Great teachers solve problems. ‘Well of course!’ I hear you say. And yet…
When I challenge a knowledge worker – someone who is paid for their expertise – to create a tool that their client can use BY THEMSELF… it can make them uncomfortable.
My clients really appreciate my one on one service. My clients really like my style of helping them. I really love the one on one work with clients and I don’t know how I feel about giving them tools that sort of take me out of the picture. I don’t think it would be the same.
I appreciate that passionate service orientated practitioners derive a great deal of pleasure from working closely with their clients. Teaching doesn’t take away from your services. It adds to them in ways your clients will LOVE.
It’s unfortunate that so much of the language happening at the moment about online courses, webinars, and other ways to automate teaching do – to some extent – have the potential to take the human out of the teaching. Passive is interpreted to means hands off, and you can certainly do that.
But there are other ways to create teaching products for your clients to solve their own problems.
Good learning design can help to keep the humans very much in the centre of the learning and the teaching.
Teaching products within consultancy services
I run a consultancy business as well as Sassy Owl. My clients are paying for my expertise to identify problems and create solutions. All of the solutions come in the form of products. Some times it’s a workshop. Most of the time it Just In Time Teaching tools like decision trees, flow charts, system maps, checklists, templates etc. These usually require a little bit of tweaking to suit the client, but not much. Most of my clients are VERY similar. I have a very specific niche.
Why do I do this? Partly, because I can’t help myself. See a problem. Fix a problem. But mostly because I want them to be able to solve the issues and maintain high standards. It also means I DO NOT get into discussions about how much I charge per hour. That’s irrelevant. My expertise went into developing the tools that will address the issue long after I’m finished with the client.
The analogy I use is that an author doesn’t just get paid for the first reader of the book. Just because I created the bones of the product for other clients, doesn’t mean subsequent clients get a discount. They are buying a solution to their problem = my expertise + some of my time + products. Of course I charge a premium for such a combination. I am still working with the client, it just isn’t about my time.
Teach one to many live
Well that may have scared you a bit, but it needn’t. Do you seem to be having the same conversation with several clients? Why not set up a Zoom, Skype or webinar session or series of sessions to teach to the topic. You can make an offer to your clients to sign up for a series of 5 meetings where you will go through ‘how to …….’.
Your learners can ask questions. You can run a hot seat (one person takes centre stage to work through an example of the method or tools you’re providing. Make sure it’s safe to do this. Consider the nature of your clients and the nature of the problem. I have friend who runs interactive sessions with accountants. Yep. That proves it. Doable. You are still in the picture. Providing great service.
Teach one to many within a course framework
By all means create a course for your clients. Add some personal group interactions, say once a week or once a month depending on the size and complexity of the course. You can ask for questions in advance. Run a Q&A session. Have someone submit an example of how they used one of your tools or strategies. Use that as a case study (with that person’s permission) to clarify any misunderstandings, celebrate what worked really well, and identify any opportunities for improvement. You give the learner the tools to solve their problems in advance. Then you provide feedback so that they can course correct. That’s good teaching.
There are so many ways to teach your clients to solve their problems and reach their desired future state. You can provide amazing service, grow your reach and still connect personally with your clients. When you teach in these ways you also free up your time, make more money, and can concentrate on other things you’re passionate about……
Want tools, strategies, templates and a process to step out how to design teaching tools that transform lives and businesses? Then join the wait list for the Teach FAST Strategy launching in May 2016
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