New Features! Studio Helper has been busy! We have rolled out several new features this last week. They are: Add multiple teachers to a task. On the home page you can now assign more than one teacher to a task. Added an email address field to the Student Registration Report. You can now save and add another in the expenses, expenses categories and vendors. There is now an "email parent"...
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Spring is here and the phone is ringing! As I respond to the many phone calls I have received about studying piano, I was inspired to do a little research on how to best handle the phone interview. Even though many of my first contacts come through email, I always make a phone call before scheduling a live interview. This spring, I have had more phone calls than emails, which is an unexpected trend. I wonder if it has to do with the many fraud emails that are now out there. Be wary of any emails that ask for your bank account information to transfer funds. I delete them immediately!
At any rate, Joanne Haroutounian in her book Fourth Finger on B-Flat recommends having a fact sheet of information close to your phone that includes pertinent information that you would like to share with prospective clients about your studio. This can include your tuition rates, lesson length, philosophy, available times, and offerings beyond lessons.
A 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.
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 stu
dents 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:
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.
As we know well, the transition to summer often interrupts the flow of our studio. There are issues around student/family vacation schedules, vacations for staff. There's even that 'lack of dedication' from students and others that's common when warm whether and outdoor activities sing their siren song. After a year of hard work, it's certainly understandable. Everybody needs a break. Manage Summer To Your Benefit Plan Something: Scheduling...
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