Recently whilst writing training material for a Marketing unit I was delving into the power of client consultation. Of course the subject is relevant to every business, well every business that markets to their clients, and I felt it was important to write about for you.
Trying to get clients when you’re not really sure what they need or want makes you an answer in search of a question.
The AQTF requires you have client consultation and deliver training to their needs.
It’s not enough for YOU to know why they should attend your training sessions – THEY need to know. It’s hard enough to find clients without also having to educate them on why they would use your services you in the first place.
Find out what the “hot buttons” are for the people in your target market. What do they perceive to be the greatest problems they face, or the biggest goals they wish to achieve? Ask these questions of the people you serve and the other businesses who serve them. Read trade literature or special interest publications and educate yourself on the key issues in your marketplace.
When you have a clear picture of what your target market is truly looking for, you’ll be able to package your services as a solution. Prepare your training to meet these needs, as well as the requirements of the Training package.
Design all your marketing tools, web site, brochures, training outcomes, telemarketing script, sales presentation, to show how your service addresses the hot buttons you identified.
Sometimes you may be faced with limited opportunity to interact with specialised people when identifying specific training needs. In such cases, you will need to research carefully to ensure an accurate assessment of the job or task, the individual and the organisation’s requirements.
Don’t worry if the most popular issues aren’t the ones you most want to work on within your training. Chances are that if you attract prospects by marketing to their perceived needs, you’ll create opportunities to explore other options with them. But if you market something they don’t yet know they want, you may never get to have that conversation.