As our elected officials try to see how much money they can print to spend us out of the current economic doldrums, smart business owners know that the solution isn't coming from the capitol...it's coming from us. We have to do what small and medium-sized business owners have always done...get smart about spending our money in order to expand the reach of our offerings.
There are always a few recession-proof industries, such as auto mechanics, plumbers, electricians, crime-prevention, etc. Then there are the industries that see growth in hard times, the ones out-of-work people turn when they're looking to improve their skills, their image, or explore other options in employment. Who are they? Coaches. Life coaches, sales coaches, business coaches, and speech coaches are all in demand right now as the unemployment numbers rise and people look for ways to stand out and get hire
At the same time, coaches are looking for ways to help more people without having to add more hours to their workday. That's where using audio teaching tools can be of use to both the coaching community and to the unemployed, making for a win-win situation.
There are many quick ways to make audio teaching tools available to coaching clients. One solution is to take coaching articles and turn them into audio e-courses available to individuals or to businesses wanting to upgrade their staffs' skills. Another is to offer a series of weekly audio tips for job-hunters and send them out to anyone who wants them via auto-responder, in exchange for their email address. This is a great way to build a newsletter subscription base and a loyal following of potential clients, and to remind them to re-visit the coaching site for more good information. Some coaches are even building secure log-in areas to their websites and offering online audio/PowerPoint training, with weekly or monthly telephone coaching as an addition to the offering. And coaches who've written books can quickly have audio books produced, meaning even more people can be exposed to their training and helpful information.
All of these are methods that coaches are using to re-purpose existing tools, increase the number of clients they can help, and increase their bottom line...all without adding any hours to their workdays.
A few things to keep in mind if you're a coach and are thinking of adding audio to your offerings:
1. Deal with a professional, and make sure that they're recording and saving your work at a high bit rate. For a mono recording, a 32 bit record rate and a 160 kb per second save rate will result in a very high-quality piece of audio. The lower the bit rate, the worse the audio will sound. For instructional audio, it's important that the quality of the audio doesn't distract the user from being able to learn the intended message. You want audio in mp3 format that sounds nearly as good as if the person was in the room with you, and a high bit rate is the way to accomplish that.
2. Use music if you feel it's appropriate, but do use it in the opening and closing segments of each recording. It makes the presentation sound polished and gives the listener confidence that the coach is one of the top in the field.
3. Never ever offer any piece of audio that doesn't include a way for the listener to find you and your website. That should always be in the closing segment, and it can be in the opening segment, as well. Your audio products should always contain your branding and contact information, or you've wasted a resource.
The above suggestions are just a few ways coaches are expanding their reach during this tough economy. There are as many more as there are creative people to dream them up. Happy creating!
Sandy Weaver Carman is a 30 year major market radio pro and is the CEO of Voicework On Demand, Inc., helping make websites stickier, audio books and e-courses more engaging and enjoyable, and radio commercials more listenable and effective. http://www.voiceworkondemand.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Weaver_Carman |
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