We all attend and have booths at local events. The challenge isn't being there, it's getting new members from our efforts. When you invest time at external events, you can talk to a lot of people and you can answer a lot of questions, but you get the greatest value when you schedule a large number of appointments. It can be overwhelming, but here are some systems to get the ball rolling.
These processes will help you maximize the number of appointments you book:
- Select events that will attract a large number of parents with their children. These events are generally easy to identify. A good place to start is at your local department of Parks and Recreation.
- Bring something to attract a child's interest. We find that a prize wheel works very well. Balloons work well too. Bringing a mascot is ideal, but you don't need one to attract kids. Be creative and don't be afraid to borrow ideas that you see working for others.
- Bring the right team. You need at least two people (three is better). Everyone that attends the event has to be friendly, outgoing, and a 100% believer in your program. They'll be talking to a lot of parents and kids who will be making snap judgments about your school. So you only want to bring people who will be very proactive and make a great first impression. If possible, have a mix of males and females on your team.
- Have an incentive for making an appointment. It’s great to have an offer to give to anyone walking by, but you also need something to prompt action on the spot. If your offer is for 2 weeks of training with the purchase of a uniform, you could offer the uniform for free to anyone who books an appointment there at the event.
Putting these strategies into action at your next event will help to shift your focus from a lead-generating event to an appointment-generating event. By saving the steps of chasing down leads in the weeks following and trying to schedule their visits after the fact, you’ll get students through the door quicker and easier than ever before.
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Did you know our members have access to a full set of strategies for maximizing recruitment efforts? These documents are all available in the Resource Library for all Satori Business clients to review and utilize in their own school. If you’d like to learn more, enroll now for access to more rules and processes for staff and business development.
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