development communication skills: How to make a business?

[m1522632]

I have been working on the idea of a psychological training in some particular of developing communication skills for almost 2 years. Now I have a web site, a detailed training program, a bunch of articles and some promotional materials. I know how to promote it on the Internet through niche resources and find customers. I will be able to find VC funding for this if there is something up and running...


Now I am trying to figure again how to make money on this?


The first approach is to organize online counseling via Skype or Gmail Video Chat..So I need to find someone who can train people using my methods... I was trying to do this with several coaches but it didn't work out.. It was difficult to motivate the trainers and my materials were not fully completed. The trainers were not be interested in spending their time into promotion and marketing.


Also the problem is that there might be some copyright issues with this because what I did I just put together all available information from books and the Internet, added my comments and positioned it as a training course. What should I do with this? Maybe to hire someone to rewrite it all?


Another thing is that I don't have a psychological background, so I was trying to partner up with a counselors during my attempts.. There were several people involved in this but, as I mentioned, we couldn’t make it work.


I don't want to dump this because I feel this idea is on demand and this niche (Personal development and communication skills) is not saturated.


What should I do?

 

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[Kung Fu Steve]

I know how to promote it on the Internet through niche resources and find customers. I will be able to find VC funding for this if there is something up and running...

Now I am trying to figure again how to make money on this?

... I'm confused???

 

[m1522632]

... I'm confused???

I was trying to organize online counseling... we had a few test sessions and it didn't go further.

Now I am trying to rethink if it's a good strategy? Maybe it's better to create a eBook or some video tutorial and sell it online?

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

what stopped it from continuing?

Did you have step two ready when you were doing step one?

I.E. "Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed the webinar - would anyone be interested in continuing their education? I'm running a more in depth seminar for $49 if you would like to join me." (this is pretty simple but you could also offer your ebook or video tutorial)

 

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[Simon Ashari]

I was trying to organize online counseling... we had a few test sessions and it didn't go further.

Now I am trying to rethink if it's a good strategy? Maybe it's better to create a eBook or some video tutorial and sell it online?

Not sure exactly what your niche is (even though you've described it as personal development and communication skills).

Do you have traffic to your site? Have you built up a database of potential customers (through email capture)?

Also, online counseling might not be the way to position this thing.

I would go for 'a one hour consultation'. Perhaps give half an hour free and try upsell them to a 10 session consultation package ($99 each times 10).

Just a suggestion. Let us know in more detail about what you've been doing so we can give better advice.

-Simon

 

[BeingChewsie]

Couple quick things:

1.Call it education or coaching, not counseling. Calling it counseling triggers all kinds of laws and regulations and licensing requirements in almost every state. Education/coaching doesn't trigger those types of issues to come into play.

2. Can you market it to health/life coaches or maybe turn it into a health/life coach "certification" program or something like that?

 

[Simon Ashari]

Couple quick things:

1.Call it education or coaching, not counseling. Calling it counseling triggers all kinds of laws and regulations and licensing requirements in almost every state. Education/coaching doesn't trigger those types of issues to come into play.

2. Can you market it to health/life coaches or maybe turn it into a health/life coach "certification" program or something like that?

Exactly what I was trying to articulate (but not as well as BeingChewsie).

Coaching is much more marketable than counseling. It is also less of a legal hassle.

 

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[m1522632]

Thank you for your advices.

The biggest problem is that I can't train people myself (I have tech background) and it requires efforts to market it (even though I have plenty of materials). So the people that I was trying to partner with were not interested in promoting it, like forum posting, article marketing, etc.

 

[Simon Ashari]

Thank you for your advices.

The biggest problem is that I can't train people myself (I have tech background) and it requires efforts to market it (even though I have plenty of materials). So the people that I was trying to partner with were not interested in promoting it, like forum posting, article marketing, etc.

Yeah if they are working for you (and you are getting the profits) then it isn't their job to market whatever service it is you are offering. That is your job (and yes... it requires effort).

If they were going to market themselves, they would take all the profit themselves.

-Simon

 

[cliqflip]

I have been working on the idea of a psychological training in some particular of developing communication skills for almost 2 years. Now I have a web site, a detailed training program, a bunch of articles and some promotional materials. I know how to promote it on the Internet through niche resources and find customers. I will be able to find VC funding for this if there is something up and running...


Now I am trying to figure again how to make money on this?


The first approach is to organize online counseling via Skype or Gmail Video Chat..So I need to find someone who can train people using my methods... I was trying to do this with several coaches but it didn't work out.. It was difficult to motivate the trainers and my materials were not fully completed. The trainers were not be interested in spending their time into promotion and marketing.


Also the problem is that there might be some copyright issues with this because what I did I just put together all available information from books and the Internet, added my comments and positioned it as a training course. What should I do with this? Maybe to hire someone to rewrite it all?


Another thing is that I don't have a psychological background, so I was trying to partner up with a counselors during my attempts.. There were several people involved in this but, as I mentioned, we couldn’t make it work.


I don't want to dump this because I feel this idea is on demand and this niche (Personal development and communication skills) is not saturated.


What should I do?

First approach: Doesn't seem scalable - VC's won't like that

Also before dumping it or keeping it - make the core idea easy to understand for everyone in one sentance then get feedback from real people - not friends or family, they will probably support you no matter what. See if people see value in it - If they don't it could just be you and lead you on a road that wont be fun

 

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[m1522632]

First approach: Doesn't seem scalable - VC's won't like that

Also before dumping it or keeping it - make the core idea easy to understand for everyone in one sentance then get feedback from real people - not friends or family, they will probably support you no matter what. See if people see value in it - If they don't it could just be you and lead you on a road that wont be fun

Well. I am now realizing that all my marketing materials are not 100% ready and I probably need someone to work with me on it... Here as I said the problem might be with copyright cuz I just put together information from different sources. Interesting, how does it work for Univercity classes. As far as I remember they also put together info for their lectures...

so what would be anoher approach if the first one is not scalable?