Parent as a big brand ambassador
Parent is a symbol of love, affection and fondness. We are the life line of our parent. We care each other. We love each other with or without a condition. Each and every one feel in our life that parent ultimate goal lies in kid’s welfare. Parent is most outstanding motivator, and catalyst to promote school. Pupils’ rational and holistic progresses give a sense of relief to existing parents. Prospective parents always wish to hear good words from existing parents in terms of school holistic performance as evidence.
Student, teacher and parent create a triangle of learning atmosphere. Parent is an active partner in school education systems. His observation and timely feedback help school to grow as a center of excellence in an educational field. A well versed school management develops a good rapport with parents. School management develops a two ways communication channels to have an intense discussion with latest development occurred in the school and also share future planning with the well versed guardians.
Parents’ active involvement helps school to evolve as a renowned study center. School system gives proper respect to school parents. School management ensures parents’ proper involvement in the school’s growth and prosperity. Higher management develops considerable and rational partnership with parents.
School faces two great challenges (1) To retain existing students (2) To ensure good number of new enrollments/admission in the school. People mind set has changed. People inquire and investigate so much before making a final decision for selecting a new school for their ward. People are looking beyond the personal limitations. Parent is ready to spend money but they are looking for quality education.
Existing parents are the greatest asset of a school. Their satisfaction with the school solves two tier purposes. Firstly, they will keep their child in the same school and secondly they are prime resource to reach target community for new admissions.
Parent an image builder of school: – Parent is brand ambassador of school. We wish to establish our school as a distinctive brand at local, state and on national platform. School management uses different tools and techniques to advertise school. Our task is to share our vision and mission with maximum number of people in the society. We live in a society. We develop communication channel with people from different walks of life. Existing parents solve this bigger issue in an easy manner. School parents observe latest development and progress in different field and they discuss same information with their colleagues, peers, family member and other society members on different occasions.
Parent a decision maker in taking child’s admission in a school:-Parent is prime decision maker at home for taking decision. Parent considers a number of facts before selecting a good school for his/her child. Parent wishes to send the child in a good cultured school. If a school system is able to fulfill all parameters of a parent and is able to convince the parent that his/her child will be at right place for getting quality education, then only parent takes decision to enroll the child in the school.
Parent motivates other parent to take admission:-Parent is the best resource for a school. Parent positive feelings and positive words have great impact on other person’s mind. A person who is looking for good school in his vicinity (a) visit school websites for basic information (b) talk to local known parent for getting feedback of school and (c) visit school for confirming and assuring himself/herself that s/he reached at right school. Parent positive feedback is much convincing factor for a prospective parent than any other means of advertisements. It is an effective assurance from a person who is utilizing the service and has great satisfaction for the present school system.
Parent a good catalyst:– School management uses different tools and techniques for establishing an educational institution as a center of excellence. Existing parent is permanent family member of school. They are associated with us for a long time. There is strong bond and deep relationship with the school. School and parent have same objective. Both of them think about the welfare of child. Parent is good catalyst for promotion of school and fetching good admission number in the school. They motivate other prospective parents to visit the school and have real life experience of school system.
Word of mouth through our parents!
“Kindness is the one commodity of which you should spend more than you earn.” T.N. Tiemeyer
How to Identify Parent Ambassadors
School leader creates a deep bonding with parents. School leader identifies intelligent, intellectual and well versed parents. We identify positive parent as a resource person during one to one interaction. School leader prepare a list of positive parent
We can do it:-
@ During Parent Teacher Meeting/Conference
@ Parent-Principal Meeting at school office
@ Through discussion and meeting with class teacher and teachers
@ Parent Relation Executive, or with the other resource
@ Through one parent to other
School leader develops good rapport with parent. S/he follows parents by calling now and then, sending SMS , email, cards. We can send best wishes on different special occasions. Parent feels happy and develops an emotional bonding with school.
More Parent Ambassadors-More Admission at Schools
Parent compares each and every bits of learning to nearby people. They may be relative, neighbors and a known person. They always keep themselves busy in sharing their wards scholastic, co scholastic performance, infrastructural development, and extended facilities of school. Comparing leads to internal satisfaction or internal dissatisfaction. Positivity, internal satisfaction of existing parents is most powerful weapon to launch admission campaign for the best outcomes.
Existing parents are the greatest asset of a school. Their satisfaction with the school solves two tier purposes. Firstly, they will keep their child in the same school and secondly they are prime resource to reach target community for new admissions. So,
- Well aware about the taste and temperament of existing families
- Keep regular touch with existing parents
- Organize face to face meeting with the yes/no parent
- Try to understand parents next level demand/wish
- Organize small get together with parents on a coffee table
- Personal phone call to all existing guardians to communicate extended features of school and beneficial factors to re-enroll
- Work out the areas of dissatisfaction of existing parents and improvement must be conveyed individually related to individual parent(improvement in handwriting, behavior–)
Existing parents’ positive concerns towards the growth of school and students must be taken care at personal level, no matter, what is the nature of concerns. We should not hesitate to give proper respect to their prime concerns because his/her son/daughter’s future is at our hands. There is always negative and positive possibility to turn a student into a fine human being or to derail from the right track.
More satisfied parent- more convinced parent-more admission in the school-more sound economy of school-
Parent is our prime stakeholder. Parents will be our brand ambassador only when we nurture their kids properly on our school premises. Our rational efforts to develop their child as an integrated personality will win the heart of a parent. School management spends a lot of money on advertising school but enriching parents’ experience with school solves various schools’ at a glance. Experienced, empowered and satisfied parents positive words about the school has concrete and solid effect on prospective parents who are searching a good school within the vicinity for his/her ward. Let be the first to become a game changer!
Rajeev Ranjan
Indian Educationist
References
Kotler, P. and K. Fox (1995). Strategic Marketing for Educational Institutions. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc.
Davies, B. and Ellison, L. (1997). Strategic Marketing for Schools, London: Pitman Publishing.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/private-schools-must-adapt-or-die-1305507.html
Rick NewBerry’s Blog http://www.enrollmentcatalyst.com
http://www.schoolwebsite.co.uk/branding
http://www.theguardian.com/education/schoolbranding
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/09
Gillian Allen Business Manager Churchill Community College
