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Best Practices for Managing Your ChildcareCRM Database

Adopting new childcare CRM software is often viewed as an immediate fix-all. However, it's essential that the data within your CRM is accurate and regularly maintained to ensure you're communicating with the right families at the right time. 

It doesn't take much time to ensure your CRM database is running smoothly and working the way you want it to. But it does require regular attention. Take a look at these best practices for managing your CRM to ensure you're using it to the fullest extent.

1) Keep your CRM system squeaky clean

The number one rule with CRM systems can often be the hardest to follow. Yup, that’s right - data hygiene. Upon the purchase of new software, we are determined to set up processes and best practices and stick to them. Over time, we slowly lose focus on the importance of data cleanliness.

Make sure to review the data in your CRM with all users in your company. Highlight the inaccuracies and work with your team to clean them up, as needed. A first step would be to ensure that every family in your enrollment pipeline is listed under the right status and your automated communications fit under the correct workflow. For example, if someone is ready to fill our registration paperwork, they should not be receiving emails asking them to schedule a tour. Another essential part of organizing your CRM is to ensure that family information - such as names, child's age, and contact information are all accurate. 

One of the most common offenses we see is users with past-due tasks. Although it may not seem like a big deal when one family doesn't receive a follow-up phone call after a tour or a lead doesn't get a link to schedule a tour, these little mistakes can really begin to add up. Make sure you and your staff are completing tasks daily so that no leads slip through the cracks.

2) Review Your Enrollment Processes

Somehow this one always slides to the bottom of the list. I can hear it now, “our processes for handling leads from marketing to sales stages are fine for now. We can review them next year.” Childcare is a constantly-evolving landscape. Parent expectations are constantly changing and staff turnover is high. Review how your staff interact with your childcare CRM. even if they don't actively use the system, are they getting email and/or text reminders about new tour appointments? Do they feel like those reminders are helpful? Or is there something that could be modified to make tours even easier? It's important to know how everyone at your center fits into the CRM ecosystem, along the parent enrollment journey.

3) Ensure Your External Messaging Is On-Brand

Messaging is stored in many different places within your childcare CRM so be sure to double-check email templates, text templates, web forms, and landing pages to ensure leads are getting the appropriate messaging. Whether you've changed your logo, brand colors, or you just want to update the tone/voice you use to interact with families, it's essential that your messaging remains consistent and clear for inquiring parents.

4) Engage with Your Leads

Now that you have a clean CRM, new & improved processes, and up-to-date & relevant content, go engage with your leads. As always, be thoughtful about your engagement frequency and be strategic with whom you communicate. Create workflow automation and drip campaigns so your system can work for you- even while you sleep! 

Pro Tip: Don't forget about lost opportunities. You would be surprised how many companies do not look back at this pool of leads. Remember, families' care needs can change. Just because they weren't interested a few weeks, months, or years ago - doesn't mean they aren't interested now.

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Meet The Author

In his career, Teddy has enjoyed working in early-stage SaaS companies and successfully helping them grow. What started as a desire to simply support customers quickly turned into the study of Customer Success. Currently, Teddy takes on the role of Vice President of Customer Operations at ChildcareCRM where he is constantly learning and implementing new ways to design the optimal Customer Journey and internal processes. Outside of work, you can find Teddy diving into books about anything from “boring” world history to “epic” fantasy. You will also find him scouring the internet to learn about the newest trends in health, biohacking, and ancestral living or see him out in the field practicing archery. He loves music, sports, attempting to be a good cook, and traveling the world to experience new cultures. Strike up a conversation with Teddy, anything is fair game!

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