How do you charge for instruction
- Thread starter CocoboloCowboy
- Start date
$200 for 4 hours comes out to $50 per hour.
One instructor I know holds 3 day, 8 hour per day, school that is considerably less expensive.
Most instructors charge for the content of what they teach. I rarely do hourly instruction, simply because I believe the idea is for the student to learn something, not for me to make an hourly wage. My most popular course doesn't have a time limit. We spend whatever time is required for both me and the student to agree that they have a solid understanding of the various concepts being taught. (Oh, yeah, it also comes in well below $50 per houir)
My credentials are easily verified.
Steve
One instructor I know holds 3 day, 8 hour per day, school that is considerably less expensive.
Most instructors charge for the content of what they teach. I rarely do hourly instruction, simply because I believe the idea is for the student to learn something, not for me to make an hourly wage. My most popular course doesn't have a time limit. We spend whatever time is required for both me and the student to agree that they have a solid understanding of the various concepts being taught. (Oh, yeah, it also comes in well below $50 per houir)
My credentials are easily verified.
Steve
Notice this flyer below for a "Pool School", and I was curious what local Instructor Charge Per Hr., Half Day, or Day for One on One Instruction.
Also what are your Qualifications, or Certifications as an Instructor?
CSI's use of the word "Pool School" may not be quite correct. They do more of a Clinic or Workshop in their 2 hours.
Most SPF Instructors charge by the Session. In a lot of instances our Pool School is three days long with a set tuition.
Schooling is my background.....SPF=randyg
Also what are your Qualifications, or Certifications as an Instructor?
CSI's use of the word "Pool School" may not be quite correct. They do more of a Clinic or Workshop in their 2 hours.
Most SPF Instructors charge by the Session. In a lot of instances our Pool School is three days long with a set tuition.
Schooling is my background.....SPF=randyg
IMHO these are not "school" they are like tip from the pro most of who play well, are not teacher, and if you are lucky you get a photo with, and autogrtaph.
IMHO $200.00 would be better spent on personal instruction, or instructional material.
BTW guys than for your replies...
IMHO $200.00 would be better spent on personal instruction, or instructional material.
BTW guys than for your replies...
Seems to me there is a potentially interesting discussion here and I probably side with the idea that most qualified pool instructors do not charge enough. Here is why.
When I worked as a psychologist I expected to make $150.00 per hour. People do not often realize it but a 50 minute hour includes the time for the professional to organize their notes and do some planning for the next session. In reality an hour of work requires more like two hours with a new case and 1.5 hours with an “older” case.
Given this expected hourly rate I would also discount my rate for lengthy sessions for a corporate client because there was not as much down time between clients. If I usually made $1,200 for an eight hour day then I expected $800.00 plus expenses for an “all day” corporate client.
When offering workshops I would decide upon the minimum number of attendees and then spread the cost over the expected group. An eight hour workshop with ten people would cost each person $80.00. For an expected class of 20 it would be $40.00 per person. Additional expenses such as room rental, food, and equipment is then added into the cost of the day. In other words, the attendees paid all expenses as part of the tuition and the actual tuition might be $100.00 per person for an eight hour session.
Individual sessions are at the standard $150.00 per hour because, depending on the complexity of the case I usually put in more time than one hour given my own needs to structure a program for that person. In addition, most professionals provide some services pro bono (for free) to clients of their choosing and there is a need to have a target yearly income to pay one’s expenses and meet normal obligations.
There are times when one’s expertise is in demand. There were workshops I was not inclined to conduct but was persuaded by a corporate client to conduct through a financial inducement. That is, my fees doubled and I was pleased to travel some distance and conduct a workshop and consulting contract for a group who desired my services.
With experience and the development of one’s abilities fees increase. Today my fees would be substantially higher than they were ten years ago. In most professions one has an expected hourly rate and all services are based on these “usual and customary” fees. The insurance industry and the federal government may deny payment when one exceeds their “usual and customary” rates.
It is also customary to have set fees for specific tasks such as a standard psycho-neurological screening or a vocational assessment battery. While these are not fixed by law, the insurance groups and state and local governments are able to determine one’s usual and customary rates by one’s prior billings and they often set a fee that they will not exceed for some particular service.
While pool instructors are not “licensed medical providers” it is worth knowing how other professionals operate in the construction and operation of a service. The bottom line is that one should have an expected standard hourly rate. All services, with some exceptions, are based on the usual rate.
In my experience giving and attending professional workshops those who charge excessive fees because of their notoriety are not worth the money. They usually are no better than the average professional and often are not as knowledgeable or they only provide the outline for their prior publications. When they are a “famous” person I usually buy the book and save my money for other things. If they are famous and have not written a book then they are usually no better than the average professional.
BTW individual clients usually do not ask but most professionals are willing to tell you their rates. They are not that difficult to determine if someone wants to know. When someone would ask why I charged "so much" I can always show them my credentials, the time it took to earn them, the places that have used my services and most any other public information they might desire. The bottom line was always, when it comes to professional services you get what you pay for. A friend who was an attorney had a sign behind his desk that said, "You do not pay me for the hours I work, you pay me for what I know how to do."
There is an old joke about a fellow who took his car to a mechanic. The mechanic listened, took a mallet, tapped the car. The customer was amazed at a $100.00 bill and asked to have it itemized. Hitting car, $.50. Knowing where to hit car, $99.50.
When I worked as a psychologist I expected to make $150.00 per hour. People do not often realize it but a 50 minute hour includes the time for the professional to organize their notes and do some planning for the next session. In reality an hour of work requires more like two hours with a new case and 1.5 hours with an “older” case.
Given this expected hourly rate I would also discount my rate for lengthy sessions for a corporate client because there was not as much down time between clients. If I usually made $1,200 for an eight hour day then I expected $800.00 plus expenses for an “all day” corporate client.
When offering workshops I would decide upon the minimum number of attendees and then spread the cost over the expected group. An eight hour workshop with ten people would cost each person $80.00. For an expected class of 20 it would be $40.00 per person. Additional expenses such as room rental, food, and equipment is then added into the cost of the day. In other words, the attendees paid all expenses as part of the tuition and the actual tuition might be $100.00 per person for an eight hour session.
Individual sessions are at the standard $150.00 per hour because, depending on the complexity of the case I usually put in more time than one hour given my own needs to structure a program for that person. In addition, most professionals provide some services pro bono (for free) to clients of their choosing and there is a need to have a target yearly income to pay one’s expenses and meet normal obligations.
There are times when one’s expertise is in demand. There were workshops I was not inclined to conduct but was persuaded by a corporate client to conduct through a financial inducement. That is, my fees doubled and I was pleased to travel some distance and conduct a workshop and consulting contract for a group who desired my services.
With experience and the development of one’s abilities fees increase. Today my fees would be substantially higher than they were ten years ago. In most professions one has an expected hourly rate and all services are based on these “usual and customary” fees. The insurance industry and the federal government may deny payment when one exceeds their “usual and customary” rates.
It is also customary to have set fees for specific tasks such as a standard psycho-neurological screening or a vocational assessment battery. While these are not fixed by law, the insurance groups and state and local governments are able to determine one’s usual and customary rates by one’s prior billings and they often set a fee that they will not exceed for some particular service.
While pool instructors are not “licensed medical providers” it is worth knowing how other professionals operate in the construction and operation of a service. The bottom line is that one should have an expected standard hourly rate. All services, with some exceptions, are based on the usual rate.
In my experience giving and attending professional workshops those who charge excessive fees because of their notoriety are not worth the money. They usually are no better than the average professional and often are not as knowledgeable or they only provide the outline for their prior publications. When they are a “famous” person I usually buy the book and save my money for other things. If they are famous and have not written a book then they are usually no better than the average professional.
BTW individual clients usually do not ask but most professionals are willing to tell you their rates. They are not that difficult to determine if someone wants to know. When someone would ask why I charged "so much" I can always show them my credentials, the time it took to earn them, the places that have used my services and most any other public information they might desire. The bottom line was always, when it comes to professional services you get what you pay for. A friend who was an attorney had a sign behind his desk that said, "You do not pay me for the hours I work, you pay me for what I know how to do."
There is an old joke about a fellow who took his car to a mechanic. The mechanic listened, took a mallet, tapped the car. The customer was amazed at a $100.00 bill and asked to have it itemized. Hitting car, $.50. Knowing where to hit car, $99.50.
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"most qualified pool instructors do not charge enough"... to quote JoeW.
Q U A L I F I E D .... is the operative word here.
Teaching anything is a skill unto itself and requires much more than simply knowing something about the topic being taught. Most pool pros may know how to play but they do NOT know how to teach.
Q U A L I F I E D .... is the operative word here.
Teaching anything is a skill unto itself and requires much more than simply knowing something about the topic being taught. Most pool pros may know how to play but they do NOT know how to teach.
Good joke about, $100.00 bill and asked to have it itemized. Hitting car, $.50. Knowing where to hit car, $99.50.
A qualified instructor usually can't charge enough to cover the time spend learning the material and learning how to teach it in a variety of ways to successfully teach their students, each of which is unique.
This month, I've taught over 20 new and beginning players the basics for free. My hope is that they will get hooked on the game and some of them will want to further improve their game and return for additional lessons.
What makes me qualified to teach pool? I could tell you what I think, but you should ask my students. Each will tell you a different perspective of how I was able to help them make significant improvements in their game.
This month, I've taught over 20 new and beginning players the basics for free. My hope is that they will get hooked on the game and some of them will want to further improve their game and return for additional lessons.
What makes me qualified to teach pool? I could tell you what I think, but you should ask my students. Each will tell you a different perspective of how I was able to help them make significant improvements in their game.
The late Don Rose of Phoenix use to do a weekly free clinic at Click's Billiard in Phoenix, he netted many students off those free clinics.
The problem is, that most pool-players already *knowing all* and of course more than any instructors ^^.
Prices...it depends on the student- how much money- sympathy- how many lessons, how long the course (weekend, days etc. ). Many reasons to talk about the price imo- and even so many reason to make it cheaper for nice guys.
lg
Ingo
Prices...it depends on the student- how much money- sympathy- how many lessons, how long the course (weekend, days etc. ). Many reasons to talk about the price imo- and even so many reason to make it cheaper for nice guys.
lg
Ingo