How to be a pro at training others

In most seminars, after my speech is over, a lot of people come to me and ask the same question, "How can I teach or become a trainer?" For a few, it is about extra money. But for most people, it is about the glamour of being a public figure and for a very few, it indeed is sharing experience and giving back to society. Whatever is your reason, these tips should help you to start something new this year.

Prepare a reason:

Most management associations and academic institutions are choked with aspiring speakers. They don't care if you just go, hand over a business card and expect a call. Take your game a notch above. Meet as many people as possible in the sector. Give your card and be very specific about the subject. Also, mention if you can train on any particular skill as part-time work or speak once as an expert. Listen to the academicians and understand their concerns about the gig. Next day, send a proposal on how you can help and in which way you will address their concerns. Everyone is overworked. A little help is welcomed if it's targeted correctly.

Identify connections:

Look at your Facebook and LinkedIn connections. Make a list of people who are connected in the areas you are looking for opportunities. Even a distant connection might help. They may not be directly involved with decision-making but a good word or a vouch from internal sources always is a brownie point. Once the list is made, start making personal calls, meet or email based on mutual convenience. Ask for help and recommendations clearly. Remember your strengths and state where and how you can be a valuable addition. Remember that most people are happy to recommend but they don't because if anything goes wrong, the onus is on them and they are mocked unnecessarily. Personally, I have been in a similar situation after recommending someone. It's important to put areas of your expertise with an assured takeaway for the participants.

CV time:

Though you want training as a side hustle, a profile is a must. The catch here is to remember that no one wants to know your academic degrees. They do matter but what matters is the experience and the ability to share those in a way that can be useful. So don't go overboard with three pages of CV. My 26 years of experience as a trainer is just two paragraphs long. Three pages of self-praise are not going to do any good. Most people mark it as "read it later."

Practice public speaking:

The biggest failure of a professional is knowing what to say but goofing up on how to say. Sometimes, average knowledgeable people are very popular with the crowd because of their speech. Unless you are comfortable with addressing a group of people who can ask questions anytime, do not attempt to be a trainer. But how to practice if there is no public? Do not speak to a mirror. It doesn't equal to speaking to 70 people.

Try to stand every time you talk to your colleagues at work, memorise stories and share with children. Just ensure that for one hour, you do not get any hiccups while speaking. Most importantly, best speakers are always great listeners. Listen emphatically.

Training others is a self-realisation too. So be ready to learn from mistakes and grow with it. A side-career like this, at times, is very demanding so take a bite-size work and give it the best shot.

Academic institutions are the best places to start with. Just polish yourself a bit, put every point in perspective and start. At the end, we all need to share stories of our learning in life. This year, may this sharing bring you fame glory and money. A little extra is always welcome, isn't it?

The writer is strategic advisor and premium educator with Harvard Business Publishing