We’ve all heard the saying – never judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what most Families do when searching for the right daycare option for their Family – and first impressions count – now more than ever.

With sector competition heating up, it’s become increasingly important to create a strong first impression with Families from that initial point of contact – and continue that positive impression throughout their early enrolment journey.

“Families judge a childcare centre not only by the education and care they can provide, but also by the facilities, team and responses they receive’ said Regina Liao ‘A good first impression gives parents the confidence to trust a centre’s capabilities and services”.

With 16,144 ECEC services currently operating, a standout first impression – one that is responsive, empathetic, easy and friendly – could well be the difference between a Family choosing your centre over a competitor.

So, it’s time to ask yourself honestly, on a scale of 1 to 10, where does your centre’s first impression rank?

Not high? Read on for some great childcare management solutions from Enrolment Hub.

What is the key to a fantastic first impression at your daycare centre?

It’s all about the power of the Halo Effect.

According to Professor Arthur Dobrin, the first impression a Family has can colour how they perceive (and receive) every other interaction with you, your brand and your centre. “The exaggerated impact of first impressions create a Halo Effect, whereby the perception of positive qualities in one experience gives rise to the perception of similar qualities in subsequent experiences”.

In simple terms, a great first impression will create a halo of positivity surrounding every subsequent interaction a Family has with your centre and brand – even if those experiences aren’t always great (we’re all human right?).

So how do you create a positive Halo Effect you ask?

It all starts with that crucial first point of enquiry – whether it’s through a phone call, an email, or a Family walking into a centre from the street – and it’s currently where a lot of centres are coming undone.

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

Hello – is anybody there?

The phone rings out, the enquiry email never gets answered, Families loose interest.With oversupply a continuing issue in the sector, Families are no longer willing to attempt contact with a centre multiple times when they’re unable to get through. According to a recent study by the Harvard Business Review, 27% of digital leads are never contacted – that’s a lot of lost opportunities AND a lot of negative word of mouth for your business.

Something doesn’t look right here

Spelling errors, automated emails that are out of date or wrong, missing information, mis-matched branding – it all adds up to a negative first impression, and an erosion of confidence that your centre has the ability to provide a child with a strong educational start to life.

Maybe I should come back another day

Flustered Centre Director, centre reception in disarray, phone calls bouncing from one educator to another and back again – it’s a common experience for Families (especially those who walk in off the street) and not a good one.

“We know that a lot of Centre Directors find managing enquires and Family tours very demanding on their time, but they’re a necessary step in every Families enrolment journey’ said Enrolment Hub Managing Director Jane Monaghan. ‘that’s why our team focus a lot of their time on nurturing each Family and developing a positive relationship with them from that very first moment of contact”.

The good news is there are a few simple things that every Centre Director can do to create that stellar first impression for Families. We’ve also compiled a couple of things you should try to avoid!

Do’s and don’ts for creating a lasting impression and acing your daycare centre tour

DO’S

• Check your enquiries! It’s so important that you understand where your enquiries are coming from, check these sources every single day – and most importantly respond! Set aside 30 minutes each morning and get it done.
• Email templates are a great tool to have on hand and use throughout the enrolment process when communicating with Families. They are so easy to set up, and our Marketing Team can help create these for you so you’re ready to go every time! They’re also a huge time saver for busy Centre Directors.
• Find a way to record your booked tours and any notes you have gathered on the Family. Maybe it’s a paper diary, or an Outlook calendar – that way, when that tour comes around you can be prepared and provide them with a personalised experience based on their areas of interest/concern. And set an alarm for 30 min before the tour to jog your memory!
• Warn the team that a tour is about to come through. This will give them time to do a quick tidy up of their room and themselves. Even better, why not have designated tour times each day so that your team always know to expect them and be ready.
• When a Family arrives, greet them by name and smile! A smile goes a long way to making a Family feel comfortable and welcome – AND it also helps you to feel more confident.
• Ask a couple of leading questions at the beginning of the tour to help the Family feel at ease. Leading questions could be – How did you come to find out about our centre? Is this your first experience with childcare? Do you have any specific areas you would like to cover off today on the tour?
• Know your centres unique selling points – those elements that set your centre apart from all other centres in the local area – and make sure you hit each one throughout the tour. Why not create a list and review it before every tour? Again, our Marketing Team can help to create this with you.
• Make sure you’re clear about how the tour will run. Ask the Family how long they have for the tour to ensure you can meet expectations in their timeframe.
• Print out any enrolment paperwork before the tour so it’s ready for you to grab at the end of the tour and hand to the Family. Let the Family know how they can enrol and your current availability. Every Family will walk away with the tools they need to finalise an enrolment.

• Encourage the Family to ask all their burning questions. It’s really important that you are able to confidently answer them to provide them with the faith that you know what you’re talking about. Here the team at Care for Kids have compiled a useful checklist on the things parents often note when considering a centre for their child.

DON’TS

• Don’t let your reception area fall into disarray. Try to keep this space clean at all times. Even if a Family walks in off the street, you know that your reception will always provide them with that great first impression.
• Don’t organise tours when you know the centre will be a disaster zone. Try to avoid mealtimes and drop off/pick up times so that you have the time to focus.
• Don’t feel that you have to offer a tour to every person who walks in unannounced. You only get one first impression, so make sure your centre and team are up to the task before inviting an un-scheduled tour into the centre. You can always organise a tour with the Family at a later date.
• Don’t forget to tell the team about the tours occurring each day. It can be as simple as popping your head in the door in the morning to let them know how many tours you have and what times.
• Don’t forget to call the parents and child by their names – it will make them feel part of your community straight away
• Don’t forget to focus the tour on the areas they are specifically interested in – if they’re Preschool aged, do you really need to spend 20 minutes talking about the Nursery program?
• Don’t be embarrassed to sell yourself –  you are incredibly capable and experienced!

If you’re not sure where to start at your daycare centre, Enrolment Hub can help.

We work with a range of early learning providers to define and develop a personalised Family enrolment journey.

Acting as your own dedicated Enquiries Team (without the complexity of setting up (and managing) one yourselves), our team are ready to answer all incoming enquiries received from your website, email and phone calls.

We will:

• Speak with Families to answer their questions regarding the centre, offerings and the enrolment process
• Arrange all centre tours for Families to visit the centre, at times pre-specified by the Centre Director
• Add tour details to the Centre Directors calendar as well as an overview of what was discussed with the family so they can provide a seamless tour
• Send a tour confirmation email to the Family so they have all their centre tour details
• Add Families to the centre waitlist if they are not ready to tour
• Provide sales and tour training workshops for all Centre Directors to give them the tools they need to provide an exceptional tour experience
• Develop any required sales and email templates, in partnership with our in-house Marketing Team to ensure your brand message is consistent across all touchpoints

As sector oversupply continues to be an issue, it’s time to look ahead and ensure that your enquiring Families receive the best possible first impression from your centre and brand.

Get in touch with the team today. You can contact Scott Monaghan directly at scottm@enrolmenthub.com.

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