Learner Retention Strategies for Extracurriculars: 5 ways to keep customers coming back
Learner retention is an extremely important part of growing your extracurricular program. In order for growth to be sustainable, you need a healthy amount of long-term learners who are invested in the success of your program.
Without good retention rates, you’ll likely find yourself pouring all your resources into acquiring new customers each term, only to hit the minimum registration targets you need to operate. That’s because studies show that it can cost up to 5 times more to obtain a new customer than it is to retain an existing one.
It’s kind of like pouring water into a glass with cracks in the bottom: no matter how much you put in, the glass will never be full until the foundation is solid.
Find the cracks, patch them up, and then your business can truly start to grow.
Image source: Customer Retention 101
What is customer retention?
Customer retention is how long you hold onto a customer. By nurturing our relationships with registered families we can transform them into loyal repeat learners and maximize the lifetime value (LTV) of each enrollment.
Calculate your customer retention rate (CPR)
Customer retention rate (CRR) will show the percentage of customers that you have retained over time.
To calculate your CRR, you should divide the number of customers carried over from the previous period by the total number of customers in that period, then multiple it by 100.
So, say that last term I had a total of 74 kids enrolled in my program. Out of the 74 who were enrolled last term, 16 of them have re-enrolled to take classes with me for another term. If I divide the re-enrollments (16) by the total enrolled in that period (74) that leaves me with .216. Multiply that by 100 and it shows me that I have a CPR of 21.6%. You can apply that same formula over multiple terms/periods to discover your average CPR over time.
RETENTION STRATEGIES THAT WORK
Excellent customer service
Consistent, active, excellent customer service is the #1 strategy for retaining learners long-term. Meet customers wherever they are, that means responding actively to emails, messages and comments on social media, phone messages and any other form of communication they initiate. Make sure public details are up-to-date and parents and learners are informed and have access to the information they need. Make sure that problems are solved and dealt with quickly, efficiently and positively. Meet expectations, then go above and beyond when possible. Leverage personalization in emails so that you are referring to customers by name and tailoring their experience to them - this can go a long way for making a customer feel like you care!
Ask for feedback
Let your customers know that their opinion matters to you, and that you are willing to take their feedback into consideration. Consider sending out a survey partway through each term to ask “how are we doing?” Not only does this create open communication between you and your customers, it can help you understand what those “foundational cracks” we talked about earlier might be, and help you identify the loyal learners who are potential “promoters” for your business.
Build your brand & take a stand
Your brand is your public face, think of it it like the book cover of your business, it should immediately tell people who you are, what you do, and what you value. In a study done by the Corporate Executive Board, “shared values” was listed as the number one reason customers felt connected to a company. You have to care publicly about more than just your own programs. Find a cause or a community to engage in, and talk about things that you think are important. Whether it’s an affiliation with a local charity, a social movement or shift, local community events, education/advice, arts & culture - let people know what you stand for!
‘Show up’ in community
Unless your program runs entirely online, you are located within a specific community. Find ways to participate in local events - run a booth at a festival, offer a kids table/craft at the farmers market, volunteer at the school fair, donate a gift package to the charity auction. While you’re at it, give out stickers with your logo on them. If there are no community events, maybe you can create some: host a zoom webinar, a term-end party, a park hangout. Find ways to create meaningful events where people connect to each other and you. The more you show up in your community, the more your community will show up for you!
Parent Education
Remember that the kids who are enrolled in your program aren’t the only ones you need to please! Parents want to understand what their kids are learning, know how to support that learning, and to feel like their is intrinsic value in what your program has to offer. They also need to know that their kids are safe and well taken care of when they’re with you. Be patient with parents even if you feel like they’re asking too many questions. Are their educational resources you can give them to take home (increase the value you’re delivering)? Are their studies on the ways programs like yours can help kids, testimonials from other families? Let them get involved (like child minding or volunteering at a performance), and teach them how they can continually support their child’s development at home.
Remember that you’re trying to build a relationship, and there is no substitute for genuine personal connection. Like any relationship, it will take time to grow. By integrating these strategies and working to create that relationship with your existing learners and their families, you will strengthen your connections and start to see the growth in your business.
Customers leave when they feel like the company doesn’t care about them. That means you need to continuously put effort into earning, and maintaining, a customer’s loyalty.
