In order to significantly increase your retention rate, you have to cultivate “loyal ambassadors” in your school. In this podcast episode, we begin a 2-part series on creating a culture throughout the year to ensure you have the highest retention rate as possible, and that your current families are enthusiastically spreading the word about your school.
In this episode of our school marketing podcast, we share some ideas on RETENTION.
Time [14:29]
UPDATE: To hear Part II, click here
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In an upcoming episode on our private school marketing podcast, we are talking about retention and the efforts it takes to cultivate “loyal ambassadors.”
Today, I read 2 articles to encourage your school retention efforts:
- What can we do to encourage our families to re-enroll early? (by Rick Newberry of Enrollment Catalyst)
- Increasing Student Retention – The Power of “Thank You” (Hyatt Bolden of The Ratner School in Pepper Pike, OH)
The article by Bolden reinforces how simple efforts play such an important role in cultivating an environment where families return year after year (loyal) and they talk enthusiastically about your school to their friends as if they were on staff with the school’s marketing department (ambassadors)!
To learn more about retention ideas, download the free ebook, “3 Rs of School Marketing” at the bottom of our website. It’s FREE!
-Randy
NOTE: If you missed any of the posts in this 3-part series, click here.
In the 2nd of this 3-part series, I begin focusing on how your school can transform your retention efforts! In addition, we will explore in this 3rd post of this series how your referral strategy works together with your retention strategy to cultivate “LOYAL AMBASSADORS.”
The first word of that phrase reminds us all that loyalty helps ensure retention! This is a common consideration in small businesses, but something often overlooked in private schools. As one school administrator told me once, “when we retain even one family, it is our best fund raiser.” So if your school’s financial solvency rests on the keeping your ideal families coming back year-after-year, then what are you doing to intentional cultivate loyalty?
First of all, in the first part of this series, we focused on recruiting the idea family (unless you know what makes someone an ideal family, you’ll be fighting your own efforts at retention). Cultivating loyalty is made much easier when your ideal family is matched with your school’s excellent performance. When an ideal family finds a suitable solution to the academic, spiritual or moral challenges facing them, they are more likely to stay year after year. If at any time, this family feels taken advantage of, or taken for granted, their eyes may be lured elsewhere.
Here are 7 tips on ensuring your ideal families sign on year after year for your private school: (more…)
