|
You have permission to publish this article in its entirety
electronically, in print, in your ebook, or on your web
site, free of charge as long as no changes to the content
are made and you include my byline, copyright, and resource
box. Please notify me of publication by sending an email
with a copy of your publication
to:
Thanks and enjoy!
The Learning Annex: How to Teach at Adult Learning Centers
Copyright © 2002 - 2010 by Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.
I called, emailed and sent hard copy information to the director of The Learning Annex in San Francisco. For months I couldn't get the director
on the phone and I didn't hear back on the publicity course I had proposed.
Finally, about 6 months later I got a stock rejection letter. I was bummed.
What did I do wrong? I called the director to find out. In essence she
said to me, we have someone who teaches publicity. She's in, you're out.
And until she dies you don't have a chance in h_ll to teach here.
But something changed. Actually two things. I started studying the catalog
intensely. What kind of copy got my interest? What kind of bio attracted
me? Who got the front and back cover and why. Who got more space in the
catalog? What subjects clicked?
Then I ordered the catalogs for all the adult learning centers in the
US and Canada and studied those. I dissected each and every one to figure
out what the success factors were and then put them into an
ebook so you wouldn't need to go through the same process to get your class
(idea) accepted. I took to heart Pablo Picasso's words, "I am always
doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
The second thing that happened was that the director read an article
I wrote for a speaker's magazine. Before I had a chance to send in a new
course proposal based on all the things I had just learned, she called
me up and invited me to teach a class on the topic of my article. She
picked the angle that she thought would work well for her audience. The
key to developing a great class is to think small, not big. The director
saw "small" in my article. Create an angle that your competitors
have not thought of. "Get a 6 Figure Book Advance" and "Get
Booked on Oprah & Other Top Talk Show" are examples that have
packed classes. Even the Founders of The Learning Annex contacted me for
themselves regarding getting on Oprah.
Why should you teach at The Learning Annex? Three reasons:
1. Free Publicity.
The circulation of The Learning Annex and other adult learning center
catalogs range from thousands to millions. Even if people don't come to
your class, they see your picture and your course description week after
week. Consistency breeds content.
When they are ready to "buy" or hire you for your services,
they call you right up. I've had CEOs of large corporations as well as
hot dot coms call me up for consulting. It's the kind of publicity that
is incredibly valuable no matter what your product, service or cause.
People in your local community believe that you're a well-known expert
and their trust level rises. Trust is a currency hard to come by and easy
to lose.
2. Sell Your Products & Services.
Attendees have a chance to experience you live. There is no substitute
for meeting people in person. I've had people fly in from other states
or drive for five hours, just so they could meet me in person. Who knew?
To them it was important to see what I was "really" like, pinch
me in person and judge for themselves.
Once they had a true taste of me they felt comfortable and wanted more—they
either bought my products or hired me for my services. Sometimes it didn't
happen on the spot, but months or years later. I still get calls from
people who remember me from some of my first courses and want to work
with me now—eight years later. You're building loyalty for a lifetime.
3. Jumpstart Your Paid Speaking Engagements.
If you're not a paid speaker, this is an instant way to get experience—and
testimonials—so you can begin getting paid. If you're already a
paid speaker you'll command a higher percentage of the door when you're
speaking for The Learning Annex. Of course the more well known you are
the higher your fee and greater attendance, so your recognition and revenues
snowball.
Every author will want to do a Learning Annex Tour when they go on book
tour. (Include this in your proposal!) And, if you're an aspiring author,
teaching at The Learning Annex will help you build your platform pronto.
One great thing about teaching at The Learning Annex is you can test new
material and see how it plays. You get to know what really resonates with
people so you can connect with larger and larger audiences. Hafiz says,
"Stay connected to small children, old people, and the Earth. Life
will continue in a good way." You can do that at The Learning Annex.
Find out how one person who bought my
ebook got 3 Learning Annex Centers to book her workshop in a week.
|
Susan Harrow, CEO of
http://prsecrets.com, is
a top media coach, marketing strategist and author of
Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul™ (HarperCollins),
The
Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah, and
Get a 6-
Figure Book Advance. Clients include Fortune 500 CEOs, bestselling authors and entrepreneurs who have appeared on
Oprah, 60 Minutes, NPR, and in TIME, USA Today, Parade,
People, O, NY Times, WSJ, and Inc. |
|
