Training is Imperative—and So Is Doing It Right
by Troy Harrison
Programs tailored to your specific needs, and a staff prepared to absorb the lessons, will generate the return you need for that investment of time and resources.
One of the most difficult decisions a business owner can face is the decision to invest in employee training. A training session done well can be a significant benefit to your company; a bad one is at best a waste of time. Training is about helping your people modify their behavior in desirable ways. Here are a few suggested ways to get it right.
Preparation is key. Too many managers just tell their people “we have a meeting at X-time.” Don’t be that guy. If you’re a manager, prep your people on what will happen and what the expectations are. Much time gets wasted in these sessions just crossing the “Oh, this is training” hump. Good trainers will inform you as to the program outline and plan when they are selling the business; make use of that.
Professionalism is the most basic expectation. When I was a manager and sent reps to training, it was with the expectation that they be on their most professional behavior—unprofessionalism was a reflection on me, after all. However, too many training programs look more like Romper Room than a business environment. Make sure your people are on their game when they’re in the room, and that they are punctual when returning from lunches, breaks, etc. Is it the speaker’s job to control the room? To an extent—but I tell all my clients that I am a trainer, not a baby sitter. If your staff requires a baby sitter, that reflects on YOU.
Focus on the “nuggets”—profitable behavior modifications. As the training is going on, you will find elements that you have heard before. That’s going to happen with any experienced worker going through any type of training. Training becomes unsuccessful when attendees focus in on those commonalities and stop looking for the differences. Virtually any training of any type, however, will have “nuggets,” or ways to modify behavior that can be very profitable. I went to a training session for speakers a few months ago; 98 percent of it was stuff that I had heard and knew; I was able to work on the 2 percent for months, with excellent results.
Learn and reinforce. There’s no substitute for managers who participate in the sessions and learn right along with their people; there’s no substitute for when that management, having learned the lessons, continually reinforces that message after the trainer has left.
Too many managers look at training as a self-contained, fix-all solution. It’s not. Good training programs are incorporated into the culture of the company or department, and then reinforced consistently and when opportunities come up.
Training is designed to show the benefits of behavioral change; however, true behavioral change does not happen within a one-day or two-day window. Management follow up is key to maximizing your training ROI.
How do you pick a trainer? Not every trainer is right for every situation. To pick the right person for your needs, just follow these simple guidelines:
• Pick someone who is an expert. There are a lot of “seminar” companies that provide general-purpose speakers with pre-written courses to present. If the trainer isn’t a subject-matter expert, it’s not training—it’s a speech.
• Pick someone who is willing to learn. Too many trainers come in with what amounts to a program in a box and end up not speaking your language. Good trainers build in pre-training time to learn the specific challenges and needs of your business.
• Pick someone who fits your culture, or the culture you would like to have. Training of any kind should set the tone for how things are done at your company; if the trainer is training a method counter to your culture, it won’t be effective.
• Finally, pick someone who is available post-session. After training, there will be questions. Make sure your trainer doesn’t mind getting the occasional call or e-mail follow-up. Good trainers will tell clients that they are free to call or e-mail with questions, but if it gets to a point where there’s a need to bill for time, they’ll let those clients know well in advance.
A well-designed, well-planned, well-executed training session, with appropriate follow-up, can do wonders for you and your staff. A bad one wastes not only time, but money. By following these simple steps, you can make sure that your training is effective, and that your training dollar is well spent
Troy Harrison is president of SalesForce Solutions, a sales training, consulting and recruiting firm in Mission, Kan.
P | 913.645.3603
E | TroyHarrison@SalesForceSolutions.net