When I first started as a field consultant in 2004, my partner and I presented at conferences regularly to drum up business. We would present at CABE and at smaller conferences, usually to packed rooms. We secured a couple of district/school site contracts this way. We did weekend and evening trainings too. After we were more established, we had many more contacts, and administrators we worked with would recommend us to other districts. Again, this led to a few more districts wanting to be trained by my now team of four in OCDE Project GLAD®. My team and I developed a reputation for professionalism, flexibility, courtesy and a willingness to go the extra mile. Relationship building is our forte; we care about our clients, their school sites, their teachers and their students, and it shows. Teachers and administrators often comment on how positive we are, even in stressful situations. This, of course, comes with much practice and deliberation, but it makes a difference to those learning from us, and hopefully encourages them to have positive interactions.
In the past few years, growing our reach has shifted to a social media presence, regularly posting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We stay connected in this way with teachers we have trained and encourage them to post as well to keep our GLAD community thriving. Doing this also keeps us present in the minds of administrators we have worked with, in case they’d like more coaching or other types of training and follow up. We send emails and texts to administrators to check in on them especially during the pandemic, not to drum up business, but to let them know we care and are thinking of them. We have always felt that clear communication is key to maintaining business relationships. When we all shut down on March 13, 2020, my team and I lost all business for the foreseeable future. Things picked up a little, but I needed something more consistent, so I took a position as an ELD coach and coordinator at a local elementary school with a DI program, but I am hopeful to eventually rejoin my team and grow our business back.
