How To Market Training is changing

By on 2013/02/08 in how to market training, M Training Business

Hi Trainers

It’s time for a change

It’s been a fantastic 18 months helping trainers grow their businesses here at How To Market Training.  I’ve been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of trainers to develop and grow.  So much so that I’ve been working on plans to provide even more to you.

Those plans have come to fruition today with the launch of My Training Business.

My Training Business an interactive, social, collaborative and unique resource to help trainers grow their businesses. Whilst most marketing and business development companies target many sectors, we’re 100% focused on training business owners and freelance trainers throughout the world.

So who is behind My Training Business?

I am of course along with my good friend and colleague David Allen.  We’ve come together to join forces to help trainers.  We’ve done this by bringing together ‘How To Market Training’ and ‘Training Promotions’.

Alison Miles-Jenkins & David AllenWe support trainers in growing their businesses, whatever stage they are at and whatever aspirations they have, from start-up to expansion.

We ensure that trainers anywhere in the world can access our services through our events, online services, Skype coaching and membership packages.

My Training Business is owned and operated by me, Alison Miles-Jenkins, and David Allen. We have both had long careers in the training and talent management industry, as Corporate Training Managers, as well as consultancy owners. Between us we have more than 40 years’ experience of both marketing training businesses and running them.

What makes My Training Business Different?

Real, proven expertise: We’ve been there and done it. More than 40 years of both purchasing and providing Training, Learning and Talent Development solutions, as well as in-depth expertise and experience of marketing. We know the challenges and we know the answers too.

Unique: No-one else has this unique blend of expertise and experience that goes into the solutions we deliver for our clients

Focus: We work exclusively within the training/Learning and development industry.

Credibility: We’re still running an award-winning training consultancy as well after 23 years so we live and breathe our advice and services daily too!

Find out more

So take a look at our new website and follow us on Twitter: @MyTrainingBiz

I’ll see you at My Training Business very soon.

Signature of Alison Miles-Jenkins of How To Market Training

 

 

 

 

 

Alison Miles-Jenkins
The Trainers’ Business Builder

 

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Daily Marketing Tips for trainers: number 49

By on 2013/01/27 in how to market training

Hi trainers

Here are my set of marketing tips for trainers for the week ahead:

Monday Morning Must Do’s

Build your testimonials today. You probably have many testimonials but take some time today to make sure the best ones are very visible on your website and in your marketing communications.

Tuesday’s Tips

Look for cross-promotional opportunities when negotiating for business with clients.  For example try to find a way of negotiating into a deal a referral to a high quality new lead.

Wednesday Wish Lists

Make sure you are really focused when with a client.They should be thinking that they are the only thing that matters to you at that point in time. Try to work out what success means to the person you are meeting with or talking to. Then re-frame your offering to help them achieve that success through what you are proposing.

Thursday’s Themes

Transform your knowledge into something tangible. Think about what you could do to write an e-book today on an area of your expertise.

Friday’s frequent freebies

Contact us at:  alison@howtomarkettraining.co.uk and ask for one of our lead generation cds as your Friday freebie.

Saturday’s celebrations

Now the cold weather seems to be ebbing away let’s hope we can all have a great weekend and enjoy the fruits of our labours through the week.

I hope you enjoyed my latest tips for trainers.

Alison

Alison Miles-Jenkins
The Trainer’s Business Builder & Founder and CEO
How to Market Training

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Daily marketing tips for trainers: number 48

By on 2013/01/20 in how to market training

Hi trainers

Here are my set of marketing tips for trainers for the week ahead:

Monday Morning Must Do’s

Update or do something different this morning.  You are only using a fraction of your brain – so stretch it, update and change.

Tuesday’s Tips

Trainers remember that when trying to expand your training business, growth comes with a sense and possibly a fear of the unknown, but don’t let that put you off!

Wednesday Wish Lists

Goals are great but don’t be fooled into going into overdrive with long-term fixed plans and trying to work out all the steps well in advance. This could close you off to the limitless possibilities out there.

Thursday’s Themes

Start reframing your thinking around failure.  It’s so easy isn’t it to be put off our stride by a minor setback.  We feel a failure.  We may even give up.  At the very least we may find our confidence dented and our goal or dream slipping away.  Instead, change the record. If something doesn’t work, at least you have got a result.  Carry on in a different way, think differently, find a solution.  After all failure is when you give in or give up. So don’t make that an option.

Friday’s frequent freebies

Contact us at:  alison@howtomarkettraining.co.uk and ask for one of our lead generation cds as your Friday freebie.

Saturday’s celebrations

Let’s make sure we celebrate our achievements over the past year and indeed the last week!  In looking ahead it is too easy to focus on what needs to be done rather than what has been achieved. Have a good weekend.

I hope you enjoyed my latest tips for trainers.

Alison

Alison Miles-Jenkins
The Trainer’s Business Builder & Founder and CEO
How to Market Training

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Daily marketing tips for trainers: number 47

By on 2013/01/14 in how to market training

Hi trainers

Here is my next set of marketing tips for trainers for you:

Monday Morning Must Do’s

If you’ve not done this already this morning. do it now. Pick up the phone and have a chat with a client you have not worked with for 6 months or more.

Tuesday’s Tips

Offer a special something to your prospect if your training business generally grows through repeat business.  This doesn’t necessarily mean a lower initial fee – it could be something extra you do for them during the first contract and you will get the pay-back during later back-end purchasing.

Wednesday Wish Lists

A plea to all trainers this Wednesday.  You must know the lifetime value of your client.  It’s not guess work.  Have the figure permanently in the front of your mind.  It should drive many decisions you make when trying to grow your training business.

Thursday’s Themes

Now that you have your lifetime value of your client firmly in mind, make sure you invest in marketing.  The cost of done for your marketing or learning how to market your business properly yourself will be repaid many times.  So don’t be shortsighted.  Focus on the longer game if you want to be successful

Friday’s frequent freebies

We can’t offer you any more free places at our Accelerate Profits one day workshop on 08 February as it is fully booked.  Overbooked in fact!  But we can offer you a free place on the new date just released.  12 April.  Book it now! 

Saturday’s celebrations

Let’s make sure we celebrate our achievements over the last week!  Have a good weekend.

I hope you enjoyed my latest tips for trainers.

Alison

Alison Miles-Jenkins
The Trainer’s Business Builder & Founder and CEO
How to Market Training

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12 Traps To Avoid In Meetings With Clients and Prospects

By on 2013/01/14 in how to market training

Here are the traps for trainers to avoid in meetings with clients or prospects, extracted from my twitter tips.  Have a read, assess whether you are guilty of some of them and think about how you can adapt and strengthen your approach in these meetings so that you increase your chances of winning the work.

1st trap:

Trying to redirect conversation back to your areas of expertise and offerings. Guilty?

2nd trap:

Talking too early about your business, your products, your services, and yourself!  Guilty?

3rd trap:

Having a standard portfolio or sales brochure.  And a standard presentation.  Guilty?

4th trap:

Investing insufficient time to truly research the client organisation and needs.  Guilty?

5th trap:

Inwardly having your own needs as the top priority rather than those of the client. Guilty?

6th trap: 

You feel uncomfortable with silence and try and fill it if it occurs.  Guilty?

7th trap: 

Your question technique relies on closed questions to direct dialogue.  Guilty?

8th  trap:

Being either too ‘touchy-feely’ or too concerned with facts. Guilty?

9th trap:

Trying to sell to or even compete with client from a position of authority.  Guilty?

10th trap:

Poor preparation which doesn’t allow you to flex into multi-perspective dialogue.  Guilty?

11th trap:  

Sounding like you are selling instead of helping.  Guilty?

12th trap :

Sending a proposal too quickly without a ‘shared understanding’ email first. Guilty?

By the way, Twitter is a fabulous way of getting known, liked and followed.  You can get connected, get your voice out there, make great friends and get in front of corporate clients.  So do join if you are not a member.

https://twitter.com/

Food for thought for trainers I hope

Speak soon.

 

Signature of Alison Miles-Jenkins of How To Market Training

 

 

 

Alison Miles-Jenkins
The Trainers’ Business Builder
How To Market Training

PS    Follow me for lots of free marketing advice daily:  I’m @ToSellTraining.

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Daily marketing tips for trainers – number 46

By on 2013/01/06 in how to market training

Daily marketing tips for trainers

There’s no let up just because we are now in 2013! This is a great time to make plans to make sure that marketing your training business remains at the front of your mind throughout 2013.  Good fortune can be yours if you work at it. So make 2013 a happy one for your business.
I’m about to make some exciting announcements about my plans for 2013 and they will take the support I offer to trainers to a new dimension.  Watch this space!
In the meantime here are my set of tips for trainers for the week ahead:

Monday Morning Must Do’s

Reframe your mindset regarding prospects who say they are not interested.  Are they really not interested or is that they do not understand the value and benefits of what you have to offer them?  Revisit your literature and marketing copy and have a rethink.

Tuesday’s Tips

You need to have many strings to your marketing bow.

Wednesday Wish Lists

Wish you could put up your fees?  Start thinking about how you could do that, because being locked into lots of low rate work could eventually bring you down.

Thursday’s Themes

This is for many the first working Thursday of the year.  So the theme is putting plans together to take massive action in 2013.  Set your goals, work out how you are going to reach them  and start making 2013 the most successful year yet for your training business.  Go on!  You can do it!

Friday’s frequent freebies

We have a great Friday Freebie  to celebrate the start of 2013.  It’s a copy of our CD “Some ideas to kick-start lead generation in your training business, PLUS our DVD  30+ video clips to accelerate the growth of your training business.   Only 5 sets available for free to the lucky first five to email me:  alison@howtomarkettraining.co.uk . 

Saturday’s celebrations

Let’s make sure we celebrate our achievements over the past year and indeed the last week!  In looking ahead it is too easy to focus on what needs to be done rather than what has been achieved. Have a good weekend.

I hope you enjoyed my latest tips for trainers.  More coming soon!

Alison

Alison Miles-Jenkins
The Trainer’s Business Builder & Founder and CEO
How to Market Training

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New Year Marketing resolutions for trainers

By on 2013/01/01 in how to market training

Hi Trainers

Happy New Year!Make 2013 a year for marketing your training business

This blog is to help you galvanise your business in 2013.  The New Year is a great time to make those traditional resolutions for your business.  If you haven’t made yours yet, then this blog of mine may give you some inspiration. So below you will find some great New Year Marketing Resolutions for Trainers.

Why not resolve to boost your marketing efforts in 2013?  For many trainers I know that the very word ‘marketing’ can have negative connotations. This is probably because many marketing approaches we receive are poorly thought through and executed and so give a negative experience to us as the target.  Marketing done well and imaginatively should be a pleasurable experience for you and the potential client.  It is about identifying needs and wants and delivering to that.  We should be matching desires to fulfilment so it should not be a gruesome experience!  That’s not to say it isn’t hard work though.  Marketing skills come through careful planning and much practice, together with that magical touch of intuition.

I know for some setting some marketing resolutions get a reaction that pigs might fly!  Well take a look at the picture. They can and do!

Marketing resolutions for trainers

New Year Marketing Resolutions for Trainers

So for marketing your training business in 2013 I suggest these 10 resolutions.  Resolve to:

  1. Reflect & Plan: I think that there is truth in the old saying: ‘if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got’. It’s easy to slip back into the routine we were in last year isn’t it?  Let’s take a pause and resolve to plan.  Let’s start by thinking about what worked well last year and what didn’t.  Let’s also think about our competitors and what they are up to.  Can we learn from their successes and failures?  Let’s start devising a plan of some clear weekly activities to generate some positive momentum for your training business.
  2. Focus:  There are a few large corporates making a real success of the training market.  We are smaller businesses which means we might lack some of the resources we might wish for.  So we have to spend our time wisely, we need to focus on what really works and has the best chance of success. Having thought about what worked we can really focus on a handful of key actions a month.  Let’s not create a to do list we can’t cope with or it will never get done.  Instead let’s really focus.
  3. Get talking: Great conversations often lead to great business opportunities.  As trainers we know about communication skills. After all, we train in it!  So we are off to a flying start when it comes to knowing what skills to deploy to get some great conversations going.  Make it your job to converse with your fans, clients, and anyone else who reaches out to you.
  4. Simplify: make sure you describe what you do in language your client can identify with.  I have seen many high-blown statements of what trainers can offer which sound complex, grand and academic.  That’s fine if that is what your client wants – be crystal clear in your written communication and simplify, simplify, simplify.  You want to be easy to do business with.
  5. Regular contact:  Make sure that your contact list is regularly contacted about what you have on offer.  Don’t worry about those unsubscribers – they probably wouldn’t have purchased anyway.  It is better to contact your list than let it lapse. Regular and interesting communication is better than short bursts then nothing.
  6. Develop partnerships:  It is easier to work with someone.  So keep an eye open for partnership opportunities where your offering and your partners can complement each other.
  7. Seek referrals:  Those happy clients of yours may have the key to other potential clients in their networks so ask for some referrals every chance you get!
  8. Refresh:  Make sure your website is up to date and looking fresh.  Don’t let it get tired and unloved.  Are you blogging regularly?
  9. Target: 2013 is set to be a more optimistic year so it’s a great time to set some new goals for all of your marketing effort. Make sure that your goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time based).  You know about that because you probably train others to do this!
  10. Stay healthy:  This may seem an odd addition to the list but you are key to your business so make sure you are not doing anything by accident or design to damage your health and well-being.

If you need any help getting going with your plans for 2013 don’t forget my free coaching offer is still available. Click here for it.

So take those steps to ensure every success in 2013 – make those New Year Marketing Resolutions now!

Signature of Alison Miles-Jenkins of How To Market Training

 

 

Alison Miles-Jenkins FCIPD

The Trainer’s Business Builder and CEO & Founder of How to Market Training

 

 

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Christmas Marketing tips for trainers: Number 45

By on 2012/12/23 in how to market training

My twelve marketing tips for trainers this Christmas 

Here are this week’s marketing tips for trainers.  As a Christmas Treat I’m giving you 12 tips: one for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas!

I expect even the most dedicated trainer will be taking time off over the Christmas period but just in case you get some time to reflect these tips will hopefully give you some inspiration.  If you return to them in the New Year, then fine as they will serve you just as well in your training business then!

Even I will be taking some time out over Christmas and I can’t promise I’ll send you a video message on Christmas Day as I did last year – we all need our rest!

First Day of Christmas Tip

Image of a heart On the first day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me: A weekly set of marketing tips for the year ahead!  I’ve given you 45 weekly sets of tips so far, for free!

 

The challenge may be not to find ideas but instead which ideas to implement.  Get your marketing ideas into a line by designing a plan and then make sure you follow through.  Marketing is about relentless implementation and testing.  Start small and test an idea. If  it works then maximise it. Follow through with massive action.

If it hasn’t worked then that is useful information to start working on understanding why it hasn’t worked.  Refine, retest and carry on!

Second Day of Christmas Tip

On the second day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me: A free place on the Accelerate Profits Seminar

If you haven’t been on this yet you are missing a treat!

You know that you will be in good company if you come!

Third Day of Christmas Tip

christmas marketing tipsOn the third day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me:
Three ideas that will hatch some more business:
  1. Ask for referrals from existing clients
  2. Have conversations with existing clients to find out what else they need that you can can offer
  3. Make sure your website is a sales machine and lead generator

 Fourth Day of Christmas Tip

How to market training christmas marketing tips seriesOn the fourth day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me:
A tip to pick up the phone early in the New Year to wish four of your contacts a Happy New Year – it is an easy and soft approach and can get those great conversations going.  You might just pick up some more work from it.

 

Fifth Day of Christmas Tip

Christmas marketing tips from How to Market TrainingOn the fifth day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me:
Five gold rings: these are five golden phone calls!  How about making these:
  • A free coaching call with me – sign up here
  • And four tips to have in mind when on the phone to clients:
  1. Be confident
  2. Be interesting
  3. Don’t assume: it is amazing how many callers start from their perspective not the client’s!
  4. Try and be as natural as possible

Sixth Day of Christmas Tip

Marketing tips from How to Market TrainingOn the sixth day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me:
Make sure you have your key pitch ready for use and well practiced.  You never know when you might need it!
Practice in the mirror! It works wonders before you practice on a real prospective client!

Seventh Day of Christmas Tip

On the seventh day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me:

Seven ways to sales test your website

Let’s make sure that your website is maximised to deliver for you.

Eighth Day of Christmas Tip

How to Market training christmas tipsOn the eighth day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me:

Some tips on direct mail to milk! Direct mail is an important feature of marketing but has gone out of fashion – now email is becoming the chosen way of communication a letter can stand out.  Don’t forget to use this method even if you use it sparingly.

Ninth Day of Christmas Tip

How to market trainingOn the ninth day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me:

My Rule of Nine.  These are nine points that readers look for in blogs or articles.  Check out the full article here. This will help you with marketing your training business.

Tenth Day of Christmas Tip

Christmas tips from How to Market TrainingOn the tenth day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me:

10 big mistakes trainers need to avoid when writing copy.

These range from “being too professional and bland” to adding more than one “Most Wanted Action” to the copy.

Eleventh Day of Christmas Tip

How to market training christmas tipsOn the eleventh day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me:

A reminder that we need to balance being in the business with being on it.  It is also for those of you who think that marketing is not part of running a training business. If you get the marketing right then selling is not needed as the clients come to you.  Take a look at this blog between mince pies!

Twelfth  Day of Christmas Tip

How to market training christmas tipsOn the twelfth day of Christmas How To Market Training gave to me:

 If you are looking for that extra boost for your training business, then consider this: why not become the Go To Trainer?

This highly acclaimed two day intensive, fun and implementation focussed course gets you going on the path to building your business further.  By the time you leave you will already have an action plan that you have started working on.

So don’t delay book on it today: details here.

My Christmas Message to Trainers

Hi Trainers,

Christmas wishes from how to market trainingHave a fantastic Christmas and thanks so much for your feedback, friendship and fun this year.

I wish you and your family a relaxing and super Christmas break and I look forward to seeing you next year.

Alison

Alison Miles-Jenkins
The Trainer’s Business Builder and Founder and CEO
How to Market Training

PS if you haven’t completed my Training Survey (click here) please do as soon as possible.
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Marketing tips for trainers: Number 44

By on 2012/12/16 in how to market training

Daily marketing tips for trainers

There’s no let up just because we are now in the Christmas season! Marketing your training business doesn’t go away!
That may sound a sad thing to say but reflecting on it for a moment, I think that marketing is fun!  So it is not all work and no play.  Success is the sum of many small steps so it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.  Give yourself permission this week to make 5 small steps with your marketing.
Presently I’m running a survey of trainers to allow me to update my report on the challenges in the training market which I first wrote at this time last year.  To take my survey follow this link: Training Survey (run on Survey Monkey) The emerging story is very interesting and when the survey finishes I shall in the New Year share the results.

Monday Morning Must Do’s

Today make sure you spend 15 minutes reflecting on your marketing activity and what worked and what didn’t this year.

Tuesdays’ Tips

Your Tuesday’s Tip is to have some fun!

Wednesday Wish Lists

This Wednesday make a wish list of things you can do in the New Year to get off to a flying start.

Thursdays’ Themes

If you missed it last month then brush up your approach to writing your scripts for videos or speeches with help form my good friend and colleague Tony Coll.  Tony analyses President Obama’s acceptance speech here.

Fridays’ frequent freebies

I’m running my next Accelerate Profits Workshop in February this has had over 200 trainers on it so far in 2012 and get a free place on my Accelerate Profits Workshop on 8 February 2013 click here.

Saturdays’ celebrations

As the year end approaches let’s celebrate our successes.  This year has been another one where the economic situation has not been very favourable to trainers.  We all know that when times are tough perversely one of the first cut backs is on training. There are signs of recovery in the air.  Clearly we are not out of the woods but I am hearing about trainers having more success so perhaps we are all turning a corner.  Let’s hope so – here’s to our success!

Alison

Alison Miles-Jenkins
The Trainer’s Business Builder & Founder and CEO
How to Market Training

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Marketing tips for trainers: Number 43

By on 2012/12/09 in how to market training

Daily marketing tips for trainers

This week my marketing tips are some quick ones to implement.  As we run into the Christmas season we have less time so something pithy I thought might be the answer.
Don’t forget to complete my Training Survey (run on Survey Monkey).  If you have done it already please ask your colleagues to fill it in too.  It is anonymous so you wont be giving your secrets away! The results will be out in a report in the New Year.

Monday Morning Must Do’s

Check out this blog of mine from earlier in the year.

Tuesdays’ Tips

Your Tuesday’s Tip is to ask your top client for a referral.

Wednesday Wish Lists

This Wednesday write down the names of three new clients you would like to have.  Having a target in mind will focus your activity on how to get in the door.

Thursdays’ Themes

Brush up your blogging skills with my 5 tips for writing a good blog post

Fridays’ frequent freebies

Get a free place on my Accelerate Profits Seminary on 8 February 2013 click here.

Saturdays’ celebrations

What successes are you celebrating looking back over the week? What challenges are you wrestling with? I’d love to hear from you so post them in the comments section below here.

Have a great week. I hope you enjoy my marketing tips for trainers and that they are giving you more success with your training business.  Whatever you do, make sure you do something! Winston Churchill talked about relentless effort being the key to success not necessarily skill or intelligence. So let’s be relentless!

Alison

Alison Miles-Jenkins
The Trainer’s Busines Builder Founder and CEO
How to Market Training

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