tutoring business is getting parents to understand exactly what
online tutoring is and how it will work for their child. Never
assume that the parents that you will be dealing with are as
tech savvy as the children you will be tutoring. Often times
they have no idea what to expect, let alone believe that you
will truly be able to help their child through cyberspace. They
may also hold the misconception that they will have to purchase
expensive software or gadgets to make their computer work with
yours.
It is your responsibility to make parents completely understand
what online tutoring is, how it is accomplished, and exactly how
you will use this technology to help their child be more
successful in school.
The best way to make parents understand how online tutoring
works is to show them. I created a demonstration that is now
available online at http://www.tutorfi.
highly recommend directing a parent to this link and encouraging
them to watch it and see how it works for themselves. Make sure
you are available after they have watched it to discuss their
responses and remaining questions with you.
There may be instances in which a parent is on the phone with
you, possibly during the initial conversation, and it is
inconvenient to get online together at that time. In these cases
it is up to you to make the parent understand everything while
still on the phone. I have been in this situation countless
times and found that I always came across the same
misconceptions and questions from parents. I have summarized the
areas that I consistently addressed in the five areas discussed
below.
1. Explain that the only requirements are internet access, a
microphone, and speakers. Most computers nowadays come with both
a microphone and speakers built right in. However, if they don't
have them already, they could purchase both easily. Inform the
parents that they shouldn't have to spend a lot of money; the
basic models will work fine. Although more expensive and not
necessary, some students prefer to use a headset with a
microphone attached. This style helps to reduce the background
noise and may be the best choice for kids that are easily
distracted.
Before a client is ready to use the online classroom they must
configure their microphone. New microphones typically cause an
installation wizard to pop up and walk you through the process
while older microphones can easily be configured by following a
few easy steps.
2. One of the major misconceptions parents have deals with how
communication will occur during the session. Parents are
typically amazed to learn that their child will be able to talk
back and forth with you just as if they are on a telephone, but
without the telephone of course. Many parents expect that their
child will be communicating via typing, as they might have seen
their child instant messaging (IMing) their friends.
3. If for some reason you are unable to show the parent the
demo online, take some time to discuss how the whiteboard works.
Help them to visualize the various features such as the
"freehand" writing tool, the ability to draw shapes, even the
ability to change the size and color of what they are drawing or
writing. Explain to the parents that you or their child will be
able to cut and paste text from a school document such as an
essay, a homework worksheet, a test, or even from another
website right onto the whiteboard so you can both look at the
same thing simultaneously. Give them an example of how you and
their child will use the whiteboard at the same time. I like to
use a math problem as an example and help parents to imagine
their child working out the solution to a math problem on the
whiteboard as I watch and give them instant feedback about what
they are writing as they are writing.
4. Another misconception that parents hold is that they believe
that their child will "share" you with other children. They are
very pleased to hear that you will be working one-on-one with
their child for a full hour at a time.
5. Finally, make parents aware of the scheduling process. Many
parents believe they are locked into running a session with you
at the same time and day each week. Explain that your schedule
will be posted and they are free to select whatever sessions
works best for them on a weekly basis. The fact that the
schedule can change when necessary and that a child can schedule
a session whenever they are most needed is very appealing to a
parent.
Always keep in mind that the parents may not be familiar with
the technology that you hope to use with their child and if you
would like to build a successful business you need to spend
quality time helping potential clients understand what you plan
to do and how you plan to do it.
About The Author: Free Report! Start your own online tutoring
business & earn $25 -$75/hour from home. Get your free report at
http://TutorFi.
