Compared to tutoring online, there are some distinct advantages and differences with in-home tutoring. Eric explains how to leverage your presence in the client’s home to build a long term relationship and generate referrals and word of mouth buzz. He shows what to bring to your sessions to set yourself apart, and how to demonstrate the value of every session for the parent, since they are the real paying client.
Show Notes
Hopefully you can make things easy for yourself and work with kids who are currently in a math class. This way you don't have to create content and bring it to the session. The main thing you need is a car to get around to your sessions.
There are some benefits to in-home tutoring. For one thing, going to someone’s home helps you to build a long term relationship. It's more sticky than an online session. Going in-home is superior because you're physically there, making a connection not only with the student, but with the parent. And tutors might think the client is the student, because that’s who needs help, but the client is really the parent. Because they pay for it.
When you meet the parent at the door on the way out you can talk to them after the session. Save time for this. Tell them how it went, what you worked on, what you went over, and what they should work on before the next session. It’s like a session recap. So you’re really demonstrating the value for the parent this way. But with online you don’t have the opportunity to do that. From what I've seen, these clients can be very long term. Even when the kids don't really need help anymore, they want you to keep coming. It's habitual, routine. Every Tuesday and Thursday at five, you show up.
When you go in-home you can build a strong relationship with the family. You meet their dog, and the siblings. This way you have more to go on when you're having phone calls with the mom later on. You can say, “Hey, how's Chelsea doing? And how's Roxy?” Things like that are underestimated but they play a large role in forming relationships with clients.
There is not much you need to bring to the sessions. But it’s good not to show up completely empty-handed. If you're teaching algebra or geometry, you can find a $5 textbook that kind of goes over some of the standards in your state. Find some resources you like, and bring those. Maybe you have a workbook you bring and then you can even show the parents and add some value by saying, “This is the material I like. I've tried them all, and this one's really good. So I'd recommend you pick that up.”
It’s also important to build a relationship with the student too. The parent is definitely going to ask the student how it went. You want to establish a connection. But realize every family is different. Even some of the best tutors aren’t going to hit it off with everyone equally. So don't take it personally if once in a while you get rejected or it doesn't work out. Even with my top tutor who everybody loves, I had one family who said, “We're just looking for someone a little more outgoing.” Now, I know this tutor is phenomenal because literally every time I send him out people love him. But I didn't argue with them. I said, “Okay, I hear you. Sometimes students want that, and we can get that for you.” And I found someone else who I really didn't think was as good of a tutor, but they liked him.
You can develop a network of referrals as well. If you’re a mathematics expert, and you have clients asking for SAT you can say, “Oh, yeah,I happen to know this guy, Joe Schmo down the street.” Then let Joe know you sent a referral his way. Eventually some leads will start coming back to you if you send them out. That's how business works. By being there in the client’s home, you're going to get even more referrals. The parent is thinking of you more, because they see you there in the home. And they say, “You know, I was just talking to Nancy the other day and she was saying she needs a tutor. Maybe I'll connect you guys.” Whereas if you’re tutoring online, you're not being triggered as a memory. So that connection is less likely to happen.
What is Earn $30k to $70k as A Math Tutor Part Time?
This podcast will reveal some simple strategies to get your first clients, grow your business, and market your services online as a tutor in any subject. There are five mistakes even experienced tutors make that can be costing you a LOT of money. Are you falling into any of the common traps? You might be surprised.
Eric Earle has started 4 different tutoring companies and been working in the tutoring industry for over a decade. Currently he runs his tutoring businesses remotely and travels around the world looking for awesome surf spots.
Along the way, Eric has discovered some tactics that are insanely effective to establish a tutoring business from literally nothing and grow it into a full time enterprise.
One of the biggest myths he came across is that you have to lower your rates when you’re first starting out. This is super pervasive and it’s simply not true. You can charge premium hourly rates right from the start, you just have to do it properly. Eric will show you a foolproof method in this podcast. Don’t discount yourself. Charge what you’re worth.
Whether you’re just starting out as a tutor or a seasoned pro with a thriving business, the hacks and secrets in this podcast will help you land more clients and scale your tutoring more effectively. You can use these strategies regardless of whether you’re meeting clients in-person or tutoring them online. This podcast will make you money!
Eric Earle is a tutor, entrepreneur, and investor. After science and math tutoring changed the course of his life, Eric saw the potential of tutoring to make a significant positive impact. He grew his tutoring business in Portland, Oregon, and soon needed to hire a staff of other tutors to meet all of the demand. He is also the founder of mathtutoraustin.com and the national tutoring platform zoomtutor.com as well.
It was at a neurology clinic high in the Himalayas that Eric had an epiphany: he realized he wanted to go to medical school. The problem was, he’d already graduated from college and hadn’t taken any of the math and science classes required for admittance. He went back to school to work his way through calculus, physics, organic chemistry, and biochemistry but the topics were unbearably difficult. Eric hired a tutor and, with diligent work, was able to turn himself into a top science student.
This experience with tutoring showed Eric that there is no limit to what we can become with the right teachers. He now supports tutoring and education through his businesses. He is here to share what he has learned about business, investing, tutoring, and life though this podcast. Hopefully you find some of his teachings valuable.