“INTERVIEWING CLIENTS”
BY Roxy Chuchna – Owner Roxys Foods & Crafts, Inc.
In my years of owning my child care business and Roxys, interviewing is always a challenge. What questions do I ask to get the right people? What if they don’t work out?
How many times have the parents left and you said to yourself, “Why didn’t I tell them about……..”
Organization and knowing your business and what you want is the key. One of the tools to organization is to have an interview book (3 ring binder). An interview book is a scrapbook, portfolio which you can use to present your child care business to perspective clients. An interview book will help you appear “Together.” It allows you to keep all your forms in one place. It mainly serves as a reminder of the benefits of your program. It is a great marketing tool. Remember your job is to sell yourself and your services. When putting a book together, use plastic sleeves to hold your forms, pictures and publicity notices. Suggested things to put in your book is, your logo and mission statement. Your mission statement again, reflects knowing your business. It states your philosophy on caring for children and the esteem you hold your clients in. Your “Sell
Job” should always include photos of your family, children in your care doing activities.
A resume and training certificates are an important part of your interview. Parents want first and foremost to be able to trust you and credentials helps to do that.
I believe the most important aspect of an interview is to ask questions. I find if I just shut up after I have given my “sales pitch,” and ask questions and listen, I find out what that person is all about. Your goal for your business is to make sure that family fits for you and the child fits your existing group of children. After you have listened to parents on their expectations of you it is OK to list yours, examples: You would like parents to tell you that you are doing a good job, talk to you about concerns, support and follow through on appropriate discipline, pick up child on time, pay on time, bring child appropriately dressed for the weather and daily activities, inform you of any changes at home or work. You can also inform them you will greet each child with a smile, hug each child at least once a day, listen to and respect each child, sincerely give each child praise, discipline calmly and fairly, have age appropriate toys, read aloud to the children, serve nutritious, well balanced snacks and meals purchased from Roxys.
Parents are very impressed with structure and learning these days. I suggest you look at my new Kids Curriculum and Creative Craft Kits. Tt comes with parent calendars.
The parents can then see what their child/children will be doing each day and how smart of a provider you are to choose such a great curriculum for their child/children.
End the interview will a complete tour of your home that is used for child care. Give them letters of reference from former clients and well as phone numbers (with their consent) from existing clients. Remember be picky. You are good at what you do and the child and parent are lucky to have you so the interview is just another way of saying it.
