VIPKID How to Boost your Bookings!

The #1 questions new teachers want to know is how do I increase my bookings! Right now it is the Chinese New Year and that means kids are out of school, visiting with families and traveling BUT I am STILL getting booked. Read on to learn how.

The number one way to increase your bookings is to MARKET YOURSELF. Your profile should be your main focus after you pass your background investigation. Follow these steps and you will be booked and busy from the start.

1. Take pictures like a PRO. If you don't have a professional camera use your phone and prop it up like it would be on a tripod. Ask a friend to help you out if you don't have a tripod. Wear something that attracts attention to you like a bright shirt (no low cut or v neck shirts). SMILE this shows that you are friendly and approachable. Use a plain background. Bring your personality to the picture.

2. GOOD LIGHTING. Lighting is everything in a picture. Make sure you are putting your best face forward in the best light possible. If you don't have good interior lighting take it outside in front of a plain background with a huge smile. If at all possible take your picture in your classroom.

3. INTRO VIDEO 101

Your intro video should be no more than 40 seconds of magic. Sell yourself. Turn on the magic and tell the parents why they should hire you. Include short clips about your personal life (mom, traveler) etc. Include upbeat music. Shoot the video in good lighting as well and SMILE SMILE SMILE. Show how you teach by including you props, whiteboard etc. You are an 'Edutainer' so make it interesting. The child is viewing you through the computer so you need to be able to catch and keep their attention for 25 minutes in class. View my Intro Video here.

If you are not a videographer ask someone to borrow their camera or to use your phone or camera to shoot your film. There are plenty of free video editing apps that can be downloaded or you can use ones like imovie.

4. WRITE A GOOD BIO.

In your bio you should include your education, years of experience teaching children or volunteering with children. Share your excitement about teaching and if applicable list the training workshops you've taken with VIPKID. Parents are especially interested in TPR and Grammar so make sure to take those.

Don't be boring. " Hi I'm Brenda from New Hampshire and I've been teaching for 5 years."

Be Interesting. "Hi I'm Brenda, I live in New Hampshire with my 2 kids and our dog named Wally. I've been teaching children for 5 years."

5. TRAINING

Improve your teaching skills by utilizing the Teachers Portal, Training workshops and Hutong. I would also suggest that you become TESOL or ESL certified. Groupon has a good deal on a TESOL certification for less than $30!

6. LOOK THE PART

Just because you are working from the comfort of your home doesn't mean you should come to work in your pajamas. Make sure you wake up early enough to put an effort into your appearance. The parents can give negative feedback if your appearance is not up to par or if your background is not educational. Orange is the company color and while you don't have to buy an official VIPKID shirt or hoodie I would suggest you invest in some orange tops.

7. BOOKING SLOTS

Open as many time slots as you can. I like to open short-notice time slots during the week and have had great success with them. You do need to wake up an hour before your 1st open time slot with the expectation that you will be booked so you have time to prepare for that class material. Short notice bookings pay more and they can be booked up to an hour before the class start time. Be prepared to view the course material and organize your props etc within the hour so you can be on time. Being late is a big NO NO. It can cost you your reputation, bookings and money.

That's it! Simple yet effective. Follow these steps and you'll be on your way to the bag!