As an online teacher, this is an exciting time to grow a business. We’re surrounded by agile tech tools and great curriculum that help students progress faster. However, setting up those tutoring relationships can be a bit more messy.
What happens when clients want to negotiate the price of a class? What if the way you tutor doesn’t match your client’s expectations? What happens if a client cancels class repeatedly? These are just a few of the foundational factors you’ll need to have established when you onboard your tutoring clients.
Before you even have a client to onboard, you’ll need to decide on a niche. This is an area of teaching you’re good at, you enjoy, and that is in demand. By choosing a niche, you’re allowing your students to meet with a specialist; thereby helping you meet a specific need and attract higher-paying clients.
Once you’ve got a lead, you’ll need to get to the heart of their concerns. Why are they searching for classes in the first place? By creating a set of questions that help you define needs, goals, and parameters for instruction, you’ll be better equipped to help this student find success – however they define it!
Now that you’ve nailed down what classes will look like, you’ll need to coordinate meeting times. As an online teacher we have more flexibility than most when it comes to our work schedule. However, this doesn’t mean we should work at all hours of the day. Time blocking is a great way to keep your family and personal priorities in check, while keeping your financial goals in reach through a sufficient amount of working hours. Add these times to a virtual scheduling app like Calendly, vei, Doodle, or a shared Google Calendar to share with your clients.
This is where things can heat up. Every online teacher should take the time to reflect on their financial goals and come up with a minimum hourly rate. Be sure to include the costs of platforms, teaching tools, and curriculum you may need to run a quality teaching business. Once you have this number, you’ll be able to justify the cost of each class, and avoid the sticky subject of price negotiations. By offering payment packages, you’ll be able to differentiate the class package amount, added value you provide (like class recordings), and payment method options.
Ask any tutor who’s been working for more than a year, and I bet they’ll have a cancellation horror story for you. By having a clear, enforceable policy that you’re able to share with clients before the first session, you’ll be able to avoid serial cancellations and missed income. In the same vein, having a straightforward refund policy in the event of a catastrophe is key. While you’ll hopefully never have to use it, it’s important to know if a refund is possible, what fees might be incurred, and what alternatives to a full refund might be out there.
Once the teaching has begun, you’ll want to find a good rhythm for giving feedback. Some tutors give feedback once over longer periods of time (quarterly or monthly) while others provide feedback weekly, or after each class period. Finding a good balance of personalization and useful information is key. You’ll also want to consider what method of communication works best for both you and your client (email or messaging service).
Finally, after you’ve done all this work to onboard and begin investing in your clients’ success, you’ll want to develop a plan for nurturing tutoring relationships over time by building rapport. This may include but is not limited to: family check-ins, requests for feedback, referral opportunities, communication about upcoming events, tests, or areas of focus. By keeping an open door, you’ll be able to anticipate your clients’ needs as you continue to demonstrate value and dedication, which is helping them reach their goals!
While these are daunting topics to take on at first, the tutoring relationships that you set up based on these firm foundations will thrive. If you’re looking for guidance on these 7 areas, you can find done-for-you guides in the Quick Start Tutoring Guide, a no-nonsense workbook for online tutors as they onboard new students.
Melissa is a homeschooling mom of 4, online teacher, administrator, and business scaling coach. She currently resides in Quito, Ecuador, with her husband and children. You can learn more about her work on her website and YouTube channel.
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