I saw this today, an article on "50 scientifically proven ways to be persuasive", and thought of you all... It deals with things like... when people say they will do something, how can you increase the percentage who actually DO it.

This reminds me of the many threads I've seen about parents not following policies, not picking up kids on time, thinking it's ok to just not show up without calling, etc...

http://www.moskalyuk.com/blog/yes-50-scientifically-proven-ways-to-be-persuasive

Enjoy!

I was interested in reading this. Mostly it confirmed views I already have, but some points surprised me.

Thanks! Found #13 applicable to a current situation:



Some parents take the extra help provided to students as expected!

Glad it was helpful. I found it really interesting, who knew all that stuff can make a difference in getting people to behave a particular way!?

One thing I've noticed in my advertising is that people like to think of their kids as ordinary and requiring an ordinary piano teacher. You would think people are looking for an extraordinary teacher for their amazing kids, but that hasn't proven to be the case. The fewer provisos the better. For instance, if I state that you require an acoustic piano, this seems to make people wonder if I'm too picky...even if they own an acoustic piano. Likewise, if I state that people need to audition for me, the result is not an increase in students wanting to be part of the "elite" but rather a decrease of interest as people feel they won't measure up.

I've also noticed that it is never a good idea to state my credentials in an ad. People like to think of a piano teacher as generic, and want to read about how you can help them, not about your degree from Julliard. It all goes back to the long-stemmed rose problem. If people see somebody excelling beyond the norm, they want to cut you down to size so that you don't stick out above the group like a long-stemmed rose.

I've also noticed that if you do special things for your students, like perhaps giving them a book you've had on your shelf forever, it helps to build loyalty to the teacher. Likewise, asking for help at recitals increases loyalty to you.