It’s 2014…Time for Resolutions!

So, naturally, it MUST be time for a few New Year’s resolutions! I took a few best practices from our most successful clients and turned them into resolutions for you CE Directors out there that are looking for a way to make 2014 the best year ever. Drum roll…
1) I resolve to understand my members educational needs better and to deliver on them. You should be surveying your CE purchasers on an annual basis—and NOT as part of the general member survey. What keeps my members up at night when it comes to education and compliance? How can I help with those concerns? What can I deliver that can reduce or eliminate those concerns?
2) I resolve to ensure I have robust offerings, not only by content type, but delivery type, day and time, with content availability throughout the year. You should have very few blank days on the calendar and certainly NO months without a real time event. And by real time event, I don’t mean an in person seminar. Webcasts, webinars and replays are real time events too, and are far more convenient for most of your members.
3) I resolve to plan further in advance so that I can effectively market my offerings to get the greatest return. Online programming deserves a marketing plan and should be treated equally with in person events. Planning in advance means more visibility and exposure to your offerings, particularly for the member that only visits the catalog once a month and can easily miss last minute programming.
4) I resolve to try AT LEAST one new thing with my program this year. If you’re offering the “same ol’ same ol’,” don’t be surprised that you’re not growing. Use the sale survey to find out why they bought what they did and what else they might be interested in. Use course images to jazz up the plain text, or try a new delivery type, or try a bundle, or try combining shared content with your own, or