Running public workshops is one of the marketing tools you can use to build your portfolio and expertise as a service provider.
Running public events was a natural choice to establish my position as a Personal Brand Communication Specialist. I grew up performing on stage, and I have a personality where I don’t fear to speak up.
What did I want to achieve from running the events?
When I left my job at the beauty-startup and set up to start my freelance career and eventually build my business, I thought of events as a medium to get myself out there and acquire clients. It was easy for me to stand in front of people and talk about my passion. But running those free public workshops taught me things that help me accelerate in business in a way I wouldn’t if I never chose to teach and give out my knowledge for free.
I repeat for FREE!!
I say it because I come across so many experts who want to run their business by the rules of the world pre-internet.
Today, competition is vast, so you have to give generously and freely to build trust. To show your expertise and to create an emotional connection with your Ideal Clients.
I got more than clients from sharing my knowledge.
Entrepreneurial mindset shift.
Public speaking instantly boosted my self-esteem and made me realise the level of expertise I had. It’s easy to forget what it’s like not to know something; in that case, putting a premium price tag on your service can be challenging. Those free public events helped me understand my worth in a way, 100 books about mindset shift wouldn’t achieve.
I improved my service to provide extraordinary results and build raving fans.
Teaching helped me tailor my service to my Ideal Client need fast and sell what they want and not what I want to serve them. I quickly learned what common misperceptions, myths or struggles my ideal clients have and how they see the transformation. If I haven’t done those workshops, it will take me years to serve the same volume of clients to gather in-depth knowledge and understanding of their needs.
I made mistakes fast; I learned to adjust quickly!
Running events and seeling at the end taught me how to communicate my value clearly. After all, I teach people how to communicate their worth, so they get paid what they are worth. It was a good lesson of taking a theory to practice.
If you want to convert and serve your clients, you have to be 100% sure that you know what to say and how to say it without feeling awkward so that your Ideal Clients know your worth and what you will deliver. I’m not going to lie, some of the lessons were painful, but without a doubt, they all helped me make my next sale.
Going beyond what you know for sure.
There is a great saying; It’s not what you don’t know that gest you into trouble, but what you know for sure that isn’t so.
Teaching to a group of people what you know can quickly teach you some useful life lessons and make you revisit what ‘you know for sure.
I guess you might learn a different lesson from mine. Perhaps, you face some fears, like public speaking. If it makes sense for you to try public speaking or running a workshop to share your wisdom for only one small reason. You should do it.
After all, if the results won’t be what you expected, you don’t have to do it again, but you might be pleasantly surprised how it will widen your perspective.
Best of luck.
Ewa