A 'HINT' to Build Parent Confidence from Joanna Warren Smith
You've Got to 'Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk'!
Parents are watching and everything you say or do now influences decisions about their kids going to your camp in 2021.
It was unanimous in Focus Groups I ran this summer that parents made decisions based on leadership, management and operational style or what they defined as 'their trust in the camp'.
Access and responsiveness are critical. And in a 'perfect' world, calls, emails and web requests would have immediate follow up. But it's difficult because your team may be downsized, you're managing other responsibilities and the environment is still so precarious.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Assess Your Situation Objectively. Don't make excuses, find a solution that enhances your credibility. Realizing that each inquiry/question is a potential enrolment and/or referral, establish an immediate, 'by end of day' or within 24-hour response protocol. Obviously, the first two are better, but be realistic. Inform parents of the way you do business. And, most important, hold yourself and/or your team accountable to make it happen.
Create Templates to Be More Efficient. Simplify your 'FAQs' so that everyone answers each question in an identical fashion. Create engaging and warm response templates to save time.
Confirm that Automated Responses are Current. What worked in 2019 is unlikely to be relevant during a pandemic. Respond as parents want ... succinctly informative and warmly.
Maintain Contact Data. Inquiring parents expect and want you to follow up. If you respond to one inquiry and then disappear, you've lost them and the other parents with whom they will share the story of your disappearance.
To be successful in 2021, you must nurture parent relationships, convey confidence, assure competence and engender trust.
Want additional parent input? Call 760-619-3851 or email campconsulting@charter.net
Hello Camp Mavericks! If you're interested in this post you'll LOVE the "10 Commandments of Camp Marketing" that Joanna and Travis have written. Download it here, now, for free and get a free subscription to the Go Camp Pro newsletter AND Joanna's HINTS email.
(Note from Travis: We are so thrilled to be posting the always brilliant HINTS from camp consultant Joanna Warren Smith! If you don't already you should sign up to receive these HINTS in your email - in the left-hand column of Joanna's website: http://camp-consulting.com/)
