Over the years this is a common question: do you need to do another training, get another certification, or another degree to finally make your business work?
Mostly, the answer is no. But, it’s a little nuanced. Sometimes you do need more professional development for your business. So let’s dig into it.
The big principle here is that professional development does not replace business development.
Many clients I’ve spoken to on this issue have been wondering if they need another certification or degree so that they can have credibility, to create trust for clients to be able to hire them.
I get it… so many of us have had our confidence undermined, it can be hard to believe in ourselves. And, even when we carry a lot of competence, we can have real doubts that live inside us that don’t allow us to fully appreciate the gifts we carry.
I’m asking you please do not use professional development this way. It doesn’t work. That’s not how one heals that deficit of confidence, the painful feeling of lack in our own hearts. Plus, it’s very expensive, in time and money.
If we can recognize these feelings in ourselves, then we can embark on a healing journey that is far more effective than piling up more degrees and certifications, even if those trainings are in healing.
In addition to the healing work, what’s most usually needed is to focus on developing skills and capacity in your business itself. Learning how to have clear messaging, for example, or how to hold a non-manipulative sales conversation. Those two skills alone, for instance, would go a lot farther to create trust and connection with potential clients than another degree would.
And it would cost a lot less, and be a lot less effort.
Plus, as you gain clients through effective messaging and sales, you then gain experience. And experience alone won’t heal you completely of childhood wounds around confidence. But, it will fill in the lack of confidence that everyone has until they gain the experience they need to feel a honest sense of confidence.
It really does help. Plus, it’s nice to get paid at the same time.
When is professional development needed, then?
Professional development is called for when, in an honest assessment of yourself, you are lacking skills, experience, know-how, to be able to care for the clients you want to work with.
This has to be an honest assessment and not just a lack of confidence. When you’re new at something, of course you feel unsure. You have to trust your training and start at some point, and not just, with compassion, pile on degrees and trainings trying to soothe that confidence gap I mentioned earlier
So, for instance, someone who is training in energy healing, but realizing they want to learn about human anatomy and physiology to better understand how healing works. Or, they want to become trauma-informed, not to work with trauma in clients, but to be able to recognize it and refer out when they are in over their heads. Or a corporate consultant that wants a new assessment tool to work with larger companies.
For anyone who is a professional whatever you do, a commitment to life-long learning and skills improvement is a beautiful thing. But notice the reasons in the paragraph above were not about proving oneself, or having more credibility. They were a sincere desire to improve as a practitioner, not to get better as a business owner.
Usually, it’s the business training that is lacking.
When people learn a modality, healing, or consulting, or coaching, or what-have-you, the school or teacher they learn from usually includes at least a little bit of business training. But, it’s such a different topic, and rarely are even extremely skilled teachers also skilled at business development.
This leaves the vast majority of skilled people severely lacking in business skills. It contributes to how huge percentages of graduates from a variety of modalities aren’t able to fully support themselves doing the work they long to do.
This, too, leads to a lack of confidence. “If I don’t have clients, am I not any good at what I do?” It’s understandable why that thought comes up, but it’s false.
Your skill as a practitioner and your abilities as a business owner are just two entirely separate things. It takes honesty and humility to know which one you really need help with.
So… here’s your invitation to do an honest assessment of yourself. Do you need another professional development certification or degree? Or do you need to focus on being more effective as a business owner?
With love,
Mark Silver, M.Div.
Heart of business, Inc.
Every act of business can be an act of love.
We’d love to help you with that business development.
If you came down on the “I’m actually pretty good at what I do, but the business needs help,” then you’ve come to the right shop. We love, I love, helping people making their businesses work!
From zero to 1, from 1 to making it, and then from making it to truly thriving, I love to see your business grow and expand, with love, with compassion, with strength.
Plus, as a Sufi business healer, there is a lot of healing content in our practical modules. We help people heal the wounds that have happened to them in the context of business, so their heart can feel lighter, and they can take on their business with love and passion.
Our Learning Community, the heart of our business, is open for new members through Thursday, March 7. Please join us, and let’s dig in with what you need.
Flexible, pay from the heart pricing, often it can pay for itself within the first few months of membership, or faster.
Take a look. Ask questions. Jump in.
