A family tours your school, maybe even fills out an inquiry form, and then goes silent. On this week’s Tuesday Tips, Kerry Selfinger, Enrollment Marketing at Grow Schools, joins Marin Smith to break down why prospective families go cold and how to bring them back without chasing forever. Watch the full conversation below.
Top 3 Tips
- Cold doesn’t mean gone. A quiet inquiry usually means life got busy, not that the family said no. Comparison shopping, decision paralysis, or a timing mismatch are the most common reasons families go quiet.
- Build a real re-engagement sequence. Space 5 to 6 touchpoints over 30 to 45 days: a personal note, a helpful resource, a channel switch, social proof, and a low-pressure check-in.
- Know when to let a lead go, gracefully. If there’s no response after the full sequence, move the family to a long-term nurture list instead of chasing. Many come back a year later still warm.
Does a cold lead mean the family chose another school?
Not usually. It more often means they’re still deciding, comparing options, or dealing with a busy week. Treat silence as “not yet,” not “no.”
How many touchpoints should a re-engagement sequence have?
Five or six, spaced across 30 to 45 days, using a mix of email, text, and phone: a personal note, a helpful resource, a channel switch, social proof, and a low-pressure check-in.
What’s the best way to word a re-engagement message?
Be specific, not generic. Reference something from the family’s actual visit, like a program they asked about, rather than a broad line like “we loved having you.” A quote or video from a current parent often lands better than a message from the admissions office.
When should a school stop following up with a cold lead?
After a full sequence (5 to 6 touchpoints over 30 to 45 days) with no response and no signal of future interest. At that point, move the family to a long-term nurture list rather than continuing active outreach.
What’s one thing a school can do this week to re-engage cold leads?
Build a written re-engagement sequence template, even a simple 4 to 5 touch version mapped to specific days, with someone on the team assigned to own it. Or pull the last 90 days of cold inquiries and send one well-crafted, specific re-engagement message to see how many families respond.
