Tours are one of the best ways to introduce your program to prospective families and grow your waitlist. This article covers how tours work on Wonderschool, what happens when a family books one, and how to make the most of each tour.

Setting up tours

• Decide whether you want to offer in-person tours, virtual tours, or both.
• Set your Tour Availability on your Wonderschool website. We recommend opening availability within 30 days of opening and keeping at least one slot per week so new families can always book.
• Prepare a simple tour outline so each tour is consistent. A good outline covers your background and experience, the type of program you offer and a walk-through of the space, the rhythm of the day, your calendar and enrollment options, introductions to any co-teachers, and your availability, tuition, and fees.

What happens when a family books a tour

When a parent schedules a tour through your Wonderschool website:

• The parent automatically receives a tour confirmation email from Wonderschool.
• Your full address is included in that email. It is carried in the calendar invite attached to the confirmation email. When the parent adds the invite to their calendar (Google, Apple, Outlook, etc.), the full address appears on the event details.
• You can see the booked tour in your dashboard under Interested Families > Tours.

So the address is sent to the family automatically. You do not need to send it manually for the parent to have it.

If a parent says they didn't receive the address

If a family tells you they can't find the address, walk through these steps:

1. Check the inbox and the spam/junk folder for the tour confirmation email from Wonderschool (it comes from a @wonderschool.com address). These emails sometimes land in spam.
2. Open the calendar invite attached to the email and add the event to a calendar. The full address shows on the event.
3. As a backup, you can message the family directly through Wonderschool (Interested Families > Tours > select the family's name) to share the address along with any parking or arrival instructions.

Before, during, and after the tour

Before: It is good practice to message the family through the app ahead of time with specific arrival details such as parking, which door to use, and what to expect. Tidy your space and have flyers ready for them to take home. (This direct message is a nice personal touch on top of the confirmation email, not a replacement for it.)

During: A typical tour runs in four parts:

• Arrival and introductions: ask the family about themselves and what they are looking for.
• Tour the space: use your outline to hit your key points.
• Questions: answer theirs, confirm where they are in their search, and gently raise tuition by asking if they have any reservations about enrolling. It is fine to follow up later on anything you don't know on the spot.
• The close: if they seem like a good fit, let them know you would like to send an enrollment offer, then send the invitation link through your Wonderschool website.

After: Follow up within a few hours or by the next day, directly through Wonderschool messaging. A quick, encouraging follow-up goes a long way toward converting a family into an enrollment.