13 tips on marketing in-house training courses

1. The key important difference between marketing in-house training programs is the ability you have to more closely manage and control events before and after the training itself.

2. The process needs to involve a step early on where you meet with the various "internal customers" to establish the needs and objectives. This involves four categories of customer - those involved in influencing, deciding, receiving and paying for it. At the meetings determine:

   - Their perception of problems and difficulties that are being experienced and how they affect the work situation

   - How to collect data to support and verify these needs (just in case the perceived issue is not in fact the real issue!)

   - What needs to be happening after the training to demonstrate that it was effective

   - What are the priorities, budgets and timescales

   - Who needs to be trained

   - Any foreseeable risks.

3.  You will then need to customise, adapt and develop the program to ensure it meets these needs. Perhaps you might want to bring in other resources or materials.

4.  The marketing process now really begins:

• Identify your customers - and it may be necessary to segment them as appropriate e.g. run course by department, by responsibility, by location, plus don't forget by type of customer (influencer, decision maker, fund holder - as well as the delegate themselves)

• Determine the key benefits for each target group.

• Determine how the course is different from what others/competitors are offering. Here you have a lot more scope and opportunity in terms of when it is held (schedule it to suit what else is happening) and where it is held/location/on-company premises.

• Prepare a list of targets - names, addresses, phone and emails.

• See if you can further segment them in terms of two or three groups - those most likely (i.e. those that participate regularly in training - look for a prior history of attending), least likely and possibles.

• Sequence a range of communications as appropriate: Concentrate initially on getting positive involvement of influencers and opinion setters, and those most likely to attend. If you run a showcase, keep it short and focus on covering an aspect which makes them want more. (Don't run a pilot/trial session because you run the risk of it not being as good as it could be and not meeting the expectations of this key group.) NB: Capture the names of people who say they will attend and don't because they will eventually participate. Next work on a programme of communications for the "possible". Let them know who has already signed up and what the influencers are saying. Word-of-mouth is very important because people will talk to each other.

5. Scheduling is very important for in-house courses - should it be during or out-of-work hours? Favour shorter rather than longer. If multi-day and residential it is better for them to start on Monday morning or end at early Friday afternoon.

6. Location is also important and will also receive a lot of discussion. It is better to hold it off-site if possible because this avoids interruptions and can often help achieve other business objectives (more interdepartmental communication and understanding). Only add in a recreational element if it is acceptable to everyone.

7. The pricing arrangement is often determined by company policies and procedures. Where you are able to set the price, set it to reflect market value and not to what it has cost to produce. Don't forget like any business, you may want to use profit to subsidise those new courses in development.

8. Create collateral that contains all of the appropriate elements and choose a title that reflects content, benefits and recipients. Balance personal, departmental and organisational benefits

9.  Consider using all the media available. Look for "piggyback" opportunities, such as company newsletters, as well as traditional advertising opportunities such as memos on paper/email, flyers on paper/intranets, inserts (pay cheques), etc. Even consider a mailing to people at home and phoning key people.

10.  If you are testing, focus on timing and the frequency/number of communications you send out (exposure). Timing will obviously depend on type if it is local and free (weeks) v. multi day & residential (months).

11.  When people inquire, capture how they heard about the course. Have a follow-up system of communications that confirms expectations, benefits of attending, plus noting and handling objections.

12.  Once sold you have the opportunity to try and understand their commitment to participate. This process might cover objections that can be better dealt with before the event rather than during e.g. "I don't really want to come... my boss is making me attend".

13.  Expect last minute cancellations and no-shows. If it is a free event, can you limit this by charging for 'no shows'? This might reduce this from happening. Consider having a 'standby list' of people who can attend at short notice e.g. juniors you manage who would benefit.

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