“Selling Yourself” Workshop & HELTA Summer Bash 2025
Saturday, 12 July 2025 – Louis Braille Center, Hamburg

This July, HELTA hosted a dynamic and thought-provoking event that combined professional development with summertime celebration. With 20 attendees gathering at our new and accessible venue – the Louis Braille Center, just a short walk from Hamburger Straße – we explored strategies for self-promotion in the language profession and enjoyed reconnecting with colleagues over food, fun, and laughter.

“Selling Yourself” – Self-Promotion for Language Professionals

Led by Mike Allison

The afternoon workshop was facilitated by Mike Allison of ELTA Rhine, who brought over 30 years of leadership and sales experience to the room. Now a seasoned business English trainer, Mike guided us through some of the discomfort many language professionals feel around “selling themselves” – offering tools and reframing ideas to help us speak confidently about our value and expertise.

Rather than relying on digital hacks or gimmicks, Mike invited us to consider a more human-centered approach: learning from the people who know us best—our participants.

Key moments and takeaways included:

• “Metaphorical Glasses”: Mike encouraged us to view our work through different lenses – commercial vs. pedagogical – to understand how our positioning changes depending on context.
• Know Your Audience: We explored who our course participants are, who we really need to impress (HR, bosses, colleagues, ourselves?), and how these answers shape our communication strategies.
• Accolade Archive: One especially empowering idea was the creation of an “accolade archive” – a personal record of compliments, positive feedback, and testimonials from students and clients. This not only helps with marketing materials but also gives a much-needed boost on tough days when self-doubt creeps in.
• Framing What We Do: Mike asked us to consider how we describe ourselves. He shared that he presents himself as a “Specialist for Business Communication in English” – and memorably, “I polish diamonds.”
• What His Participants Say: Mike also shared how his own learners have described him in the past, offering inspiration on how to gather authentic feedback for branding. Some of the words included:
  • Sparring partner
  • Sounding board
  • Perspective giver
  • Confidence booster
  • Motivator

We also discussed how to play with participants’ expectations, reflect on what resonates with them, and use their feedback to craft a clear and authentic Unique Value Proposition (UVP), for example by feeding their summaries into an AI tool like ChatGPT to help articulate it more cohesively.

The HELTA Summer Bash – Rain or Shine!

After the workshop, we shifted gears and kicked off the HELTA Summer Party. While the rain kept us from enjoying the venue’s garden, it didn’t dampen spirits.

One of the highlights of the evening was our very own Rosie, HELTA’s Events Coordinator, who stepped into the role of Quizmaster Extraordinaire. She led us through a lively and challenging set of quiz rounds that had everyone thinking and laughing. The round on dingbats, which was a new term for some, was especially memorable, and we’re pretty sure no one will forget what they are now.

The potluck buffet was a feast of shared dishes, paired with HELTA-provided drinks and snacks. The atmosphere was lively and warm, full of laughter, connection, and the kind of spontaneous exchange that makes this community so special.

Looking Ahead

This event was a perfect example of what HELTA does best: combining relevant professional development with genuine community spirit. We’re deeply grateful to Mike Allison for leading such an empowering session, and to all attendees who contributed their energy, insights, and culinary creations.

We’re excited to add the Louis Braille Center to our list of go-to venues and can’t wait to enjoy garden weather there next time!