How to Reach and Maintain More Students on Lessonface

By Yonit Spiegelman


Many reach out to me and ask -  how do I manage to get to teach so many students on Lessonface?

Well, allow me to share my secrets with you! 

You are the master of your own profile! Unlike other music organizations or conservatories, Lessonface allows you to teach anywhere, at your own rates and time. However, Lessonface for the most part won’t specifically direct students your way. It’s a free, quality-market of music professionals and it is your responsibility to promote yourself. Think of it as your Facebook artist page - Facebook gives you the platform but it won’t get you ‘free’ likes. 

Yonit Spiegelman breaks down
how to get your profile going on Lessonface.

This video was created in early 2019.
Find more info and tips for getting students here.

So what can you do? 

Put some TLC in your profile:

    •    Make sure you put a nice big-smile-picture on your profile. (Unless you play metal, then you’re allowed to frown).
    •    Put a good-quality video that shows your skills -- it could be your performance at Madison Square Garden but a great self-recorded video works as long as you rock it!
    •    Don’t start your bio with “Yonit Spiegelman was born in 1925 at 3.5 pounds.” That’s not very attractive. Start with your greatest accomplishments! “Yonit Spiegelman was the first to play bass on the moon, performing with Michael Jackson, Elvis and Britney Spears.”
    •    Review your profile and make sure it looks as good as a cool glass of lemonade on a hot New York summer day.

Your profile is done. Now what? 

*** Super important information below***

* SHARE YOUR PROFILE * 

Where?
    1.    On your Facebook page and artist page
    2.    As a comment on successful videos you took part of -- on  Youtube, Facebook, Instagram or any other media
    3.    Repeat 1+2 at least once a month
    4.    Look for your online-niche-groups. My audiences, for example, are beginner to intermediate bass players and Israelis living abroad. So you could see my profile popping up every now and then in the appropriate social groups such as ‘Bass Players Luxembourg’ and ‘Israelis in Miami.' Does it work all the time? No. Did it get me new students? Yes.
    5.    Post it on your ‘contact me’ on your website
    6.    Local blogs, magazines or media features you could share it with (For example: Guitar World, No Treble, Bass Musician Magazine, International Double Reed Society, Pianist Digital or any endorsement you have that will be interested to feature you and Lessonface).

Consider having a trial option on your profile

I wouldn’t be writing this today if not for my first lesson on Lessonface -- which was a 15-minute trial. That one was followed by five 60-minute sessions booked that same week. So respect your trials and they will provide! 

I consider trial lessons as an intro, meaning I wouldn’t try to teach someone almost anything at that time. You talk, explain what is it that you do, ask your student questions about their goals, think together on a great lesson-plan for them to consider. That usually does the work. If they like your vibe, they’ll usually book a lesson right after.

To avoid unsuccessful trials and frustration:  

Once the trial is booked, send the student a message saying something like “Hey Bob! I saw you booked a trial lesson with me, that’s awesome! Could you tell me in a few words what are your general goals for your guitar lessons?” If he answers: 
A. You know he’s involved, he’s most likely to show up, and 
B. You have something to start the conversation with.  

If he doesn’t answer this, send him (or her) another message a couple of days before the trial: 
“Hey Bob! I’m excited for our lesson this Saturday, could you please confirm that you received this message and that you are still interested in this trial lesson?” If he doesn’t answer up to 24 hours before the lesson, it’s probably not going to happen. If this is a conflict in your schedule then cancel or reschedule, if you planned to stay at home and practice anyway - give it a try, why not. 

Follow our inquiries (and your heart)

Many of our students are a bit overwhelmed by the quantity of amazing teachers we have (that’s you!) and they’re not sure which one to choose! So they post an Inquiry stating their preferences, level, goals, dreams, aspirations etc. Some of our teachers get email notifications, but you can actually see open inquiries by clicking the i icon on the toolbar on the left of your screen. Inquiries are usually effective when you answer them the same day - so make sure to check what’s up on a daily basis! 

Always answer your messages, and in a timely manner!

If you wait too long to answer a student who’s asking about a lesson with you, the student will give up on you and move on. It’s as simple as that. The best results are when you answer on the same day or better yet, within a few hours. If a student asked you about his/her homework, try to answer as soon as possible as well, it’s all part of the teaching experience! 

We had the best lesson ever and now my student is nowhere to be seen! 

You’ve built together a lesson-plan for the next 50 years and you haven’t heard from him/her for a week or two. What can you do? There’s a magic solution for it, and it works for after both regular lessons or trials. 

Follow Up! 

A great feature that Lessonface has that other conservatories usually don’t like is that there’s no commitment so most of our students purchase one lesson at a time, and sometimes they get a bit ‘lost’. I would send him/her a message that looks something like that:

“Hi Dina! How are you? It’s been a little while! How’s the chord worksheet we went through last time working out for you? Finding the time to practice I hope ;) Let me know if I can help with anything. I hope summer is treating you well. See you soon!"

Usually that gets them back on track sooner or later. But some students are not built for commitment.. so that happens too! But really – this is really essential to keep the students in touch with you. It also shows that you care, and that’s always nice to see! 

Reviews prove you’re the real deal

I wouldn’t ask a first-time student to review me (even though they will get an email requesting them to review right after the first session). But on the third/fourth lesson - if it went great and the vibe and mood feel right - you can ask your student if they can review your lesson, only if they don’t mind! Also, if you prepared them for an audition, recital or even rehearsal - after this event is a great chance to ask them for a review (while following up on how they did of course).

“But I don’t have even one student - how will I get a review?” 

Well, that’s another reason to set up the trial-lesson option. If you know of someone who always wanted to have a lesson but never got to it - a friend, the child of your parent’s friends or the super of your building - offer this to them! That’s why we have the Lesson Invite option for you to use. All you need is their email! 
Hope this helps and thanks again for being a part of our Lessonface family! 
Best,
Yonit Spiegelman

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