Power of Professionalism

1 The Power of Professionalism Dana Martin | DanaMartinStudio.com | Copyright 2015 ©

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Do you sometimes feel like you’re running your studio

like a hobby instead of a business?

Is it a challenge to get your students to pay on time,

show up, or even practice?

How do you know if you’re charging enough?

These and other questions plague many studio owners, and

it’s difficult to even know where to start.

Perhaps you’re on the right track, but just need a little

tweaking to help present your studio as the quality business

it is to your students and potential students.

In the Encarta Dictionary “Professionalism” is defined as

professional standards; the skill, competence or character

expected of a member of a highly trained profession. The use of

professionals instead of amateurs.

You ARE a highly trained professional. An expert in your field.

Your students look to you for instruction, coaching, guidance

and so much more.

If you want to run your studio more professionally, use this

report as a guide to help you establish professional standards

for your business that will allow you to charge what you’re

worth and set the professional tone you desire for your

studio.

Dana Martin has built an excellent

reputation as a coach with her TLC

approach and results-driven methods.

Her clients flourish under her guidance.

Teacher, mentor and coach to piano

students became a natural progression

to teacher, mentor and coach to other

music teachers.

Her true passion is helping studio

owners realize their potential in

ATTRACTING ideal students, CREATING

a referral culture where students

become raving fans and bring in more

ideal students, and KEEPING current

students longer by creating an

experience for each student that imparts

a passion for music.

Dana shares what fills her with the most

pride is the achievements of her clients:

“Nothing fills me with more joy or

pride as when a client shares her

success story of getting ‘unstuck’

and booking her studio solid and

grows her business exponentially in

ways she never could have

imagined!”


A business, not a hobby

Train your STUDENTS to treat you like the professional you are. I’m not talking about being

stodgy or harsh. I believe our studios should be a fun place with lots of energy and smiles. However,

you must have some semblance of order and structure to establish a positive learning environment.

I like to start out the lesson with one or two minutes of asking the student about her week. I may ask,

“Did you do anything fun this week?” Not only does it allow the student to express herself and open

up to you, but it also sets a positive mood for the lesson.

Sometimes a student will say, “I didn’t get much practice this week because…” Hearing that he was

out of town for three days lets you know why he didn’t complete his assignment. Or perhaps he just

didn’t plan well and neglected to practice. This gives you important insight into what kind of week he

had and how the remainder of the lesson is likely to go.

I have a few things in place that encourage recommended practice and completion of assignments.

You may be interested in doing something similar in your studio:

Weekly practice sheet. To encourage steady practice, students must write down their daily

practice minutes onto a chart each week. Establish a weekly or daily goal and reward students with

stickers for reaching the goal.

Lesson notes. I got this idea from another teacher and created my own Lesson Notes to “grade”

each lesson as well as write down each assignment for the coming week. As you can see on page 3,

students are evaluated on a scale from 1-5. Students should easily achieve a 4 (Excellent) each week

if they complete all assignments and practice their recommended minutes. However, a 5 (Wow!) is

reserved for exceptional lessons when they really wow me. This makes getting a “Wow!” extra

special.

As a way to earn extra stickers, I keep a running total of their score each week; when a student

reaches 25 points, she receives three extra stickers that week. A score of 5 automatically gets her to

25 points and the three extra stickers.

WEEK OF M T W T F S S TOTAL MIN PARENTS INITIALS STAR

* * * * * * N U M B E R O F M I N U T ES * * * * * *

W E E K L Y M I N U T E S S H E E T

Name

D a n a M a r t i n S t u d i o

864 Wellington Way | Lexington, KY 40503

859.552.4419 | [email protected]


Progress sheet. Students receive stars for completing assignments and memorized pieces on

this sheet. Lesson Notes scores are noted and totaled on this sheet as well.

Incentive chart. For every star students receive on their minutes and progress sheets, they put

a sticker on an Incentive Chart (available at your local Parent Teacher Store or office supply store). It’s

a small sheet roughly the size of a postcard with 20-25 squares for placing stickers. When their

Incentive Chart is full, they get to pick a prize from the Treasure Box.

Treasure box. The treasure box is a mixture of trinkets bought at the Dollar Tree, pocket

folders and movie box candy. All prizes are $1 or less. Even my high school boys love picking a prize

when their Incentive Charts are full.

Setting expectations and rewarding students when they meet them is an excellent approach for

teaching respect for you and your studio.

LESSON NOTES EXAMPLE

INCENTIVE CHART

PROGRESS SHEET EXAMPLE

WEEK OF LB TB SB TH MEM LN SCORE

TEACHER COMMENTS

PARENT INITIALS

STAR

P R O G R E S S S H E E T

Name

D a n a M a r t i n S t u d i o

864 Wellington Way

Lexington, KY 40503 | 859.552.4419

[email protected]


Now, what about the parents?

Train the PARENTS to treat you like the professional you are. How can you get parents to pay

on time, arrive on time (or just show up at all!) without nagging or worrying about offending and

losing them?

Create Studio Policies and enforce them. If you don’t have Studio Policies, you need them now.

And if you do have policies but aren’t enforcing them, you must start now.

Require students to complete and sign a new Student Agreement at the beginning of every calendar

year (August, for my studio). This ensures you that they’ve read them and understand how you

operate your studio.

Some items to include in your Studio Policies:

Lesson Structure – lesson length (30-minutes, for example), what to expect during the lesson

(method book, theory, etc., music history, performance)

Procedures – do you want students to enter your studio or ring the bell? Do you require parents

sit in on the lesson or request that they don’t? What happens if you’re running behind

schedule?

Recitals and performances (how often, mandatory or not)

Your expectations for recommended practice, showing up on time with all books and

practice sheets, etc.

Missed lessons policy – do you make up missed lessons, schedule a monthly group lesson for

missed lessons or not make them up at all? What about inclement weather?

Fees and payment schedule – late payment policy and fees, recital fees, book or copy fees,

methods of payment you accept, etc.

Termination of lessons policy – 30 days notice, for example

Communication – preferred method of communication (text, call, email), office hours, etc.

Personal note – thank them for choosing you as their music teacher and reiterate how much you

enjoy working with them

Parent agreement – the last page should be the signed agreement. Restate some of your most

important policies in first person form: “I agree to and will abide by the Studio Policies as

stated above. I understand that all fees are due…” Also include a permission statement for

student pictures to be allowed on your website, Facebook page, newsletter, etc. Include space

for all contact information as well as a secondary contact.


Student agreement – The student should sign and date the agreement as well with statements

such as “I agree to practice the recommended amount of time each week and come to

lessons prepared…” I also ask for the student’s birthday so I can remember them in the

newsletter as well as send a card and a small gift.

Continue a professional appearance by making sure your policies look neat and are free of typos.

Proofread several times, and ask your spouse or a friend to proofread them as well to catch mistakes

you may have missed. Keep a professional yet friendly tone throughout your policies.

You may request a copy of my Studio Policies by email.

Create a studio calendar to distribute to all students. I send out three calendars per year: Fall

(August –December), Winter/Spring (January-May) and Summer (June-July). Each calendar clearly

shows all lesson days as well as holidays.

Publish a monthly newsletter. A newsletter keeps students and parents informed, highlights

student accomplishments, welcomes new students and establishes your credibility. It doesn’t have to

be fancy, but it should be neat and professional. There are free templates you can download online.

If you don’t feel qualified to publish your own newsletter, I have a friend who can help you with that

at a very reasonable cost. Contact Kara Butler directly at [email protected] and tell her I sent you.

(Start your first month of Tempo™ membership for only $4.95 and receive a FREE BONUS download

of my interview with Kara about why every studio needs a newsletter! Details here.)

Communicate regularly. Parents and students must be reminded of upcoming important dates

and events, a vacation you have planned, etc. I recommend sending out regular emails (monthly, at

least) with important reminders and updates. Texting is another excellent way to communicate when

it’s time-sensitive.

Raise your rates

Chances are you’re probably not charging enough for the value you give your students. If you give

excellent value and deliver on your promise, don’t you think you’re worth higher rates? It's really all

about mindset. There are different degrees for just about everything.

Imagine you want to get professional photos taken of your child. There are lots of choices available

to you with varying degrees of quality as well as price.

For example, you may get your child's picture taken at Wal-Mart, Olan Mills or a private

photographer — all at different price points. You can definitely tell the difference in quality at each

price point.

mailto:[email protected]


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http://www.danamartinstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Tempo-brochure.pdf


So, which do you choose? Why? Let’s say these photos are for a special occasion, such as graduation

pictures. Now, which would you choose?

Since it’s for a special occasion, let’s say you chose the private photographer. Now, because you’re

paying a significantly higher price, you’ll also expect a much higher quality than you’d get with your

other choices. After all, that’s what you’re paying for. Right?

On the flip side, do you think a private photographer who didn't charge higher fees would seem like

a good value? Rather, it would cheapen their work. It wouldn't seem nearly as appealing to have

them if they weren't exclusive and expensive.

So, let me ask you. Do you believe you provide high value to your students? If you know your

students are receiving above average quality in their music education, shouldn’t you charge more?

You’re worth it. It's a win-win. Your students win with an excellent music education and you should

also win by charging for the value they receive.

Now, I want you to think about your current students. Are you settling for students who don’t

appreciate the value you give? There are students out there who want a quality music education and

they're willing to pay for it. They want Olan Mills or even private photography quality and you give

that with your quality teaching and all the little extras. Sure, it's a little scary. You don't want to lose

the sure-bet students you have now. But with all the aggravation and stress they cause you, are they

really worth it? I'd rather at least get more money for the aggravation and stress!

Just like the exclusive private photographer, when you charge more you also get a better quality

student. They understand they're paying more for higher quality. They aren't penny-pinching,

wanting to squeeze every last drop of your energy.

Think about it. You're worth it. You really are.

Summary

When you establish a professional tone for your studio by your teaching methods and practices, the

policies you enforce, your expectations and your communications, your students and parents will

treat you with the respect you deserve. Your studio will run like a well-oiled machine and feel more

like a business than a hobby.

There was a day when I didn’t have studio policies and students missed lessons without paying, quit

without notice and generally ran over me. When I started running my studio more professionally, I

began attracting better quality students who show up and pay on time, take their music education

seriously and refer other quality students to me.


It’s a win-win for all. I’m happier and so are my students and parents. Professionalism breeds quality

all around.

If you’re unsure how to establish an air of professionalism in your studio, it starts with you and your

mindset. When you operate with an expectation of respect, you’ll receive it. I promise. Just start.

Today.

I’d love to hear from you! Please email me today and tell me your “Aha moments!” as you read

this report. Request a copy of my policies, newsletters or any of the documents I’ve mentioned here.

Or if you have questions, I’m happy to schedule a phone or Skype consult with you (at my current

hourly lesson fee).

Happy teaching!

Be amazing!

Dana Martin

Dana Martin Studio

864 Wellington Way

Lexington, KY 40503

859.552.4419

[email protected]

PS: Contact Dana now to start your first month of Tempo™ membership for only $4.95 and receive a

FREE BONUS download of my interview with Kara Butler about why every studio needs a newsletter!



Power of Professionalism

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