Based on my background (digital entrepreneur), I’ve found that word of mouth works best. I see two ideal word of mouth routes (A and B). Prioritize word of mouth (1) then establish an online presence (2) when suitable.

1.) Word of Mouth

A) The ideal route to establishing this pipeline is to deliver top-notch quality services.

Your client will have a good experience and go on to tell their friends and family. If you positively influence someone with influence (influencer), then your word of mouth pipeline is likely to grow relative to their amount of influence.

This is your ideal client; treat all your clients like you’d treat this one.

B) Another route is to network with new people on a regular basis. Go out of your way to connect. You might come across other influencers and they may refer your services in one way or another. Put energy into making this happen. Don’t be afraid to ask for things. Ask for help, people are nice.

2.) Tutoring Marketplaces

Apart from word of mouth, tutor marketplaces are my second biggest pipeline. Examples include Preply, iTalki, etc. I personally don’t like these because they introduce too much unpredictability in your schedule due to their bogus cancellation policies.

The ideal route here is to get good reviews. I personally stick with one because it has a better scheduling tool (Preply.com).

Once you establish a baseline, your rates will become more directly correlated with one of your client pipelines. A nice feature is that all you have to do is lower your rates and your client pipeline will be immediately impacted but the rates are significantly lower than your personal website. It’s best suited for quickly filling up your schedule with less profitable clients. These clients have a very low chance of referring your services to others so they are less likely to provide the priceless word of mouth clients. They are more replaceable.

At the end of the day, what is most important in both situations is that you deliver top-notch quality. If you’re new, you should prioritize this. A guaranteed way to ensure that you’ve done your due diligence is to invest in quality resources for your client. My niche is adults and if yours is too then the answer is simple. Check out LessonSpeak for free training and resources on becoming a successful teacherpreneur.

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