Notes from TLN Meeting on Business Promotion, 26.04.22

For those who weren't able to attend, here are some notes from the TLN workshop on Promoting Your Services which was held on 26.04.22.

Thanks to Ian for providing the notes!

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In answer to the question “What are you doing to promote yourself?” here are the responses.

Mark

Business cards

Linked-In

"Looking for work": tell your Linkedin contacts!

Send clients Christmas candy

Recorded presentations - Linked-In (needs a bit more work)

Clare

Tried mailing using Mail Chimp... didn't work

See who connected to her Linked-In Profile & contact the people

Ask for verbal feedback after courses: ask happy clients to give names of other people who might be interested

MarjorieCurrently has all her eggs in the CPF basket

Gets students directly through Mon Compte Formation

Says clients are attracted by personalised F2F training + native-speaker trainer

Peter

Sends text messages to phone numbers volunteered by prospects

Sends messages for Christmas + birthdays + 'fetes'

Counts on recommendations

Ian

Do I need more work? No real need to look for more – busy enough!

Suggested just being good at what you do!

Send nice Christmas cards

Does lunch in English with current/former clients

Yvonne

Doesn't do much promotion

Trained as GB lawyer so has a huge USP that needs to be exploited

Lucy

Doesn't do any marketing

Flyers and business cards didn't work

Had a recommendation from one client

Has a diploma in positive psychology needs to put this to use as this would appear to be a very useful skill in our work

Lynda

Doesn't promote herself - needs the time to focus on working well

She had a stand at an 'open day"

Attended a webinar "enlarge your comfort zone"

worked with a group of teenagers from Business school.

COVID brought in requests for her to work via a local network

Also does some work for 'Prep my future'

Doing the Poker Management coaching offered by TLN coaches

Sue

Has never done any marketing

But uses visibility tools: card, website...

Claire

Never really thought about selling/marketing – work just came in

Once had a substantial marketing budget, but actions didn't bring much

Cultivating personal relationships with clients worked best

Having time for people/answering Q's / being helpful – even if you can’t see any potential business.

Formal networking didn't bring anything in either

Sue's review

Recommendation/ Word-of-mouth

Why would they recommend you?

Success in personal project (TOEIC, ATC test, 'unblocking' kids, dyslexia etc)

Be a pleasure to work with

Make them feel they are getting something different / 'genuine'

Speak the language of business and many diverse situations

Ask pertinent questions and 'bounce off' their statements in a coach-like manner/asking Q's

Further comments from participants regarding their unique selling points and what makes clients want to work with them.

Clare

Nice, friendly, progress (via feedback)

know the company’s business

Yvonne

With lawyers, she’s got the vocab, knows their business

Marjorie

'fun, friendly, flexible' 'passionate, progress, personal'

Comes down to the human touch

Lynda

Worked with kids and uses the same approach with adults. 'fun, flexible' authentic, adapts to interests. Being interested in people.

Peter

Everything + enthusiasm, integrity, authentic + humour

Lucy

Informal environment, equal terms, Informal, interested, intuitive

Mark

Literature background → specialised courses

scheduling - any time

Making people feel more confident

Sue (has own school)

Never say no. Do the work for the HR department. Relieve them of the admin burden.

They will then trust you and will never go elsewhere!