Sitter Pro Launch Party

You’re using Sitter Pro and it’s a great excuse to party!  Whether you’re just getting started or you have a class of new recruits, a launch (or refresh) party is a great way to educate caregivers on the system while having fun at the same time.  Below are a few tips to kick it off with a bang!

While you want to create an environment of excitement and fun surrounding the new system, you also want to make sure it serves an educational purpose.  Below are a few things you can incorporate into the party to make sure it helps educate your team:

• Introduce the system and explain why you’re using it.  How will this help make their job easier?  How will it benefit your clients?  When caregivers understand these key items, they are much more likely to be open to the change.
• Help them get set up.  While it’s ideal for caregivers to have some of their information already in the system before the party, provide help for those who haven’t done yet.  Is everyone already set up? Review their bios and profiles to make sure they meet your standards.
• Have open Q&A time.  Hearing other people’s questions helps people think of their own and learn something new.
• Run tests.  Set up test jobs (i.e. with $0 rates) and have caregivers walk through the job request and checkout processes.
• Provide timelines and next steps.  When does training need to be completed? When will clients start using the system?  Do they need to do anything on their old system to transition?  These are all important questions that most of your caregivers will have and need to be answered if they haven’t already.

Now, let’s not forget about the fun!

• Photo Booth.  Who doesn’t love a good photo booth?  Set up a booth for the team to take their profile pictures so you can ensure they meet your requirements and in between the professional shoots, let them take ‘fun’ pictures.  This is also a great team building activity and will be great for your social media updates!  Just don’t skimp on the props 🙂
  • For tips on professional profile pictures for your agency, check out this article.
• Team Recognition.  While not directly related to the launch of a new system, leveraging the time with everyone together is a great way to provide team recognition.  Have caregivers who have hit their 1 year mark with the agency?  Is anyone’s birthday coming up soon?  Receive any great client feedback lately? These little things always go a long way!
• Swag.  Have extra stickers laying around?  New t-shirts or tote bags?  This is a great time to make sure your team is set on agency swag if they aren’t already.  Don’t have very much on hand?  No problem!  Just use one or two items as a mini-raffle…must be present to claim 🙂
• Snacks.  While it doesn’t have to be a huge spread, people always appreciate snacks at these events.  Especially for caregivers who are often moving quickly throughout the day and in between jobs.

Let’s face it- in this industry, it’s almost impossible to get everyone together for a team meeting.  For a successful party, you’ll want to find a time that is least busy for your team and provide a long window for more of an open house feel.  That way, people can stop by before or after their jobs for the day.  Additionally, you could set up a few different times throughout the week for people to stop by (think ‘office hours’, but a lot more fun).  Or, if time isn’t the issue, but location is, you could always set up a virtual launch party and do a conference call(s) with your team.

What if people can’t make the party?  No problem- this is bound to happen!  Make sure your team members take the self-paced training so they understand the app and follow-up with them afterward to see if they have any questions.