My first program was a presentation I created for my entrepreneur group. I took the concepts I had developed to increase my travel business during the Gulf War from thirty thousand in sales to one hundred eighty thousand a month in three years.
Many people kept asking me how I achieved the success so consistently. I explained my process to several people before I decided to create an outline and then a workshop explaining each of the steps I had used. The program was so well received I was asked to deliver it to many other entrepreneurial groups.
Within a couple of years I realized many of my clients were very interested in improving their sales skills. I had been very fortunate when working at a Fortune 500 firm to have experienced every major sales training program available. I put my own personal spin on converting the corporate style training into an entrepreneurial approach which included more relationship building and personality recognition techniques. The response to the training program was overwhelming.
From that point on, every two years I would create a new program by listening to what my client’s needs were. When websites became more relevant, I created a program which made it easy for anyone to create their own website. When social media became a dominant force among entrepreneurs I created workshops, teleseminars, webinars and video training materials to break down the mysteries of what to do and how to do it well.
The key however was I have never stopped learning! I still listen to one teleseminar or webinar every week. I attend live trainings all over the country when successful icons produce events.
You can be sure, if you’ve struggled with a concept, so have your clients. When you make it easier for them to learn how to participate in a concept, they will appreciate the ability to skip over the hundreds of pages of information and untold hours searching for the “right” way to accomplish their goals.
When you become a resource for your database, their loyalty is unquestioned. Your clients will begin to expect answers from you and their trust factor increases with each and every program you produce.
At first I followed the outline format: first step, second step, etc. It was easier for me to test the accuracy and effectiveness of the training. I produced Power Point presentations and audio programs so my clients could watch or listen, whichever was more convenient for them.
When I became more familiar with video production I found by breaking down any concept into five to ten minute vignettes, my client’s learning curve was reduced drastically and I had an enormous reduction in clarification inquiries. I even tested the material with five or six clients who were novices to obtain feedback as to the ease of understanding the material. Each program I create is available in training manuals, audio and video formats. Whichever method appeals to my clients, they have a choice.
The great thing about generating video produced material is if you’re not comfortable appearing on camera, you’re off the hook! Since all computers have recording devices as standard equipment, you are able to produce quality material with very little effort.
Regardless of your topic or message, you can outline a list of helpful material you believe your clients will benefit from with quality training. The challenge is most people are used to experts selling and not providing great content. So if you provide great content, you’ll stand out in the crowd in no time at all.
You might not want to be recognized for your training capacity, but even the biggest names in the self-help and motivational industries are producing new content every year. It’s how they keep the attention of their followers. You won’t be able to keep the buzz going about your message without generating new content consistently.
So, take a step back to when you were just starting out and remember how it was for you to be searching for the right information. To me it seems like I had to wade through volumes of information to discover the 10% of what was actually helpful.
Now, you can make it easier for your clients to get to the core value of your topic!
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