5 Things to Do When Meeting Prospective Families
Follow these 5 tips the next time you schedule and conduct a tour and see if the process improves for you!
1. Know Your Pitch
You know your school is special and there are some great things that set it apart, but do you know how to "sell" your school to prospective student families? Adventist Education is one of the highest rated private Christian education systems in the world. Parents will likely be asking questions, but here are a few points you can make too:
- The Adventist Education system is the 2nd largest Christian school system in America.
- A four-year national study found that Adventist schools in ALL grades, and ALL sizes, achieved 1/2 grade level above the national average.
- Adventist schools offer low student to teacher ratios, averaging 14 to 1.
- The average yearly tuition of Adventist elementary schools is usually lower than other private schools like Catholic or Montessori.
2. Establish a Set Tour Day
You might be tempted to schedule tours around parents’ schedules, however, having a set tour day works best for everyone. If you schedule a tour after school hours, who will be there for the parents and student to meet, the cleaning staff? You want there to be lots of energy and the best way to do that is during school hours when there are the most people in the building. Classrooms will be full, kids will be laughing, and you’ll be able to better plan tours when you know it always lands on a certain day. Talk to your favorite teachers ahead of time so they know if a family might be popping in. Communicate the tour times to everyone ahead of time so no one is caught off guard.
3. Plan for Student Involvement
Do you have a super outgoing student or group of students? Get your current students involved in tours! If your prospective student comes with their parents it gives them someone to talk to and ask their own questions about sports, the facility, or student culture (who are we kidding, it makes it more fun for the adults, as well)! If you can, choose someone who is in the same grade or 1-2 grades higher than the new student. Showing your school has students who are confident, who aren’t afraid to talk to adults, and are actually thriving helps parents dream of their own child’s development and will showcase how your school fosters an enriching environment both academically and socially.
4. Have Resources to Take Home
Don’t let your prospective families walk away empty handed. If you work with Grow My School, you probably also received resources to build your own family recruitment kits. If this was used to help encourage families to schedule a tour, have an additional resource ready to give them when they arrive. You could save the magnet from your family recruitment kit to use for this, or you can give away pens, key chains, lanyards, etc. plus an additional brochure along with an enrollment form. You are asking families to trust you with their children and make a financial investment as well. Reciprocate with something that shows the value of your school and something that is fun for the student too.
5. Play the Long Game
You’ll want to reconnect with the family shortly after the school tour. You can start with mailing a thank you card the day after tour day, so it arrives within a day or two after. Then, call them 1 week after the tour to follow up if they had any questions. If they give you a time frame they are looking to make a decision in, honor their timeframe, and let them know you’ll follow up with them later. If you are not able to get a hold of them again, or they don’t seem ready to make a decision before school starts, don’t pressure them. Let them know you’re going to share their child’s name with your prayer team, and give them some space.
You can continue to follow up with them throughout the year by including them in appropriate school communications such as future open house mailings, newsletters, or advertisements for upcoming events at your school. By gently showing that your school is active in the community and that you care for their child, you’ll leave a positive, lasting memory in their minds until they are ready to take the next step.
Grow My School offers a wide variety of marketing resources, from social media ads on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram to printed resources like banners and family recruitment packets. If you'd like help increasing your community's awareness of your school, click the link below to connect with our team and get a free estimate and informational board packet to take to your next team meeting.
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