Market Your Course

Dedication to promoting and marketing your course is one of the keys to a successful event. While many course sponsors have a fixed program that is effective in drawing student to their courses, new techniques should always be explored. Remember, it’s not only the number of potential students you reach, but the number of times you reach them!

Here are some ideas to consider as you design your marketing plan.

Identify Target Markets

Target Markets

a) Local CCIM Chapter
Your local chapter membership should be one of your target markets for promotion of your course. Emphasize the fact that they will have an opportunity to learn how to expand their business in this growing market. Consider offering discounted tuition to members for the Intro course.

b) Local Board/Association of REALTORS®
Your local or regional Board/Association of REALTORS® is another target market for your course. We recommend that your chapter discuss co-sponsorship with your local Board/Association, especially for Intro courses. Some potential registrants may not be familiar with the CCIM Institute, but no doubt have heard of the local Board/Association. Thus, if your brochure contains both the chapter name and the Board/Association name, the course will likely appeal to a larger market. Almost 30% of the students in the Intro course identify themselves as primarily residential brokers.

c) Corporate Real Estate Offices and Larger Brokerage Firms
It can be helpful to identify and pursue corporations with real estate departments and larger commercial brokerage firms in your area. These firms represent a critical mass of good prospects. A good strategy is to identify an individual at these firms that can be used as a "center of influence" to help in opening doors.

d) Allied Professionals
An increasing number of people in allied industries (e.g. accountants & mortgage bankers) are taking CCIM courses. They have realized the value of being able to “speak the same language” and to network with commercial investment brokers.

CCIM Marketing Tools & Resources

CCIM Logos - CCIM logos for use on promotional materials are available upon request. Contact
Charmaine Griffin at cgriffin@cciminstitute.com.

Education Catalogs & Marketing Materials – New education catalogs as well as other marketing materials, such as brochures, flyers, and more, are available upon request. Contact Kristy Schlossberg at 800-621-7027 ext 4534 or kschlossberg@cciminstitute.com with any questions.

Banners - CCIM Institute banners are custom-designed for use on letterhead, email promotions, brochures, and more. Banners serve as a great tool to create consumer awareness with the CCIM brand and your organization. Simply right-click and select "Save Image As..." to download. Mac users: click on the image while holding the Command key and choose "Download Image To Disk".

468 pixels by 60 pixels

511 pixels by 78 pixels

600 pixels by 80 pixels

Templates – CCIM Institute has designed several letter templates to be used to market sponsored courses and to help you gain the support of local boards/associations in your area.

Click on the attachments to download and fill in the templates with your information. To download the jpeg image, simply right-click on the image and select "Save Image As..." Mac users: click on the image while holding the Command key and choose "Download Image To Disk".

Contact Kristy Schlossberg at 800-621-7027 ext 4534 or kschlossberg@cciminstitute.com with any questions.

• Course Flyer Templates
  • CI Intro Course
  • CI 101 Course
  • CI 102 Course
  • CI 103 Course
  • CI 104 Course
• Email Templates - Use these customizable templates to send out e-mails promoting your course.
  • CI Intro Course
  • CI 101 Course
  • CI 102 Course
  • CI 103 Course
  • CI 104 Course
  • CCIM Banner(jpeg)
• Direct Mail Letter Template – Use this template when sending out letters and CCIM course catalogs through the mail.
• Introduction Letter Template –This template is a general introduction letter to local boards/associations. Designed to seek sponsorship of Introduction courses, as well as marketing assistance.
• Marketing Assistance Letter - This letter template should be used when seeking support of local boards/associations to promote upcoming course information in their weekly/monthly promotional materials and publications.

Ad Templates - CCIM Institute has designed several ad templates for each of the CI courses for use within various media outlets. The media serves as a great outlet to promote your course, as well as the CCIM designation and education program. You can submit advertisements to a local business publication, include in your organization’s newsletter, post on your website, or incorporate into a direct mail campaign. Simply click on the attachments to download!

CI Intro - Half Page Ad
CI 101 - Half Page Ad
CI 102 - Half Page Ad
CI 103 - Half Page Ad
CI 104 - Half Page Ad

Public Relations

Check out the following article, CI Class Offered In Light of Tight Times, the Tennessee Chapter had published in the Memphis Daily News. Public relations can often be a great way to promote CCIM education.

Marketing Tips

• Create a calendar. Plan the date for each promotional activity to be started, edited, printed, and executed.
• Contact local organizations to help sponsor your course, breakfast, and/or lunches.
• Contact local real estate companies and professionals regarding upcoming courses.
• Become a part of your marketplace on a regular, consistent basis as you are more likely to be remembered when it comes time for prospects to take courses.
• Include an 800-number on promotional materials for prospects to contact your organization. Prospects are twice as likely to respond to an 800-number listing, rather than a regular phone number.