Ask Micki: Sale on tutoring?

© sxc.hu/Thoursie

Question: Hi, I have a question that deals with the business side of tutoring.

Is it inappropriate to offer sales or promotions for tutoring services?

Here's my idea: I'd like to have a "Back to school" type of deal where I give parents 20% off of my tutoring services.  It would be for tutoring appointments in September only, and would last from September 1st through the end of September.  Is this a good idea? Bad idea? Inappropriate in any way?

Thank you so much for your help!
Becky Anne from MI


Answer: Hi, Becky Anne -  This is a great idea!  Everyone loves a deal, and offering a discount for your tutoring services is not inappropriate at all.  I have heard from a lot of tutors who have done this, and they all report great success with the technique!

Plus, the fact that you are making this an exciting, focused ("Back to School"), limited time promotion almost guarantees success.

On another note, you are also doing your tutees a favor.  With the economy being like it is right now, I know that your tutoring parents will really appreciate the break in cost, especially with all of the other back to school expenses looming overhead.

Good luck with your sale, and stop by when you get a chance to let us know how it worked out for you!

Ask Micki: Pay increase etiquette

© penywise

Question: Hello, Micki. I am struggling with an etiquette scenario, and was hoping you might have some advice for me.

Simply put, I need to increase my tutoring rates.  When I started out about 10 years ago, I was charging a really low rate.  I hadn't done much research and just sort of picked a random number.  It was lower than what other tutors were charging and, looking back, this was both good and bad.  I had a lot of business, sure, but I wasn't making nearly as much as I should have been. 

Fast forward to 2011, I am definitely not making as much as I could be now.  I'm making about half, sometimes less, of what other tutors make per session.  Also, the fact that the cost of living has increased over the past decade doesn't help my financial situation much.

So I looked over my expenses, researched rates for other chemistry tutors, and know exactly what price range I want to charge.

The problem is, I've never asked for a raise of any kind before.  How do I increase my tutoring rates without coming across as greedy?  I really like my clients, and don't want to offend anyone.

Thanks in advance,
Mike from VT


Answer: Hi Mike, thanks for your question!  Tutor pricing can be a very tricky thing, especially when you are first starting out like you were 10 years ago.

Charge too much, and you risk not getting any tutoring business.  Charge too little, and you wind up cheating yourself. 

The good news is that it sounds like you have gotten things pretty much figured out regarding your new price point.  You have found your ideal rates, and can be confident knowing that you are charging your tutees for quality tutoring.

Ready for more good news?  Believe it or not, increasing your rates is easier than you might think.  It can be as simple as printing out a quick paper letting your tutoring clients know:

a) How much? What your new rates will be.

b) Why? Let your tutees know why you are increasing your tutoring rates.  Giving clients a quick explanation for the new rates will help humanize the increase, and will help clients better understand why you are charging what you are charging.  Keep the tone upbeat, straightforward, and to the point.  Chances are, they will appreciate your reasons (increased expenses, cost of living, etc.), and they will definitely appreciate your honesty about the increase.

c) "What's in it for me?" Include any discounts that you want to offer clients (if applicable).  This can be done in two ways.  The first is a bulk rate discount that offers lower rates if your client agrees to a set number of hours.  So, if you both sign a contract that guarantees you, say, 35 hours of tutoring, you can offer a lower rate based on that contract.  The second approach to offering a discount is to individualize the discount for each client.  If you have been tutoring a client for 9 years, for example, you may want to give them a better discount than you would a client you have only had for a few years.  It's a loyalty discount.

d) Show gratitude! Thank your client for all of the business that he or she has given you, and assure your tutee that the quality of the tutoring will be just as good as ever.  Showing gratitude can go a long way.  By thanking your tutee for their business, you are making the transition to higher tutoring rates much easier for them to accept. 

When you hand over the new rate sheet to clients, have a quick talk with them about the increase.  Go over what is on the sheet you typed up for them to read.  Let your clients know that the increase will also help fund learning materials, printing costs, etc.  Be upbeat, straightforward, and friendly.

You may be a little nervous, but trust me when I say it will all work out fine.  I have found it necessary to increase my rates every few years, and it has always worked out well.  In fact, I can honestly say that in all of my years as a tutor, I have only lost 3 tutees after raising my rates.  Everyone else stuck with me.

Good luck, and let us know how everything works out for you!

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Photo Credit: © sxc.hu/penywise
http://www.sxc.hu/profile/penywise

Ask Micki: Flyers? Good idea or not?

© irum

Question: Hi, Micki. My friend and I were just talking about how to get the word out about our services (we're both tutors. She tutors science, I tutor math), and we have a friendly debate going.

I swear by flyers. I put them up at the local schools, libraries, and anywhere else I think students might be frequenting.  One of my best "hot spots" is the coffee house that's about a block away from the college.  I've gotten a ton of business from that spot!

My friend, on the other hand, thinks that flyers are outdated in the modern world, and that I'd be better off going high tech, posting my tutoring services on websites. 

What do you think?
Can you help us settle our friendly debate?

Thanks!
Jasmine, NM

Answer: Hey, Jasmine, thanks for the question. 

Well, you and your friend will be happy to know...drum roll, please...
You're actually both right!

No, that's not my inner diplomat talking!  There are a lot of benefits to both techniques, and combining them can make you a tutoring powerhouse when it comes to finding new clients. 

I post quite a few flyers myself, and I always make sure to ask my tutees which flyers they used to contact me.  Based on their responses, I've been able to pretty well home in on which areas work well for my flyers, and which ones don't.  

I would guess that probably about half of my business comes from good, old fashioned paper flyers stuck up on bulletin boards. 

The other half of my business comes from online advertising.  Bulletin boards, forums, blogs, social media, tutor-tutee matching services, etc. can all be great resources when it comes to finding new clients. 

Maybe both of you could try combining techniques - merge the low tech and the high tech.   Help each other learn what techniques work best. 

Trust me, you two will both be happy with the results! 
Good luck finding those tutoring clients!

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Photo Credit: © sxc.hu/irum
http://www.sxc.hu/profile/irum

Ask Micki: How do I find tutoring clients?

Question: I just finished all of the ITA quizzes, and now I am moving on to finding tutoring clients so that I can get in some hours and evaluations (positive evaluations, I hope!).  I don't have any experience, and to be honest, I'm not feeling too confident. How do I find these clients? 

Thanks for your help, Micki,
Eleanor

Answer: Hi, Eleanor, thanks for your question!  Believe it or not, it is actually not as hard as you may think to find new tutoring clients.  Whether the economy is good or bad, tutoring is still a respected and valuable service that many people (students and parents alike) consistently support. 

Also, keep in mind that many tutors start out exactly where you are, without experience or tutees, so don't be intimidated by that - just get out there and be the best tutor you can be! Have confidence in your tutoring abilities and everything else will fall into place. 

All right, I know - enough with the pep talk, what you need are actual ideas! :-)

1. Go for the old fashioned technique:
Try posting flyers at local schools, colleges, libraries...anywhere that students and/or parents may frequent.  I have gotten quite a few tutoring clients this way over the years.  My most successful flyers have been the ones that include the little tear off tabs at the bottom of the page.  These are great because, if a person is busy, they can snag your contact info quickly without digging around for a pen and paper. 

I also make sure to include my name, phone number(s), subjects I tutor, that I am certified, and the age ranges I tutor.  When you get a little more experience, you may also want to include the number of years you've been tutoring, a few testimonials, and any other credentials that give you credibility.  If you don't have these things right now, don't worry - you'll develop them over time.

2. Go high tech:
There are online resources out there that will help you find tutees in your local area, or people who are seeking tutoring online.   TutorNation.com, for example, is a fantastic resource that we have partnered with for years.  Here's how it works: You enter your information (your location, subjects tutored, etc.), and TutorNation.com goes to work for you, finding you a tutoring client match!  It is a really easy to find tutoring clients in pretty much any subject and any age range, and I would recommend checking it out.

You may also think about signing up to be an online tutor.  This can be a great option for tutors who are looking for tutoring work, but need to work non-traditional hours, or want to broaden their geographic availability. 

*Full Disclosure: TutorNation.com is a website we have partnered with for years, and they offer a 30% discount to TutorNation.com members who are interested in ITA tutor training.

3. Word of Mouth:
Having a happy student or parent talk about you ("...a great tutor!") is often the only advertising you need to build a successful tutoring business.   Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool, and will help you build your tutoring client base really quickly. 

4. Do some pro bono work: 
If you can afford to, offer some tutoring free of charge to friends, friends' children, co-workers, relatives...pretty much anyone who will be willing to provide you with tutoring experience and evaluations.  They may even be able to provide you with some word of mouth advertising, and a positive testimonial for your flyers. 

I hope that I've been able to help give you a few good ideas to build on and use when looking for new tutoring clients.  Get creative, be tenacious, and try to stay confident.  Implement these ideas, stay focused, and pretty soon you'll be so busy tutoring that you'll need to turn down work!

Good luck out there, and as always, happy tutoring!