1. Enrollment Building
What Business
Are We in?

2. The Cycle of Enrollment
Recruitment
Enrollment
Retention
Referral

3. Know your market segments.
Recruitment
Know your market segments.
The purpose of your recruitment
efforts is to produce realistic inquiries
to your center for potential enrollment.
What is the Board’s Role

4. 3. Point of sale-the actual enrollment
Attaining enrollment in your center is a three-step process:
1.Creating inquiries
2. A visit to the center
3. Point of sale-the actual enrollment

5. Conversion rates: an essential factor, often ignored.
Inquiry to tour
Tour to enrollment
Estimate conversion rates

6. Sample difference for 24 open slots in a 122 slot center:
If you convert at 40/40%, you will need to generate 210 inquiries to fill the center.
If you convert at 70/80%,
you will need only 73
inquiries to be fully enrolled.

7. You must log all inquiries to learn:
what are your best sources for inquiries.
where are your best sources for enrollment.
who gives most effective tours.
who performs best at point of sale.
which families should you call back at a later date.

8. The Tour -Pay attention to the 80/20 rule.
-The purpose is to gain an enrollment,
not to teach child development or
quality parameters.
-The “Trusted Expert”.
-“Tell me about your child.”
-Ask for their business-CLOSE!

9. The Decision to Buy
Parents buy child care based on their perception of value
Touchy-feely factor

10. What are the things that parents really care about? Rank these:
Licensed center
Accredited
School readiness
Adult to child ratios
Teacher qualifications
Location
Assures safety and security
Socialization for children

11. Retention Gaining your customer’s trust: 1.Tell the truth
2. Know that trust takes time
3. Be reliable
4. Offer outstanding service

12. Retention continued Always: Express appreciation
Communicate, communicate, communicate
Remember who pays your salary
Delight the customer
Say “Thank You”

13. Referral 80% of all child care enrollment comes from word-of-mouth
Take advantage of your
satisfied customers
Don’t assume!

14. Stimulate Parent, Board and Staff Referrals
Sponsor a contest with prizes for the most referrals
Cash rewards using referral coupons
Know your VIP parents and
urge them privately

15. Reinforce Referrals The prizes and cash rewards
A note back to them one
month after enrollment
Send a photo of referred child
alongside their own

16. The Board Member’s Role
Reaching the Federal employee and family
What it means to be a federal liaison
Finding new potential customers
Saying thank you
The Subsidy Program

17. Board and Staff Roles BOARD STAFF Outreach Personal touch
Sign of appreciation
Where staff can’t go
Talk it up
_________________
STAFF
The enrollment mechanics
Outreach, a shared endeavor
Wait List management
__________________

18. Bob Siegel bsiegel@easterseals.com (312) 551-7139
Comments,
Questions,
Other Strategies
Bob Siegel (312)
Julie Wassom, childcare marketing,