Internet Training for Your Clients

Integrating new technology into your practice will inevitably be met with some resistance from clients or staff — or both! It's important to understand what objections people might have and why.

Typically, people resist getting onto the Internet because of fear, and lack of time for learning. What they don't realize is that learning some basic computer and Internet skills is simple, and will help alleviate their fears. You can look at this as a problem, or an opportunity. The opportunity is that you can offer a means to help alleviate the learning curve and fear people have when presented with the everyday use of technology in their lives.

There are businesses and trainers that will conduct seminars and one-on-one training sessions with your clients on how to set up and utilize the Internet. You can invite clients to a seminar, offer some refreshments, and help your clients better understand how to use the Internet in their everyday lives. This will not only introduce them to your technology initiatives, but help strengthen your relationships with your clients. Encourage clients to bring friends and colleagues to these seminars; this represents referral opportunities for you! A trainer should charge between $200 and $300 for a 90-minute presentation. Invitations, refreshments, location, and presentation equipment (projector) will be up to you.

In addition to providing a seminar, you can also offer one-on-one training in your clients' homes, or at a workstation in your office, (provided it's appropriate). You might want to pay for your "A" clients, and have your other clients pay for themselves. A typical one-on-one training session should cost around $100 for two hours. The seminar will provide similar information to the one-on-one sessions, however the appeal of hands-on training may entice some of your clients who prefer this type of learning environment.

In order to get your clients started, the trainers will assist them with hardware and software problems or questions. They will help them configure their computers and make sure they have the right software programs to meet their needs. They will also help them configure their Internet accounts, so they are set up correctly. Once your clients are up and running, the trainer will introduce them to the basics of sending e-mail and browsing the Web. Some people may already be at this stage, but just want to learn a few tips and tricks to make things easier.

Using the Internet, both Web browsing and e-mail, will save your clients time performing everyday tasks such as banking, communicating with friends, family and colleagues, shopping, researching purchasing decisions, and much more. The Internet is full of sites that help you run your business, process business, help keep people up to date on recent world events, and provide information on an infinite variety of topics. Through e-mail, they can keep in touch with business colleagues, family and friends quickly and easily — with no voice mail, no busy signals, no long distance phone charges, and no paper!

Here's a seminar overview:

• Set Up & Configuration


• Hardware & Networking Needs


• Software Needs


• General Security Issues


• Web Browsing


• Features


• Searching


• Secure Sites: Shopping Online & Submitting Personal Information


• Navigating


• Organizing Favorites


• Plug-Ins & Multi-Media


• E-Mailing


• Organizing Contact Lists


• File Attachments & File Formats


• Protecting Yourself from Viruses


• Software Compatibility

The goal is teaching the basics of effective, efficient Internet use. In fact, that's a critical first step. Once clients understand the basic skills and concepts, it's easier for them to progress to more advanced use of their computers and the Internet. With these tools, your clients will find their online experience to be enjoyable, and they will save time performing everyday tasks and accessing information.