Does technology give you the warm fuzzies?

No? Well, it can and here is how.

Here’s an actual customer scenario:

After 4-5 years of using online registration, users realize a significant savings of cash and time. Using manual or paper registration methods for class and program enrollment can consume both cash and time. For example, doing mailings can cost upwards of $1,000 when you simply look at the costs for printing and postage. Adding man hours (which many people forget to include) makes this cost rapidly climb. Add to those costs the investment you’d have to make in hosting multiple open houses to make sure you’ve provided enough registration opportunities.

Compare the manual method to online registration which costs minimal additional dollars and allows registrations and payments to pour in without staff involvement. Students are automatically registered in their classes of choice. Payments for classes can be taken online as well if you choose. There is little need for open houses from the registration/payment perspective. The small percentage of parents preferring other than online process could probably be quickly registered over the phone. Online registration is immediate, automatic and – even when you count man hours and credit card processing – practically free.

Not feeling any warm fuzzies yet?

How would you like to host only two events per registration period? One is an open house for welcoming new students and the other is a welcome back party for celebrating the start of a new season for existing students.

Because you can focus on fewer events, you can really blow it out!

For new families, you can give tours of your facility, introduce yourself and the entire staff and instructors, and help students to become acquainted with their class peers and other students at your school. Familiarity is an amazing thing for staff members and families. Everyone leaves the event with a warm feeling of belonging to the family.

For existing families, you can have a blowout celebration! Bring on the fun with snow cones and a bubble bus! Use the opportunity to open your facility up to the community so those around you know what a fantastic place your school is.

Use social media to promote your events. Mix in a little advertising, if you’d like. The events inspire comradery. Younger students meet older students that they might not otherwise meet. The same dynamic happens between staff/owners and students/parents. Students bring friends and proudly show off “their” school. Amazing things happen because you’ve provided opportunities for everyone to get acquainted. Your students can become familiar with you and your facility so that their first lesson is all about learning.

You should be sensing some warm fuzzies by now.

Your technology savviness in offering online registration has gotten the business of registration out of the way so that you can focus on introductions and relationships.

You can capitalize on your use of online registration and create a unique culture and grow quite rapidly to attract new families. It can also encourage relationships that help you to be better stewards of your community.

The warm fuzzies should have completely consumed you by now.

This is proof that technology is far from cold and impersonal but can actually be the amazing tool that helps you build and nurture the relationships you have and want to have.