Jennifer's Training Document - Purpose
Created: Apr 2, 2003, 19:25
Last Modified: January 30, 2007, 13:36

Our purpose in representing Sonlight at __________ will determine most of what we say while there. That seems to me to be quite important, so I will start our training emails with that -- our purpose.

According to Sonlight our purpose is "to expand recognition of Sonlight Curriculum within the homeschool marketplace and to inform and support current clients and new prospects concerning Sonlight's unique offerings."

The first part is largely covered simply through our presence. I am responsible for creating an attractive, eye-catching booth that will draw in passersby. Available booth workers will also be responsible for attracting conference attendees through eye contact and a friendly greeting. Anyone who hesitates long enough (rather than glancing our way and proceeding onward) should be approached with a question. "Are you familiar with Sonlight Curriculum?", "Can I tell you about Sonlight Curriculum?", or something similar.

Once someone expresses interest, the second part begins. Notice the stated purpose does not include the words sell, convince, etc. It is Sonlight's and my intention that there be no sales pressure at all. We are not there to sell a product. Of course Sonlight would like to increase sales. Even I would like to generate sales from our presence since my commission is based on sales. Yet it is in no one's best interest to pressure anyone into buying something that won't meet their needs. And only the client is able to make the final determination whether or not Sonlight may meet their homeschool needs. I prefer to think of our purpose as empowering -- providing the information necessary for clients and potential clients to make informed decisions.

Those clients and potential clients come in a variety of characters. We will certainly meet many clients whom Sonlight refers to as veterans. Veterans are those who have already been using Sonlight Curriculum. The vast majority of these veterans are just thrilled with Sonlight and will be valuable assets to have around in the booth. Often they will join in on conversations adding what experiences they have had with Sonlight.

Veterans' reasons for dropping by the booth are usually support or research. We'll have many veterans stop by simply to say that they use and love Sonlight. Please thank these client and ask if there is anything they'd like to see.

Other veterans will be there to learn what is new this year. Familiarize yourself with the changes (itemized in another email to follow and available at the booth in the reference book). Some of these veterans will have accessed the online version of the catalog already, but many will have seen none of the new 2007 catalog until the conference. If we have catalogs at the conference, I will have several available to be kept at the booth as reference for veterans. It is my hope that most will be willing to wait for their copy to arrive in the mail rather than taking a copy from the booth (those that could otherwise go to new, prospective clients). You can assure veterans that, if they received Sonlight's postcard mailed in February, they are on the mailing list and will receive the new catalog in the next couple of weeks.

Some veterans may still need assistance in choosing. Here's where our experience can help someone who's overwhelmed, uncertain, wondering how they could combine, etc. Answer the questions as best you can all the while remembering that we're empowering clients to make decisions, not telling them what they should do. It's interesting to note that people will often choose a curriculum simply because someone they know uses it and likes it, yet it doesn't fit their family at all (ever heard this?). Convention goers will be tempted to choose certain materials simply because we say we've enjoyed them or give good reasons why we chose them. We certainly can and should consider the information a client shares and make suggestions, but there's a fine line between suggesting and telling. Ultimately the client needs to make the informed decision. We're there to provide the information. Also remind them to visit the forums to get other suggestions/ideas about their particular situation. I guess I'm dwelling on this a bit since I especially have trouble with this one. The problem-solver in me really wants to come up with solutions to everyone's dilemmas, so I too need to be careful.

There are some additional cautions when dealing with veterans. A negative situation rarely develops, but we should be prepared nonetheless. There may be clients who are dissatisfied in some way. Try to be tactful without getting into an argument and wasting precious time that could be spent with other clients. A helpful tactic is to listen to their complaint, suggest that they contact Sonlight Curriculum directly with their complaint ([email protected]), and lastly remind them of Sonlight's guarantee and return policy. If they are satisfied with that, great. If not, please excuse yourself from the discussion and ask that they speak with me when I'm available.

The opposite of veterans are those booth visitors who don't know much or anything at all about Sonlight. Here's where a "Sonlight in a nutshell" speech will be helpful. Each of us will have our own version which will likely vary a bit each time we use it, but in general it will include most or all of these main points:

Literature-based curriculum - Use this point to demonstrate that Sonlight is not a textbook approach, but rather learning (and remembering!) from great literature. Explain how the Read-Alouds and Readers integrate with the History study.

Instructor Guides which schedule and organize it all and provide comprehensive guides to each of the books

Language arts – natural language approach directly tied to Readers

Science - even the science supplies you need to complete the experiments

Math choices – several proven programs from which to choose

Convenience of purchasing a package which includes everything you need, yet flexibility to customize or purchase individual titles.

Enables combining children of different ages

A new prospective client who is interested in learning more about Sonlight after your nutshell talk should then get a catalog. We will have contact cards in the booth which everyone prior to receiving a catalog -- if we have them there to handout -- must sign completely. If we don't have catalogs, the sign-up sheet will become the mailing list, and they can expect to receive a catalog in a few weeks.

Some new prospective clients and most in the middle group -- those who have not yet used Sonlight but are familiar with it to some degree -- will want to remain in the booth to ask specific questions. (This middle group may be mixed when it comes to catalogs. Some may have already been researching Sonlight and are on the mailing list to receive a catalog. Others haven't yet taken that step and should fill in the sign-up sheet.) It will be important to listen carefully to their questions and then do what you can to answer them.

A following training email will cover frequently asked questions. Hopefully this will cover most of the questions you will hear. Another training email will cover choosing. For the client who is sold on Sonlight and would like assistance in determining the available options, this training will guide you through the steps.