YOU CAN TEACH!

At a meeting this morning I brought up the subject of “teaching” to a group of small business owners. I could tell by the expression on their faces, “Who Me? You’ve got to be kidding.” There is no better marketing opportunity than to stand up in a room full of prospects and share your why, your promise, and your delivery method.

Telling your story and concentrating on the unique benefits you provide is a marketing wish come true. When you stand up in front of a group, you are in control, and just by virtue of conducting the class you gain credibility; it also brands you as an expert in your industry.

There is no business that provides a product or service that cannot put together an intriguing presentation. Your audience can be made up of current clients and their referrals. The internet with social media is another method of getting attendance. Groups such as Meet-Up have proved very effective in helping me generate participants.

Don’t try to sell something during the presentation. The purpose is to introduce yourself and to educate. Another major benefit is the opportunity to get names and contact information from your audience. By virtue of attending your session they are telling you that they have a need for something that you offer.

There are many places to hold an educational session. I have used the public libraries (at no charge) as well as meeting rooms in other business offices who would like exposure to my target market.

Like anything else that is worthwhile doing, preparing your presentation will take some time. It has to start with a “catchy” title followed with an informative power point presentation (or other visual presentation method).

Hand out material with a call to action should follow the story line of your presentation. Just like riding a bike, you may have been scared but after several tries it became a “piece of cake”. The same will hold true as you start using lesson presentations a part of your marketing tools.

Teaching is a great way to share your story.
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Tips & Advice by Nick Petra – CFP, Mentor, and Founder of StrategicDuck and BizQuack