Best Practices in Recruitment and Retention Strategies
Presented byRick Newberry, Ph.D.
© 2012 Enrollment Catalyst
Our Goal
During this session, we will discuss best practices in recruitment and retention strategies to enroll new families and retain current families at your school.
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Enrollment Catalyst partners with schools to provide coaching for school leaders in their
school’s enrollment management and marketing systems, strategies, and solutions
needed to reach their goals.
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www.EnrollmentCatalyst.com/blog
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School GrowthThere are many factors that affect enrollment growth at your school.
School Growth
Leadership
Quality School
Experience
Vision
Faculty and Staff
Parent Satisfaction
Reputation
Location
Price
Competition
Enrollment & Marketing
Plan
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The Plan and BudgetIt is important to begin with the development of a strategic enrollment and marketing plan for your school.
Know where you are going Develop a plan for your school’s enrollment
and marketing effort—and do everything you can to implement it.
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The Admissions Funnel Admissions Goals Admissions Reports The Admissions Team Inquiry Generation Inquiry Processing and Follow-up Application Generation and Follow-up Admissions Marketing Materials
Developing Your Recruitment Plan
Communicate your Plan Communicate your enrollment and
marketing plan to your faculty, staff and parents. It is important for your community to know where you are going and how they can become involved in the plan.
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The goal is to allocate 3% of your school’s operational budget to marketing and enrollment strategies.◦ Where are your currently spending your
marketing and enrollment budget?◦ What is the size of your school’s marketing and
enrollment budget?◦ How much should you allocate to these areas?◦ Your budget should be a reflection of what works
in generating interest in your school.
The Budget
The Admissions Funnel
From inquiry to enrollee, it is critical to understand the admissions funnel.
The Admissions Funnel
Inquiries
Campus Visits
Applications
Admits
Deposits
Enrollees
Prospects
Enrollment GoalsIt is important to know what you are aiming for in order to evaluate your results!
Enrollment Goals Develop specific enrollment goals for the
following areas:◦ Total Enrollment◦ Retention◦ Admissions
Inquiries Campus Visits Applications Deposits New students
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Enrollment Goal Worksheet
Enrollment ReportsAn effective enrollment management strategy is dependent upon a data-driven approach.
Provides a snapshot overview of the re-enrollment of current families and enrollment of new families.
Enrollment Dashboard Report
The Admissions TeamRegardless of your size, it is critical to have staff committed to this critical task of recruiting families to your school.
Staffing Commit resources to staffing in the
enrollment and marketing areas at your school.
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Direct administrative responsibilities for admissions◦ Director of Admissions/Enrollment◦ Head of School/Principal
Additional involvement in admissions◦ Secretary/Receptionist◦ Administration◦ Faculty and Staff◦ Parents◦ Students
The Admissions Team
Develop, implement and manage the recruitment plan
Strive to reach and exceed all of the goals Provide an outstanding campus visit experience
and follow-up for all inquiries and applicants Increase awareness of the school through
feeder schools, churches and other groups Encourage and facilitate the involvement of
parents in the recruitment strategy Report weekly on the progress toward
recruitment goals
Essential Responsibilities
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Parent Ambassadors
Parent Ambassador Program Recruit a team of parents to help you in
your admissions effort by:◦ Presenting tours of campus.◦ Hosting new family “desserts” in their homes.◦ Mentoring a new family throughout their first
school year.◦ Calling and/or writing personal notes to parents
and welcoming them to your school.◦ Connect with feeder schools and churches in the
community.
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Parent Ambassador Program
Provide a card in your admissions package that includes the names, child grade levels, phone numbers and email addresses of your parent ambassadors.
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Generating InquiriesYour new student enrollment strategy should begin with an aggressive strategy to generate interest in your school.
Word-of-Mouth Website and SEO Google Social Media Online Presence Feeder Churches and Schools Open Houses and Campus Visits Direct Mail Traditional Print and Media Advertising
Inquiry Generation Strategies
Referrals “Word-of-Mouth” is the most powerful
marketing tool you have for your school (as long as it is positive!).◦ Current Parents, Alumni, Faculty/Staff, Real Estate
Agents, Feeder School Administrators, etc.
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Prospects and Applicants Current Parents Alumni and Friends Faculty and Staff Realtors
Ask for Referrals
Should you provide a tuition discount or an incentive to encourage referrals from your parents?
Paying for Referrals
Tell the story of your school by communicating experiences in their own words.
Write an online review of their experiences online at GreatSchools.com, Google or Yelp.
Invite a friend to experience your school by visiting and touring campus.
“Like” your school’s Facebook page and participate in the conversation.
Direct friends to your website to check out your school.
Refer a friend to the admissions office.
Ask Your Parents to Help (TWILDR)
Focus on sharing stories that relate back to your unique selling propositions:◦ Website◦ Blogs◦ Social Media◦ Video vignettes◦ One-on-one meetings◦ Small groups◦ Events◦ Online reviews
Tell Stories
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Website
Website Your school’s website should be the hub of
news, activity, information and stories about your school.
It is the most important marketing and communication’s tool for today’s school.
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Key Elements of Website Design Brand—It is important to convey a strong
brand for your school—including your logo, colors, and tagline.
Photos—Large, professional photos on the home page will draw the visitor to your school.
Content—Dynamic content and a compelling message is important to keep users returning to your school’s website.
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Use of school logo, name and brand Use of large, compelling, rotating photos Drop down navigation
◦ About Us, Academics, Admissions, Arts, Athletics, Support Us
Descriptive, keyword-rich school content Stories—Features and news Social media links Quicklinks
Home Page Recommendations
Admissions Section Welcome from Director Your school experience Life after “your school” Online inquiry form Online application Admissions process and timeline Campus visit information Affording “your school” FAQ’s
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SEO Strategies
Search Engine Optimization SEO is the process of adjusting websites
and pages to gain higher placement in search engine results.◦ Where does your school come up on a web
search? Organic versus Paid
◦ Organic – page titles and keywords in your website
◦ Google’s AdWords – pay-per-click advertising for keywords.
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A successful SEO strategy begins with research to discover the keywords that your prospective parents use to search for your school.◦ Use Google’s Keyword Analysis Tool
Keyword Research
Competitor Keyword Research◦ Go to their website◦ Right click; view source
Every page of your website should have a unique title that is reflective of the content and keywords used on the respective page.
Page Titles and Descriptions
Canterbury SEO Assessment
• The CSF website does not have unique page titles or meta page descriptions for search engine optimization.
Canterbury website description in a Google search:
SEO Assessment
Google Search: Private School in St. Petersburg◦ Results
Google AdWords shows ads for Shorecrest and Northside Christian.
Canterbury listed #6 behind Shorecrest, Admiral Farragut and Keswick Christian.
Assessment
Google Search: Christian School in St. Petersburg◦ Results
Google Ads shows ads for Shorecrest and Northside Christian.
Canterbury not listed on first page in search results (appears on the second page).
Assessment
It is critical for you to focus on search engine optimization as part of your marketing strategy.◦ Keyword research◦ Page titles◦ Page descriptions◦ Keyword-rich content◦ Dynamic content
Focus on SEO
School administrators most often focus on website design when launching a new site but fail to focus on the most important elements – SEO and content development.
It is critical to focus on developing content that is:◦ Relevant◦ Keyword-rich◦ Dynamic◦ Compelling
Focus on Content
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Social Media
Facebook Facebook can be used to connect to alumni,
parents and friends of your school.◦ Main page for your school
Provide regular updates on your fan page Tell stories of your alumni and faculty Encourage interaction among your fans Enter into conversations with your fans Connect with alumni to keep in touch with them
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Your goal is to post at least one update every day.
Types of updates that generate engagement:◦ Stories◦ News◦ Video vignettes◦ Events◦ Blog posts
Posts
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Feeder Schools and Churches
Develop a target list of feeder schools. Visit current and potential feeder schools. Send information packets to parents of target
feeder schools. Utilize current parents to reach out to feeder
schools. Invite feeder school administration to tour campus
and enjoy a special brunch/lunch on your campus. Have your students perform at feeder school
assemblies. Hold an area private school fair.
Feeder Schools
Develop a list of the target churches in the area for potential referrals. Begin with the churches represented by families at your school and then add other churches in the community.
Apply some of the same ideas from the feeder school section.
Use current parents to reach out to feeder churches.
Invite pastors annually to campus for an appreciation breakfast or lunch to show appreciation for their leadership.
Feeder Churches
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Campus Visits and Open Houses
It is better for parents to visit your school in a one-on-one environment than to attend an open house in the evening or on the weekend when the school is not in session.
Every day should be an open house for prospective families at your school.
Campus Visit Program
Once you get a family to your campus, make sure you have an outstanding visit program set up for them.
An effective campus visit program should include:◦ Tour of campus◦ Meeting with admissions director and
administrator◦ Review of the application process◦ Introductions to key staff◦ Connections with Parent Ambassadors
The Campus Visit
Reserved parking space with the family’s name. Reception area with personalized welcome sign. Name tag with printed large first name. “Everyone is expecting you” attitude and
approach. Personal greeting from head of school and/or
principal. Tour by admissions director and current parent. Handwritten follow-up note.
Best Practices
Welcome Sign
Flier and pack of cards sent to current parents about Welcome Wednesday’s at Lakeland Christian School
Host a special “friend’s” day for current students to invite their friends to spend the day with them at your school.
The goal is to encourage and motivate current students to focus on inviting their friends they want to encourage enrolling in your school, especially when students are key to the decision!
Friend Day
Inquiry Tracking and Follow-up
Once you receive an inquiry, tracking and follow-up will be key to enrolling new families.
Inquiry Tracking and Follow-Up
What you do you after you get an inquiry will make a difference in your admissions effort.◦ It is critical to have a follow-up plan in place to
encourage your inquiries to apply and then to enroll.
◦ Effective inquiry processing and follow-up is a critical element of any successful admissions operation.
◦ Effective contact with inquiries results in a greater conversion rate to applications and, ultimately, to increased enrollment.
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30 Day Follow-Up Plan
Step 1 – Make initial contact with inquiry Step 2 – Send information packet on school
with personal letter (within 24 hours of inquiry).◦ Make sure the letter is personalized and well-
written to sell your school.
30-Day Follow Up Plan
Step 3 – Call one week later to discuss your school and encourage the parent to take the next step (seven days after inquiry date).◦ Phone call should focus on the following:
Make sure information was received in the mail. Encourage the family to visit. Use the time to better understand the parent’s needs
and sell the parent on your school. Send hand-written note immediately after call is
made.
30-Day Follow Up Plan
Step 4 – Send postcard to remind the parent of your school (15 days after inquiry date).
Step 5 – Personal contact from a current parent (25 days after inquiry).◦ Use a parent ambassador from a similar grade
level to contact the inquiry. Step 6 – Send personal letter with another
application (30 days after inquiry).◦ This is the final letter in the regular inquiry
sequence. This letter should create some urgency to enrolling at your school.
30-Day Follow Up Plan
Follow-Up After 30 Days What should you do with your inquiries after
your 30 day follow-up?◦ Monthly contact with inquiries.◦ Send your school’s email newsletter.
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Re-RecruitmentRetention is the strategy of re-recruiting current families back to your school for another year.
Re-Recruitment The strategy and process for recruiting your
current families to continue enrollment in your school for the next year.
Re-recruitment is the activity that leads to retention.
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False Assumption We can no longer assume that just because
a family is enrolled this year they will be back for another year.
More Cost-Effective It is more cost-effective to retain a family
than it is to recruit a replacement. Typically, retention is the greatest issue
between the transition years (Preschool to Kindergarten; 5th to 6th grade; 8th to 9th grade).
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Parent Satisfaction Retention statistics and reports Responsibility of re-recruitment Connections to community Customer service The re-enrollment process Focus on the transition grades Parent communication Internal marketing Parent feedback
Re-Recruitment Strategies
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Parent Satisfaction
Parent satisfaction is the key for retaining families at your school.
The higher the satisfaction level, the higher the commitment and likelihood of your parents to stay and pay for another year.
The Key to Retention
Academic program College preparation Faculty (teaching, individual attention,
experience, etc.) Community Extracurricular programs Safety and security of the school
environment
Main Areas of Satisfaction
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Retention Statistics
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Retention Statistics It is important to track your school’s
retention rate.◦ Retention Rate = (# of students re-enrolled in
new year) / (Total number of students in previous year minus graduating class – students eligible to re-enroll)
◦ By Division◦ By Transition Grade◦ By Grade Level
FMS Grade all of your students eligible to re-
enroll using the following grades:◦ F – Firm = very likely to return◦ M – Moderate = on the fence◦ S – Shaky = unlikely to return◦ Z – Cancel = will not return
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Role of Faculty and Staff
Everyone’s Responsibility Retention is the responsibility of every
faculty and staff member at your school:◦ Performance◦ Relationships◦ Quality◦ Communication◦ Service
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Role of Faculty and Staff
#1 – Your first and primary role at your school is to serve the school with excellence in your area of responsibility.◦ You are the school’s brand.◦ What you do best when you close the classroom
door.◦ Everyone is equally important in this effort.
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“The brand on the outside is only as strong as the brand on the inside.”
– Karl Speak, President, Beyond Marketing Thought
Role of Faculty and Staff #2 – You have the opportunity and
responsibility to turn negative conversations and gossip into positive brand moments.
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Administrators
Role of Faculty and Staff #3 – Everyone should be a story-teller for
your school.◦ Stories about faculty, students and alumni should
be a regular part of your conversation. We need to communicate stories that will lift up the image of the school.
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Role of Faculty and Staff #4 – Celebrate your students, parents and
colleagues.◦ As a community, we have the opportunity to
celebrate the successes of our students, parents and colleagues.
◦ Acknowledge student successes—Send at least five positive emails every week to parents in your class.
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Role of Faculty and Staff #5 – Welcome visitors on campus
◦ When a prospective parent visits your classroom, stop what you are doing and introduce yourself and your class to them.
◦ When you see a prospective parent on a tour, take a moment to welcome them to your school.
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Role of Faculty and Staff #6 – Focus on retaining students and
families in your sphere of influence.◦ Excellence in what you do.◦ Positive communication.◦ Timely response to parent concerns.◦ Encouragement to remain part of the community.◦ Channel concerns to the administration.◦ Sell and promote the next level of the school.◦ Make it your focus to retain the students and
families in your class.
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Role of Faculty and Staff #7 – Provide outstanding customer service
to the parents that you serve.◦ Roll out the red carpet for your families.◦ Create a “WOW” experience for your families.
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Role of Faculty and Staff #8 – Make every effort to make this one
school where everyone works together toward the same goal.◦ When the preschool wins, the entire school wins◦ When the upper school wins, the preschool wins
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Role of Faculty and Staff #9 – Take the time to make personal
connections with parents and students.◦ A handwritten note.◦ A positive email about their child.◦ A birthday card on their special day.◦ Something memorable that will be talked about.
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Community Connections
Connections
Families are more likely to remain enrolled when they are connected to groups within your school community.
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Begin with new students School-wide events Parent Ambassadors Mentoring programs
◦ Student to Student◦ Parent to Parent
Buddies School spirit Head of School/Principal coffees, chats, etc. Home dessert vision casting
Community Connections
Students become part of the Flamingo’s or Pelican’s at Palm Beach Day Academy which culminates each year in a field day competition.
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Customer Service
Must Read on Customer Service
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High Point University Donna Cutting uses High Point University in
The Celebrity Experience as a premier example of customer service. What do they do?◦ Director of WOW! ◦ Wowing campus visitors◦ Delivering birthday cards◦ The President and his gumball machine◦ Valentine’s Day◦ Free valet parking◦ Construction dust and car washes◦ Kiosks with free water or hot chocolate
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High Point University provides “WOW” moments for prospective and campus students
Do something unique on every student’s birthday
Give students something memorable on special days
Surprise students with the unexpected Show parents that you appreciate them
Apply this Model to Your School
Standing Out in a Crowded Market Exceptional customer service can help your
school stand out in a crowded marketplace!
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Re-Enrollment
It is your goal to re-enroll your parents in a timely manner so that you can have enrollment predictability and budget accordingly.
Why Re-Enrollment?
High demand and limited seats Re-enrollment/matriculation fee Tuition deposit/down-payment Discount by early date Penalty applied if re-enrolled after date Assume continued enrollment (automatic)
Re-Enrollment Strategies
We live in an online world and parents are used to conducting business this way.
Your parents expect to re-enroll online.
Online Re-Enrollment
January and February ◦ Launch re-enrollment◦ Launch internal marketing campaign◦ Transition grade meetings◦ State of the school report◦ Coffee meetings◦ Parent ambassadors contact parents
March and April◦ Discount ends or penalty applied◦ Contact all families that did not re-enroll and set
up a personal meeting with them.
Re-Enrollment Timeline
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Transition Grades
A school will typically lose the most students in the transition grades.
Therefore, the retention strategy should focus on the transition grades (Pre-school to Kindergarten; 5th to 6th grade; 8th to 9th grade).
Focus on the Transition Grades
Hold personal meetings with families as part of your “one-family-at-a-time” approach.◦ Focus on their level of commitment to continue
enrollment◦ Deal with specific issues and objections◦ Better forecast retention earlier on in the school
year
“One-Family-at-a-Time”
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Dessert Briefings Ask parents to hold a dessert “briefing” in
their home to discuss the transition to the next level at the school.◦ All parents in a transition grade would be invited
to attend an event in the home of a current parent (preferably a parent from the next level).
◦ Head of school and appropriate leadership provides overview of the next level and allows for questions and concerns to be expressed.
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“Next Year and Beyond” Meetings Hold informational meetings for parents at
the school to gain an overview of the next grade level.
Step-Up Days Hold “Step-up” days in early Spring for
students in transition grades. This will help students experience what it will be like at the next level.
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Mentoring/Buddy Program Create a mentoring/buddy program to
connect a student in a transition grade with a student in the next level of your school.
Connect older students with younger students in a buddy program.
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Communications and Internal Marketing
Internal marketing is the effort to continually reinforce your brand to your parents. Every message should reinforce your brand distinctiveness.
When your parents are very satisfied with their experience at your school, they will be your greatest asset to help you reach your community.
You must do everything you can to market your school internally to your parents.
Internal Marketing
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Communicate to your Parents One of the most important components for
your retention strategy is communication with your parents.◦ Communicate often and then communicate again.◦ Focus on communicating your brand
distinctiveness.◦ Share stories about your graduates making a
difference in college and in the world.◦ Share stories about your faculty and students.
Tell Stories Communicate stories about your alumni,
faculty, staff and students and relate them to your brand.
Parents need to see their child in the story of your school. Therefore it is essential for you to share stories of real people and real stats that focus on your key brand messages.
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Email Newsletter Focus on telling stories in your email
newsletter:◦ Reinforce the value of the investment.◦ Tell stories of life after graduation.◦ Tell student and faculty stories.◦ Emphasize and reinforce your brand
distinctiveness.
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Tell Your Story in Person Large group meetings State of the school address Small group coffees One-on-one meetings Virtual meetings
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Raving Fans You will create raving fans and inspiring
brands when you:◦ Commit to developing and defining your brand◦ Communicate your brand message consistently in
a visually compelling way◦ Concentrate on the role that everyone must play
in branding and marketing your school◦ Celebrate the people and the positive, life-
changing difference you are making at your school
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Parent Feedback
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Parent Feedback Survey your parents annually by conducting
an overall parent satisfaction and perception survey.◦ Look for areas of dissatisfaction to improve the
quality of the school.◦ Report findings from the survey back to parents.◦ Best time to survey parents is October/November
and January/February/March.
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Exit Interviews Conduct exit interviews when parents
choose not to re-enroll at the school.◦ Email Survey◦ Phone Survey◦ In-house versus Consultant
Q&AQuestions and Answers
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If you are interested in discussing your current enrollment challenges or marketing needs, please contact Rick to set up a time for an initial consultation:
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For More Information:
Enrollment CatalystRick Newberry, Ph.D.9770 Indian Key TrailSeminole, FL 33776
[email protected]: www.EnrollmentCatalyst.com/blog
@RickNewberry
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