Marketing private schools and marketing summer camps is our specialty. These tips will help you improve your sales, get new students and kids into your programs, and keep existing families happy and raving about your camp or private school. Review the top tips to help you recruit and retain students and kids for your summer camp or private school program. Originally presented by Agnes Stawicki for Our Kids Media at the Our Kids Marketing Academy Lunch & Learn in Toronto on April 29th, 2014. Visit www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing for more free marketing tools and resources.

1. SALES:
Recruitment Retention Referrals
Presenter: Agnes Stawicki
#MktgAcademy @ourkidsnet

2. Content
 Understanding why people buy
 Recruitment
 Retention
 Referrals
 Reality
 Summary
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

3. Thank you
InSchoolwear. For over 16 years
Canadian manufacturer and retailer
InSchoolwear Inc. has been creating
high quality school uniforms, and stylish
casual and comfortable clothing
suitable for school dress code.
InSchoolwear.com
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

4. Customers
What do they want? What do they need?

5. Wants vs needs
Hostage
Sale
Sustainable
Sale
No Sale
Emotional
Sale
Want
Need
NO SALE?
Provide programs that
both kids and families
want and need.
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

6. 8 Things that make us buy
1. Fear: Don’t get caught with too little insurance (insurance)
2. Guilt: Don’t let them suffer anymore (not for profits)
3. Trust: No hidden fees (banks, hotels)
4. Value: Find a better price, we’ll match it (grocery)
5. Belonging: When you’re here, you’re family (Olive garden)
6. Competition: Make them drool (Toyota)
7. Instant gratification: now, today, within 24 hours
8. Time: Cut the time it takes to…, More time for family/friends
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

7. Customer Lifecycle
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

8. Recruitment

9. Everyone is NOT your customer

10. Target your customer
Parents
With school
aged kids
Considering
change
Researching
&
comparing
 Best camps, best
schools…
 Public vs private
 Cost of …
 Types of …
 Rankings, alumni
 Reviews,
reassurance
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

11.  Directories
 Print & online display ads
 Content ads (events, articles…)
 Email
 Paid search
 Social media
 Tradeshows, community events
Target your media buys
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

12. Profile your customer
Brainstorm distinctive
ways that your
programs can solve
their problem, need,
pain, frustration, or
fear.
1. Profile: Name your ideal customer (star
hockey player)
2. Characteristics: Identify their demographic,
behaviors, locations , interests…
3. Needs: What are their needs, problems,
pains, frustrations or fears?
4. Keywords: Identify any key phrases this profile
would use to articulate their need, problem,
pain…
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

13. How schools market?
OUR
StudentsEducation
academic
PROGRAM
WITH
living
learning
community
lifestyle
environment
artschild
curriculum
THEIR
offers
montessori small
independent
grade
Source: ourkids.net member schools

14. What families ask schools?
MY
GradeUniversity
Information
currently
SCHOOL
I
provide
SERVICE
visit
needs
want
COST
SON
visit
ROOM
tour assistance
education
daughter
care available
Source: ourkids.net family inquiries

15. How camps market?
CAMP
SummerPrograms
experience
activities
OUR
day
we
skills
campers
children
artsages
curriculum
YOUR
offers
FUN
strong
sports
Source: ourkids.net member camps

16. What families ask camps?
MY
agesession
Information
currently
camp
I
interested
looking
visit
needs
availability
rates
SON
WEEK
spots WANT
activities
daughter
dates hours
Source: ourkids.net family inquiries

17. Retention

18. IF DOGS DON’T LIKE YOUR DOG FOOD.
THE PACKAGING
DOESN’T MATTER.

19. Service satisfaction rates
45%
31%
47%
52%
7%
14%
1% 2%0% 1%
2001 2012
Very dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Neither satisfied
nor dissatisfied
Satisfied
Very satisfied
Source: Margaret Wylde, ProMatura Group

20. Marketing is everyone’s job
The
experience
builds your
brand
1. Website: Does it look professional? Does
it function well?
2. Receptionist: How do you answer the
phone? Do you provide useful
information?
3. Staff: How do you solve critical
problems? Do you take responsibility?
4. Social Media: Do you answer questions
and engage with users?
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

21. Improve customer
satisfaction
 Ask for feedback
 Study your most and least satisfied customers
 Track and study requests and complaints
 Hire a mystery shopper
 Focus on ‘marketing & customer service’ at staff meetings
Don’t be afraid of change
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

22. Reinforce your value
 Continue marketing to existing families
 Showcase your programs and how they benefit your
campers and students
 Stay in touch with families on a monthly basis
 Share awards you’ve won, articles you’re featured in…
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

23. IS JOB #1
QUALITY PROGRAMMING

24. Referrals

25. NOBODY RAVES
ABOUT AVERAGE

26. Word of mouth
 Your #1 marketing channel
 Get happy parents, kids, staff, alumni, partners… to
become your ambassadors
 Provide great content that ‘silent’ ambassadors will want
to share
 Maximize your use of social media
 Feature your ‘customers’ in articles and videos
 Consider a contest and/or referral program
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

27. Reality
What can you do to improve your sales

28. Are you 100% full?
All programs can and should operate at 100%. The #1
reason we loose sales is that we fail to connect with
prospects that visit us and have a need/want.
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

29. Connect with your leads
 Advertising and marketing
 Messaging and communications
 Lead generation
 Lead follow-up
 Entire team marketing
 Focus on the family
 provide an excellent experience
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

30. Reality: recruitment only
generates leads
 People sell to people
 Customer service is most
important
 Invest in your sales team
 Have a consistent follow-
up
 Respond to all leads
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

31. What is your lead
response time?
Two factors that enable you to speak to more
leads are
1. Inquiry response time which is the time it takes
you to connect by phone with the lead from
the moment they hit submit. 67% of sales are
won by the first company that responds.
2. Persistence of your re-attempts to connect by
phone. Attempt to call them up to 6 times until
you reach them. You’ll reach more than 70% of
you leads within just two attempts.
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

32. Summary
#MktgAcademy

33. Summary
1. To drive exposure for your brand, go where your
audience is (online and offline).
2. Generate more leads by using messaging consistent with
what prospects are looking for.
3. Listen to and understand your prospects wants & needs.
4. Advertising and marketing can only generate leads. A
fast and educated sales team are key to make the sale.
5. Families are demanding with high expectations, be open
and ready to make changes.
6. The best way to encourage word of mouth marketing, is
to provide exceptional customer service.
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

34. Integrate your marketing to
produce the strongest results
www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing

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