One Step at a Time

     It's been said that the greatest journey begins with a single step...which is also true for marketing your school to prospective parents, too.

     So often we have SO much stuff to show them about our wonderfully remarkable school that we package it up in a pretty folder, stuff it in a oversized envelope, and wait for them to call back - enthused and energized over the fact that their child will be attending our school next year.

     But then they don't call.  They're overwhelmed with too much information to process.

     Once again, take a tip from the colleges...one step at a time.  Send the parents an overview brochure - they don't need to know about uniform pricing yet.  A couple of days later, send a "Tell Us More About You" sheet with a self-addressed stamped return envelope.  A couple of days later, a send parents a postcard asking them to visit your school's Web site.

     Remember, it's all about relationship building...and the more contact you have with a parent, the more the relationship grows.

     There was a phrase used by a sales training company I used to work for:  "Everything at once, and you may look like a dunce; but take it inch by inch, and everything's a cinch."

© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2007

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