Hi, it’s Neil Cowmeadow here EPISODE 210 of  The Tutor Podcast, the weekly show that’s all about how to Start, Grow and Love your tutoring business... whilst staying sane and having fun in the process.

In today’s Episode 210 - Free Introduction Sessions

Specifically, how I do it now (not how I used to) and the reasons why I think this is the sanest and best business way of finding the right students for you.

First up – I’m a guitar teacher: 23 years in and loving it!

Who else can say that?

How do I do it?

Two rules:

1. Don’t do stuff that makes you unhappy  - DDSS
2. Don’t deal with tossers – DDWT

Simple. 

DDSS takes care of itself: 

• figure out what you love to do
• what you’d do for nothing because it is so much fun (teaching guitar)
• figure out how to get well paid for doing it
• spend as much time as you like doing that thing.
• You’ll never do a day’s work again!
• Your enthusiasm rubs off on your students

DDWT is another story:

• Initially you’ll work with anyone – just check for a pulse!
• Before long the tosssers will begin to grate on your nerves.
• Fire them.
• That’s the hard way, and most people start that way.
• Now I do this instead:
• When taking the sales call or answering an email enquiry I invite them to come for a free half-hour one-to-one
• I can find out what they want
• Can I honestly hep them?
• Do I want to work with this person?
• Do they want to work with me – am I a tosser in their view?
• Whatever happens, this is being done for the best reasons: if they are not our tribe we can steer them towards another person who would be a better fit for them.
• I try to solve their biggest problem right there and then, for free. (usually bar chords and awful biomechanics – go hand in hand)
• Why do I do this?
• Because I can give massive, life-changing benefit on day one, for free!
• If I only do that – get over a 34 year obstacle in 2 minutes, like I did today (chuck Berry Bounce with Matt, who’s played in bands since he was a teenager but couldn’t do this thing) they’ll automatically assume that if I can give THAT secret away, for free and with NO OBLIGATION I must have a ton of other great stuff, because what i’ve just done is clearly the tip of the iceberg.
• I ask them if it helped – they say yes, more than anything they’ve ever done – and (if I want to work with them, I’ll ask them if they’d like to work with me.
• Of course – having just had a decades-old problem fixed in a few minutes – they are desperate to work with me – I’m clearly a screaming genius!!!
• They will then gush enthusiastically to their friends about this miraculous teacher and what I did in a free session.
• What would happen if I’d held back and not given them a free consultation and the gift of what they want most?
• Maybe I’m salesy
• Don’t display expertise and generosity
• They wouldn’t leave in a better state than they came in
• Maybe I’d be so-so...?
• I didn’t Wow! them
• What would happen if I didn’t eliminate the undesirables at an early stage??
• I might have to spend time with unpleasant people
• That might ruin my day
• Might undermine the joy of teaching for me
• They might be stuck with someone who doesn’t get them
• Potentially problematic relationship for a long time

 

So that’s how I do it, and why I do it. I think it’s completely ethical, honest, generous and the very best way to turn a prospective student into a screaming fan and an enthusiastic advocate of my business.

I can’t think of a better way to do a free intro consultation - How about you – got any ideas to throw into the mix?

I’d love to hear from you, because I’m here to learn, too.

Just send them to [email protected]  And Remember to subscribe to The Tutor Podcast and get all the updates and more tips to help you to Start, Grow and Love Your Tutoring Business.

And you can find me on Twitter where I am @tutorpodcast

So, until next time – Have a Fabulous Day!