Although the global pandemic has presented some significant challenges for small businesses, there have been some great & perhaps unexpected opportunities for global growth, particularly for trainers, coaches & other entities who can offer a live training element online.
Here are a few ways to grow your training or coaching business online internationally & to ensure maximum success when you do deliver by Andi Lonne.
Expanding globally
There are a lot of companies out there who have global teams that need training as well as individuals who would love to receive your help & expertise!Never before has online learning been so warmly welcomed & embraced.Even in the UK, delegates appreciate not having to travel a long way to attend training at a venue given it saves them time, cost not to mention being kinder to the environment and a surprising number love being trained “whilst wearing my slippers”!
Market globally
It’s important that potential clients know you do deliver internationally, therefore ensure your website and all your marketing materials & social media posts, etc., are updated to reflect this.A simple but easily missed step which means you could be dismissed by potential overseas clients.
Online fees & currency
Just because you are delivering online doesn’t mean you should reduce your fees.Those attending are still benefitting from your expertise and they can still ask you questions as they would in the ‘real-world’ environment.They are however saving much travel cost & time and event organisers are saving on venue costs & refreshments, etc.
You can still charge in GBP to international clients.It is up to them to take the hit on the exchange rate.You can use platforms such as PayPal or Stripe to raise invoices and receive funds if the client doesn’t wish to do a direct bank transfer.
Online platforms
If you’re concerned about using technology, platforms such as Zoom are super-simple to use, highly intuitive and have masses of mini training videos on just about anything you need to know.Time invested getting familiar with such platforms will pay dividends for the results your attendees get.Your delivery needs to be focused on just that – your delivery.Not looking for a button or figuring out how to do something during a session.
Platforms such as Zoom can do some really fab things, such as ‘touch up my appearance’ (very popular!) and ‘hide self-view’ so attendees (& you!) don’t have to stare at themselves throughout the session.This hugely reduces ‘Zoom fatigue’.
Keep it interactive & engaging!
Use all the tools at your disposal to ensure your training/coaching session is as interactive & engaging as possible.Your attendees need to be actively doing something every few minutes – otherwise their attention will wander to their phone, their emails, etc.
For example, Zoom offers an interactive Chat function, breakout groups, polls, reactions buttons (similar to emojis) and you can play soft music in the background during quiet reflection periods for your delegates to think without it being uncomfortably silent.
As a final tip, when delivering online, ensure plenty of mini-breaks are built in to get people away from the screen & off their chair for a few minutes.It really refreshes the brain for more exciting learning!
