Excellent customer service is the best way to sell your services
In the Tutors’ Facebook group the question I’m most frequently asked is what the best marketing for tutors is. It can be a challenge for tutors starting out to grow their business in the right way. There are so many tools, courses, and resources claiming to be the ‘key’ to successful marketing. But there is no question that the best marketing for tutors is excellent customer service.
The best marketing for tutors
All marketing aims to share what you are doing with the right audience, and why they need to buy it from you.
But while we’re trying to share that, the entire commercial world is doing the same thing. Customers get used to filtering out clear ads from view.
Which means that the best marketing for tutors is happy customers who are happy to refer your services to their friends. Those friends are most likely to be just like them. They value a recommendation from a friend over any advertising. Its a powerful selling resources.
Understand your target client
It is essential to truly understand who you are talking to in your marketing. Offer what they truly need, and communicate in a way that will resonate with them.
This will be a work in progress throughout your time in business, and you may even change direction. I make sure to understand all of my clients . Look for anything they have in common in order to better understand them. I seek their feedback on their experiences with studies and anxiety to give me ideas on how I can further help them.
How can you deliver a quick tutoring win
Building a positive relationship early can make a big difference with your clients. When I first talk with a potential client I seek to offer them something I can offer for a quick win. For example advice, a referral or a particular resource that will help them. Even if it turns out that you can’t support them with what they need, they’ll still have a positive view of you. They will still be willing to refer you to others. It can also help you to refine what you offer as it relates back to my first point – understand what your client needs.
This customer service does not end once tuition is confirmed. It is important to make an effort to connect with your students and their families. Really understand the problems they are facing. Each family is unique, but many of the problems they face overlap between clients. For the family, their situation is entirely unique. They don’t face exam preparation (or whatever you are supporting them with) on an annual basis, as you do. Your insight is more valuable to them than you may realise. You would do well to share it when you see fit.
You might also send messages of encouragement, seasonal cards, or even gifts to let them know you are thinking of them outside of lessons and invoicing. It means more than you might think to know that you are seen as a person and not just a client.
Check in with them regularly
Make a dedicated effort to ask your clients and students how they are doing. Its all very well having this as part of your onboarding sequence, or email automation, but there is nothing quite like a personal conversation to see how people are really doing. There may be little concerns that don’t warrant an email or an impersonal form response. You will learn a lot more about your customers and how you are meeting their needs if you give them the time to trust you are interested in hearing it.
Delivering excellent tuition is the minimum a customer expects from a tutor. What more can you do for them?
Don’t forget them when their tuition is complete
While it is important to give your time to your paying clients, they don’t drop off the face of the Earth when their tuition is complete. Remember to check in occasionally. Remember their birthdays and send messages or cards. Send well wishes as they move through the steps of their academic career, and forward anything you think may be of interest to them. This doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time. A couple of messages per year will more than suffice. It will help them to see that you remember them as more than a client, and their family is important to you. They’ll be very happy to refer you to any friends and family, and will keep you in mind for as long as you are in touch with them.
Ultimately the best marketing for tutors is to really understand and support your clients in the best possible way. The better you understand them, the better you can support them. The more impact you can have for them, and turn them into your biggest cheerleaders.
When you picture your child working with a tutor, what does it look like? Do you picture them at the kitchen table with a man in a tweed jacket? Or have you considered the many benefits of group tuition? All too often group tuition is overlooked as the low-cost alternative to individual tuition, but it offers so much more than that and I’d like to share those benefits with you today.
Group tuition (Canva image)
What does group tuition look like?
Our group classes are delivered online, to make it easier for your child to attend. They’re usually small groups of 2-5 students on a Zoom call together, all working at the same or similar levels on the same subject. The students are assessed to make sure that this is the case, and the group is well matched.
The lesson will be delivered and the task set as a group, but feedback can be shared with each individual student as they’re working, and questions can be asked in private to allow less confident students to participate.
For those students not able to attend a particular lesson, everything is recorded and shared to work through in their own time, and there is built in accountability to make sure that they are participating and benefiting.
According to a study by the Education Endowment Foundation, a charity focused on raising pupil attainment and closing the disadvantage gap in education, small group tuition can boost learning by an additional 4 months over the course of a year. Read more here.
Shared accountability
So many times in my life when I’ve been working towards a ‘stretch’ goal (something that pushes me out of my comfort zone) I’ve struggled to get there on my own.
I’ve had the best success when learning in a small group environment. Like when I joined a Personal Training group for women with three members.
Despite not being a morning person, and HATING going into the gym, I got up every weekday morning at 6am for several months and went to the gym with these three women.
I did’t want to let them down, or be the one that dropped out. The group environment added an extra layer of accountability. It kept me focused and so I worked much harder than I would have on my own.
Moral support
Everyone has bad days. On those days we can easily forget all of the successes, all of the hard work, and every time we’ve got it right. The cloud descends and suddenly everything is awful and we’re totally incapable. In our own minds.
And it can feel awkward working with a coach or teacher who is an expert in the very thing I’m finding difficult. So it becomes too easy to feel like I’m just not good at it and to give up.
When you experience those days with others who are at the same point in their journey, they can be on hand to remind you that you’re just having a bad day, it’s temporary, and don’t give up.
What’s more, being the person who gets to deliver that message to someone else is incredibly empowering for students, and helps them to believe it about themselves too.
Confidence building
In a similar way, group tuition can build your own confidence in your abilities, as you’re able to progress alongside your peers rather than at the hands of an ‘expert’.
While I discourage students to compare themselves to others as we’re on our own path, it is enlightening to see how others struggle where they breeze through, and vice versa. On the same journey there are many branched paths, and we’ll stumble in different places, and soar in different places. The group environment allows students to learn about their own strengths and even support others along the way. There is immense value in that for their confidence building.
Competitiveness
Even the meekest students have a competitive streak. I have often motivated students by telling them how their brother / sister / friend did with the same task. Of course they immediately want to do better. (Incidentally a similar tactic works against themselves – tell them how they did last month and they’ll want to beat that too.)
What better motivation than pitching them against each other in the same task in a group lesson?
However this is delivered in such a way that there can be a winner, but never a loser. Everyone’s individual work is celebrated for what it is – their own individual work.
Less pressure
When working one to one with a tutor the lesson is all about you, which means you’re in focus 100% of the time. That isn’t always a good thing, as self-conscious students or those less confident in the subject can become overwhelmed and disengage from the lesson. They then have to be brought back in after time to give their brain a break.
In a group, the attention moves between the members, so everyone naturally gets time for a brain break, time to sit back and absorb, and time to jump in and contribute.
So each individual feels less pressure to ‘perform’ in the lesson.
Fun!
One of the main aims of lessons is to make learning fun. Too much of GCSE and A level terms are focused on pressure, goals, measurement, assessment, comparison. There’s little time for fun, and often attempts at fun in school are marked as bad behaviour.
In small group lessons, there’s plenty of room for fun as well as learning. And to be perfectly honest, I think it is an essential part of the process.
We’re working to build lifelong learners with a passion for STEM subjects, and that’s not going to come out of a dry lecture followed by an exam.
But it can come out of making jokes, making personal connections, and finding the fun in learning together.
We offer group tuition at Green Tutors from February to June every year. This year we’re focusing on supporting students on the pass/fail margin GCSE maths to give them the boost they need to pass their exam this year. If you’re interested in joining us, you can sign up at https://greentutors.co.uk/group-classes/.
You may be considering hiring a tutor, but not sure what to expect. You might have experienced hard sales tactics in the past, or regretted sharing your contact details by the fifth ‘Just checking’ message. I want to put your mind at ease today and tell you exactly what happens when a potential client gets in touch with me at Green Tutors.
The tutor team April 2019
These are some of the questions I am frequently asked when people contact me.
What information do you need?
Ultimately, I just need to be able to contact you when you request a tutor. Within a quick phone call or text conversation, I can identify the support you need, and whether it is something I can provide.
While every student is different, and the benefit of hiring a tutor is that tuition can be very personalised, there are a few common threads that our tuition tends to follow.
I will ask the age of your child, what they’re currently studying (qualification and level, i.e. GCSE maths and they’re in year 10), and identify what their particular goals and challenges are.
This will help me to match them to a tutor and share some advice, but their tutor will work with them in more detail and make sure they receive the targeted support they need.
When do I have to pay?
You won’t have to pay a penny until you’ve agreed on an ongoing schedule after hiring a tutor. Lessons are billed monthly in advance, so you will receive a bill for the remainder of the current month, due a couple of days before the first scheduled lesson happens.
Going forward, you’ll receive monthly invoices around the middle of the month, giving you at least a week to pay (usually two).
When you’re hiring a tutor for a regular lesson, the bill should be the same each month, and you can set it up on a Direct Debit so you don’t have to think about it.
If you want to change your schedule, pause the lessons, or increase them as exams approach, you can do that whenever you like, with a minimum of 48 hours’ notice. There is no minimum requirement for bookings.
What happens in the lessons?
There is no set approach, as the tutors will customise the lesson to the student and their goals.
If the student needs to build confidence, we’ll work on demonstrating their abilities, getting some ‘quick wins’ to show them what they’re capable of, and spend more time on any identified challenging areas as they come up. You can read more about this in our blog How can students get more confident before their exams.
If the student is preparing for an exam, we’ll work through exam questions with them, share the way that mark schemes are applied, and assist them in finding ways to put their knowledge onto paper. We’ll also share time management skills to help prevent overwhelm.
For anxious students, we’ll work through an anxiety ladder with them and help them to improve their resilience. We’ll share positive habits that will improve their well-being and help them to deal with future challenges. Cai Graham share’s some great advice on managing stress and anxiety.
Ultimately, we’re trying to make ourselves redundant. Successful hiring of a tutor ends with a student who can learn and grow independently so that they can go on to the next step of their academic career with confidence and a study ‘toolkit’.
What happens if my child doesn’t get along with the tutor?
I make sure that all of the tutors I hire are friendly and approachable, and know how to build relationships with their students.
That being said, it is important for the student to get along with their tutor, as we’re encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone and be vulnerable.
If you hire a tutor and then feel like your child is not getting along with them, I encourage you to get in touch and let me know. We’re very happy to receive your feedback, and we’re able to match you to a new tutor very quickly. We don’t take it personally.
Your tutor will also let you know if we feel like there is a challenging relationship, and give recommendations, as we want you to get the most from your investment. We know well that not every child comes easily to tutoring, and we’re happy to work with you to identify and improve any roadblocks. We want our students to enjoy learning.
Do you provide the support I need?
We provide online tuition for STEM subjects (maths, science, computer science, engineering) for 11-18-year-olds and adult learners.
I have been operating in this area since 2011, and have a wealth of experience in this area.
But I also have a wide network in the tutoring community, and I am always able to recommend someone if what you need doesn’t match what we offer.
For primary tuition I often refer students to Portia Smith.
What support will my child get?
Alongside regular tuition, we provide each student with a library of resources to work with in a Google Drive.
We send everyone a graphics tablet after their first session so that they can work directly with their tutor online. It removes the need to print massive exam bundles and means their work is saved online.
We provide a free revision masterclass to all clients so that they can make the most of their time with the tutor by also building in good habits. They’ll leave with a revision schedule that works for them, and includes time for work, rest, and play.
They’ll learn valuable study skills that they will be able to take with them through their entire academic career, from our team of experienced academic tutors who know well how to make the most of their study time.
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We’d love to support your child with their study goals. Submit your details at https://greentutors.co.uk/request-for-tuition/ for a no-obligation introductory appointment with a tutor.
The systems in our brain that are meant to protect us from life-threatening danger (hungry lions, Jaws) can also keep us mentally ‘stuck’ and make much less life-threatening things very difficult (revision, speaking up in class).
It is unbelievably annoying, but it isn’t your fault, and recognising that is an important first step because 90% of that ‘noise’ in your brain is unjustified self-criticism. The brain bots try to prevent you from doing new, challenging things because they feel like they might present a danger, so they just keep firing off these STOP messages to keep you ‘stuck’ where it seems safer. And while it probably is safer to stay in that stuck state at the moment, it makes for a much more boring and less satisfying life.
It’s the same reason I don’t go into a gym, and why I never used to ask my teachers for help. It means reaching out and drawing attention to the areas you feel vulnerable, and the anxious brain says, ‘No thank you, stay at home please’. That is its default, so you have to arm yourself with lots of counter-messages to help keep it quiet.
Start a list of your wins.
Each time you do something that feels like a challenge, or that you’re proud of, write it down somewhere. It really doesn’t have to be major. I note a win when I go to the hairdresser, as I hate going to the hairdresser. I’ve been cutting my own hair for years over having a stranger washing and brushing my hair. That’s out of my comfort zone, and something else will be your challenge to face.
Anything can go on this list, and it will soon stack up. You’ll have a nice list of the times you thought you couldn’t do something, and surprised yourself, to show your anxious brain what you’re capable of. When you’re facing a new challenge and you hear the brain bots shutting it down, remind them that you can do this.
Ask for feedback.
You are definitely your own worst critic. Again, that isn’t your fault but it is in your control. I challenge you to seek feedback from the people who know you, and ask them to choose three words to describe you. I did this recently, and the results were incredible. I wouldn’t have picked the words I was given, but there were definite themes in the answers that helped me to identify my strengths.
I’ll bet lots of people will be willing to share that with you too, and you’ll be able to see how others see you. Then you can take a note of your strengths and use them when you face new challenges. Playing to your strengths and asking for help with everything else makes you much more likely to succeed.
Make it a habit to notice your gratitudes.
Every morning I write down 10 things I’m grateful for at that moment. A lot of the time it’s my morning coffee, or the animals, or even the fact that I got a good sleep the night before. Anything that has made you feel good can go on the list, and it helps your brain to start adopting a more positive attitude.
These things aren’t about you, but will also help you to notice the things that you’ve provided for yourself, and to keep the brain bots away from negativity. This really helps when you find yourself feeling ‘nothing ever goes right’, and you’ve got a list of all of the things that made you happy to counter that.
When the overwhelm is related to the amount of work you have to do, organising is the answer. But be warned – it gets a little worse before it gets better.
You need a clear picture of everything that’s on your plate, so start with a full brain dump. It might not feel good to see everything on one page, but I promise it’ll be worth it. Write everything you’re thinking about, worrying over, spending time on, onto a big sheet of paper (or an online document) and then work through this process with each of them.
If you think of more things as you go, you can add them to the list to follow the process rather than getting distracted.
Let it go
Are there things on here that are outside of your control? They might well be things that could have an impact on your life in the future (like who will win the next election, or will we catch flu), but there’s nothing you can do about them or in response to them at the moment, so they aren’t really your concern. They can be forgotten straight away, and you should take a moment to enjoy striking them off the list.
This is easier said than done, and sometimes it takes a little reset to get them off your mind. Change your environment, change your focus, or even take a cold shower. Give yourself something else to occupy your mind until it feels better.
You’re left with things that are inside your control only then. These are the steps I then take with my worries.
Action plan steps
Define the problem e.g. I have too many things to do and feel like I’m not in control. Important things aren’t happening and it is building up.
Think of as many solutions as possible no matter how silly they may seem e.g. delegate/drop some responsibilities, get help with something(s), extend deadlines, don’t sleep for a week (don’t do that one)
Consider the pros and cons of each solution. Do the benefits outweigh the consequences?
Choose a solution to try.
Plan how you are going to implement the chosen solution. Be specific about the action steps, and when. For help with setting these steps check out https://greentutors.co.uk/goal-setting/.
Review how it went. Were there any problems? Was it the right solution to choose? What did you learn?
It might still be a lot, but you’ll feel more in control. And you’ll be able to see where you need to ask for help, and who you can ask.If you find you’re regularly overwhelmed with GCSE prep, I have something that you will love. The Turn GCSE Stress into Exam Success Planner is an all inclusive planner and study companion for GCSE students to take control of their studies and reduce any associated stress with positive habits and a plan of action. You can be the first to get your hands on one with a special offer on the waitlist at subscribepage.io/TS2Splanner.
As you know, we’re all about finding great role models in STEM careers to inspire our students. Elan is no exception to that!
Another fantastic member of the tutor team, chemical engineering student Elan is tutoring maths, chemistry, and physics for GCSE and A level. He’s fully booked for 2022 exams but you can get on the waitlist for a September 2022 start.
I went through a series of different career choice options, but ultimately chose chemistry because of trying to understand more of the world around us on the atomic scale and using that knowledge to inspire a greener future.
Elan Mistry
Having already gained a BSc & ARCS in Chemistry, and MRes in Nanomaterials (achieving a Distinction), from Imperial College London, Elan is now a PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering at UCL. He is researching the synthesis of ammonia through photo-electrochemistry. (Incidentally, socially conscious Imperial launched a free online course on Coronavirus that you can access here.) He was also awarded First Prize in a writing competition hosted by the IChemE London & South East Young Members’ Forum answering, ‘How is Chemical Engineering Addressing a Global Issue?’.
Elan is excited to help, inspire and reassure students to do well in their studies. He enjoys playing Squash and Badminton. He also enjoys baking. I’m excited to help him gain experience through tutoring to help students in their understanding and passion for STEM subjects.
Based in Finsbury Park, Elan will be primarily tutoring students online, through Zoom and/or Google Meet. Our students and tutors are all now very familiar with using these platforms for lessons, and it actually has provided several opportunities that don’t exist in face to face lessons. An article from the World Economic Forum shared data that “on average, students retain 25-60% more material when learning online compared to only 8-10% in a classroom”. We can be more ‘ad hoc’ with scheduling lessons, and the content covered. Having to work through online platforms may have initially seemed like a barrier, but it has now opened up additional opportunities for students to engage in their lessons, and create learning material ‘as they go’.
I asked Elan a few questions about his academic and career experience so far.
What did you study to get here?
A level Chemistry (Edexcel) A*
A level Further Mathematics (Edexcel) · A*
A level Mathematics (Edexcel) · A
A level Physics (OCR) · C (A at AS)
I received the Doug Peacock Memorial Award 2015 Certificate of Distinction for achieving the highest grade in Chemistry A Level out of 80 students at Kingsbury High School Sixth Form.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
I went through a series of different career choice options, but ultimately chose chemistry because of trying to understand more of the world around us on the atomic scale and using that knowledge to inspire a greener future.
What kind of student were you at school?
Focused, determined and well mannered
Did you have a tutor?
Yes I did! I found it extremely helpful to have a tutor to support my studies. I had a tutor during my GCSEs and A Levels and found that the 1-to-1 sessions were essential in enabling me to reach where I am today. The individual lesson provided me with the confidence to ask questions that I wasn’t comfortable with asking in school. The sessions also helped me pick out my weaknesses and overall strengthen my skills.
How did you decide what to study?
I wanted to study something in which I could make a difference. With chemistry, we can make materials to combat climate change and hopefully build a better future.
Have you made any mistakes along the way to your current career?
Too many to count! But it’s important to make mistakes! Mistakes are important tools to ensure you eventually arrive at the right answer or the right path. Learning from your mistakes let’s you grow and develop your skills.
I had some setbacks during my university studies which meant that I could not do an integrated masters degree. I finished with a BSc. In spite of this, I decided to take some time to study to improve my confidence in the topics and come back to complete an MRes in Nanomaterials with a Distinction.
What are your top three tips for GCSE students?
Don’t panic
Read the specification for your course
Start revising early
Great advice for our students in 2021! It’s never too early to build good study habits. You can read more revision tips in our ‘Study Tips’ blog series.
Elan is available weekday evenings and weekends for online lessons in maths, physics, and chemistry. Get in touch here to find out more and book a lesson.
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