Is it in you
Are you ready for some football?
The headache medicine
We know these companies, their logos and their catch phrases better than we know how to promote ourselves and our profession.
We often associate marketing with the business world, but if we stop and think about the efforts of SWATA, NATA and even our own place of employment, marketing is necessary to promote relationships and build up our image. How many times have you had to explain what an athletic trainer is and does?
My good friend once told me the key to marketing yourself is to develop an elevator speech. What can you tell someone about yourself and your profession in the time it takes to ride up a few floors? By condensing your thoughts and finding the highlights to point out, you can ensure that you are marketing yourself and your profession to the utmost. Log onto http://www.nata.org/ and look through some of their public relations publications for some ideas.
Also, a true grassroots effort is essential for a culture change within a school, clinic, outreach or other place of employment. Educating athletes, coaches, supervisors, principles and clients who come in and out of our daily lives is the best way to reach the people we impact the most. Casual comments about schooling, certification and continuing education let those people know that we are a true allied health profession. Talking about the various facets and domains which we deal with on a daily, weekly or yearly basis lets people know what a diverse profession it is. Praising the ability of an athletic trainer to work with everyone from a high school athlete to a professional dancer to an astronaut supports the ever evolving adaptations of athletic training and the emerging possibilities of placement for us.
You don’t need a marketing or PR degree to have an impact on the perception of your profession. Your daily walk, talk and demeanor tell the world everything. Practice your elevator speech on someone this week, tell someone what it took for you to get where you are today… who knows where it might lead you or another athletic trainer tomorrow.
We often associate marketing with the business world, but if we stop and think about the efforts of SWATA, NATA and even our own place of employment, marketing is necessary to promote relationships and build up our image. How many times have you had to explain what an athletic trainer is and does?
My good friend once told me the key to marketing yourself is to develop an elevator speech. What can you tell someone about yourself and your profession in the time it takes to ride up a few floors? By condensing your thoughts and finding the highlights to point out, you can ensure that you are marketing yourself and your profession to the utmost. Log onto http://www.nata.org/ and look through some of their public relations publications for some ideas.
Also, a true grassroots effort is essential for a culture change within a school, clinic, outreach or other place of employment. Educating athletes, coaches, supervisors, principles and clients who come in and out of our daily lives is the best way to reach the people we impact the most. Casual comments about schooling, certification and continuing education let those people know that we are a true allied health profession. Talking about the various facets and domains which we deal with on a daily, weekly or yearly basis lets people know what a diverse profession it is. Praising the ability of an athletic trainer to work with everyone from a high school athlete to a professional dancer to an astronaut supports the ever evolving adaptations of athletic training and the emerging possibilities of placement for us.
You don’t need a marketing or PR degree to have an impact on the perception of your profession. Your daily walk, talk and demeanor tell the world everything. Practice your elevator speech on someone this week, tell someone what it took for you to get where you are today… who knows where it might lead you or another athletic trainer tomorrow.
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