How to make a great first impression with parents

GroseI saw something in the front office of a school recently that I’ve never seen before. Sitting on the counter in front of the office administration area was a silver plaque. On it were printed the words: ‘Director of First Impressions – Sue’. Almost immediately I was given a friendly smile, accompanied by a cheerful greeting, from … you guessed it … Sue. She invited me to sit down and make myself comfortable as she paged the person I had come to see. Needless to say I felt very welcome! Importantly, this initial friendly greeting set the tone for the rest of my visit at the school.

To read the full article, members please log in here. To subscribe please click here.

The school leadership team in this school is smart. They obviously understand the power of first impressions. Set the right tone at the very first visit and future interactions will more than likely have the same positive feel. This is so important, especially for those parents you rarely see, and for those who weren’t comfortable at school when they were kids themselves. And just as a good first impression sets the scene for positive partnerships with parents, a bad first impression can have the opposite effect. Your school’s reputation may never recover. All staff members need to be aware of the power of the first impression when meeting with parents, not just the staff on the front desk.

Here are some very practical ideas to help you make a welcoming first impression with parents.
Greet them with a smile: Putting a smile on your face not only makes the other person feel welcome, it makes you feel better too.
Follow your school’s script when answering the telephone: The first contact many parents will have with your school will be by telephone so it helps if everyone on staff follows a similar script. For example: “Hello, you’ve called Smith St School. This is Jenna. How can I help?”
Find out what they prefer to be called: One way of welcoming a parent you are meeting for the first time is to ask them what they would prefer to be called. This is very effective way to break the ice with parents from a different socio-economic or cultural background than yours.
Dress appropriately: People make very quick decisions about others based on external cues such as dress and appearance. Sloppy, casual clothing doesn’t make a good impression. Dress like a professional and you are more likely to be treated like one!
Make sure they are comfortable: Sometimes environments are set up to favour teachers rather than parents during meetings and interviews. Consider the comfort levels of parents. Do they have somewhere comfortable to wait? Is there water available? Is the seating appropriate for adults or are you making do with children’s furniture?

In his book Blink!, author and social commentator Malcolm Gladwell claimed that most people make snap decisions about others based on minimal cues, then look for information to support their decision. This is why making a poor first impression with parents can be so hard to reverse: from
the first meeting on they’ll be searching for evidence that will support and reinforce their initial negative view. On the other hand, a positive first impression puts you on the front foot and preconditions parents to see you positively in future interactions. They’re more likely to be led by you and take your messages on board.

So don’t leave it up to the staff on the front desk to make a great first impression. Make sure every teacher and staff member in your school, in their own way, is a ‘Director of First Impressions’.
Big three points:
1. The first impression sets the tone for all other interactions that you and other staff members have with parents.
2. Making a great first impression is the job of everyone in the school, not just the people in the front office.
3. Be genuine and sincere in all interactions with parents.

Related Posts

Navigating Challenging Conversations

Navigating Challenging Conversations

Rise and Fall of Organisations

Rise and Fall of Organisations

RiEducation Leadership Keys for 2024

RiEducation Leadership Keys for 2024

8 Ways to Better Student Leadership

8 Ways to Better Student Leadership

Michael Grose


Author, columnist and presenter Michael Grose currently supports over 1,100 schools in Australia, New Zealand and England in engaging and supporting their parent communities. He is also the director of Parentingideas, Australia’s leader in parenting education resources and support for schools. In 2010 Michael spoke at the prestigious Headmaster’s Conference in England, the British International Schools Conference in Madrid, and the Heads of Independent Schools Conference in Australia, showing school leadership teams how to move beyond partnership-building to create real parent-school communities. For bookings, parenting resources for schools and Michael’s famous Free Chores & Responsibilities Guide for Kids, go to www. parentingideas.com.au.