05/10/2024
5 Tips to Grow Your Corporate Training Business: From the Workshop to the Workplace
Standing out as a corporate trainer requires foresight, preparation, and a deep understanding of your client's evolving needs. But it wasn’t an easy journey. Coming from a completely different career as a CPA and former bank officer, I had no network of clients and nothing to start with. The pandemic posed an even bigger challenge—I feared I would lose revenue entirely. But by focusing on the most essential part of training—acquiring new skills and applying them effectively at work—I was able to establish myself as a trusted trainer for my clients. And all of this happened without any marketing, just word of mouth.
1. Invest in Relevant Skills
When the pandemic hit, many managers struggled with keeping their employees engaged during virtual meetings. I saw this as an opportunity to solve a real problem. I created a program on how to deliver an engaging online presentation to help businesses improve employee engagement remotely. The feedback was overwhelming—PICPA attendees praised the session, saying, "This is how a webinar should be done—no dull moment, very engaging!" This experience proved the value of investing in relevant skills that address immediate client needs.
And as an accountant by profession, I piloted my online presentation training with fellow accountants. Now, you know they say accounting is boring, but make them deliver a financial report—it’s murder. If I could make accountants present engagingly, I knew I was onto something! That’s when I knew I had cracked the code.
Fast forward to 2024, and I’ve continued this approach. At the start of the year, I enrolled in two key courses—one on healthcare and another on strategic collection after the pandemic. I anticipated that my clients would soon face challenges in these areas. One client was preparing for organizational changes, while another struggled with declining collection efficiency. Investing in these skills ensured I was ready to provide solutions for the issues they were beginning to face.
2. Understand Clients’ Needs Early
Throughout my journey, one thing has remained constant: my principle that training should result in practical, applicable learning. This means that what happens in the workshop must seamlessly transfer to the workplace. During the pandemic, I saw the need for online engagement early on and created a solution that met my client’s immediate needs.
This principle applies today. Through ongoing interactions with my clients’ employees and by analyzing their operational challenges, I’ve learned to anticipate their needs. For instance, my focus on strategic collection came after recognizing that many organizations were struggling with collections post-pandemic. By staying several steps ahead, I can offer the right solutions before my clients even know they need them.
3. Speak Their Language
It paid off. In recent sessions, I didn’t just speak to my attendees; I spoke their language. They saw me as an insider, not just a trainer. One participant even remarked, "Orly, you sound like part of our ManCom!" That feedback confirmed that preparation, combined with actionable learning, is key.
In a conflict management training I conducted last week, I was discussing conflicts that arise due to poor collection performance. One of the participants caught me mid-sentence, saying, "You’re an expert on collection, aren’t you?" My words had undressed me as a trainer with a heart who knows the credit and collection game. The next thing I knew, another request for training landed in my inbox!
4. Stay Updated
Another important lesson from my journey has been staying informed about my clients' industries. During the pandemic, it was all about understanding how virtual tools could help businesses keep running. Today, it's about staying on top of healthcare regulations and collection strategies. I also follow legislative changes, incorporating relevant examples into my training to keep sessions timely and impactful.
Looking ahead to 2025, I’m forecasting fraud as the next hot topic. With increasing concerns about security and compliance, I’m already preparing by working toward my accreditation as a fraud examiner. This future-forward thinking will allow me to provide timely, relevant solutions for my clients, just as I did with virtual presentations during the pandemic and strategic collection in 2024.
5. Let Your Work Speak
Thanks to these efforts, I didn’t need to market myself. My calendar stayed fully booked throughout the year, purely through word of mouth. In fact, I had to turn down invitations. When you genuinely care for your clients, they return the favor. Recently, a participant in Conflict and Negotiation was so impressed by my understanding of their business that they invited me to lead a session on Strategic Collection.
What I've learned over time is that the best marketing comes from delivering consistent value. My work during the pandemic to help businesses thrive in online environments set the tone for how I approach every new challenge. Whether it’s healthcare, collections, or even fraud in 2025, staying relevant and solving problems keeps clients coming back—and bringing others with them.
Stay in the Game – be a trusted corporate trainer.
Becoming a trusted corporate trainer is about more than just delivering great sessions. It’s about anticipating your client’s needs, continuously learning, and ensuring that what’s taught in the workshop can be applied in the workplace. The pandemic taught me the importance of adapting to new challenges, like virtual engagement. In 2024, I continued this practice by addressing collection and healthcare challenges. Looking ahead, I’m preparing for the rising demand for fraud-related training. When you genuinely care, your clients will keep coming back—and they’ll bring others with them.
