Student Retention/Attrition

Although we are super pleased we have such high retention rates due to lots of long term conversations, recently we are finding (within the last year or so) that people are tactfully avoiding 1. Talking to us about issues or things they are confused about…

• Last updated 4 months ago
• business calls, calling back no shows, calling no shows, communicate, communicating where you are at, communicating with parents, communication, communication with parents, discontinuation, discontinuation notice, discontinuation policy, discontinuing, discontinuing lessons, email communication, ending lessons, ending lessons via email, exit email, no notice ending lessons, notice, quitting, quitting lessons, short notice cancellation, social media, students ending lessons, students quitting, studio communication, talking on phone, talking to people on the phone, text, texting, want to quit

Sharing a requirement-based success story. I had a family recently whose two children never practiced consistently since they started. I told parents and children consistently the past week before spring break and week following that it wasn’t a problem, but that it wasn’t going to…

• Last updated 7 months ago
• alignment with coaches, angry parent, at home practice, busy coaches, claiming territory, coach, coach at lessons, coach not coaching, coach responsibility, coaches, coaching, coaching parents, commit, commitment, commitment to lessons, communicating with parents, communication, communication with parents, confidence as a coach, confidence as a teacher, dealing with parents, distracted coach, encouraging practice, frustrated parents, holding coaches accountable, importance of life coach, lack of practice, Laurie Richards, lesson requirements, life coach, life coach roles, life coaches, managing coaches, managing practice, managing practice time, monitor practice, not practicing, parent, parent concerns, parent involvement, parent role, parent struggles, parent support, parental expectations, parental involvement, parental participation, parental responsibility, parents, parents attending lessons, poor practice, practice, practice guidelines, practice habits, practice time, practicing, practicing guidelines, problem parent, relationship with coach, request vs requirement, requirement, requirement based studio, requirement versus request, requirement-based, requirements, requirements in lessons, role of parent, selective coaching, student not practicing, studio policies, teaching parents, unhappy parent, unsupportive parent, working with parents, working with parents on how to practice

I’m hoping to find some advice and encouragement. For several months, I have felt bogged down in studio management (mostly involving recruiting and keeping students since my finances are very restricted at the moment). In the process of trying to fill vacancies and keep my…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• long-term relationship with teaching, marketing, personal growth, retention, running your studio, student retention, teacher valley

I am a very new SM teacher and have not started to advertise in earnest yet. However, I started teaching one adult student who was going incredibly well, but she promptly dropped out after the first month of lessons were over (I charge on a…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• going ahead, learn-at-home, retention, Robin Keehn, SHM, using SHMs, videos, watching ahead on the video

In my initial lesson with adult students, I often will introduce the Basics followed by Dreams Come True. It has become a common theme that people really don’t understand that diagram; I am considering starting with the right hand of Ode to Joy. Sadly I…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• 5 steps of sound, 5SS, basics, Dreams Come True, first lesson, five steps of sound, foundation session, Laurie Richards, learning a new way of learning, understanding diagrams

Who has wording for an exit email? They’re choosing other activities over piano and I’m fine with the, so I just want to say a nice goodbye. Just putting the question out there actually helped me write it. I kept it simple. This is what…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• attrition, busy students, communication, exit email, exiting students

In this webinar Neil talks about the design of upset, what that means specifically and how to manage, and more importantly, prevent upset from occurring. This includes developing an understanding of some underlying dynamics in your relationships with students and coaches with regard to expectations.…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• communication, difficult conversations, expectation, intention, Laurie Richards, Long Term Relationship, LTR, managing coaches, managing students, Neil Moore, relationships, request, requirement

Do any of you have an enrollment protocol to keep people who are over-committers from enrolling, or do you just let the turnover happen? At the FIS, I make it very clear that I require a parent to attend class — to see the value…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• busy families, communication, enrollment, long-term relationship conversation, over committed families, Robin Keehn, student turnover, turnover

I’ve lost a few students recently (starting Level 3) because the parents are taking them to a traditional teacher to learn to read notes, even though the kids were doing well and I told them that we were moving toward note reading soon. They compared…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• arrangements, core conversations, Laurie Richards, managing expectations, reading, repertoire, Robin Keehn, when to introduce reading

I am seeing a pattern of students growing restless in Level 4 and at the beginning of the reading process. This is usually around two years into lessons, and seems to coincide with students entering middle school. I feel sad to see them give up…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• eye of the needle, F3, F4, FL3, FL4, Foundation 3, Foundation 4, Laurie Richards, Level 3, managing expectations, reading, reading notes, reading rhythm, students losing interest, valleys