Qualifying the Leads Better

[Daycare3k]

Hello, I have lot of parents requesting tour to my daycare and typically only 1 out of 4 parents finally decide to go ahead with the admission. A lot of effort gets wasted in the process. I wanted to ask if there are better ways to qualify a lead that they are really interested or just window shopping currently. Just 1 example - Some of the parents really don't even have the baby born yet and are planning 6 months ahead

I also wanted inputs on what are the ways in which we can make the daycare tour effective to improve the joining rate ?

[Michael]

Here are some pervious posts on tours: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=tours

[Blackcat31]

Hello, I have lot of parents requesting tour to my daycare and typically only 1 out of 4 parents finally decide to go ahead with the admission. A lot of effort gets wasted in the process. I wanted to ask if there are better ways to qualify a lead that they are really interested or just window shopping currently. Just 1 example - Some of the parents really don't even have the baby born yet and are planning 6 months ahead

I also wanted inputs on what are the ways in which we can make the daycare tour effective to improve the joining rate ?

I don't offer tours until after we've talked several times and I am 99% positive they are looking to enroll immediately or within the next two weeks.
I don't offer tours to "window shoppers".

I'd say you need to weed out who is interested in care NOW and who is just casually looking around.

[GirlMomma]

Here’s how I qualify my leads:

1) How soon do you need childcare? Like BC, I only talk to families that need immediate childcare when the spot is open.
2) How old is your child? I only enroll children 18 months to 5 years.
3) What are the days and hours you work? I contract parents to their working hours. I offer childcare between the hours of 7:30 to 5:00.

If I want to move forward, I will follow up with pricing, payment due date and days closed/provider vacations. I am a 52 week paid program, that usually weeds them out. Finally, I discuss my program with them, focusing on the benefits that set me apart from other home providers/local centers.

If they want to move forward with a tour and don’t have a problem with any policies I’ve mentioned, then I schedule a tour.

After the tour, if I decided I want to enroll them, I require a deposit to hold the spot. The deposit is applied to their last week of childcare.

[GirlMomma]

I also wanted inputs on what are the ways in which we can make the daycare tour effective to improve the joining rate ?

At the beginning of the tour, I talk a little bit about myself, like my credentials/education, why I started and what my goals are for my daycare.

During the tour, I walk them thru the rooms I use for daycare and the backyard. I go over my handbook, emphasizing my payment policy and time off again. I hit my illness policy hard. I explain what our daily schedule looks like and I will demonstrate the app I use if they’re unfamiliar with it. I will touch on what I serve during meal times and go over my expectations of the child during meal times and nap time.

Personally, my main goal during a tour is to learn about the parent and their parenting styles. If I have a family I don’t connect with, it’s a miserable experience for me. My program isn’t for everyone and I’ve learned to be okay with that.

[Pestle]

Depending on how tight the availability of daycare spaces is where you live, parents who are thinking ahead and touring daycares when they are pregnant may end up your best clients.

[GirlMomma]

Totally agree with this!

[hwichlaz]

I don't think qualifying leads is completely possible. You are choosing them as much as they are choosing you. And you can't get a real feel for someone without meeting. They are doing exactly what both sides are supposed to do, interviewing multiple prospects to find the best fit. These tours are also advertising. You may not be the best fit for them, but they may give your name out when someone else is looking too.

[Pestle]

What about offering tours at scheduled times, so you see several people together and if there's only one family coming, at least your staff knows when to block their time out for it?

Do you have forms that prospective families are required to fill out before they come in for a tour? What kind of questions are on those forms? Do they help you figure out which families need a type of care that is a mismatch with your program?

Do you do an initial phone interview? What kind of questions do you ask?

Most parents have their kids in more than one waitlist. They will usually make their decision based on which space comes available first, and after that, based on proximity to the workplace or home. Beyond that, how does your facility stack up against the competitors? What can you change to make it more appealing?