Good Information Articles

Can Internal Training Organizations Survive?: Some Considerations For Staying In Business

Quality is simply giving people the product or service they really want and need. If you are a trainer or instructional designer, that means delivering the best quality knowledge product. It means transferring meaning in a way people can understand it and usefully benefit from it. Our product is sometimes intangible, but the results are solid and proven, and obvious. It doesn't matter if the deliverable is a learning manual, an interactive training course, or an instructor-delivered class; ultimately the product we deliver is knowledge. We aim to increase knowledge and competence that drives a given behavior (preferably positive, but sometimes neutral).

For companies that sell training, marketing the product is crucial. For training organizations that have to quantify their existence and show their contribution to the bottom line, marketing practices are sometimes difficult to define.

Proactive or Reactive?

The success of struggling training organizations rests squarely on their proactive or reactive approach to doing business. Training departments that support various functions throughout their company (or develop different types of training for other departments) can be proactive in soliciting work and planning ahead. The problem is that many departments take the reactive approach, allowing other department heads to send work their way as needs arise. The reactive approach leaves the training department vulnerable to not having any work at all; either because there are no projects to work on or because the decision-maker was lured by a training vendor who took the work away from you.

Here are some consideration for increasing visibility and marketing within your organization:

Have An Entrepreneur Mindset

Just because you and your team collect a paycheck every couple of weeks does not mean you can sit around hoping you have enough work to do. This is perhaps the biggest reason why training departments are the first to get the ax when sales are down. Like many first-time business owners, training managers often wait for the work to come to them. By the time they get proactive they have either lost staff, are in danger of being dissolved, or the work is already going to an external vendor.

Go after the business and show that your department can generate revenue and support those who sell or support product full time. If you do not have a sales presentation that shows your capabilities, put one together right away. A web page in your company's intranet is not a bad idea either, but don't just use it to tell people where to contact you. Design your web page to sell you.

Work Together

Get out of your office and meet with process owners, project managers, and department leaders to learn what is happening in their departments. Attend meetings and read briefings that give you a better insight into their needs. Then propose training solutions. I strongly suggest that you work closely with your marketing department. If they are working on an initiative for customers, chances are you can benefit from their knowledge and what new things are in the works. Share ideas on how you can co-brand training and save money in re-purposing copy and art.

Plan Ahead

Knowing what's coming your way is critical to resource allocation and internal learning. Create a plan of attack that defines what projects you are working on and who will work on them. Always incorporate the activities and events of your internal customers. Some of their efforts may help you understand them and the training they want done. Focus on what they need and when they need it. Remember that your own team may need to get trained, so plan accordingly.

Cooperation with external vendors / Not Competition

Vendors can be your best friends or your worse enemies. While many training vendors will support you to the bitter end, they are still in business to make money. Vendors can be exceptional resources. They can decrease production time, increase quality, and lower cost. View vendors as partners that help your team do better, faster, more cost effective work. But if your course offering starts to look like a clearinghouse for external vendors, your company may start to wonder why they need you. And they may have a valid point.

Julio Quintana is a writer and speaker based in Weston, Florida. Learn more about his practice and The Merge Point Method at http://www.merge-point.com.

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

Internet Based Business: How Single Parents Could Earn Extra Income For The Entire Family
Are you a single parent who has been trying to support your children on a single income? If you have been having so much trouble making both ends meet with your present income, you might want to earn some extra money by setting up an internet based business. A big family with children can be very expensive and you definitely will need to earn some extra money to keep everyone comfortable. Having some extra money could really do wonders for you and your small children so you better start exploring other means of getting extra money for your children through an internet based business.

Children's Home Society & Family Services Receives Reaccreditation to Once Again Facilitate Adoptions in Russia
Children's Home Society & Family Services, a Minnesota-based international adoption service provider, announced today it has been re-accredited by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation to facilitate adoptions in that country.

Internet Marketing Business - Your Home Based Internet Marketing Business and the Freedom Attached with it
There are various reasons why there are many individuals who want to start their own home-based Internet marketing business. Some are saying that the amount of money that they are earning from Internet marketing is higher compared to their monthly salary from their regular work. It even comes to a point that they are earning money similar to or more than the salary of their managers and department heads! This is relatively true, since there are Internet marketers who are earning as much as a hundred thousands of dollars within a month.

Internet Home Based Business : Legitimate Work at Home Jobs Opportunities and Advantages
There are many advantages involved in choosing an internet home based business as your primary or secondary source of income Use these benefits to find a legitimate work at home jobs that suits your needs and desires

Travel Insurance When Pregnant Or Traveling With Children
There was a time when pregnant women would avoid traveling altogether, but these days women don't let pregnancy stop them from going abroad and having fun. Only you can decide whether the pros outweigh the cons when travelling while pregnant or with small children.

Low-Income Families in Portland Will Soon Have Free Broadband Internet at Home
Cricket Will Provide Free High-Speed Wireless Internet to 100 Portland Families in Pilot Program with One Economy

Sales of Children's Travel Bed Soar as Summer Travel Hits
Gentle Air has seen an increase in summer travel sales due to hotels at popular summer attractions charging high prices for rollaway beds and cots.

SoGoNow.com -- Home of the Best Travel Article Written for the Internet in 2006
SoGoNow.com travel magazine announced that frequent contributor Linda Fasteson has won First Prize for the Best Travel Article Written for the Internet from The North American Travel Journalist Association.

Work At Home Internet Home Business Opportunity
There are various opportunities for work at home Internet home business opportunities on the Internet Because of the Internet, there are many opportunities for people to be able to take care of their families and work from home and as well

New Home Based Travel Businesses and Training Available for Retirees and Work-At-Home Parents
Affordable training is now being offered for those wishing to set up their own home based travel businesses. Program offers participants everything they need to get started quickly and affordably in this exciting market.

Families Mourning Children Travel to Nashville for July Compassionate Friends National Conference
The Compassionate Friends self-help support organization for families going through the natural grieving process following the death of a child is hosting its 31st national conference July 18-20 in Nashville, Tennessee. More than 1300 parents, siblings, and grandparents, as well as professionals who provide support, are expected to attend the conference. Highlights include well-known speakers, more than 100 workshops covering most aspects of grief following the death, a pre-conference Professional Outreach Day, and the Walk to Remember Sunday July 20 at 8 a.m. This conference is annually the largest in the United States aimed specifically for those left behind following the death of a child.

Work From Home - Online Resource Center for Home Based Online Jobs and Internet Based Business
Welcome to Work from Home?s ?an online guide and resource website to help you Start and grow your Home based Job and Business. Please note that we are only offering information on Work from Home Jobs and Business opportunities. We are not offering you a job or a business tie-up. Please read through the website as you will find valuable information and resources to start and grow your home based business. www.homebasedonlinejobs.com

Online Magazine is Home to the Best Travel Writing on the Internet
For the second year in a row, SoGoNow.com is the home to the best travel article written for the internet as judged by the North American Travel Journalist's Association.

Family Circus - Make Time For Family With An Internet Business
Sometimes, it seems like you don?t have a full 24 hours in a day. Between work, family, and sleep, there is no time for anything else. You never seem to have five minutes to relax, and on days when work requires overtime, you lose time with your family. In fact, it seems you never spend quality time with your children anymore. One way to get your life back under your control and manage time better is to start your own internet business. With an online business opportunity, you can decrease your work hours overall, as well as become more flexible and available for your family.