher is highly requested,"
  • "This teacher is one of our mentor teachers, she has been with SSS for ___ years."
  • "We have one space that will be coming available at the beginning of the month."
  • Use family stories and connections to express similarities between parents and families.
  • What do we need to do to get you into Stepping Stone School today?
  • How can I assist you in making this decision?
  • We are so excited to have _________ joining us at Stepping Stone School!
  • It seems like this is a good fit for your family. Would do you think?
  • If we are able to get you in on ( X date) would you like to fill out the enrollment application and pay the enrollment fee today?
  • Taking all of your requirements and wishes into consideration, I think this classroom would be an amazing fit
  • for (child’s name)!
  • Are you ready to give Stepping Stone School a try?
  • Are there any reasons, that you wouldn’t want to enroll today?
  • If we could find a way to deal with (their objection), would you like to fill out the enrollment application today?
  • The whole tuition comes to only $X. Is that fair enough?
  • Should I schedule the time for (child name) to start?
  • Is it better to get started immediately, or wait for X to happen?
  • Is there anything that prevents us from moving forward?
  • I can schedule a day next week for (child’s name) to start. Which day is best for you?
  • Are you ready to proceed?
  • You had mentioned earlier that if everything looked right to you, our next step would be X. So first, does everything look right to you?
  • Moving forward, I will be here for you with any questions or concerns.
  • If you fill out the enrollment application and pay the enrollment fee today, I can guarantee we can (fulfill a special request the prospect asked for). How does that sound?
  • Ready to move forward? I can pull up the enrollment application right now.
  • You’re interested in enrolling in X classroom, right? If we get started today, you child will be enrolled and in their classroom by Tuesday!
  • Unless you have any more questions or concerns, I think we’re ready to get started!
  • We can take as long as you’d like, but I know our scheduled time is just about up. With that in mind, maybe we should move to the enrollment process.
  • When should we get started on enrollment?
  • What start date would you like?
  • Which schedule would you like to go with?






Phone Tour Script:

  • Thank you for calling Stepping Stone School at _(school name)_ this is Principal _(name) _. How may I help you?
  • Ask name of caller
  • Name and birth day of child
  • What is most important to you as you search for a program for (Child’s Name)?
  • Let me tell you about…..
  • How did you hear about Stepping Stone School?
  • May I get your phone number and email. I can send you more program information, I know this is an important decision.
  • I only have one space left in my ______ program. Are you able to tour our school today? 

In House Enrollment Experience:

  • Invite them to come into your office
  • Offer Coffee of Iced water
  • Pull out a packet prepared just for their family
  • What is most important to your family and child’s development?
  • Go over materials and SSS program
  • NOW take a tour of the school (Parents holding packet)
  • What special enhancements does your facility have? (Show them)
  • Show age group and progression on school (Next step)
  • Must go outside to tour the outdoor classroom

Return to the office and close the deal. We have very limited availability for our highly sought after program. I can secure your space today for (Child’s Name) to start on (Date).

Dear Valued Leaders,


The purpose of this monthly leadership communication, is to provide inspirational growth at every level for the elevation of all knowledge and wisdom so that our leaders flourish and remain steadfast. I invite you to review daily the Gold Standard of Leadership Development that is the recognized path for your journey towards excellence. Infused with all growth is the very secret sauce of a joyful attitude and approach to all things. Conditions may vary from day to day, but joyful leaders remain steady and happy in the realization that they make the difference. This level of personal and professional maturity gives the gift of an aura filled building that is happy, and refuses to succumb to tension or negativity. We all affect each other in very dynamic ways and in order to lead, one must choose a positive mindset. I cannot guarantee perfect days, I can guarantee the wonder of joy when you choose to rise above.


Kind regards,


Rhonda Paver, M.A.

Owner | Executive Director

The Gold Standard Leadership Development

Print it, Read it, Live it.

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