Do you enjoy training people? Are you a confident trainer in a face-to-face workshop setting? Do you have something valuable to offer people – if only they knew about you and your services? Current or soon-to-be solopreneurs or entrepreneurs can use their talents as an instructional designer or trainer to find prospects and convert them into paying clients.
Instead of reinventing the wheel by creating different workshops for different occasions (a conference here, a “lunch and learn” there), invest your time in creating and perfecting the right workshop – a signature workshop – so that whenever you need new clients, you have your go-to marketing tool already.
A signature workshop, however, requires rethinking presentation design. A simple presentation about your company is no longer sufficient. Instead, you’re intentionally building the “know, like and trust factor” with your audience. It’s been shown that people are more likely to buy from other people they know, like and trust, and the right signature workshop (especially in-person) can do that better and faster than other means, including social media.
For a signature workshop to be effective at bringing in new clients, it should be built on a solid foundation of clearly describing the product or service you sell, your ideal clients, why you do what you do, and how you’ll let your passion and personality shine through. If you don’t show some personality, you’ll be boring and bland, and that doesn’t sell.
Once you have a solid foundation and plenty of self-confidence, you can save yourself time by following a proven formula for designing and developing your workshop. This formula is instructional design, re-thought for business development. Many people make the mistake of neglecting their chance to make a strong first and last impression. For a workshop to be effective at converting the audience into clients, it should include three parts, each created with equal intention: the beginning, middle and end.
The beginning of a workshop that brings in clients is not a time to list your credentials or accomplishments, but rather to show the audience that you really understand them and their struggles and know what it’s like to be in their shoes. It’s also a good time to connect with them as caring human beings by explaining why your work is important to you. As Simon Sinek says in his famous Ted Talk, people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.
The middle of a workshop is more than an explanation or demonstration of something. It’s a time to creatively offer the audience a small but authentic taste of what it’s like to work with you, so they personally experience the value of your work and can more easily decide if it’s a match for their needs.
The end of a signature workshop is ideal for lining up your future relationship with the audience. It’s a chance to offer a “Follow-Up Free Opt-In” – something of high value that you offer in exchange for people’s permission to stay in touch. There are a variety of methods for this opt-in, from “old school” to fully automated. Many people (trainers and audiences alike) fear the end of a workshop, when the sales pitch is coming. In a workshop meant to create trust with your audience, there is no hard selling. There is, however, confidently describing what you offer and the results that you can help people achieve and addressing any objections your audience may have. Be prepared for them!
Those are the three important components of a signature workshop, but it doesn’t end there. All those good training, facilitation, communication, self-confidence and social skills you have will also be needed, so don’t leave them at home!
Leslie Zucker is a trainer, facilitator, ICF-certified coach and author of “Deliver Workshops That Bring in Clients: A How-To Guide for Coaches, Consultants and Entrepreneurs,” available on Amazon. Visit www.lesliezucker.com for a free chapter.
