How much should I charge for my online English lessons using Skype?
Hello online English teachers!
The title of this article is a tough one. Why? There are many things to keep in mind when you are quoting your live online English lessons using Skype.
Are you just conducting conversations in English (so you don’t have to do a lot of preparation)? Are you teaching different levels of grammar, vocabulary, and how much time did you spend doing the lessons? How long are your sessions? Do you use a textbook? Do you leave homework and grade it outside of your scheduled English lessons? How much experience and certification do you have? Are you marketing to a single specific country or to the world?
It makes sense that the more time you spend preparing, the more you should charge for your online English lessons. So how much is a lot? How much is very little? These two questions are almost impossible to answer, especially when you teach on a global scale!
Some countries will think $20 an hour is outrageous! How dare you teach English online for so much money!
But then some countries will feel guilty because they are taking advantage of their low prices. In fact, I had a student from a wealthy country in Europe, and at one point she told me that she felt guilty for paying so little for a package she had bought (she paid $500). She still bought it, but how many future students from her country saw my prices and thought: “Wow! Those are too cheap; there must be something wrong. Those low prices are too good to be true.”
It’s a balancing act! You want to find the largest number of students at the highest possible price.
I used to sell my lessons based on a “point system”. With 2 points, a student would buy a conversation and with 2.5 points they would buy a “Power Lesson”, which is everything else (vocabulary, American slang, grammar, listening, pronunciation, or a specially designed lesson). The more points they bought at once, the better deal they got.
I think $20-$25 for 50 minutes is a good price to appeal to most countries, but for those countries that are used to paying for a truck (like $40-$60 an hour), I’ve done something interesting.
I priced my original amount at $40-50 per lesson, but then discounted it heavily (by 50% or more). I did this so that countries like Japan would see the original price and (perhaps subconsciously) give it value because the price was “high and respectable”.
now when they see their discounted prices at your online English school, they will feel like they are getting a bargain (they like to shop at low prices… or as they say in Japan, I’m going to go shopping.). Also, since the prices are for a limited time and may go up soon, this creates a “sense of urgency” in their minds: “I must buy it now if I want so much. It will double in price soon!”
You should constantly experiment with prices every two to three weeks to find the “sweet spot.” Good luck! I hope this article will help you on how to teach English online and earn money.