20 ways to re-energise your training business report rev071909 articles/misc/20 ways to... ·...

20 Ways to Re-Energise Your Training Business

© The Trainers Training Company Ltd 2009 2 www.TheTrainersTrainingCompany.co.uk

Contents Introduction ................................................................................................. 3

Tip 1: Get Motivated To Change Your Situation. Resolve To Take Action.

Be Positive. .................................................................................. 4

Tip 2: Audit Your Business ...................................................................... 5

Tip 3: Do Something Different................................................................. 6

Tip 4: Stay Close to Your Clients.............................................................. 7

Tip 5: Get Yourself Certified! ................................................................... 8

Tip 6: Unearth Your Hidden Niche............................................................ 9

Tip 7: Do The Numbers Game ................................................................11

Tip 8: Join a Trainer Network .................................................................12

Tip 9: Start Your Own Trainer Network ...................................................14

Tip 10: Keep A Success Diary...................................................................15

Tip 11: Get Out Of Your Office .................................................................17

Tip 12: Use Linked In To Reconnect With Old Contacts ..............................18

Tip 13: Hire A Business Coach..................................................................19

Tip 14: Work at Keeping Connected..........................................................20

Tip 15: Add Another String To Your Bow...................................................22

Tip 16: Get Tweeting...............................................................................24

Tip 17: Get Testimonials ..........................................................................26

Tip 18: Create An Information Product......................................................28

Tip 19: Get Active On Social Networking ...................................................30

Tip 20: Take Action .................................................................................33

Few Concluding Words!................................................................................34



Introduction

i and Welcome to This Special Report – 20 Ways To Re-Energise Your Training Business

My name is Sharon Gaskin and I’m the founder of The Trainers Training Company. I work with freelance trainers to help them create successful training businesses. Over the last few weeks I've been talking to my network of trainers trying to get a feel for how people are faring in the current economic climate. Most people are holding up pretty well but are definitely finding it a lot tougher than in previous years with corporates scaling down their training activity and training companies trimming down their associate contracts. I've been talking to a mixture of people from freelancers who are just starting out having been made redundant and also trainers who have had successful businesses for years and are now finding the work harder to come by. When you are faced with this situation, and let's face it, I'm no different to anyone else, it's easy to get sucked into all the gloom and doom out there and let negative feelings overwhelm you. Sometimes you can feel so paralysed by the feeling that you must do something that you end up doing nothing at all! So, to help you, I have put together a 20 Point Action Plan to re-energise yourself and your business, simple steps that you can take to get that business back on track. I hope you enjoy reading this report as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you and that you will be inspired to take action to move your business forward. Sharon

H



Tip 1: Get Motivated To Change Your Situation. Resolve To Take Action. Be Positive.

K, so you know things are going to be tough for a while but you also know that this situation won't last for ever. The

people who take action now will be the ones who will have the most solid business when we eventually come out of recession. Will you be one of them?

O



Tip 2: Audit Your Business

ist on a piece of paper or on a spreadsheet every single piece of work that you have done since you set up your business. Write

down:

- Client name

- Nature of work e.g. Design and delivery of Effective Leadership Programme

- Number of days

- Value

Once you have got all this information down go back through each piece of work and ask yourself this simple question

- - Where did this work come from?

This exercise is very useful for 3 reasons

1. It gives you an accurate and realistic picture of what marketing methods have really worked for you

2. It identifies what you are good at - we trainers have a tendency to think we aren't very good at marketing. You've now got proof that you are!

3. It identifies the things you must carry on working at to continue to be successful.

I did this activity a couple of years ago and was really surprised at the results. I had a tendency to think that my work just happened by accident, something always seemed to be popping up. But doing this exercise on my business made me realise that this work didn't just 'happen' - it was always as a direct result of something I'd done. That piece of work I thought just came to me through one of my friends was actually a result of 3 years of going out for coffee, staying in touch, and building a relationship with them. A marketing strategy and I didn't know it! So, audit your business today. Who knows what it will tell you?

L



Tip 3: Do Something Different

ip 2 showed you how to take an audit of your business to identify which marketing methods are really working for you

and I suggested that you continue with these methods as they clearly bring you success. Having said that there is also an old saying that if you do as you have always done you will get what you have always got. If you are not happy with what you are getting at the moment, maybe now's the time to try out 1 new approach as well as your tried and tested ones. Think about all the possible marketing methods you could use, for example public speaking, starting your own networking group or building your online presence. Write them all down. Give each one a rating on a scale of 1-10 in terms of how happy and confident you feel about using them. It's important to choose something you feel comfortable with; otherwise you'll just feel de-motivated before you even start. You also need to feel positive to give yourself the best chance of success.

T



Tip 4: Stay Close to Your Clients

freelance trainer friend once said to me that the best part about her job was the buzz she got from chasing and winning

business, it gave her the most incredible feeling when she secured a new client, knowing that all her efforts had been worthwhile. But she also admitted to me that once the thrill of the chase was over she was already mentally moving on to her next one, without taking the time to nurture this new relationship. It made me reflect on the dangers of focusing too much on getting new clients. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this isn't important, of course it is, and your business needs this to be successful year after year. But what about the clients you already have? You already have a relationship with them. They already like you, know and trust you. You are already half way there to your next piece of work. So, spend some time thinking about your clients. Who are they? When did you last speak to them? What strategies do you use for continually building and maintaining a relationship with them? Do you stay in regular contact or only think about them in your quiet times when you are not delivering training? What 1 thing can you do today to re-ignite your client relationships?

A



Tip 5: Get Yourself Certified!

s competition for training contracts get tougher it makes sense to consider doing things that are going to differentiate you from

the crowd. This is a perfect time for you to get yourself certified or accredited.

3 Good Reasons to Get Accredited

1. Assurance to any potential client that you are knowledgeable, skilled, competent, professional and credible.

2. Increased opportunities - many of the bodies that provide accreditation actively recommend their accredited trainers to organisations looking to purchase training services.

3. Improved self confidence that comes from demonstrating and proving your worth.

One of the best accreditation schemes for freelance trainers is Certified Learning Practitioner from TrainerBase http://www.trainerbase.co.uk/association/accreditation/clp.asp. The Training Foundation also provides professional development, assessment and certification via the Tap Learning System www.tap-training.com/ If you train in the Financial Services sector you may want to check out the Financial Services Skills Council Recognised Trainer Scheme www.fssc.org.uk Or there are a wide range of qualifications available from CIPD www.cipd.co.uk from the Certificate in Training Practice to more advanced qualifications in learning and development. Learn and enjoy!

A



Tip 6: Unearth Your Hidden Niche

f you have not embraced the concept of niche marketing maybe now is the time to do so.

5 Good Reasons to Specialise

1. It streamlines and sharpens up your marketing activity - you know exactly who your target market is and where to find them

2. It's much easier to become known as an expert at what you do and thus to promote yourself

3. There is less competition for your services

4. You can charge a premium for your expert knowledge and skill

5. There is more likelihood that clients will seek you out rather than the other way round

But what if you don't know what you can specialise in? Here's an exercise you can do. Go back to the audit you did of your training business. It should give you a pretty comprehensive picture of the people, organisations and industries you have been working with since you started out as a freelance trainer. Have you been working within a particular type of industry, for example manufacturing or banking? Have you been working with a particular type of group within an industry? For example, senior managers in the financial services sector, nurses in the private medical sector, supervisors in call centres? Have you been consistently designing and delivering workshops on the same topic, for example, Presentation Skills, Coaching and Mentoring or Managing Performance?

I



And if you have - what has this given you in terms of specialist expertise? How can this be marketed? Going through this exercise may be just the kick start you need to give your training business a new impetus. Your niche market may be staring you right in the face! And if it is you now have a fresh approach to help you really stand out from the crowd and take your business to new heights in 2009.



Tip 7: Do The Numbers Game

rite down all the clients and associate contracts you currently have. (This includes training companies which have you on

their books but who haven't used you). Your next step is to analyse who has given you the most work. Go through your records and add up the total number of days work you have done for each client. Then break it down further into the number of days work done per year. Now that you have this information rate your clients High, Medium and Low.

High Are you relying too much on these clients or training companies. It's nice to have a steady stream of work but you will be left high and dry if they suddenly stop using you. What can you do to develop a broader customer base? Are you brave enough to break away?

Medium Why has there been less work from these people? Do they know you are still around? How long is it since you contacted them? It could be that you have been so busy keeping the Highs happy that you've neglected these vitally important clients. What can you do to build and maintain your relationship with them?

Low Why is there low or no work from these clients? You need to ask yourself the same questions as above. But here you may need to consider whether they are the right kind of client for you at all - is it worth putting the effort in and reigniting your relationship or do you just need to move on?

W



Tip 8: Join a Trainer Network

Reasons to Join a Trainer Network

1. It makes you feel good! It's nice to be able to give help, support and advice to other people.

2. You can share ideas with like minded freelance trainers who talk your language.

3. It makes you feel less isolated, knowing you are part of a supportive group who you can call on when you need them.

4. You can pass other trainers work that you don't have the time or expertise to do and they will do the same for you

5. It's really energising to share and connect with others, even a simple chat on the phone or a half hour cup of coffee with someone can make you feel much more motivated and positive.

You can join an online network: Trainer Talk on Linked In – www.linkedin.com Freelance Trainer Network on Training Zone – www.trainingzone.co.uk Or you can find out if there are any groups of trainers that meet regularly in your local area. Trainer Base – www.trainerbase.co.uk have regional networking groups and many of the local CIPD branches have Special Interest groups for learning and development. Once you make the decision to join a group make sure you actively participate in their activities, otherwise there's no point in being a member. Online groups - post questions, contribute to ongoing discussions, and respond to requests for help where you can. Give people the opportunity to get to know you. Once you have built up an online relationship you can have a face to face meeting to get to know them even better.

5



Offline groups - attend as regularly as you can, give as much as you can and again, develop relationships on an individual basis outside of the group.



Tip 9: Start Your Own Trainer Network

ne way of making sure you stay fully involved in your network is to start your own! Starting your own Trainer Network has

many advantages:

1. It builds your profile - people may not always remember everyone who went to a meeting or is part of the group but they will always remember the organiser.

2. You are in control - you can arrange the meetings at a venue and time to suit you.

3. You can build relationships with a lot of people relatively quickly. Being the head of the group means that you will get to know more members than anyone else.

4. Creating and developing a networking group is incredibly motivating - it makes you feel good!

So, how do you go starting your own Trainer Network? Write a list of all the freelance trainers you already know in your area. Then track a few others down. It's easy to do on Linked In www.linkedin.com or Ecademy www.ecademy.com. Just do a search of trainers and then narrow your search down to the area/region you want. Send out messages to assess their interest. Once you have enough positive feedback, source a venue. The venue doesn't have to be anything fancy, it could just be a Starbucks, the foyer of a hotel or a local pub. Choose a date and time and send out some invitations. Don't be discouraged if you only get a few people at first, go with it and you will find that it will build up over time.

O



Tip 10: Keep A Success Diary

f your business isn't going as well as you would like how are you feeling right now?

- Worried? - I just can't see things getting any better.... everyone seems to be having a hard time

- Full of self doubt? - I wish I hadn't started this business in the first place, I knew it wouldn't work

- Overwhelmed? - I'm trying everything and I'm just not getting anywhere

- Panicky? - I just can't see where my work is going to come from and I need to pay my bills

It's perfectly normal to feel like this, we all have the ability to beat ourselves up when we have tough times. But it's not particularly helpful to feel like this for any length of time. When you start to fill your mind with negative thoughts and listen to that little voice in your head that tells you 'You can't' self-doubt starts to creep in. You feel less confident about yourself and your ability to succeed. Your motivation and energy drains away. You feel less able to take any positive action to get yourself and your business moving again so you end up doing nothing. So, I don't want you to go down this road. Far more helpful to concentrate on feeling positive about yourself, your business and what you are both capable of achieving. Positive thoughts create positive energy. A really useful exercise to do is to keep a Success Diary. At the end of each day or week make a list of all the things you have achieved, all your successes, no matter how small. So, this might be anything from 'Phoned one of my contacts and booked lunch for next Friday' to 'Gave a talk on Networking to local CIPD branch'.

I



Keeping a record of all your achievements is useful for 3 reasons:

1. It's objective evidence of all the good things that you've done. It counteracts the feeling that you haven't done much or you're not getting anywhere.

2. It keeps you focused on the positive rather than negative

3. It makes you feel good and motivates you to keep going the next day or week

I challenge you to keep a Success Diary for a week and see what a positive difference it makes to your way of thinking.



Tip 11: Get Out Of Your Office

ou’re now half way through this 20 part report on How to Re-Energise Your Training Business. I hope you are finding it useful

and are already benefiting from some of the hints, tips and ideas I have given you. The next tip is a very simple and straightforward one. Get out of your office! When you feel a bit low or are running short of ideas and inspiration it's all too easy to sit there staring at the wall or to waste time aimlessly surfing the web. But you won't win any new business by hiding away from the world. People need to meet you, talk to you, understand what you do and how you can make a difference to their business. Online networking is great and should definitely be in your marketing mix but there really is no substitute for face-to-face contact. So, take action and draw up a simple networking plan for the next month.

1. Make a commitment to meet 1 contact a week for coffee. Call them up or email them and get them booked in.

2. Find out what networking events are happening in the next month in your area. Get yourself booked onto any that are relevant and affordable.

3. Do something different. Sign up for a seminar, workshop or exhibition that you know your target market will attend. It may be a little more expensive than normal but it will pay dividends if you are going to meet the right kind of people.

Do one of these actions today. It's better than staring at the wall!

Y



Tip 12: Use Linked In To Reconnect With Old Contacts

s a freelance trainer it's pretty important to grow and maintain a trusted network of contacts; it's a fact that people buy from

people they know, like and trust. Linked In is a fantastic resource that you can use to make new connections and build relationships that are going to be useful to you in your business. But did you know that you could also use it to find people you may have lost touch with? In the past month alone I have found 5 people that I used to work with in my previous company. One person still works there and is now a Senior Claims Director in the US, one left but has since returned to take up a senior manager role, one is a Director of a similar commercial insurer, and two are now running their own successful businesses. It has been fantastic for me to reconnect with all these people, find out what they have been doing, learn about their new jobs and of course to tell them about my business! And now that these connections have been remade it will be easy for me to keep in touch. It's easy to lose contact with our friends - people move jobs, move house, relocate to different parts of the country or even abroad. Before we had the internet it was virtually impossible to track them down without doing a lot of hard work or hiring a private detective! But now with tools like Linked In www.linkedin.com around there's really no excuse for not making the effort to reignite those old relationships. Who knows what will come of it?

A



Tip 13: Hire A Business Coach

f are serious about re-energising your training business and getting it back on track you should pay serious attention to hiring

a business coach.

What A Coach Can Do For You

1. Force you to do some serious thinking about where your business is right now and where you want it to be.

2. Help you to clarify your goals, give your business a sense of purpose and direction.

3. Save you time, help you to focus on the activities that are going to produce results.

4. Motivate and inspire you, reawaken your drive and commitment.

5. Help you to feel confident and believe in yourself.

6. Help you produce an Action Plan that is going to move you and your business forward.

7. Encourage you to take action by holding you accountable and giving you a kick up the backside when needed!

8. Get you to achieve your goals a whole lot quicker than you would do if you were on your own.

Yes, working with a coach costs money. And in today's economic climate when we are all much more cautious about parting with our cash that's a big barrier. But just read through the list of What A Coach Can Do For You again. Now ask yourself this question. If you could achieve all of this how much would that be worth to you and your business? For more information about business coaching with The Trainers Training Company go to www.thetrainerstrainingcompany.co.uk/businesscoaching

I



Tip 14: Work at Keeping Connected

ow good are you at keeping in touch with your network? Is it something you do regularly and consistently or is something

you only do when you are not out delivering training? Building your network is key to the success of any business but there's absolutely no point in having hundreds of names on your list if you don't make the effort to stay connected.

Why You Should Keep Connected

1. You can build strong and lasting relationships. When you have regular contact with a person they get to know, like and trust you. And the more they trust you the more likely they are do business with you or to recommend you to others.

2. People are more likely to remember you, the more contact you have the more 'top of mind' you will become

3. It sends a message out that you genuinely care about the other person, that you have taken time out of your busy day to talk to them

4. Business will be more fun! Your day becomes a whole lot more interesting when you talk to other human beings!

But when you are really busy and have lots of other things going in your business just how do you stay connected? Well, there are lots of things you can do that don't necessarily take a lot of time.

- Make 1 phone call a day. Even if you are out delivering training you can make a call on the train on the way home

- Send 3 emails a day just to say hello and ask how your contact is doing.

H



- Spend 30 minutes a day on social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Linked In. Twitter is ideal for busy people - as you are limited to 140 characters it's easy to fire off a quick tweet. You can even tweet from your phone whilst you are on the move

- Make Friday morning your coffee morning. Keep it free and commit to booking in one person for coffee and chat every single week.

Draw up a plan for keeping connected. Decide how you are going to do it, do it and then do it consistently.

And if you would like to connect with me go to: www.twitter.com/sharongaskin www.linkedin.com/in/sharongaskin



Tip 15: Add Another String To Your Bow

s a freelance trainer it's really important to practice what you preach by investing in your own personal development, for

example attending workshops and seminars, listening to expert speakers, reading books, journals and blogs. Keeping yourself updated and informed enables you to become more competent and competent at what you do. But there is also another good reason why you should consider learning a new skill: It makes money. That's right! Acquiring a new skill or qualification can open up another potential income stream for you, one that you weren't able to tap into before because you weren't licensed to deliver. Here are some ideas for you: 1. BPS Assessor Training - Level A and B. Allows you to run

assessment centres and work on recruitment projects. http://www.ase-solutions.co.uk 2. MBTI. Allows you to carry out MBTI profiling and run associated

workshops. http://www.opp.eu.com/training.aspx 3. DISC Everything Certification allows you to administer and

interpret DISC profiles as well as deliver management and communications skills workshops based on the model.

www.aha-success.com 4. MAP Assessment. Allows you to become a MAP Assessor,

working within organisations to assess managerial competence and provide follow up training and support.

http://www.mapassessment.co.uk/become-a-map-assessor.htm 5. Institute of Independent Business. Allows you to become an

IIB Associate and work within SME's providing practical advice, coaching and mentoring.

http://www.iib.ws/

A



Of course all of these potential benefits have to be offset against the initial cost of the training and to be honest none of them come cheap. But I can only speak from experience by saying that becoming an MBTI Practitioner a few years ago was one of the best things that I ever did - the additional income I have earned has paid for the cost of my training about ten times over. So, have an open mind, have a look at my suggestions and then take some action! You'll be glad you did.



Tip 16: Get Tweeting

ver the past few months I've become a huge fan of Twitter. If you're not familiar with it here's the official definition from

www.twitter.com Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows you answer the question, "What are you doing?" by sending short text messages 140 characters in length, called "tweets", to your friends, or "followers." So, it's essentially another social networking site like Linked In or Facebook that allows you to build relationships online, a strategy all freelance trainers should be using. But what makes it different, and one of the reasons I love it so much is that limiting yourself to 140 characters means it's so quick and easy to do. Tweeting can easily be slotted into your daily activities. I often tweet when I'm doing something else like watching tennis or football. You can even tweet from your mobile whilst you are on the move.

Why Else Should You Be Using Twitter?

1. It's a great way of connecting with people and building a network fast. I have been amazed at the number of people I have managed to connect with in a short space of time.

2. You can make meaningful connections with people. Because people share things about their personal lives and you participate in discussions with them you start to get to know the real person - this helps build deeper and stronger relationships.

3. You can keep yourself updated by following leaders, authors and experts in the L and D world.

4. It helps drive traffic to your blog or website. If people start to follow you and like what you are saying they will naturally become interested in your business. And Twitter is no different to other forms of networking in that people will recommend and refer people they like to others.

O



5. You can get answers to your business problems. So, you might need some help with your Pc or want a website designer or maybe you're just having a bad day, whatever it is just post a question and you will find that people are incredibly helpful with their suggestions.

6. It's fun! Enough said!

If you choose to join Twitter there are a couple of rules you need to follow:

1. Be disciplined with the amount of time you spend on it. You could easily spend all day tweeting which wouldn't be very good for your business, so limit yourself to 1 or 2 hours a day.

2. Participate consistently. You won't get any of the benefits of using Twitter if you only tweet once a month. Like all networking activity you only get out what you put in.

So, follow me at www.twitter.com/sharongaskin and get tweeting today!



Tip 17: Get Testimonials

n Part 2 of 20 Ways To Re-Energise Your Training Business I asked you to do this exercise:

Audit Your Business. List on a piece of paper or on a spreadsheet every single piece of work that you have done since you set up your business. Write down:

- Client name

- Nature of work e.g. Design and delivery of Effective Leadership Programme

- Number of days

- Value

Once you have got all this information down go back through each piece of work and ask yourself this simple question

- Where did this work come from? I hope that you did that exercise because I'm going to ask you to return to it and ask yourself another question:

- Have I got testimonials for each client or piece of work that I did? If not, why not?

Why You Should Have Testimonials

1. Having credible testimonials increases the perceived value of your service or product.

2. It makes you look more professional and a person that others could confidently do business with.

3. Increases the likelihood of other people buying from you.

4. The process of gathering testimonials can be a real boost to your confidence and motivation - it's a great feeling to know you have done a good job.

I



So, if you haven't got a system for getting testimonials - you need to put one in place.

Make a start today. Call or email your clients. Say that you are developing new marketing materials and that you would love to get a testimonial from them. If you have genuinely done a good job, you will find that most people are very obliging - they may be busy and need a bit of prompting but you will most probably get there in the end. And if you really can't face the thought of asking for testimonials yourself, get someone else to do it for you!



Tip 18: Create An Information Product

'm sure you're all aware of the current trend for creating information products as a way of adding multiple streams of

income. It seems to be everywhere at the moment - I'm coming across more and more business owners who are providing products such as Special Reports, E Books, Audios and Teleseminars. What's so great about the concept of information products is the fact that once you have created them they can be sold online without your direct involvement. Of course, you have to spend time marketing your products but once you have done that you can look forward to your orders coming in whilst you are sleeping or away on holiday.

Why is this so attractive for freelance trainers? Realistically freelance trainers only have around 120 fee earning days in any one year. Believe it or not, once you take out time spent marketing your business, client visits, writing proposals, admin, holidays etc that's what you will be left with. So, in effect you have a limit placed on your annual income. Contrast this with what happens when you have an information product:

- You can be in the training room and be earning extra money on top of what you are earning for that day

- You can be working with a client and simultaneously be receiving income from another

- You can be sick and still get paid

The opportunities are really endless! Now you may be thinking here this is all very well but what on earth could I create an information product on? What topics would grab people's interest?

I



Try this simple exercise. Keep a diary for 30 Days. Every time you have contact with one of your clients listen carefully to what they are saying about their current problems and challenges. Or ask them 'What's the biggest issue that you are facing right now that you would love to find the answer to?' Write down all this information in your diary. At the end of the month you will have a topic for your information product. Examples might be:

- How To Motivate Your Team in Challenging Times

- 10 Ways You Can Help Team Leaders Become Better Trainers

- Winning Strategies To Get Your Workforce to Do More With Less

If your clients want, need and can afford your product then they will buy it. Take a look at some of the information products I have created:

E Book - How To Launch A Training Business in 30 Days http://www.thetrainerstrainingcompany.co.uk/products/how_to_launch_a_training_business/ Teleseminars – link to recordings page



Tip 19: Get Active On Social Networking

ocial networking has been popping up quite a lot in this series.

In Part 8 we looked at joining an online network such as Trainer Talk on Linked In In Part 9 we looked at starting your own Trainer Network and using Linked in or Ecademy to find other freelance trainers in our your area In Part 12 we looked at using Linked In to reconnect with old contacts In Part 13 we looked at using social networking sites to keep connected with people In Part 16 we looked specifically at why you should be using Twitter If you become active on social networking sites I can absolutely guarantee that you will feel re-energised about yourself and your business overnight. As one of my coaching clients commented the other day 'Freelance training is a very lonely business'. It doesn't need to be - if you make a commitment to regularly connect with other people on line. Let's just recap on why you should use social networking sites

1. It's a great way of connecting with people and building a network fast.

2. You can make meaningful connections with people. Because people share things about their personal lives and you participate in discussions with them you start to get to know the real person - this helps build deeper and stronger relationships.

3. You can keep yourself updated by following leaders, authors and experts in the L and D world.

S



4. It helps drive traffic to your blog or website. If people start to follow you and like what you are saying they will naturally become interested in your business. People will recommend and refer people they like to others.

5. You can get answers to your business problems. So, you might need some help with your Pc or want a website designer or maybe you're just having a bad day, whatever it is just post a question and you will find that people are incredibly helpful with their suggestions.

6. It's fun!

Here are some tips for effective social networking

1. Keep it simple. Limit the number of social networking sites you join to 2 or 3 otherwise you will be completely overwhelmed. I would recommend sticking to Linked In, Twitter and Facebook.

2. Talk to people. Participate. This may sound obvious but you would be amazed at the number of people who join these groups and then don't communicate with anyone!

3. Be generous and respectful to others. Answer people's questions, help out wherever possible. Treat other people as you would like to be treated yourself.

4. Provide good profile information. Your profile or bio is an opportunity to showcase your business. Spend time on your profile and let other people see clearly what it is that you do.

5. Automate some of your networking activities. There are some great tools around that will help ensure you don't become a slave to your laptop. For example you can connect Facebook and Twitter so that every time you post on Twitter your Facebook status is updated and vice versa. You can also schedule in tweets by using www.tweetlater.com and connect your blog to Twitter by using www.twitterfeed.com

6. Limit the amount of time you spend on social networking. It might be 1 hour a day or 30 minutes a day. Decide what works for you and stick to it.



Hope to see you all soon on Linked In and Twitter. Follow me on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/sharongaskin Connect with me on Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/sharongaskin



Tip 20: Take Action

ell, we've finally reached the end of this report - 20 Ways To Re-Energise Your Training Business.

I hope you've enjoyed reading my tips as much as I've enjoyed putting them together for you. I'd like to ask you a couple of questions:

- How are you going to use the information you now have?

- What ACTION are you going to take? It may well be that you have already put together a clear and specific Action Plan and if you have - well done! You are already well on the way to getting your business back on track. If you haven't done anything yet, that's perfectly understandable. It's easy to read great tips and techniques, much harder to put any of it into practice. You may start off with good intentions but then you get busy, you get sidetracked and before you know it you've forgotten all about it. And let's face it, it can be really difficult to get motivated when you're on your own. If you need help taking action you can:

1. Get yourself a business buddy - a friend, another freelance trainer, or someone in your network. Tell them what you are working on and ask them to check in with you every now and then to see what progress you are making.

2. Get a coach who can work with you to move your business forward. http://www.thetrainerstrainingcompany.co.uk/business-coaching/

3. Book an action session with yourself. Put a date in your diary, go to a local hotel or quiet place and get to work. Imagine how good it will feel to do this!

W



Few Concluding Words!

hank You For Reading This Report.

If you have been forwarded this report by a friend or a work colleague and you would like to learn more about The Trainers Training Company, then visit www.TheTrainersTrainingCompany.co.uk and sign up for our free Enterprising Trainer pack and you will receive

- Free Report – 20 Things You Ought To Know Before Going Freelance

- Free Audio – How To Get Associate Work

- Free Fortnightly Newsletter – Tips and advice on creating a successful training business as well as information on our services

- 1 to 1 Coaching

- Live workshops

- Teleseminars

If you want to discover the quickest and easiest way to become a freelance trainer check out my E Book “How To Launch Your Training Business in 30 Days”. For more information go to: www.TheTrainersTrainingCompany.co.uk/products

T

20 ways to re-energise your training business report rev071909 articles/misc/20 ways to... ·...

Documents