It’s difficult to ignore the benefits of professional development. Companies with training programs experience over 200 percent more income per employee compared with those that don’t offer any training, according to the Association for Talent Development. What’s more, these companies also enjoy a 24 percent higher profit margin. You know the saying: Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of you. The first step is finding a training consultant who is trained in negotiation to help.
When you’re searching for a training consultant, you might find that candidates have a few things in common: they may have relevant education, impressive experience in the field, have impressive professional accolades, and work with a wide variety of clients. Training consulting is a highly competitive field, but it is still possible to determine who stands out from the rest. Our experience has shown that great training consultants possess the following five qualities:
Flexibility
The best corporate training consultants will work well in a variety of environments. Their soft skills include adaptability, excellent social skills, and ease in communication. They can seamlessly blend in with various company cultures, but the best consultants go even further. A trainer will be the best fit when he or she comes in the first day familiar with your company’s mission and ready to help achieve your business goals. Ownership in a company’s success is just as important as being able to adapt to new work environments. A superior consultant will be able to show you that from the get-go.
Planning
Consultants are highly organized by nature, but the best go above and beyond. Career training consultants can adjust their work style to accommodate a company’s requirements, whether it’s budget or schedule. Best of all, these individuals can consistently deliver high-quality outcomes, even within strict constraints.
Did you know that neglecting the planning processes in corporate training can impact your project’s budget or timeline by as much as 30 percent? Find a partner who can use a proven process to ensure your training aligns with your business objectives.
Expertise
There are two main reasons companies hire training consultants: 1) either they do not have the time or resources to conduct the training internally, or 2) they expect an outsider to have more expertise that their internal resources. The best corporate trainers rise to the challenge by remaining on top of current best practices and implementing a wide variety of learning strategies to accommodate each client.
Each business has different training needs and will react to different learning styles based on their company culture and ultimate objectives. Training consultants seamlessly adapt to different styles by remaining current, networking, and applying theory to practice.
Great Listening Skills
People have a general tendency to let themselves dominate a conversation. Though it’s an aspect of human nature, you don’t necessarily want this trait in a training consultant. When conducting an interview with a prospective consultant, you may want to hear about his or her accolades and business experience – but also be mindful of what he or she asks you. A great corporate training consultant will already be thinking about helping you achieve your business goals and will be asking you open-ended questions to assess your needs.
Excellent listening skills are essential because they encourage free exchange of information. This, in turn, streamlines the consulting process and helps you achieve your goals.
Experience
It’s difficult to deny that a portfolio full of varied work experience helps set a consultant above the rest. The more training experience a consultant has, the more likely he or she is to swiftly address problems, pivot to accommodate new requests, and deliver training that’s in line with your goals and objectives. Experienced candidates handle curveballs with ease and exude a natural confidence that only comes with years on the job.
The benefits of a training consultant cannot be understated because they improve your bottom line and company culture while helping you go above and beyond your business objectives. Our training consultants are trained in negotiation and are ready to help you achieve your goals.
