6 Questions to Ask if Students are Leaving Your Piano Studio (#3)

12/8/2016

(Today I’m continuing my series about why students might be leaving your studio. If you missed Question #1 and 2, you can find the beginning of the series here.)

#3 Do you connect with each student on a personal level?

When I was a little girl, part of our Christmas tradition was visiting Santa. Every year I would go with 2 of my friends to a local department store to see Santa and Snow Queen.

But this was no ordinary Santa.

This was THE Santa.

He “remembered” you. I'm not kidding.

Well....actually, it turned out that Santa and the Snow Queen were rigged with a microphone and headset. But still....

Kids would first talk with the Snow Queen, then head to see Santa, who was several feet away. Since Santa was listening to the conversation with his headset, he would call you over - by name!

It was the most amazing thing! (And pretty impressive some 35 years ago.)

(That's me in the back with a bow on my head.)

I fell in love with this Santa because he “knew” me.

The same thing can happen with your piano students if you simply put in a little effort.

Many of you are probably doing this already, but if you’re losing students, ask yourself these questions:

Do you know your student’s favorite hobbies?
Did your high school student ace that algebra final that she was so worried about last week?
How did that preschooler’s birthday party go?
What about your student’s new kitten - is he still misbehaving?

Taking the time to really know your students is one of the most important ways to keep your studio thriving. Why?

Everyone benefits when you get involved personally:

Your students will work harder to please the teacher they love so much.
Your parents will be thrilled to see their children progress.
And you? Not only will you have more fun during lessons, but these “invested” families won’t be dropping out of your studio anytime soon.

But a warning - you can’t fake interest. This takes genuine effort and a heart that truly wants to connect on a personal level.

I know what you’re thinking - But how in the world do I keep up with 30, 40, 60 students? I already have so much on my plate!

No worries!

Next Tuesday, I'll let you in on my one-minute habit that has changed everything!

And here's a fun way to connect with your student - Christmas jokes! Get the PDF here!