3 Things a Provider Should Do After Getting a Parent Lead

So a parent is interested in your program, now what? It turns out what you do next can mean the difference between the family applying and enrolling their child in your program or you never hearing from them again. 

Each year, ChildcareCRM releases a report that provides insights into industry trends and drivers of enrollment success. Here are some of the key findings from their latest report that all providers can benefit from.

1. Respond with a personalized email

Use the information the family provides to personalize your email back to them. For example, if the parent tells you the age of their child, you can include specific information about the program relevant for that age group. If a parent shares information about what hours of care they are looking for, make sure to be clear about whether your program operates during those hours.

Personalization helps you to develop deeper relationships with prospective families as you continue to communicate with them. Being upfront and honest helps build trust and weed out families who won’t end up being a good fit for your program. 

2. Setup a tour right away

Complete tours promptly to keep your prospective families engaged and excited about enrollment. When parents are seeking care providers and they contact you, it is very likely that your center is among the lucky few being strongly considered for their child’s care. 

Because parents have so many options for care today, it can be overwhelming at times. They may simply select the first facility they tour and as we all know, “the early bird gets the worm”. In this case, the first center to schedule a tour, wins the enrollment. In fact, scheduling a tour and meeting with a prospective family within the first 24 hours of initial interest increases the chances of that family enrolling by 83%. Use this to your advantage by regularly keeping an eye on the inquiries you receive so you can reach out quickly and efficiently. 

If it’s not possible to do frequent in-person tours, a virtual tour can be a great substitute especially if it happens live and allows for parents to ask questions. 

3. Stay top of mind 

Today’s parents are busier than ever. In addition, they’ve got more options for childcare than ever before so the decision can take longer. To help parents in their quest for childcare, communicate with them regularly about their needs, ideally at least five to seven times. The “Rule of 7” is a popular, industry-agnostic marketing ideal that states customers need to hear/read/see your message seven times to make a purchasing decision.

This doesn’t mean you need to hound parents to make a decision, but it does mean you should have regular touch points as they are going through the process of finding and choosing a provider. After a parent tours your program, you can follow up with information and ensure everything is easily available on your website or Winnie page. Reiterate what makes your program unique because they might not remember everything. Make yourself available to answer their questions and address any concerns.

For example, if you haven't heard from a prospective family in a while, you may email them something like:

Hi ______, 

Hope you are doing well in this chilly weather (or another conversational tidbit). I wanted to check in and see if you had a chance to review the enrollment application I sent over. I know life with small children gets busy; let me know if you have any questions or need support with the application process. I’m here to help!

Thank you to our friends at ChildcareCRM for this valuable information. For more information about current childcare industry trends and to see how your program compares to leading childcare centers, download ChildcareCRM’s 2020 Building Blocks for Success report.