The High Value Music Studio: Grow a Successful Teaching Career That Satisfies PART 1

As a private music teacher, there are limited ways to make more money teaching lessons. We can:

1) teach more private students

2) teach group lessons to multiply $$ earned for the same unit of time

3) teach the same number of private lessons but charge a higher rate

Teaching more students or group lessons are good strategies if you have the desire, capacity, and resources to do so.

The third option - charging more for your private lessons - is often met with skepticism. Teachers assume that parents won't or can't pay more than they already are, or that raising their fees means losing students to teachers who charge less.

But here's the truth: The value of any service is in the eye of the purchaser. If your lessons are perceived as valuable enough, you can charge more.

There's no written law that says a half hour lesson is worth $25,$35, or $50. If your lessons are considered valuable enough to the parent/student, getting and keeping a spot in your studio will be a high priority and parents will make the necessary financial adjustments to do so. (This is especially true in our business because finding great experiences for their kids is already a high priority for most parents.)

So the question you should really ask yourself is: How do I raise the actual and perceived value of my lessons so I can charge more?

I'll bet this question feels daunting. You probably already offer a high value musical experience in your lessons. Raising the value enough to charge significantly more might feel impossible.

Here's the good news: This is exactly what I did in my own teaching business. I was able to raise my rates 45% over 7 years without losing any students due to price increases. For real!

And here's the GREAT news: I can show you exactly how to do the same thing.

I'm developing an online course that provides step-by-step instructions to building a high value teaching career you love and the financial success you deserve without burnout. This course is called The High Value Music Studio: The growth guide for a successful teaching career that satisfies.

The course will launch this fall (I'm so excited!) and will provide the exact roadmap you need to take your studio (and earnings) from good to amazing. Go here to sign up for the course newsletter .

So, here's a sneak peak....The very first module of The High Value Music Studio online course will help you understand your teaching values, needs, desires and skills.

What do I mean by this, and why is it important?

In order to offer the highest value experience in lessons, you need to offer students the best possible learning experience. Two conditions need to be met in order to do this.

1. the parent/student need to want what you specifically offer

2. you need to be able to function at your best for each student

The students who want what you uniquely offer and enable you to be your best teaching self so you can provide an exceptional experience are your ideal students.

You might be thinking, This lady must be smoking something, because finding ANY students is difficult, let alone ideal students!

I must disagree. The success I've had pivoting from good to great, from fine to flourishing proves that it can be done if you follow the right roadmap. (Go here to learn more.)

And here's the best part: you'll get an immediate boost from clarifying your values, needs, desires, and skills and defining your ideal students. You'll start reaping the benefits of the course before you even put the strategies I'll give you into practice! This process is that powerful.

But I digress....getting back on track....

Here's what I learned over the course of my 25 year career:

In order to attract your ideal students and be your best teaching self, you need a clear understanding of your values, needs, desires, and skills.

Here's a breakdown...

Values: Your values are the high level beliefs that define you and your business. It's more than just a list of your likes and dislikes. For example, "treating everyone with respect" is a value; "I don't like pickles" is not. (And just for the record, I love pickles...)

Needs: Your needs are the conditions that must be met in order to thrive and function as your best teaching self in lessons. What conditions make it possible for you to feel energized and emotionally available for your students (instead of, say, exhausted and resentful)? For example, "I need structure in my work day," or, "I need good communication with my students."

Desires: Whereas your needs are your "need to haves", your desires are your "nice to haves". Desires include the "extras" that make your teaching day a easier and more enjoyable, and give you a sense of optimism for your future teaching career. Perhaps one of your desires is to have a studio that's separate from your living space, to have a more diverse student roster, or even something small like have fresh flowers in your studio each day (this is one of mine!)

Skills: Your skills are the things that you're particularly good at and that distinguish you from other teachers. For example, I'm particularly good at connecting with any student regardless of age, ability or personality; I'm also good at teaching solid fundamentals through a variety of types of music. What unique or strong skills do you bring to your lessons?

Once you have a good handle on your values, needs, desires and skills you can begin to shape a vision for your studio that allows you to attract your ideal students and, over time, increase the value, demand, and fee for your lessons.

If you'd like a step-by-step blueprint for doing this, my online course is for you!

Click here to learn more about my course newsletter and the goodies you'll get!

I am truly thrilled to be offering this course to my fellow teachers, and I'd love to help you take your teaching business to the next level. I hope you'll join me!

If you're thinking, Whoa! I'm not sure I'm ready for a course just yet. Right now I just need some strategies to find more students. No problem! Get my FREE guide, 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Music Studio. I'll see you back here when you're ready.

But I really hope you'll sign up for the course newsletter, which will give you the information you need to decide if the course is right for you. I'm excited for the transformations you'll make the success you can have! Oh, the places we will go....

Watch for my next blog, PART 2 of The High Value Music Studio series...

Not on the blog email list? Let's definitely fix that!

Sign up here