How To Turn Your Communication Skills into a Profitable Training Business

Humanities graduates are often at the receiving end of jokes about unemployability, despite the fact that the creative industries contribute $16.3 billion to New Zealand’s economy, according to a 2024 report from The Big Idea.

One segment that continues to enjoy high demand despite the daily doom and gloom in the job markets is the soft skills training market, in which communications skills trainers command a premium for two hours’ worth of teaching others how to articulate their thoughts clearly.

And this demand is supported by industry data. One market research firm, the IMARC Group, predicts a double-digit compound annual growth rate for the soft skills training market—of which comms training is a critical part—over the next decade, on the back of workforce development efforts by companies globally.

“There is tremendous earnings opportunity if you’re a good communicator, and many are unaware of it,” said Carly Shorter, the acclaimed creator of skills training provider Communicate Powerfully. “With the right guidance, one can turn talent into a profitable enterprise that can tap into this still-growing market.”

The Business of Teaching Comms

Establishing oneself in the communications skills training market is no different from starting a business from scratch. “You won’t need a master’s or a PhD, but you’d want to have a mix of professional expertise, instructional skills, and interpersonal abilities,” Shorter said. “Your teaching skills must go hand in hand with your business acumen for you to book teaching engagements.”

Shorter added that some aspiring trainers assume—wrongly—that presentation skills alone are sufficient. “The reality is that leading a comms training workshop requires strong facilitation skills, the professionalism to engage with different types of learners, the ability to provide constructive feedback, and the knowledge to design a curriculum.”

Just like a consulting firm or any other service business, communications skills trainers must also contend with competitors in winning projects from HR heads and other decision-makers. While the industry is trending upwards, this also presents a challenge to both veteran trainers and new entrants looking to establish their personal brands.

Paths to Becoming a Trainer

"If you want to start a comms training business, the path that gives you the most creative freedom is by building your own programme," Shorter said. "This is not for the soft-hearted though." She added that going the DIY path entails creating one's own content and curriculum, which in turn requires strong subject matter expertise and curriculum design skills.

The challenges presented by this approach also extend to the business side of teaching. As a solo trainer, Shorter said that one will be responsible for promoting oneself among clients and pitching workshops to HR managers. "Apart from designing teaching material, you'll also need to create marketing materials and maybe pitch yourself to media outlets to steadily build your name as a trainer," she said.

Those who want to halve the difficulty of starting out as a trainer can also opt for prebuilt courses that reward completers with teaching certificates. "Some of these programmes have licences that are worth getting because they are already well known and make the client acquisition part easier," Shorter said. "Don't think that it's going to be a walk in the park though; you still need to undergo intensive training, so consider your time investment before signing up."

Asked which option she thinks a beginner should opt for, Shorter replied, "Whichever can motivate you to get started."