The Science of The Piano Student-Send Off

We spend a lot of time talking about what happens during the piano lessons you teach… but do you think about what happens after you finish the lesson? Did you know that the way you say goodbye to your piano students each week can not only impact your student retention, but also your world-of-mouth advertising?

The way you say, “goodbye” can have a big impact on the health of your piano studio. And if you’ve never given it much thought, consider this… your “goodbye” is your last contact with your piano student and his or her family for an entire week! It leaves a lasting impression… and you want that to be a good impression! Adopting these two tips as part of your “goodbye” routine will help you master the “science of the piano student send-off”.

Tip #1:  Connect with Mom or Dad

Fill in your student’s parents about what went on in your lesson. I like to include two of the interesting activities we did that day. Take the time to visually show the parent your students’ piano book; point out the piece they are to work on at home with mention of the biggest thing you’d like them to work on.

Why is this important?

By including Mom or Dad in what went on in the lesson you avoid having your students go home and mumble, “I don’t know” when they are asked what they did in their lesson time.  This is a standard “kid” response… but it doesn’t reflect all that favorably upon the hours and hours you spent prepping their lessons!  If you give parents a few interesting tidbits, then they can instead ask more specific questions and thus get more valid answers. Showing the parent what their child should be working on also gives the very strong perception that parents should be involved in some way with home practice… that home practice should be happening and gives them something to remind their child about when they get home.

Using our “Ask Me Badges” is a great way to get those post-lesson conversations going! Check out this free printable here!

Tip #2 Boost Away!

The most important part of the student send-off is the “boost” as I call it. Magic happens when you compliment a child in front of the parent. It never gets old. I wish I had a video camera set up outside my studio so I could record the “proud parent moments” that happen as they leave my studio and head to their car. And even though I’ve trained the teachers at my studio to do the same… when my daughter’s piano teacher does it to me I still feel just as proud. It just works.

It doesn’t need to be formal or verbose, but it should be genuine and highlight something that their child did particularly well in that lesson. Telling the parent while the child listens is much more effective than telling the parent on their own… or telling the child on their own. It’s a magic combination.

Why is this important?

Regularly boosting your piano students’ confidence and your studio parents’ pride does nothing but good for your studio.  It strengthens resolve when practice gets tough, it creates lasting connections and relationships with your studio and it generates word of mouth as people soak up the “warm fuzzies” and want their friends to experience the same.

It Just Works!

Those few moments at first glance can seem insignificant… and can be tossed away with a simple “see you next week!”. But they actually have a lot of power. Try these two tips for a piano student send-off and master the science of a significant piano student goodbye!

Make an even better impression by showing parents the amazing, beautiful, and unique materials your studio uses! Sending your students home with a book from the Very Useful Piano Library is guaranteed to “wow” parents.