Let me begin by defining what I mean by Implementation Services. I refer to these type of services as billable service offerings which help the client to implement, instutionalize, or operationalize, across the organization, whatever it is that has been delivered through training, and it is far more than just reinforcement activities by first-line Managers. These are “wrap-around” services that provide Training Companies with incremental revenue (as much as 50% of the revenue on the deal) at very little additional sales cost, provided they are sold as part of, and at the same time as a Training solution, and not afterwards.
Let me also make the distinction here between two types of training. The first type of training is that which seeks to improve personal effectiveness or productivity (examples from the Sales world would be skills training such as Presentation Skills, Questioning Skills, Negotiation Skills, etc.). This kind of training is often offered to the organization via “catalogue” and is typically open enrollment. It really doesn’t matter who else is attending the training because the individual will still benefit from it. The second, and very different type of training focuses not only on individual effectivness but also seeks to drive team, and ultimately organizational effectiveness (examples here, also from Sales, would be training permanent (or virtual) teams that work together on strategic Accounts or large sales Opportunities, on common methodologies and tools for developing and retaining existing Accounts or for progressing and closing significant sales Opportunities). The implementation implications are much fewer and less complex in the case of individual Skills training. In the case however of trying to implement a common methodology and tools across an extended team, it is critical that everyone on the team receives training at the same time. Failure to do so will result in the team-members who have been trained not being able to share particular terms, expressions or certain tools with those on the team who have not been trained. Dilution will occur quickly in this situation and the potential productivity gains will not materialize. Many years ago when I moved from Sales into Sales Training I used to shudder at the concept of “the big bang” training event, where several hundred salespeople get immersed in a some new sales methodology. Now however I am fully supportive of it where extended teams have to communicate inter- and intra-team, and with their Management, and where everyone has to be on the same page. In this situation the quicker you can get everyone trained the better, to avoid retention drop-off and dilution. What is required here is a Change Management approach to implementing the Training initiative, and herein lies the opportunity to provide value-added services.
