I’m often asked by people whether I think getting additional training in skills or modalities to use with clients will help them grow their business. 90% of the time my answer is no.
I’m taking more training myself this week, so I thought I’d bring forward some things to consider when making a decision about additional certifications, etc.
In the Beginning
In the beginning, most people have the core skills they need to do what they want to do, especially if you are an Aligned Entrepreneur, meaning you want to develop a business that aligns with your personal Truth and naturally skillset. You have the core vision and commitment to grow a business as-is.
That said, often people don’t know they have it. They have been surrounded by people who’ve doubted their ideas or told them that what they want to do won’t work, and as a result they really can’t see that they have a gift.
This person is well served to find training that is perfectly suited to what they want to do. They will learn in the training of course, but more importantly, they will have someone of perceived authority reinforce what they believe to be true and give them the confidence that it is important enough to do.
They will also meet other people who want to do what they want to do, and thereby reduce the “What if I’m Crazy?” factor.
Unfortunately I could tell you right now all day long that your ideas are not crazy and have validity, but you’re not likely to believe me without your own experience.
If you’re lucky you’ll find a great business coach and mastermind before you take other training, that way you’ll be clear about your direction before investing in skills, but most people don’t find that right away.
With a Clear Foundation
Once you have a clear foundation – this means ONE training, certification, or developed skillset, and a bit of confidence – it’s time to start the business.
You will likely be tempted to get more skills under the illusion that another set of skills will make it easier for you to sell yourself. It won’t. You will not be more confident by giving in to this desire for more training. Instead you’ll actually be feeding your insecurity mindset, and agreeing with your doubts that you are not enough as is. Do not pass go, do not get more training. Learn to sell and to love it.
I know this is easier said than done – I do. Get support. Get training. Find someone who can help you frame what you do into powerful packages and marketing language. Find someone who can teach you how to sell, and start doing it. This will never get easier if you don’t do it, and few people do it without support. I offer programs like this, as do other business coaches – find one with whom you resonate, someone who has created a successful business, and hire them.
You are much better served to invest in building your business and marketing platform first – pointing the direction you are heading, THEN getting any training you need to fill in the gaps. If you are working with a client and you discover there is an area that you’re not sure how to help them, that’s when you get the training (and maybe use a referral partner to serve those first clients in the short term while you get your skills up to speed.)
Your Deficit is a Benefit
If there are skills or credentials you don’t have, that just might be a divine gift. If they were skills or credentials you really needed to follow your desire you would have them. What if the fact that you don’t have them is actually a benefit.
I work with a copywriter who has no experience or background in copywriting with big agencies or magazines. She positions that as a benefit, because the people who work with her get a fresh, real perspective, not the canned or manufactured one.
I spoke with a wellness coach the other day who is just starting out with a coaching certification. He wants to get some other credentials because his background is not in wellness. Yet he’s got his own story of healing from disease, and what he believes works to attain wellness is not a nutritional guide but rather mindset work and changes in life circumstances. If he had a degree in nutrition he may hide behind that, rather than talking about what he uniquely knows to be true.
When It’s Time
I’m writing this article because I am currently in a yoga teacher training. I made a decision to get more training at this point because there are specific skills I want to incorporate into my coaching and facilitation, and I found an opportunity to learn from someone who has studied many different modalities and incorporates them into her teaching.
I have a solid business. I know what I do well and how to reach clients. I am not looking for a certification to make me feel credible. I’m looking to become even more effective in what I do, and add another element to my coaching.
I’ve tested out the idea for the last two years – I’ve brought in outside experts to lead yoga and meditation segments of my retreats and I’ve seen how people respond. I’ve done various excursions involving movement to integrate a lesson and I’ve seen how people respond. I know it is something that makes my work more effective, and I know my ideal clients resonate with it. And now it’s time to bring more of the skill in house.
The training is a strategic decision which builds on a solid foundation, makes my work more efficient (movement helps us change faster), and matches with a need my clients actually have. And, it sounds like fun and I have the revenue to support it.
These are great reasons to get more training at this stage. When you know you want to deliver something specific and you want to add the skills to make that happen. I could hire someone else to do it, but it’s something I’ve always studied a bit here and there and want to integrate into my own skillset.
These are the things to consider when choosing more training. Not the letters behind your name (unless your industry is legally regulated), and not coming from a place of insecurity about the skills you already have.
What are your thoughts about more training? Post below!