Without a doubt, the summertime is one of the slowest times of
the year for getting contacted by new students. For many guitar
instructors, this is a huge problem that makes it extremely difficult to
make a decent income. Although less students are calling, this does not
mean it's impossible to get tons of new students.
Guitar teachers are unable to maintain their student base in the summertime for all the same reasons. Here are those reasons and what you must do to get drastically different results
:
Reason 1: Not Enforcing A STRONG Guitar Teaching Policy
Having a weak guitar teaching policy is a huge mistake for your guitar teaching business. Without one in place, your student base will quickly deteriorate because they will have the power to walk all over you, stop taking lessons without notice or take time off (without paying you for it). The most common teaching policy that leads to these things is a policy that lets people pay lesson-by-lesson. This kind of lesson policy leaves the door open for students to reschedule when they feel like it, arrive late, not pay on time and (in the summer) go on vacation for months at a time.
Truly successful guitar teachers charge their students per month, NOT per lesson. And if you want to get paid on time and not get taken advantage of... you should too! In addition, you don't need to accept it as a loss when your students leave for summer vacation. To get ready for this situation, think of creative ways to train your students when they are unable to meet with you in person for a lesson.
Reason 2: Having Weak Methods For Attracting Guitar Students (In General)
In previous articles I wrote about teaching guitar, I discussed why most guitar teachers use poor marketing methods that simply don't work. This causes them to only gain access to a small percentage of the income they could be making and keeps them from helping more students reach their musical goals. If you can't effectively attract students in general, you will really struggle during the summertime.
Reason 3: Giving Up On Even 'Trying' To Promote Your Guitar Teaching Business During The Summer Months
Most guitar teachers are already aware of the fact that students inquire less about taking lessons in the summer than in any other season. As a result, they simply stop promoting their lessons in the summer. This is good news for you because it means YOU get the opportunity to market your lessons to all the students that everyone else isn't paying attention to. Although there are less people seeking guitar lessons in the summer, they ARE out seeking lessons. You can easily increase the percentage of new students you add to your schedule during this time by simply marketing yourself to them (since no one else is even bothering). This will make the summer a huge success for you (rather than a 'slow period') - helping you to stay productive and grow your business.
Reason 4: Not Telling Your Guitar Students In Advance About The Value Of Taking Lessons In The Summer
Guitar students generally have a host of non-guitar activities that they want to participate in during the summer. As their guitar instructor, you must help them understand why guitar is so much more important than all those other things. You must help them realize:
A) The specific reasons why getting better at guitar is more valuable for them than any recreational activity they could be doing.
B) Why stopping guitar lessons for the summer will have very negative consequences on your student's guitar playing progress. When your students stop playing guitar for the summer, they will have to waste tons of time and money just to 'catch up' whenever they come back to work with you. This is precisely what happens to students when they come back from summer break to go to school, so it is easy for them to understand this when you explain it to them.
C) How taking lessons with you during the summer will be a very unique experience that they MUST be a part of. Here is one way (of many) you can give them this realization:
Put together several killer programs/events that are exclusive to the summertime only. This could be a specialized metal guitar soloing training course, studio recording training or even a cool trip to see a huge band play live (that you use as inspiration for a unique course based on that band's playing style). You can put together countless ideas if you simply sit down for a little bit and think about it. Just make sure that you tell your students about your programs many months in advance in order to 'build them up'. After doing this, your students will be dying to get started once the summer starts.
[Warning: Just make sure not to do the absolute worst thing possible (what most guitar teachers do): Reducing your lessons rates in a pathetic attempt to keep your students longer. This WILL backfire and cause you to lose most of your students when the summer arrives (and in general), because it lowers the value of your lessons in their eyes -they will simply choose to spend their time on other things.]
Guitar teachers are unable to maintain their student base in the summertime for all the same reasons. Here are those reasons and what you must do to get drastically different results
:
Reason 1: Not Enforcing A STRONG Guitar Teaching Policy
Having a weak guitar teaching policy is a huge mistake for your guitar teaching business. Without one in place, your student base will quickly deteriorate because they will have the power to walk all over you, stop taking lessons without notice or take time off (without paying you for it). The most common teaching policy that leads to these things is a policy that lets people pay lesson-by-lesson. This kind of lesson policy leaves the door open for students to reschedule when they feel like it, arrive late, not pay on time and (in the summer) go on vacation for months at a time.
Truly successful guitar teachers charge their students per month, NOT per lesson. And if you want to get paid on time and not get taken advantage of... you should too! In addition, you don't need to accept it as a loss when your students leave for summer vacation. To get ready for this situation, think of creative ways to train your students when they are unable to meet with you in person for a lesson.
Reason 2: Having Weak Methods For Attracting Guitar Students (In General)
In previous articles I wrote about teaching guitar, I discussed why most guitar teachers use poor marketing methods that simply don't work. This causes them to only gain access to a small percentage of the income they could be making and keeps them from helping more students reach their musical goals. If you can't effectively attract students in general, you will really struggle during the summertime.
Reason 3: Giving Up On Even 'Trying' To Promote Your Guitar Teaching Business During The Summer Months
Most guitar teachers are already aware of the fact that students inquire less about taking lessons in the summer than in any other season. As a result, they simply stop promoting their lessons in the summer. This is good news for you because it means YOU get the opportunity to market your lessons to all the students that everyone else isn't paying attention to. Although there are less people seeking guitar lessons in the summer, they ARE out seeking lessons. You can easily increase the percentage of new students you add to your schedule during this time by simply marketing yourself to them (since no one else is even bothering). This will make the summer a huge success for you (rather than a 'slow period') - helping you to stay productive and grow your business.
Reason 4: Not Telling Your Guitar Students In Advance About The Value Of Taking Lessons In The Summer
Guitar students generally have a host of non-guitar activities that they want to participate in during the summer. As their guitar instructor, you must help them understand why guitar is so much more important than all those other things. You must help them realize:
A) The specific reasons why getting better at guitar is more valuable for them than any recreational activity they could be doing.
B) Why stopping guitar lessons for the summer will have very negative consequences on your student's guitar playing progress. When your students stop playing guitar for the summer, they will have to waste tons of time and money just to 'catch up' whenever they come back to work with you. This is precisely what happens to students when they come back from summer break to go to school, so it is easy for them to understand this when you explain it to them.
C) How taking lessons with you during the summer will be a very unique experience that they MUST be a part of. Here is one way (of many) you can give them this realization:
Put together several killer programs/events that are exclusive to the summertime only. This could be a specialized metal guitar soloing training course, studio recording training or even a cool trip to see a huge band play live (that you use as inspiration for a unique course based on that band's playing style). You can put together countless ideas if you simply sit down for a little bit and think about it. Just make sure that you tell your students about your programs many months in advance in order to 'build them up'. After doing this, your students will be dying to get started once the summer starts.
[Warning: Just make sure not to do the absolute worst thing possible (what most guitar teachers do): Reducing your lessons rates in a pathetic attempt to keep your students longer. This WILL backfire and cause you to lose most of your students when the summer arrives (and in general), because it lowers the value of your lessons in their eyes -they will simply choose to spend their time on other things.]
Tom Hess is a professional guitar teacher, composer, and the
guitarist. He shows guitar teachers how to become highly successful with
his guitar teaching program. Visit tomhess.net to take free guitar teaching business assessments to learn how to teach guitar more effectively and find new guitar students.
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