After 24 years working in finance, I transitioned to private school admissions in 2006. School leadership thought this was a good idea but I had serious doubts. After all, I was an accountant, not a salesman.
This was a new position, so there was no one to train me. Trial and error became my best friends. Those first few months of parent inquiries and tours were interesting, to say the least. I read up on persuasion techniques, diving into the benefits, and features of private education and our school in particular in each meeting. This approach brought moderate success, I think, in spite of my efforts to “sell” my school. Over time, I realized that sharing about class sizes, curriculum, and extracurriculars was noteworthy, but there were a few other steps I could take that almost always landed an application.
- Step into the parent’s shoes. The two most important things to parents are usually their children, and their money. Admissions professionals are working to separate them from both, more or less. It’s key to learn what parents want to know, not what you want to tell them. What is their child like and why are they considering your school? What’s most important to them? What are their goals? Let them talk and you will build a relationship that paves the way to enrollment.
- Find common ground. Listen carefully to them and make note of any comments that you can connect with. Same hometown or college, hobbies, experiences, goals, etc. Draw on stories from school families or from you personally. Connecting on what is important to them will help them feel at home with you and with your school.
- Create a vision of life in your school. Once you’ve built trust and know what they want, you are in a great spot to see if the family and school are good fits. Show them what life would be like if they enrolled, what they can expect. Be honest and clear. Create this vision using your school’s benefits that meet their stated, and implied, needs.
After I adopted this approach, we secured applications from over 80% of our touring families. Admissions meetings were less stressful and more fun for me and for parents. I was in admissions for 12 years before returning to finance at another school. Years later, I still hear from parents that I enrolled during that time. Building that relationship and showing you genuinely care about their child is the key to enrolling your ideal families.