A "HINT" to Avoid Cancellations - Joanna Warren Smith

Summer camps are reporting last-minute cancellations

They do happen because of illness or summer school, but the cancellation without justification can be avoided if you nurture your relationships with campers and their parents right before camp.

Even though you are in high gear now, it's worth the effort to ...

TAKE ACTION NOW!

  • SEND A 'CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AT CAMP' NOTE.  Campers love getting snail mail, but if that's not possible, send a camper email to parents requesting that 'they print it out for their camper.'  Age-specific comments about the great times ahead with a terrific visual or two can help campers feel more comfortable about their approaching adventure.  The language of the first-time camper note should be different from the one sent to returning campers.
  • PRIORITIZE 2013 PARENT CALLS & EMAILS.  Go on heightened alert to respond immediately to each communication from a current family.  If their concerns or questions are not addressed instantaneously, they may get 'cold feet'.
  • REMIND FAMILIES OF ACCESS.  Even though you have said it repeatedly, it is comforting to parents when you send a focused email that gives details of how to communicate with you during the summer.  Send this just before their child comes to camp, be certain to give an emergency number and define a truly urgent situation.

Please do what you can to avoid the possibility of developing a cancellation trend.

Have a great, safe summer... 

Joanna

Need an objective perspective on any aspect of camp?  Give me a call at 310-451-1876 or email campconsulting@verizon.net

(Note from Travis:   We are so thrilled to be posting the always brilliant HINTS from camp consultant Joanna Warren Smith!  If you don't already you should sign up to receive theses HINTS in your email - in the right-hand column of Joanna's website: http://camp-consulting.com/) 

 

A "HINT" to Increase Retaining Campers - Joanna Warren Smith

Training Your Summer Camp Staff to Help You Keep Campers Coming Back

(Note from Travis:   We are so thrilled to be posting the always brilliant HINTS from camp consultant Joanna Warren Smith!  If you don't already you should sign up to receive theses HINTS in your email - in the right-hand column of Joanna's website: http://camp-consulting.com/)

​hint for retaining summer campers from Joanna Warren Smith.

​hint for retaining summer campers from Joanna Warren Smith.

Imagine if you will ...

A camper is walking down a path with a favorite counselor.  They are laughing, talking and bonding in such a special way that when you see them, you smile because these relationships are what camp is all about.

The lively, engaging conversation continues; the camper looks up fondly at the best role model in the world and eagerly asks, "Are you coming back to camp next summer?"  And the counselor quickly responds "No, I'm going to grad school."

Please know that the camper who asked the question will likely not be back because in that response, the counselor took away a "personal" reason for the child to return.

Now, I don't advocate lying to campers but we must encourage counselors to realize their impact on children.  It's essential for them to see how the ramifications of a response to a tough question can be mitigated.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

  • RUN A SHORT INTERACTIVE SESSION FOR ALL STAFF.  Act out the above scenario and let counselors come to their own conclusions about the impact on the camper.  If they see it, rather than get lectured about it, they are more likely to understand your intention.
  • PROVIDE EASY RESPONSES.   Encourage counselors to anticipate the question and be ready with authentic responses like "I love camp so much, I want to come back every year."  Or "Camp is the best place, I always want to be here, don't you?" And remind counselors that if they do have negative reactions about camp, they should be shared with leadership ... not with campers or their parents.
  • FOCUS BACK ON THE CAMPER.  Guide the counselor to move the child to thinking about what can be accomplished in the next summer.  "You'll be a Pathfinder next year ... I bet you're looking forward to that canoe trip!" Or "You'll get your third year pin next year, right?"
  • PRACTICE.  Give leadership and staff the opportunity to role play a number of times to let everyone become comfortable with the question and their responses.

Retention can be increased with this one simple focus.  Give it a try!

Want some other last-minute retention techniques?

Give Joanna a call at  310-451-1876  or email campconsulting@verizon.net

 

 

ACA MidStates Conference: Travis Allison's Presentations

Marketing a Summer Camp, Smartly

I am so grateful to the volunteers and committee members of the ACA Midstates Camp Conference.   I was treated like a king and I'm so grateful to Michael Brandwein for the invite to come and speak to everyone.  

The Director's Solutions Symposium was a great idea: create a stream of conference sessions focussed on the needs of professional camp directors.   I really enjoyed the session that Suzy Loughlin (Firestorm Solutions) led on Social Media Crisis management and I heard great things about the panel discussions that took place on Friday

Travis Allison's Conference Sessions

I want to thank everyone who came to my sessions at the conference.  As promised, here are the slides from each session.​

Getting Things Done as a Camp Director

Stop Marketing To Yourself - Your Clients are Not Camp People

10 Things Every Summer Camp Should Do On YouTube

Hmmn... I can't seem to embed this presentation.  Please check it out at: http://www.slideshare.net/zoic/10-things-every-summer-camp-should-do-on-youtube​

End of Summer: Camp Family Survey

You Must Survey Your Summer Camp Families

​Making art at Camp Kintail

Without feedback from your campers you have absolutely no way of knowing how it went from their perspective.​

We have devised a VERY simple survey that we find:​

  • ​is fast to answer and therefore many camp families will fill it in
  • answers the most important question: Will you recommend us to other families?​ Why or why not?

The CampHacker Family Survey

  1. Why did you choose Camp ________ for your child(ren)'s summer camp?
  2. When other parents are looking for a summer experience for their children do you refer them to Camp ________? Why or why not?
  3. Why do you keep sending your children to Camp _________?
  4. What could we do for your family that we don’t already?
  5. What do we do at Camp _________ that other camps don’t?
  6. What phrase(s) would you use to search the internet for a camp like ours?

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