Marketing Plan for Corporate Training

Good trainers need a variety of skills to make training interesting and impactful in the corporate environment. You also need a marketing plan that helps identify the types of corporations with which you want to work and the benefits that make your training fees worthwhile. Once you develop a marketing plan, review it frequently and change it as necessary to continuously bring in a stream of prospects you convert into paying clients.

Identifying your target market starts with knowing what sized companies you want to approach. You should also identify the type of businesses you want to approach -- are you going after manufacturers, service companies or healthcare providers, for example. Find the common characteristics of the human resources directors or other executive most likely to hire you -- look for education, needs and their budget for training. Learn what media they pay attention to when it comes to finding training companies. Part of your research also should include the people who participate in your training programs. The information you gather about this vital audience helps explain the benefits of your training programs, such as building employee loyalty and improving performance, to the decision makers.

Figuring out what makes you different compared to the competition is critical in standing out from the crowd. As you research your competition, identify their marketing strategies. Review their websites, print materials and published articles to find out what they do to attract clients. Find out if the competition provides custom-designed training or open enrollment courses. If you provide on-site training, research competitors who provide online courses. Take a close look at local colleges and government-sponsored business centers if they provide corporate training programs.

The content of your training may sound similar to other companies, so think of innovative ways to present the information. You might offer webinars, breakfast meetings or box-lunch sessions instead of traditional half- or full-day sessions. Consider offering a combination of on-site training with online presentations as a way to reinforce the training and make the client’s budget go farther. If you sell books or other products, look at ways to sell them as part of a complete training package.

Generating leads is a critical part of your marketing plan, so you must include strategies that convert prospects over a period of time. Business networking groups and chamber of commerce events provide opportunities to make connections and start the conversion process. If you provide training outside of your area, a direct-marketing campaign provides a way to get in front of prospects. Build a website and include detailed information about your company’s niche, its background, the expertise of your trainers and the benefits your company’s training offers. Ask for email addresses in exchange for an informative article or tip sheet related to training, and then use the addresses to market your services every month via an email newsletter.