One of the keys to reaching the maximum number of potential clients is to run a workshop. You can speak to and teach many people all at once – not only enhancing your reputation, but also adding the personal touch that will bring you more clients (and more sales for your products too).
For some, though, there’s a difficulty – you’ve never presented a workshop or seminar, and maybe the thought of speaking to a group doesn’t make you feel good. Yes, you’ve participated in some or even many, not least when you were training in your therapy or gaining the expertise that is now your business. You know what the key elements of your expertise are for you - but how do you bring your learners, your clients and potential clients, from where they are now to the place in which they’ll learn most about your subject, and what you have to offer?
When you work on your material so that it is properly sequenced, includes exercises that move your participants forward (and note that word: ‘participants’), and when you have a clear idea about what you expect people to be able to do by the end of the workshop or seminar (and how you’re going to be able to check that they can, indeed, do all you expect to a good standard), you’ll find you benefit too. How so?
Well, people tell me that they know they need to be ‘out there’, demonstrating their expertise, meeting more people, and gaining new clients. But because teaching and training is a whole new set of skills that they’ve yet to acquire, the idea is stressful and unappealing. And, with no idea about the best place to begin, many people leave the notion on the ‘to-do’ list for another day. And that means not growing their practice, or maybe even not staying in business in the longer run.
Or the other approach is to get the event marketed and the participants signed up. You turn up with the thought that you know your therapy or your information inside out, and sheer enthusiasm and knowledge will get you through. After the event, the participants tell you they enjoyed it and you’re a good teacher. Great! Except … yes, they had a good time, but they didn’t come to your workshop for a nice day out – they wanted to learn something, and perhaps begin to make some changes in their lives. They liked you but did they learn, did they change, did they think it was money and time well spent? If they didn’t, will they spend any more money with you, either for future workshops, personal sessions, or on your products? And that’s if it goes well – a real downside of this approach could be that they leave confused and vowing never to return to you.
How can my workshop be excellent?
That’s where I can help you. Elsewhere in these pages you can read about my background, and how I’m now bringing my expertise to you when you want to design or redesign your workshop or other materials that bring your expertise to a wider audience. I’ll take your workshop or seminar plans and shape them into a form that will ensure your material is presented clearly, logically, and meets the participants at the point they’re at now. And then takes them to the point where you wish them to be. I’ll help you design exercises that will involve everyone. If you want to assess learning formally we can include that too. I offer a full service – design from scratch, or maybe just tweaking your existing material to make it more effective.
And, in line with the principles I’ve begun to explain here, I’ll start from your existing knowledge and understanding of teaching and training. No jargon (without explanation) and no hoops to jump through, other than what’s necessary to ensure you leave me with the ability to run excellent workshops, time after time.
We can work on your project face to face, or we can work via the internet, ‘phone, or collaborate in writing (although we do need to have an initial discussion to ensure we’re on the same wavelength).
And, of course, the better your event, the more your reputation as an expert will grow – and the more your fees can rise. This is truly an investment in your future. When you’re ready, do get in touch and let me know where you’re at now and what you’d like to achieve. We’ll take it from there!
