The key to smooth handovers and stronger pipelines
As a school Head, you’re under constant pressure to ensure your school’s growth and sustainability. Central to this challenge is guiding parents through the enrolment process, from their first enquiry to confirming their child’s place. It’s much like a relay race, where success depends on smooth, well-timed baton passes between marketing and enrolments teams.
Dropping the baton risks lost enrolments, dissatisfied families or damage to your school’s reputation. But what does it mean to ‘pass the baton’? It’s the moment a prospective family transitions from the marketing team’s nurturing care to the enrolments team’s direct engagement. This process requires a clear understanding of where each family is on their decision-making journey and the next-step processes designed to meet their needs.
A seamless handover isn’t just about avoiding mistakes – it’s about maximising opportunities. When marketing and enrolments teams align, they provide a consistent, efficient experience for families, improving conversion rates and building the foundation for sustainable growth.
So, how can you ensure your team is running the same race, at the same pace, with no dropped batons?
Collaboration and teamwork
Collaboration between marketing and enrolments teams is essential but doesn’t happen by default. These teams often operate in silos with differing priorities. Bridging this gap requires deliberate leadership.
Start with regular team updates that include both departments. Go beyond standard check-ins – use these meetings to share insights, discuss challenges and refine strategies together. Feedback loops are also crucial. For instance, if families frequently ask the same questions during tours, enrolments should relay this information to marketing to adjust messaging.
Leadership sets the tone. As Head, you can create a culture of trust and accountability. When you prioritise collaboration and make expectations clear, your teams will follow your example.
Defined processes and procedures
In any relay race, transition zones are clearly marked so runners know when and where to pass the baton. The same applies to marketing and enrolments. Clear processes prevent confusion and dropped leads.
Start by mapping out the family journey from first enquiry to enrolment. Identify key transition points and define what makes a marketing-qualified lead (MQL) versus an enrolment-qualified lead (EQL). For example, downloading a prospectus might mark an MQL, while booking a tour could indicate an EQL.
Turn these criteria into actionable procedures. When a family reaches a handover point, marketing might trigger an automated workflow to notify enrolments and set reminders for follow-up. This ensures a smooth experience for families and clear accountability for staff. Processes should evolve over time. Regular reviews help refine them based on data, feedback and changing needs.
Roles and Responsibilities
In a relay, every runner has a specific role. Similarly, each member of your marketing and enrolments teams needs to understand their responsibilities to avoid gaps or overlaps.
Marketing’s role is to attract and nurture leads – families still researching their options. Enrolments take over when families are actively considering your school and need personalised engagement. Defining these roles across teams promotes interdependence and ensures everyone works towards the same goal.
Goal Setting and measuring success
Tracking performance is crucial to improving outcomes. Align marketing and enrolments teams by setting shared goals focused on your enrolment pipeline.
Use a dashboard to monitor key metrics. Marketing might track website traffic, enquiries and social media engagement, while enrolments focuses on conversion rates, tour attendance and follow-up response times.
Review these dashboards regularly and adjust strategies as needed. Real-time metrics can help teams act quickly and stay aligned.
Your role as Head
As a Head, you don’t need to be a marketing or enrolment expert. However, you must empower your team with the tools, skills and processes they need to succeed.
Your role is to provide clarity. When your team understands the characteristics and needs of prospective families at each stage, they can deliver a seamless experience that boosts conversions and enhances your school’s reputation.
The path to sustainable growth
Siloed teams, outdated processes and unclear goals can hinder your school’s enrolment success. By fostering collaboration, defining clear processes and aligning your teams with shared goals, you’ll ensure a smooth experience for prospective families.
This doesn’t just improve enrolment – it builds a foundation for long-term growth.
insight applied
- Collaboration between marketing and enrolments is vital.
- Define clear processes to prevent dropped enrolment leads.
- Align teams with shared goals and measurable metrics.
- Empower teams with tools to deliver seamless experiences.