Selling your Kindergarten – What makes it special?

Prospective whānau are everywhere, but there are also so many more ECE options than ever before, so it takes extra work to get – or keep – your kindergarten on their radar.

Friends and family spread the word about kindergarten more effectively than any other form of marketing. But kaiako are real influencers, too, and as we often say – our greatest sales tool. No one knows kindergarten better than you do, but sometimes, we take for granted the things that make it so magical.

Whether it’s an eager and excited parent, or one who is on the fence, we all need to be ready to ‘sell’ our individual kindergartens, Kidsfirst, and the kindergarten philosophy. Whether you see yourself as a salesperson or not, every time you talk to a prospective parent/family that is exactly what you are doing. And you’re the best person for the job! People respect your qualifications and experience, and our kaiako are passionate believers in the power of kindergarten.

Opportunities come everywhere – it might be at kindy, at an event, or even at the supermarket – so being able to make the most of them means being ready and armed with some well thought out points that help you make the most of the moment.

If you’re looking to do a better job of sharing the kindergarten aroha, there are some simple things that can have a big impact:

Do your groundwork

Kidsfirst’s key messages are a great place to start. Check them out at the BetterBecause pages on the website. The Parent Information FAQs, and your kindergarten webpage blurb are also great resources. You’ll only have a very short amount of time to capture the attention of the person you’re talking with, so make sure your messaging is focused and relevant. Make sure your messages are in plain-language. It’s all too easy to slip into teacher-speak because it’s what we know best, but it can be alienating and create distance to use jargon, and whānau may not be familiar with the ideas behind them. The BetterBecause pages and parent FAQs are designed to be accessible for whānau, regardless of their familiarity with Kidsfirst and/or kindergarten. Don’t forget the importance of your qualifications and registration – it’s the one of the things that sets kindergarten apart. But be sure to couch it in terms of benefits to tamariki.

See your kindergarten through the eyes of whānau

Long gone are the days when parents knew about the kindy difference from their own, or whānau experience. We need to be able to easily explain what is special about kindergarten and why we believe it’s better to people who may know very little about it. Each kindergarten has its own unique environment and focus, too. So being able to articulate these things, and why they matter, is also a must. Critically, we need to be able to talk about the benefits that kindergarten brings to tamariki, whānau, and communities – not just about what we do. It can help to write down half a dozen key points about your kindergarten, why it’s special and how those things positively impact children. Don’t forget to add in any special features or offers, too – we take two-year-olds, we change nappies and give support with toilet training, we offer 20 hours free to ALL children, if you are a Get More kindy, or a centre that is open during the break, let them know about this, too.

Know your competition

More than ever, whānau are shopping around, and often they will be weighing you up against other local options. Make sure you know what’s out there and what other providers have that you don’t, and vice versa. If whānau aren’t clear about what you do, how it’s different and the difference you can make to their tamaiti, it is hard for them to make an informed choice. You don’t need to reference the competition directly, parents will fill in the gaps. Don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet – talk about you, and your team’s qualifications – they’re part of our brand, and parents really respond to knowing their child is in safe hands.

Listen carefully

Just like every child is an individual, every whānau is unique, too. It’s such a fundamental tenet of teaching, but when it comes to marketing, it can be tempting to come up with a one-size-fits-all spiel. Prospective whānau all have their own reasons for choosing kindergarten – listen to what they are, put yourself in their shoes, and tailor your messages accordingly. Maybe solid preparation for school is the priority, socialisation with other children, or the need for whānau to take a break. All the other reasons that kindergarten is great still matter – but where the emphasis is helps to focus the message so it resonates better.

Use the resources on hand

There are so many ways to tell the Kidsfirst story - your individual kindergarten booklet and pamphlet, the FAQ section of the website, and the Better Because pages, the Whānau Connect pages of the website which have some great stories of interest to whānau with kindergarten-aged tamariki. It’s good to include links so prospective families can explore the website and learn more about the network that your kindergarten is a part of.

Kindergarten teams who do well with enrolments and waitlists tell us that some of the processes and resources they’ve developed to build on what’s available help, too – like identifying a ‘sales champion’ on the team and keeping their key messages on a note by the phone.

End every conversation with a “call to action"/next step:

'Come in on Monday and we’ll show you what we do; Take home our enrolment pack and I’ll give you a call next week to follow up; Fill in our online form to get on the waitlist now - we fill up fast. Come to Stay and Play next week – I’ll send you an invitation; Our spaces fill up fast, why don’t you fill out the forms now and we’ll get you on the waitlist?' And always, always, always follow up!

Follow up! It takes time and energy to have those initial conversations and get whānau excited about kindergarten, so you want to hold onto them. Remember, people have very high expectations around follow up nowadays, and you’re competing with private centres with often very aggressive sales tactics. Get in touch to see how whānau are going, send information immediately, keep them engaged with kindergarten activities and let them know about ways to participate, get them along to stay-and-plays – pull out all the stops and get focused on ‘converting’ queries to waitlists, and waitlists to enrolments. Again, the kindergartens who do well have systems and processes in place to ensure prospective whānau have the information they need and are contacted regularly so they feel a part of things.

Your hard mahi reaps the most rewards, so keep it up.

Ask for help if you need it

We’re always keen to support you with ideas and resources – just email Jenny.

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