Is that a target on your back? – SCN Encourager 2/25/2014
Professional marketers have you in their sights.
Naturally, you already know this.
All of the communications clutter in your midst isn’t accidental or the byproduct of climate change.
It’s sent your way along with the high hopes that you’ll either buy something, sign onto something, or join in something.
While marketing messages are “more visual” than ever today, typically marketers will attempt to connect with each of your FIVE of your senses in some way over the scope of their campaign timeline.
Only your “sixth sense” (aka BS detector) can keep you ahead of the pack.
Below is an interesting “sales funnel” graphic produced by Groove Digital Marketing.
I’ll confess that I was first attracted to it because of the company name.
Ah, groove… groovy.
This should be an easy one for an old guy like me to explain.
But I soon discovered there was a bit more to it.
Instead of thinking about it as a straight-forward sales funnel, imagine it as a framework driving your interactions with both your prospective school families as well as your current ones.
What connections, touchpoints, and affirmations do you have in place at each one of these steps for these folks? On a scale of 1-10 where would you rank your district?
Beginning with the bottom left red icon (L-R):
The #1 step is “attract interest.” (via website, curb appeal, flyers, mailers, etc.)
#2 is “capture leads.” (Collecting email addresses, cell #s, noting interests, etc.)
#3 is “nurturing prospects.” (Actually knowing their names and following-up, etc.)
#4 is “converting sales.” (Completed enrollment forms are good. Count day attendance is better!)
#5 is “deliver & satisfy.” (We try hard to do this everyday. How do we measure this, though?)
#6 is “upsell customers.” (How do we encourage students/parents to increase their participation in our other school programs? Yep, upselling isn’t just for new car salespeople.)
#7 is “get referrals.” (If our school parents will recommend us to other parents, what marketing could be better? How often are we intentional about this?)
Creating a coordinated strategy that incorporates all seven of these elements effectively is no small task.
I think I’m up for the challenge and I’m going to ask my superintendent to send me the worldwide marketing summit in Cozumel on March 13-14.
His “sixth sense” (aka BS detector) may cause him to nix this outing, however.
In fact, he’ll probably ask me if I want to have a big “target on my back” during our district’s upcoming budget discussions.
He’s got a point.
So I’ll see you at the MSPRA Conference near Lansing.
Tom Page, SCN
