Running a preschool is, of course, a business.\u00a0 First and foremost, you are responsible for the loving care and education of young children.\u00a0 It is a huge responsibility!\u00a0 However, you\u2019re also business owners looking to make money so that you can continue doing what you love.\u00a0 You need children enrollments or you will go out of business.\u00a0 It\u2019s that simple.
\nTo have a successful child care business, you must market yourself, advertise and sell your services. If you don\u2019t have formal business or marketing training, you may not be sure about how to \u201csell\u201d your program. However, your success depends on your ability to turn \u201cleads\u201d into enrollments (a \u201clead\u201d being a prospective parent who shows interest in your child care program by calling or emailing you.)<\/p>\n
The truth is, if you and your teachers love children and your facility is a clean, bright and happy place, then you have won half of the battle.\u00a0 Now, the task at hand is showing parents that their child belongs with you!\u00a0 Here are 7 simple ways to get more enrollments:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Have an online presence<\/strong> 2.\u00a0 Be prepared with a well-rehearsed phone pitch 3. Follow-up with parents quickly 4.\u00a0 Be upbeat and cheerful 5. Show genuine interest in the family 6. Have a clear \u201cclosing\u201d<\/strong> 7.\u00a0 Be persistent In short, be genuinely happy and open when speaking to the parents and families that contact you.\u00a0 Keep in mind that entrusting you with their child which is a huge decision. Let them know that you get it, and that they matter to you. Follow up with them quickly and be persistent about getting in touch.\u00a0\u00a0 Be prepared to talk with them about your school at any time, always ask questions and invite parents to your center.\u00a0 Most importantly, make it clear that it is all about them and their child.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Running a preschool is, of course, a business.\u00a0 First and foremost, you are responsible for the loving care and education of young children.\u00a0 It is a huge responsibility!\u00a0 However, you\u2019re also business owners looking to make money so that you can continue doing what you love.\u00a0 You need children enrollments or you will go out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[78],"tags":[120,106,119,105],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n
\nAn online presence makes you easy to find and also gives your business credibility. Over 80% of parents search for child care online and they will expect that you will have a website, or at the very least, a listing on a reputable site like CareLuLu (advertise your daycare here<\/a>.)\u00a0 They will want to read about your facility, see pictures and do their \u201chomework\u201d before they call or tour.\u00a0 The more of an online presence that you have, the better. So if you have a website, you should still create a CareLuLu profile.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>It is likely that the first contact the parent will make with you is over the phone.\u00a0 You need to be ready.\u00a0 There is a delicate balance between sounding professional and \u201con the ball\u201d and sounding robotic and scripted.\u00a0 You want to be totally ready to discuss the school with anyone who calls but you should also make your tone conversational and friendly. Have a list of questions to ask parents, as well.\u00a0 The right questions will likely lead to a tour. If you\u2019re not sure what to ask parents when they call, read this article.<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>When a parent contacts you, get back in touch as soon as possible. It is likely that they are comparing options, and you are almost certainly not the only program that they are considering.\u00a0 When they sat down to e-mail or call you, they probably contacted at least 4 or 5 other child care homes or centers.\u00a0 Often, the early bird gets the worm.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Parents want to leave their children with happy people.\u00a0 They want to imagine their child greeted each morning by smiling faces.\u00a0 If you are writing an e-mail or talking to them on the phone, make sure you sound excited to be talking to them and equally as excited to meet their child.\u00a0 If you are stressed, tired, annoyed or hungry, make sure that they cannot tell. Parents don\u2019t want their children with cranky or tired people all day.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The conversations you have with parents should be centered around their family.\u00a0 Don\u2019t try and simply sell your services.\u00a0 If you rattle off a list of attributes of the preschool program, you will sound like a used car salesman.\u00a0 Talk to them about their lifestyle, their jobs, their kids\u2019 personalities and so on.\u00a0 Once you have an idea of who they are, let them know why you think your program is the perfect fit.\u00a0 For example, if they are a family of athletes, they may be excited to hear about your physical education program.<\/p>\n
\nWhen speaking with parents, end all conversations with a closing that invites them to visit.\u00a0 You can also use another \u201ccall to action\u201d such as telling them about a promotion that you are running. Each time you get off of the phone with a parent you should have made every effort to get them into your doors for a tour.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This can be tough as you may feel that you are being a pest but any salesperson will tell you that often you must be persistent in order to close a deal.\u00a0 Try at least 7 times to get in touch with the parent either over the phone or via e-mail.\u00a0 Busy parents may forget to call back or lose your information.\u00a0 In your messages, always sound upbeat and chipper and never mention that they haven\u2019t called back.\u00a0 Just let them know that you are still interested in talking with them and meeting their child.<\/p>\n