Training Magazine Middle East December 2014 | Page 39

Business Development

At times, the content or price itself is not enough to draw or entice a firm or audience towards training. It’s a simple 5 letter acronym: WIIFM – What’s in it for me?

You might be thinking ‘A discount as compared to other training providers’, or a more commonly used one: “A discount on the next training you will be doing with us”.

While working for a firm in 2006, I was asked to promote a 3-month rigorous training program that was targeted for final semester students of an engineering university. While promoting the training, I felt that the trainer was not the incentive, even though he was a renowned industry expert.

Also, it was not the content as it made the students feel the burden of studies, especially in their already over-burdened and stressful final semester.

What made them go for it? A guaranteed job! We promised a position in our firm for the top 5 candidates. Isn’t that what every student looks for?

Promotional Material – Yes it matters!

Once you have identified all the above, and made a plan of how to implement it, put it on a piece of

paper or a flyer. Remember, the package, the cover, the box: it all counts. Handouts, newsletters, social media promotions, forum announcements etc. Everything matters.

Even attitude matters. Emoting positivity in every word, in every document and in every announcement, coupled with content, idea, price, and incentive, will create the right perception and identify the correct value addition you will be providing through your training.

Fahad Khan works as a “Sales Leader” for Building and Infrastructure Technologies at SIEMENS.

He carries with him extensive Business Development, Sales, Marketing, Recruitment and Training expertise, which spans more than a decade, covering America and the Middle East. In addition to his ‘Clark Kent’ job, he supports start-ups with winning strategies and ideas to make a niche in the market.