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Enrollment Management Office of Catholic Schools Maria Ippolito [email protected] Director of School Marketing and Communications
Enrollment ManagementOffice of Catholic Schools
Maria [email protected]
Director of School Marketing and Communications
MORE KIDS IN GREAT CATHOLIC
SCHOOLS
Great Catholic Schools – The ‘Customer Experience’
Ambitious Instruction
Engaged Fami-lies
Climate for Student Learn-ing
Supportive Leadership
Knowledgeable Professional
Communities
Catholic Identity
Where GREAT exists, the stage is set for successful enrollment marketing.
The OCS Marketing Team
• KK Cleland• Juana Sanchez Graber• Maria Ippolito• Yasmin Quiroz
The Portal A collection of resources and best practices
surrounding the enrollment management framework.
http://ocs.archchicago.org/SchoolVitality/MarketingEnrollment.aspx
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Archdiocesan Marketing Enrollment Network
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Sharing what works from outside experts and internal success stories
Monthly Enrollment MarketingCalendar and NewsletterKeeping you up to date on:• Current topics• Helpful hints• Spotlight on
success stories• Reminders
http://bit.ly/pastnewslettersOCS
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AMEN Monthly WebinarsMonth Topic Webinar Date
August Bootcamp Recap August 19
September Setting a Calendar September 16
October AMEN Workshop at Quigley October 8
November Early Childhood Value Prop November 18
December Online Customer Service/Start Prepping CSW December 16
January AMEN Workshop at Quigley- January 14
February Retention February 17
March Parent Ambassadors March 17
April Social Media April 21
May Websites and Summer Strategies May 19
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All webinars are from 12:00- 1:00 CST
Marketing
Building interest inenrolling in the schools
New Family Sales
Getting newfamilies to enroll
Retention Sales
Getting existingfamilies to re-enroll
Enrollment Management Framework, Plan and
Teams
Enrollment Management Teams comprised of teachers, parents, leaders, marketing staff, parishioners
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ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Marketingi.e., Building interest inenrolling in the schools
Define Target Audience
Define / Refine Compelling Value
Proposition
Communicate with Parents & Community
Create & Execute Retention Strategy
Determine Pricing Strategy
New Family Salesi.e., Getting newfamilies to enroll
Call Handling & Registration Procedure
Lead Follow-Up Procedure
Objection Handling
Financial Aid
Retention Salesi.e., Getting existingfamilies to re-enroll
OngoingCommunications
to School Families
Enlist Studentsin Retention
Strategy
Enlist Facultyin Retention
Strategy
Financial Aid
Objection Handling
Assessmenti.e., How did our plans and activities work? Did we meet our goals?
Academic Product, Service Delivery, Environment, and Programs
Marketingi.e., Building interest inenrolling in the schools
“Why should I spend my money to send my child to your school?”
Define / Refine Compelling Value
Proposition
• Why would our target market choose to enroll?• What differentiates our school, what are our proof points?• What’s our pricing strategy?• How do we most effectively make our case
(text, images, video, pulpit, etc.)? Who is most effective?• What’s actual today and what’s aspirational?• What do our best advocates say? Our worst critics?
Define Target Audience
• Who are we trying to attract? What do they want?• How do we target our RE/CCD families?• Is our Parish enough? Other Parishes without schools?• What about non-Catholics?• What’s our admission policy?
Communicate with Parents & Community
• How can we most effectively reach our targets? When?• How does our web site play into the strategy?• What other marketing deliverables do we need?• What role do teachers, parents, etc. play?• How can we get everyone to stay on message with our value proposition?
Create & Execute Retention Strategy
• In reality this requires many of the same actions asdescribed above, but directed at existing parents
• Need to continually reinforce why they made theright decision and are receiving value
• Teachers play a big role in retention
Determine Pricing Strategy
• What is our target market’s ability to pay?• What is the willingness to pay for our product?• How do we handle tuition assistance?• How do we incent new families and retention?
“CATHOLIC AND SAFE” ISN’T ENOUGH ANY MORE;MAY NEED TO MARKET BEYOND JUST THE PARISH
“Will I enroll my child?”
We spend so much energy on marketing; canwe really count on making a one-call close?
New Family Salesi.e., Getting newfamilies to enroll
• Collect prospective family information• Ensure that we stay on message with value proposition• Ensure that we have a call to action (e.g., visit)• Ensure that family has clear and supportive way to
progress through registration process
Call Handling & Registration Procedure
• Families need to hear multiple times that they arewanted – from multiple people – Principal, teacher,other family member, potentially another student
• Follow-up communications need to be purposeful – 1st call says X, 2nd call says Y, etc.
• Ideally, follow up occurs within 1 day• Every inquiry is a relationship building opportunity,
not just a phone call
Lead Follow-Up Procedure
• What objections do we expect to receive andhow should we handle them?
• Ensure that communicators have a good answer that’s consistent with the value proposition• How do we answer the tuition question in such
a way as to get to the next conversation?
Objection Handling
• Follows from our tuition strategy• We need an objective, confidential process• We need to communicate to families that we will work with them – the alternative is
that they assume that we’re unaffordable• Every family should be treated individually,
based on their individual circumstances
Financial Aid
FAMILIES ARE CUSTOMERS – WE NEED TO TREAT THEM THAT WAY
“Was our experience good enough tore-enroll my child?”
Retention Salesi.e., Getting existingfamilies to re-enroll
• Families need to hear multiple times about all the good things going on• Every communication is a chance to reinforce the value of Catholic
education and your school
OngoingCommunications
to School Families
• Families respond to what their children want• Students can have a very important role in parents’ decisions to return or not• Vibrant schools have students excited to return each day
Enlist Studentsin Retention
Strategy
• Similar to objection handling for new families, with two important differences• Some objections may be family-specific based on the specific experience of that family• Some objections may require a degree of specificity and frankness appropriate as family
knows the “dirt”• Requires leadership to know family situations
Objection Handling
• Similar to financial aid for new families• Knowledge of family situations gives schools an opportunity to be proactive … being
proactive can significantly and positively impact the relationshipFinancial Aid
Enlist Facultyin Retention
Strategy
• Faculty also plays an important role – in general and with regard to retention at specific grades
• School leadership needs to enlist staff in the retention effort to both act as early warning systems and to take specific actions
IF WE CAN’T RE-ENROLL EXISTING FAMILIES AT A HIGH RATE,WHY WOULD NEW FAMILIES ENROLL AT ALL?
AS WITH ANY OTHER KEY PRIORITY, WE MUST ASSESSTHE IMPACT OF OUR ACTIONS & IMPROVE OVER TIME
Assessmenti.e., How did our plans and activities work? Did we meet our goals?
Retention SalesNew Family SalesMarketing
• Lead count, leads by source, etc.• Survey results, focus groups, etc.• Positive “buzz” in the community
• Number of new families enrolled• Lead conversion rate, i.e.,
% of leads enrolling• Follow-on interviews with enrolling
& non-enrolling families
• Retention rate for existing families• Exit interviews with enrolling &
non-enrolling families
Enrollment Management Planning Template and Rubric
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Who Manages Enrollment?
• Your school’s EM Team– YOU– Principal– Pastor– Faculty Member(s)– Parent(s)– Receptionist– Board/Committee?– Staff – Marketing/Admissions?
Enrollment Management TeamsMore Kids…
Parent Ambassador Program
Started in 2010 to provide structure to “word of mouth marketing”
Revised in 2012 to meet the needs of our schools
Approximately 75 schools have implemented a Parent Ambassador program with proven enrollment growth
http://ocs.archchicago.org/SchoolVitality/MarketingEnrollment/ParentAmbassadors.aspx
Integrated Communications
• Keep parents informed. . . Keep them engaged. . . Keep them “scripted”
• Constant messaging centered around the unique value proposition
• Key Audiences: Prospective Families, Current Parents, Alumni and Friends
How do you personally keep your students’ parents informed? Is the school’s value proposition integrated?
Website and Electronic MediaIntegral today– must be accurate and complete• Articulation of mission and programs• Admissions process• Schedules• School news• Forms• Faculty e-mails/contact/blogs/webpages• Photos and videos• Fundraising
Welcome LetterTake time to write a letter of introduction to your school families. Elements of a good letter include:• Brief introduction• Background and philosophy• Keep it “warm” and engaging• Avoid language parents won’t understand• Consider hosting an event• Add important dates
- Please submit sample welcome letter by July 21
WebsitesMore Kids…
Questions to consider:• Who can help you maintain?• Who currently has access? • How often is it updated?• Does it reflect most up to date
school information?• Who is your target audience? And
how do you balance information for audiences?
• 10 Year• 5 Year • Enrollment Tracking
http://bit.ly/EnrollmentTracking2014
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WebsitesMore Kids…
Elements of a Good Website (from a marketing perspective):• Engaging photos• Clean layout\easy to navigate• Up to date- tuition, teachers etc.• Tabs for current families and
prospects• “Contact Us” page with ability to take
info• Admissions Tab• Evidence of vibrant school community• School Video• Mobile Accessible• Google optimized
Questions?
