Yes, I do know the old adage “those that CAN’T teach.” But I also know that one of my best paid marketing strategies is teaching. In fact, that is how I began my design business. I taught adult continuing education at Emory University, Oglethorpe University, and Spruill Arts Center all in Atlanta for a decade. Do you teach?
Here is the fun part; I got paid to market my business! Now teaching didn’t make me a living, unfortunately it doesn’t make most full time teachers much of a living but it was the reverse of most marketing which requires capital investment. I actually tagged my teaching monies my travel fund and it took me to Australia and New Zealand one year, another year to India, another to Africa on Safari and many more exotic destinations. At the same time I garnered clients.
You see while I was teaching them the nuts and bolts of design and there were plenty of DIY (do-it-yourselfers) in the class, there were a handful of others that realized it was too much. They didn’t want to do it themselves and after six weeks of class, 2 hours per week, they were comfortable with my style, my personality and how I shared I worked with clients. These clients (former students) were always ideal, they understood immediately how I worked, what I offered, and the difference I could make. They also entirely understood the value in design and the talent that a designer brings to the table.
The best part is that I created each of my classes whether they ran for a Saturday three hour seminar, three weeks or six weeks. I got to pick what I wanted to share and how I shared it. What can you teach, either in a formal setting such as an adult education program or perhaps more casually in someone’s home and have them invite friends and colleagues that will spur your business. You could also put on seminars for local women’s groups, The Learning Annex, or your favorite social or civic organization. You can make these one-shots or continuing opportunities to share your expertise in a manner that invites participation and at the same time affirms why your services are so valuable.
This, by no means, applies to design alone. You can do this with any manner of skills and professional expertise you have. Get creative, often we forget that many others have no idea how to do what we do and do it well and they’d like to have the curtain pulled back and some of the magic revealed. Revealing your professional magic can mean magical marketing results in new clients, bigger projects, and opportunities you never imagined.
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