One of the most basic communication tools that trainers must have to market themselves to prospects and potential clients is a “Trainer Profile”.
Different from a Curriculum Vitae (CV) or a resume, a Trainer Profile typically consists of information related to solidify the training – it is usually attached to the training outline to give an idea of who is the trainer of the programme.
After many years of being scrutinised by Training Providers and clients alike, I now have a pretty good idea of what works for me. Here are some tips that may be of use to you too.
1) At most, it’s 1 page long
Since the Trainer Profile is usually attached to the proposal or training outline, it should not be a long autobiography. Content should be sufficient to give an overview of why the trainer is qualified to conduct the training programme. This can include your professional (training) goals, achievements, related interests, and your past working engagements.
2) Pictures are optional
If you want to include a photo, please avoid the boring passport shot. Back when I first started off, due to lack of “interesting stories” to put in my profile, I would include some high-quality photos of me in action to showcase my training methodology, positive body language, professional appearance, and audience’s positive reaction.
3) Use short and simple sentences
Avoid long sentences. Being Malaysians, it is understood that we are non-native speakers of the English language. So, unless you are training English as a topic, there is no need to put extra pressure on yourself to write long complex sentences using bombastic words. Just keep it short, simple and straight to the point.
4) Use paragraphs
A Trainer Profile is best written in an essay manner with paragraphs – not bullet points!
A foolproof structure would be:
Paragraph 1: Introduce your area of focus
Paragraph 2: Your strengths or personality traits that support the topic of choice
Paragraph 3: Related education or working experiences
Paragraph 4: A snapshot of clients that you have trained over the years
5) Continuously improve it from time to time
You will keep on having new clients, new experiences, new achievements and new stories to share. So, why should your Trainer Profile be stagnant? Every couple of months or half-yearly, review your profile.
Try to have a couple of versions ready based on the client’s industry or background. Eventually, some items (like education background) will be dropped off the profile as you age and gain more training years under your belt.
There is definitely no one size fit all. Some Training Providers even have their own house format for you to follow. So, be flexible and have faith that your story sells – just don’t stretch the truth too much.