Forte makes connecting music teachers to new prospective students easy. Complete these three steps to ensure you are visible to new students: (1) set up your public profile, (2) enter your billing information, and (3) enter times when you are available to meet new prospective students. This guide tells you how to complete each step and offers some useful tips.
If you are reading this article but haven’t yet created an account, you need to sign up here first before continuing on.
Upon logging in to Forte, you will be prompted to complete any one of these three steps if you have not already done so.
Step 1: Your profile
Students will search for teachers based on the instrument that they want to learn, so you need to have a separate profile for each instrument you teach. This also allows you to show varying credentials or teaching methods amongst the different instruments you teach.
To create a new instrument profile, click on Profile in the left-hand navigation menu and look for the “Add an Instrument” button.
Upload a professional photo or headshot.
Next, add a photo of yourself. Your profile picture is a chance to create a great first impression with prospective students. A professional headshot is best, but even if you are taking the photo yourself, follow these guidelines..
A good headshot…
- captures you looking directly at the camera.
- has good lighting on your face (beware of weird shadowing).
- showcases the personality and aura you want to project.
- is easy to see and notice, even when small.
- includes your instrument!
You can see a few examples of good headshots and professional photos below.
Tell students about yourself.
The next step is to write both a brief introduction statement and a full bio.
The brief introduction needs to capture the attention of prospective new students and set you apart as they consider a variety of teachers. It’s one of the first aspects of your profile they’ll see. It should be one or two short sentences telling students why you would be a great teacher for them. It could include…
- where you studied music or what organizations you have played with.
- a snapshot of your teaching methods and style.
- something unique that captures your personality and skill as a teacher.
Prospective students will have the ability to click on the brief introduction and see an expanded version, called a “full introduction.” This is where you can write as much as you want and go into as much detail as you need. Both sections must be written in the first person.
If you’ve never written a bio before, here are some guidelines for what to include:
- Professional achievements you are proud of.
- Details about your studies and/or musical development that might resonate with potential students.
- Particular methods or schools of playing or singing you employ (Suzuki, Dalcroze, Salzedo, etc.).
- What your students will learn from lessons with you.
- Your personal music interests.
- Your typical lesson format (i.e., warmup, playing, discussion, etc.).
- Any books and exercises that you prefer.
After you finish your full introduction, click on “Submit for review.” Your background will be sent to the Forte team, who may reach out with suggestions.
Now, you’ll complete the rest of your Profile preferences to ensure you’re finding students that best fit your studio.
Enter your Meet and Greet Preferences.
Next, enter your preferred fee and duration for an introductory session with a prospective student. The minimum fee is $10, but you can charge more if you’d like.
Pricing your lessons.
Enter the amount you want to get paid for the lesson durations that you choose. You must enter at least one. When you type in your rate, the rate that students will in your profile will appear to the right. You’ll notice that the student rate is higher – the difference is the fee Forte charges to operate the platform and market to new students.
Teaching Preferences
Forte will only recommend you to the type of students you like to teach. In order to do so, we ask that you answer five separate questions. Teaching preferences will default to equal parts of all options. So please make sure you change them to indicate what works best for you.
Here is an example of what your preferences may look like:
That’s it for your profile! Make sure you save any updates. If you’d like to see a preview of what a prospective student will see, click on the preview link in the upper left corner.
Step 2: Billing
Forte handles all billing and collecting for your lessons. No more following up with students for payment!
In the left-hand navigation menu, click on Billing, and you will be prompted to enter your information. Choose whether you are billing as an individual or a company, and then register through Stripe, our secure payment partner. Follow the simple prompts to complete the registration, and leave the rest to us!
Step 3: Scheduling your Meet and Greet availability
Now enter the times that you are available to meet with potential new students. Click on Schedule in the left-hand navigation menu, then click on Schedule Configuration, and finally click on Meet and Greet Availability.
You’ll see that in this section, you can customize your calendar in a few ways. You must have at least three 30-minute time slots of availability per week in order to complete this part. The more availability you provide, the more likely a student will be able to find a time that works to connect! This video walks you through the process:
After you’ve completed these three steps, your Forte teacher profile is ready to go live. You will now be able to receive requests from students who are interested in working with you.
Thank you for being a valued Forte teacher. If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us.