When I first started my business, most speakers, trainers, consultants and thought leaders delivered one-off face-to-face programs – keynotes, training courses, coaching sessions or facilitated meetings. A few – the smart few – complemented their programs with electronic products, but they were in the minority.
Now it's the other way around. Clients and audiences expect more than just a keynote, just a training workshop or just a coaching session. It's fast becoming the norm that you'll send your audience a pre-event survey before your keynote, or offer a follow-up webinar to your training course, or provide password-protected resources for your coaching clients. If you don't offer this form of "e-learning", you'll fall behind other competitors who do offer this and more.
Why e-learning is not just an option, but a necessity.
There are five key reasons why you should be adding e-learning options to your business now – not just because they're attractive, but because they're now essential:
- Clients expect more. In the past, you could be a "hit and run" presenter, who waltzes in, delivers a keynote, acknowledges the standing ovation, and leaves. That's no longer an option. Clients expect you to deliver more – much more – than just your standard face-to-face time with them. If you don't deliver it, they'll find somebody else who will.
- The world is flat. In Thomas Friedman's book of this name, he talks about the rising middle class throughout the world. These are the people who can create and deliver the same value you deliver, but do it faster, cheapr and more effectively with e-learning.
- The tools are accessible. Even amateurs can create blogs, YouTube videos, on-line forums, even entire e-learning sites. Yes, they are amateurs, and some of their products are amateurish. But your clients don't necessarily see it that way. Rather, they see other people offering e-learning technology, and wonder why you don't.
- Your speaking fee is insignificant. You know how you're always struggling to get clients to accept your fee? In fact, your fee is insignificant when compared with the cost of the lost productivity of their people who attend your events. E-learning allows them to learn from their office desks – and sometimes even their homes. This productivity gain is worth many times more than what they pay you.
- You won't be seen as serious. When I first started showing clients how to use e-learning technology, 12 years ago, it was a significant point of difference and a strong selling point. Now it's significant if you don't offer it – and a strong point against you.
The eGurus Community
If you're a member of the eGurus Community, there's a section of the eGurus Vault with resources about e-learning and creating information products. Start with the slide deck on that page, which gives you an overview of the process.
If you're not an eGurus member, find out about membership at www.eGurus.info.
Consulting: E-Learning Program
Many speakers and trainers want to deliver their material on-line, but don't know how to do it effectively. It's not enough to just turn a training program into an on-line course or a keynote presentation into a webinar. You must get your strategy right, and create a program that delivers material in a variety of ways to match different learning styles and audience needs. This three-month program helps you identify your most important e-learning products, and shows you how to roll them out to create a high-quality e-learning program.
Webinar Recording: Your E-Learning Strategy
Many speakers and trainers want to deliver their material on-line, but don't know how to do it effectively. It's not enough to just turn a training program into an on-line course or a keynote presentation into a webinar. You must get your strategy right, and create a program that delivers material in a variety of ways to match different learning styles and audience needs.
E-Book: Other People's Expertise
Content is still king. Being an expert doesn't mean you have to create everything in your area of expertise. It means you can provide relevant, meaningful content in your area of expertise – even if you didn't create the content yourself. By tapping into high-quality content freely available on-line, you can add value to your material and enhance your credibility.
Assessment: Product Evaluation Questionnaire
Will your new product idea succeed? There's no way to know for sure until you try it in the market with real live customers. However, there are things you can do beforehand to assess its likelihood of success. I've created this free questionnaire to help you evaluate any new product, service or niche market. Rate yourself on 15 criteria, and get a score in three separate areas to help you determine what areas require more work.
Articles
- 5 Easy Ways to Add E-Learning To Your Business
- How to Negotiate The Best Speaking Fee Every Time
- The World Doesn't Need Another Bad Book
- Spin One Idea Into Dozens of Products
- A Lesson from the Golden Age of Cinema
- Create High-Value Low-Cost Products
- Are You Making the Most of Every Newsletter Article?
Webinar Recording: How to Make a Bundle From Your Products
Don’t just create a single information product – such as a book, a video or an MP3 file. Always create a bundle of related products, so your customers get more value and you increase your sales (and profits!). In this webinar, I’ll show you how to turn a single product into a more valuable product bundle, and also explain how to promote them to your existing clients so you can boost sales and profits.
Webinar Recording: Content Rules
Many eGurus and thought leaders don't know how to leverage their ideas into multiple formats easily. When you see how easy it is, you'll be able to quickly expand your Internet footprint without a lot of extra effort.
