How to Measure Training Results: A Practical Guide to Tracking the Six Key Indicators by Jack Phillips and Ron Stone ISBN-10: 0071387927 or ISBN-13: 978-0071387927 is the book that
you want for this subject. For me the guarantee that I give my customer is that
they are the sole judge and jury on the results of the training.
I will place a student that does not measure up back into our training class without charge if they do not improve in the skill that I am teaching. I give the client up to one year to determine this. I also tell the client that if the student "washes out" for whatever reason - I will re-train the new
employee for up to one year providing the student returns with all of the material from the previous student. If they do not have the material I collect for a new set of material.
Any graduate is free to re-attend a program for refresher as long as the same version of the class is being taught without charge.
As for managers that want to measure ROI my impression is that the accounting community has the whole concept backwards. Why the heck is it that you can purchase a new computer or a major piece of equipment and it considered an investment yet you train a person that will provide the company multiples of financial return and the cost is considered and expense?
None the less, the "bean counter" that you are generally working with has not got a clue on the valid methods of calculating an ROI and when they do it will take them more time than it is worth to figure it out. I refer the accountant type to the above book! Even then I have the ROI requesters head spinning when they realize they do not have a clue on how to do Value
Justification. The real answer for me is - Have your bottom line profits improved? Did you implement and effective follow up program and some pig headed discipline to put the training into place? Knowledge is a great thing - The real issue is however are your people implementing the ideas? Did top management participate in the training with their people so that a real discussion of systemic issues related to the training can be addressed? In most cases the
managers have less than one hour per month to guide the actions of the new graduates of any training and that is in the 3% of the companies where the manager even gives one hour of face time per month to their people. 97% do not give as much as the hour. These are the statistics according to Harris Interactive study done for the Franklin Covey organization.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
How To Handle A Concern
“We are satisfied with our current provider…”
I am sure that many of us have either heard or seen this type of reply from a prospect. The key to a crisp reply is understanding and listening:
To Whom It May Concern:
We have been working with Paul Peterson for many years now. He has always done a fantastic job of offering good coverage at a fair cost. However, what sets Paul apart is his outstanding
customer service and speed in accommodating our needs as a manufacturing company. Many of our staff actually employ the talents of Paul’s firm because of the level of comfort that we have with him. Over the last 10 years, there have been countless other electrical contractors knocking on our door trying to earn our business. We respectfully decline and tell them we are satisfied with our current provider; just like any happy homeowner would.
When you read this don’t you just wish that you were Paul? In the Sales Pro Professional
Selling System PSS class we teach that this is a customer concern. Other sales classes might refer to it as an objection. Frankly, there is an army of salespeople that turn on their proverbial heels when this statement is made and they are out the door.
Please understand, in Sales Pro we teach that this is a good thing. We want to hear these
comments. This is not an objection, it is a concern. What we want ourselves to hear is I have been using my current provider for the last 10 years and I hope my trust in them is being met with the very best in innovation and advanced technology. You see, raising issues or concerns that our firms are able to deal with up front, demonstrate our ability to provide what the customer needs today. Needs change over time. So should our investment in listening to the current needs of an organization or its people.
Here is a sad truth that you can take to the bank. The very best customers are used to using
their current providers and many of them let down their guard and do not ask for special considerations in the form of expanded services and greater profitability. An easy example is to
call your current cell phone provider and shop for a new plan today. In most cases where you may love the provider and their platform, that very firm is giving new customers off the street a
better value than you currently have.
So what do you do? First acknowledge what is important to the prospect without endorsing
the company. Never say, “They have a great reputation!” Why? Simple you are not their marketing department.
A better acknowledgement would be, “Being confident in your choice of vendors is extremely important as the technology advances today.” Now seek permission to probe on a limited basis.
I never want to overstay my welcome as I am now on borrowed time. If I introduce a time frame I will saysomething like, “I will take no more than 10 minutes.”
Now I am going to explore what the current situation is.
“Tell me about the three most important factors that go into your maintaining the relationship with your current provider?”
“Please put them in order of priority for me.”
“Over time, what changes have you seen in that relationship that has kept it returning greater investment for you?”
Next I want to pick up on something the prospect says that is very important to them and look for more detail. I am looking for an opportunity.
“You said….… was important – would you expand on that for me?”
“Mmm that is very interesting. More and more of our clients are telling us the same thing.” Here I am acknowledging. (In our program we talk about the extreme importance of
acknowledgement.)
Now I want to explore the effect on their business if this factor is not all that it can be.
“What have the consequences been for you to discover after the fact that you might have
configured your….differently?”
“How do you feel about that?”
“How has that affected you?”
Finally I want to confirm that there is more than potential in what my firm can do for this prospect. I want to confirm that during this interaction potential has become desire to accomplish or to have something. It has become a need!
“It sounds as if you would rather have……Is that correct?”
“So you need……right?”
“Would you like to have a way to……?”
I am sure that many of us have either heard or seen this type of reply from a prospect. The key to a crisp reply is understanding and listening:
To Whom It May Concern:
We have been working with Paul Peterson for many years now. He has always done a fantastic job of offering good coverage at a fair cost. However, what sets Paul apart is his outstanding
customer service and speed in accommodating our needs as a manufacturing company. Many of our staff actually employ the talents of Paul’s firm because of the level of comfort that we have with him. Over the last 10 years, there have been countless other electrical contractors knocking on our door trying to earn our business. We respectfully decline and tell them we are satisfied with our current provider; just like any happy homeowner would.
When you read this don’t you just wish that you were Paul? In the Sales Pro Professional
Selling System PSS class we teach that this is a customer concern. Other sales classes might refer to it as an objection. Frankly, there is an army of salespeople that turn on their proverbial heels when this statement is made and they are out the door.
Please understand, in Sales Pro we teach that this is a good thing. We want to hear these
comments. This is not an objection, it is a concern. What we want ourselves to hear is I have been using my current provider for the last 10 years and I hope my trust in them is being met with the very best in innovation and advanced technology. You see, raising issues or concerns that our firms are able to deal with up front, demonstrate our ability to provide what the customer needs today. Needs change over time. So should our investment in listening to the current needs of an organization or its people.
Here is a sad truth that you can take to the bank. The very best customers are used to using
their current providers and many of them let down their guard and do not ask for special considerations in the form of expanded services and greater profitability. An easy example is to
call your current cell phone provider and shop for a new plan today. In most cases where you may love the provider and their platform, that very firm is giving new customers off the street a
better value than you currently have.
So what do you do? First acknowledge what is important to the prospect without endorsing
the company. Never say, “They have a great reputation!” Why? Simple you are not their marketing department.
A better acknowledgement would be, “Being confident in your choice of vendors is extremely important as the technology advances today.” Now seek permission to probe on a limited basis.
I never want to overstay my welcome as I am now on borrowed time. If I introduce a time frame I will saysomething like, “I will take no more than 10 minutes.”
Now I am going to explore what the current situation is.
“Tell me about the three most important factors that go into your maintaining the relationship with your current provider?”
“Please put them in order of priority for me.”
“Over time, what changes have you seen in that relationship that has kept it returning greater investment for you?”
Next I want to pick up on something the prospect says that is very important to them and look for more detail. I am looking for an opportunity.
“You said….… was important – would you expand on that for me?”
“Mmm that is very interesting. More and more of our clients are telling us the same thing.” Here I am acknowledging. (In our program we talk about the extreme importance of
acknowledgement.)
Now I want to explore the effect on their business if this factor is not all that it can be.
“What have the consequences been for you to discover after the fact that you might have
configured your….differently?”
“How do you feel about that?”
“How has that affected you?”
Finally I want to confirm that there is more than potential in what my firm can do for this prospect. I want to confirm that during this interaction potential has become desire to accomplish or to have something. It has become a need!
“It sounds as if you would rather have……Is that correct?”
“So you need……right?”
“Would you like to have a way to……?”
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