Following up with parents via email can be a daunting task. Not sure where to start? Check out these 5 steps to make emailing parents a breeze.
Before we begin:
- ALWAYS send emails from an official school email. No Gmail/Hotmail/AOL.
- Add a signature with your phone number and role at the school so it sends automatically with every email. You can add a small logo but avoid pictures and more than one logo.
- Use standard colors and fonts for your communications, such as Arial or Calibri in black. No violet Comic Sans.
#1: Determine What Your Objective Is
Why are you reaching out to this parent? There are many reasons why you could be doing so. For example:
- They requested information on Schola or an ad.
- They started the enrollment process but haven’t submitted all the documentation.
- They just toured the school.
- They connected to your school last year on Schola but enrolled elsewhere.
There are an infinite number of reasons why you could be trying to contact this parent over email. However, you need to be able to pin point your objective for the message you’re sending out. Most likely, you’re trying to get them to come in for a tour, open house or want them to start/finish the enrollment process.
#2: Remind Them of the Connection
If a parent is shopping around for schools, they might have visited 3 to 5 campuses, and all experiences might be starting to mix together. Make sure you let the parent know where you got their information, and what you talked about last time you spoke. Make them feel special! You can always keep track of these conversations with the Parent Notes on your Schola CRM.
#3: Tell Them Why You’re Emailing Them
Let the parent know the purpose of the contact. This goes back to the objective. Make it clear to the parents what you need from them. Is it signing up for a tour? Is it starting the enrollment process online? Is re-enrolling for next year? Be specific about your purpose, so the parent knows exactly what actionable steps to take.
#4: Choose a Catchy Subject Line
We can’t express the importance of the subject line enough! This is what will make or break the email. A parent will either choose to click on it or send it to the trash immediately. Use a subject line that is catchy, but not too gimmicky that sounds like you’re trying to sell a cheap product.
Successful Subject Lines:
“Enroll at Sample School in 3 Steps”
Why it works: Simple, and to the point. More specifically, it’s saying a determined number of steps. This also works with minutes, hours, days such as “Reserve Your Spot at Sample in 5 Minutes”. Do not use vague terms such as “quickly”.“Scott’s 4th Grade Class”
Why it works: It is a little bit cryptic, but you’re using the information you already have to your advantage. If I’m a parent and I’m seeing my child’s name and his grade level, I most likely will be clicking on that email.
“Next Steps”
Why it works: We’re playing to the parent’s curiosity with this title. It’s hard not to at least check out what the next steps should be.
“1:00 PM Tour at Sample School 6/1”
Why it works: They’ll be able to see all the information needed for the tour right off the bat whenever they open their email. This also works with Open House invitations.
#5: Send It!
After you send your email, track your open rate. The next email you send out will depend on what the original purpose was:
24 Hours:
- Sent email to confirm tour and parent didn’t reply
- Awaiting documentation
- Saying thank you for coming to tour/open house
48 Hours:
- Open House invitation
- Schola Connection (First email should go out immediately after receiving lead)
1 Week:
- Re-enrollment