So… I’m starting a 1-on-1 lesson this Friday - it will be my first private tutoring session in Taiwan. The girl contacted me through an ad I posted on the NTU BBS server. On the ad, I listed the pay as 500NT/hour for intermediate conversation lessons. She asked that we meet this Friday around 2pm “to just talk about our class and to know each other more”
I’m wondering if she will expect me to meet with her for free this first time, and then she will decide whether or not she wants regular lessons that she will pay for? Or can I ask for payment for this first meeting, because I will be going through some exercises with her to get a feel for her familiarity with the English language.
I’m not too sure what the expected custom is for English lessons in Taiwan - could you help me out with this?
Would it be rude if I ask for payment for this first meeting/lesson? Should I email her and ask what her expectations are regarding payment? etc.
I will talk to someone on the phone to discuss programs but I won’t meet face-to-face “off the clock”. I did once, and my impression was that the individual “interviewed” A LOT of potential trainers, and basically got a lot of free face time. She spent well over an hour and a half picking my brain. Since then, the initial meeting to get to know each other better, is billable.
Prepare some material to use at first meetings, be organized and make it worth the fee. Very respectfully outline your policies for payment, cancellations, etc. You are the professional. Does your doctor ask you if you want to pay for an initial consultation? If you give your time away for free, the client will perceive there is no value.
Granted, if you are new at this and need to build a clientele, you do what you have to do.
By the way, NT$500/hour is quite low for private lessons.
So… I’m starting a 1-on-1 lesson this Friday - it will be my first private tutoring session in Taiwan. The girl contacted me through an ad I posted on the NTU BBS server. On the ad, I listed the pay as 500NT/hour for intermediate conversation lessons. She asked that we meet this Friday around 2pm “to just talk about our class and to know each other more”
I’m wondering if she will expect me to meet with her for free this first time, and then she will decide whether or not she wants regular lessons that she will pay for? Or can I ask for payment for this first meeting, because I will be going through some exercises with her to get a feel for her familiarity with the English language.
I’m not too sure what the expected custom is for English lessons in Taiwan - could you help me out with this?
Would it be rude if I ask for payment for this first meeting/lesson? Should I email her and ask what her expectations are regarding payment? etc. [/quote]
Be professional. Don’t charge her for this meeting. Meet with her for free, for half an hour, and answer any questions she might have. You might want to give her an idea of what kind of teacher you are and what she can expect.
At this first meeting you can discuss payment for future lessons, cancellation policies, etc.
I disagree. And while doctors in the States might charge for an initial consultation, lawyers don’t. In fact, professionals of all kinds give free estimates and free consultations.
[quote=“one_too”][quote=“CraigTPE”]
By the way, NT$500/hour is quite low for private lessons.[/quote]
Is that so? What is the average going rate for a private lesson, then?[/quote]
If you don’t speak fluent Mandarin, and if you don’t have a lot of experience, then $500 is about right. You might be able to charge more for kids. If you’re fluent in Mandarin, reliable, and professional, you can get over a thousand. The ceiling drops fast after that.
There is nothing wrong with giving a free consultation in order to find out the student’s needs and expectations and whether or not you are able or willing to meet or exceed them. I would set 30 minutes as a sufficient amount of time to discuss these issues as well as hourly rates, meetings times/places, cancelation policy, etc.
One last very important tip. Sell your private lessons in a time block format. For example, if you are going to meet for 4 hours twice a week at $500 ntd/hour you need to get at least 20 hours of tuition fee paid up front ($10,000 ntd). This is how all the successful private tutors do it (as well as the bushibans). They don’t allow students to pay per class after it has completed. If you don’t get 20 hours of tuition up front you’ll get burned with chronic cancelations. Getting the money up front does two things. Firstly, it puts money in your pocket up front so you know that you’re not wasting your time. Secondly, it makes the student show up for your classes.
Based on the questions you’ve asked, I feel you’re only worth $500/hr. No disrespect intended.
One last very important tip. Sell your private lessons in a time block format. For example, if you are going to meet for 4 hours twice a week at $500 ntd/hour you need to get at least 20 hours of tuition fee paid up front ($10,000 ntd). This is how all the successful private tutors do it (as well as the bushibans). They don’t allow students to pay per class after it has completed. If you don’t get 20 hours of tuition up front you’ll get burned with chronic cancelations. Getting the money up front does two things. Firstly, it puts money in your pocket up front so you know that you’re not wasting your time. Secondly, it makes the student show up for your classes.
Based on the questions you’ve asked, I feel you’re only worth $500/hr. No disrespect intended.[/quote]
Haha, no disrespect taken. I’m quite new at all of this, so I don’t imagine I’m worth much more than 500/hour. Once I have some more experience under my belt and some references, I’ll feel comfortable charging more.
Thanks for the info, it definitely helps. I’ll do a half-hour consultation free of charge to go over policies and expectations, and I’ll ask for the money up front each month.
There’s nothing wrong with giving a free consultation, but IMHO there’s nothing that says you have to, either.
If you have a lot of experience and/or academic credentials (which play big with the TW English learning crowd), in particular, IMHO a free consult is not the way to go. Respectfully but clearly explaining by e-mail or phone what your policies are – including the fact that you charge for all sessions – should take care of it. If there is resistance, I’d use the idea that even new grads going into the workforce in a “shi yong” (trial period") job get paid for the time they work.
You can say “it’s the custom”, but who makes the custom? The people who are out there teaching English. Of which you are one.
We are seeing the same thing in translation these days – “a short unpaid test” and “just give us a lower rate this time for this particular job” are all over the place. But there are few things more difficult in business than keeping your customers happy while raising your prices for the same service within a short time of letting them go for a lower price (or free).
[quote=“ironlady”]There’s nothing wrong with giving a free consultation, but IMHO there’s nothing that says you have to, either.
If you have a lot of experience and/or academic credentials (which play big with the TW English learning crowd), in particular, IMHO a free consult is not the way to go. Respectfully but clearly explaining by e-mail or phone what your policies are – including the fact that you charge for all sessions – should take care of it. If there is resistance, I’d use the idea that even new grads going into the workforce in a “shi yong” (trial period") job get paid for the time they work.
You can say “it’s the custom”, but who makes the custom? The people who are out there teaching English. Of which you are one.
We are seeing the same thing in translation these days – “a short unpaid test” and “just give us a lower rate this time for this particular job” are all over the place. But there are few things more difficult in business than keeping your customers happy while raising your prices for the same service within a short time of letting them go for a lower price (or free).[/quote]
I agree with ironlady on this one. I’ve never given a free, in-person consultation. I’ve always let students know that my time is for hire, including consultation time. Lesson one has always been a combination of 20-30% consultation and the remainder actual live, impromptu teaching. I never had a problem attracting students with this method (although I chose to stop teaching privately a few years ago to focus on editing and my own pursuits).
My thoughts are similar to those of Dragonbones and ironlady. Unpaid consults cheapens our perceived value. Part of what we sell is our time as well as our language and coaching/training skills. I don’t think we should give it away. A short phone consult should be enough to agree on a plan and move forward.
Similar to Northcoast Surfer, I try to get a month at a time, in advance, with a strict 24-hour advance notice required for rescheduling or cancellations. It shows both parties are serious about it. It also might be a good idea to make a contract of sorts, detailing your expectations and what your clients can expect from you. Be clear about the cancellation/rescheduling. If you are going to commit/block your time for someone, they should make an equal commitment to you.
I agree with both sides of the discussion. It’s okay to give a few minutes free, but it’s standard to be paid for your time. I recommend on a first meeting to keep it short and sweet. Make it clear that you will meet and chat for 15 to 20 minutes to set up some guidelines and for them to decide if you are right. When that 15 minutes is up, say it’s time and go; or suggest that it’s time to start the clock.
For privates, I also recommend minimum time blocks, such as 1.5 hours if it’s nearby your place, or 2 hours if you have to travel a bit to get there. And give preference to people who will do more hours. You can also charge travel time at the same hourly rate.
If you are meeting in public, it’s customary for the student/client to pay the bills for coffee or tea in addition to the tuition fee.
Start at 500/hr, but don’t stay there too long. After a few months of experience and a fuller schedule, you can charge more and be more picky about your students.