Communication holds a great deal of value and power. A business that is open with the community and its customers will have less trouble gaining people’s trust. Showing the outside world what your brand is truly about, including your brand values, is a great way to draw the right kind of customers in. Now is the time to get the community’s attention, especially in the age of information overload, it is more important now more than ever to stand out. Once someone is hooked it is much easier to cross-sell and up-sell clients than new people that have never heard of your company.

Why it matters (communicating value):

Communication is an invaluable asset, it has the power to build a strong sense of trust with customers. It is important to be clear and open with customers when selling.

• People tend to attribute value to price, when people see value in the money they are spending, you gain at least a satisfied customer and hopefully a happy customer as well.

  • It is important to show the customers the value of what you are offering before trying to sell and get them to sign up.

• Communication is valuable before, during, and after the sale. Being able to communicate your company and program value throughout the entire process gives you a better chance of having satisfied customers.

  • It is never a bad idea to highlight examples of outcomes and benefits of having your child enrolled in your program.

• Consumers react to relatable experiences with like-minded people.

  • Incorporating testimonials into your website and marketing strategy is a great way to highlight the actual experience when enrolled in your program.

  • Consumers prefer to be followers rather than trendsetters, that’s why communicating and sharing previous experiences is a very strong tactic. This way they know others have had successful experiences in your program so they are not taking a huge risk.

Communicating value:

There are different communication techniques and tactics that you can use on different customers. It is often a good idea to combine tactics to get the best results.

• Showcase testimonials that echo the customer experiences others are having, this makes it easy for clients to understand you and all you have to offer.

• Inform the Customer: When selling to a customer there are a few points you should try to get across to them: why they should join you, the results they can expect from working with you, and how you are different from your competitors. By communicating and sharing this with your customers and leads, they can understand the value you have to offer.

• Differentiation: Setting yourself apart from your competitors can be challenging, but there are several different methods to try to do so.

  • Sharing things such as testimonials and pictures about your program makes it so you for sure have content on your website unique to your programs and company.

  • Take student quotes and parent testimonials when possible to share with your leads to give them those real-life experiences to reflect on.

  • A more unique way of doing this would be to make a video testimonial of the student so it’s even more relatable and personable.

• Visualization: Share and show off what you have to offer, as well as your actual programs. Linking this all back to the outcomes and benefits gained from the program is another great way to help parents visualize what their future with your company could look like.

• Sharing Success: Don’t be afraid to share your success with your leads, share awards and accomplishments. Seeing awards and success allows your company to be more credible in many cases and show that you truly are an expert in your field.

• Information: Having additional information available to your leads about your staff and company is always a good idea, it gives room for everyone to really get to know your company. A good way to do this is to have a team page that shares their backgrounds and demonstrates their credibility. The key is being open and communicating clearly with customers.

Baseline:

To communicate in the most effective way possible, you need to not only understand but also scope out how your customers and prospects currently perceive your programs and business. From that point, it is easier to adjust their perception to what you desire because you know the current position and where you want it to be. Maybe they have some false perceptions of what your business is truly about, so it is up to you to change their mind and show them the truth. The best way to get to the bottom of the outside perception of your business is to simply ask around, ask for honest feedback and advice to improve your business. When receiving this information, be open, take everything into consideration, and don’t take criticism personally. Not taking things personally is a huge step to follow, if you come across defensive it will rub people the wrong way and could prevent future feedback. After considering the feedback, make adjustments if necessary to strengthen your business.

During Enrollments / Activity (How to stay connected):

Companies tend to forget the importance of staying connected with customers during the program and throughout the entire process, not just when they are trying to get enrollments. While the program is running you should still do your best to stay connected with your clients to prevent the perception that you only reach out when it is time for enrollments and time to collect money.

• You can do this by having parents check-ins, co-creating the Programs & Journey with families, and a very effective method is utilizing the power of milestones.

• You can simply reach out to parents to show them what they have to look forward to or even to keep them updated on the milestones their child has surpassed or needs to work on.

• A very common thing for higher-end programs to do is a lot of communication with the family, to showcase the development of milestones and learning outcomes of their child. Take notes and consider embracing this style of communication as well! Doing this will help build a stronger relationship with clients and will help you become indispensable to the families enrolled in your program.

If you get everyone in your team engaged and invested in customer loyalty and communication then they will be consistent throughout your business.

Communication holds a great deal of power and gives room for potential in business growth. You are better positioned to gain customers if you can confidently articulate the benefits of your products, services, and activities. Communicating the benefits of your service is what will sell it, need-based selling is more effective and less pushy. This way you are just giving the customers what they want and you are helping your customers. When people buy from you because they share your view of your business's value, it's more likely they will become true promoters of your brand. Strong relationships are what push your business forward and strengthen your company as a whole.