One of my goals as a piano teacher–and probably one of the goals of many teachers and studio owners out there–is to avoid student turnover. I understand that many students who quit piano at a young age will go on to have regrets as adults for not sticking with music lessons longer, which I find heartbreaking. I enjoy transitioning students from elementary level music to intermediate and advanced repertoire, and if a student quits music lessons too soon, I don’t get to experience this with them. I also truly believe having happy students (and experiencing little student turnover as a result) is the best marketing strategy out there. If students are happy, they are less likely to quit and leave me to quickly find a replacement before it causes too much of a financial strain. And, if students are happy, they will provide excellent word-of-mouth references in my community–free advertising!
So far, I have managed to avoid much student turnover and my returning student rate each fall has been between 90 and 95%. I have found the following strategies to be successful in helping me to achieve this rate:
About six months prior to making the leap from running my studio part-time to full-time, I decided it was time for an upgrade. For the past three years, my studio had been located at the front of my house, meaning my students would enter through the front door and parents would wait in the living room.
Spring has definitely sprung! Soon your phone will be ringing (or your inbox will by chiming!) with parents of prospective students. How do you handle a transfer from a different teacher? If handled poorly, you lose respect among your colleagues. I have experienced both sides of the transfer student dilemma. When faced with this circumstance, one must practice integrity. Webster’s defines integrity as “a firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.”
As the end of March approaches, I am aware that there are just a few short months until summer. For music teachers, summer brings change. It may mean more work, it may mean less, it may be a stressful time because of money worries, or a relaxed time because of advanced planning and clear expectations. But no matter what your summer holds for you this year, chances are that it will be a break from your typical weekly music teaching schedule.