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Author: cconrad

09 Dec

Using the Internet: Part 2-Communicating with your Clients

by cconrad
in Marketing
Comments

E_mailA few months ago I wrote a blog post about ways to communicate with your customers.  I will now focus on specific ways the Internet alone makes contact with our clients simple and effective.  I firmly believe that keeping the lines of communication with our business contacts open not only results in a long-term relationship with our customers but also a more pleasant and effective relationship for all involved.

The Internet makes it simple to keep customers up-to-date on everything happening in your studio–events, continuing education, performance opportunities.  Using the Internet to frequently communicate information lets customers know that you are an active and involved teacher.

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09 Nov

Using the Internet: Part 1-Marketing Your Business

by cconrad
in Marketing
Comments

digitalMost readers of this blog–like me–have probably gone to a lot of trouble to advertise your studio.  When I first moved to Wisconsin, I paid for a huge ad in the paper, stuffed mailboxes with coupons, and hung flyers at every business in town that allowed them.  No one called.  After a few months of this, I put an ad on craigslist.  In a few short weeks, my studio was full and I had to begin a wait list.  

We are definitely living in the digital age.

Studio owners today must learn to use the tools we have available to us online if we’re to be successful in marketing our business and communicating with our clients.

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09 Oct

Taking Risks

by cconrad
in Finances, Program Development
Comments

risk-and-reward-787129This past spring, I decided to take a bit of a risk with my studio.

I’ve taught private piano lessons for about nine years.  Since having a child two-and-a-half years ago, I’ve kept my studio relatively small.  I only accept twelve private lesson students, since I like to be a mostly stay-at-home mom.  In March, all my private lesson spots filled up, and I began a waiting list.  I have always hated turning students down both because I love my job, and let’s be honest–no one likes turning down money.  But I know that being home with my little one is most important right now, and in order to make a substantial enough leap in income, I would have to take on quite a few more students which means quite a few more hours away from my little one.

So, I decided to branch out from private lessons.  Before moving from Wisconsin about two years ago, a public school there had approached me about teaching piano lessons in a group setting as part of their summer school program.  I was all set to begin a certification process, but ended up moving to Montana before I could see it through.  The idea of teaching group piano entered my head again this spring when I thought of the way it would work out really well in allowing me to teach substantially more students at my studio without taking away the amount of time from my daughter that it would require if I was to teach each of these students privately.

So I took the plunge.

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09 Sep

Offsetting Studio Owner Costs

by cconrad
in Finances, Marketing, Policies and Procedures
Comments

money45121yI think the fall is probably an expensive time for most studio owners across the board as we prepare to head into another year of teaching…

Here’s what my business records show for this month:

Membership renewal in my national, state, and local teachers’ associations: $135

Ad in the local paper: $45

Ad in local parenting magazine: $100

New teaching materials for lessons: $50

Business license renewal: $25

                                                                                           You get the idea.

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09 Aug

Communicating with Your Customers

by cconrad
in Marketing, Performance, Policies and Procedures
Comments

Having been a piano teacher for nine years now, I have learned how very important it is to maintain contact with my clients.  I believe that keeping the lines of communication open with my customers results in a better lesson experience for all involved, and I’ve also learned that it helps my students and their families to feel as though they are important and not becoming “lost in the shuffle”.  Regular contact with stucommunicatedents makes them feel that I am accessible and they, in turn, are very open to coming to me with questions, concerns, and positive feedback.  Below are a few simple ideas to encourage interaction between you and your studio’s customers:

E-mail

The Internet has made communicating simple and effective.  When I think of how my own piano teacher growing up had to make phone calls whenever there was a schedule change or send letters home with students about upcoming events (and rely on us actually giving them to our parents…), I realize how lucky I am to be running a studio in the age of the Internet.  I use e-mail to communicate nearly everything that happens in my studio–upcoming recitals, workshops, lesson reminders, etc.  Not only does this simple and efficent way of communicating make life easier for me, but busy parents appreciate the quick, non-intrusive updates.  I also use e-mail to tell students about events in the community.  For example, if there is an upcoming symphony performance or a great sale at our local piano store, I will send a brief e-mail to my piano families to let them know.

Newsletters

I have found newsletters to be a great way to not only get studio information into my clients hands, but also to provide motivational and educational tips and articles to my families.  This has also been a wonderful tool to promote the benefits of music education. 

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