The business I work for is joining several other businesses, including the parent company, in its offering for leadership training. We will be offering compliance and leadership sessions that could be standalone or form an overall programme. This has existed in some of the businesses in the past but not others. I'd be grateful for any ideas regarding launching the new offering (all courses are being rewritten so they can be used by all) including any quirky ideas to make it stick. We recognise that quality and fit for purpose will be the main drivers, of course! Thanks.
6 Responses
Kube
Hi Sue
Not 100% sure what the quesion was but if Image is your problem http://www.kube.tv/about-kube/about-kube.html Fantasic company and well woth calling
Also worth looking at Yudu.com to convert your existing brochure to electronic format…free and very very easy!
Good luck
Steve
RE-BRANDING
Thanks Steve. I appreciate the question wasn’t very clear. Basically, it would be good to introduce the new programmes/sessions/brochures with new branding whilst also considering the current age of austerity, i.e. no free pens! The website you recommend looks useful thank you.
Extras
Hi Sue
As someone who spends a lot of time looking at external course providers there is one thing that usually swings my decision to book a course…
Pre and Post Course work…a training course should never be a stand alone event, especially when £500 a day is the norm…offering support before and after is essential in todays competetive market.
Secondly, look at some really good training company websites such as…
http://www.illumine.co.uk/
http://www.careervisionglobal.com/html/clients.html
Clear, bright, easy to use and navigate and in "layers" so you can get as much or as little info as you need.
Branding
Sue
95% of branding isn’t about names, logos, brochures and freebies, it is about how people experience you. It is about what you stand for, what you offer and how you offer it, and how you bring the whole customer experience to life.
With that in mind, you might like to talk with stakeholders, customers and staff to try and agree the sort of character and identity that is right; that fits the organisation and accurately reflects what you are about. At its simplest, try and come up with 3 or 4 adjectives that match the expectations of the business and that you feel you can and should live up to. They need to be realistic but a bit of aspiration is no bad thing either. Once you have these, align your brand imagery to them. So if one is ‘dynamic’ make sure your publicity reflects that. To avoid this becoming mere spin, the most important part is to live out that brand: if you are dynamic then people will see you as dynamic. The publicity is merely to help reinforce, communicate and spread the word.
In tough times I think it is good to try and reconcile two potentially competing challenges. Firstly, to be seen as being modest in any expenditure that is not vital. The second is to stick to a standard of quality. I think it is perfectly possible to be creative in finding cheaper ways of doing things without cheapening the brand. I also think it is possible to sing out quality by having great substance to what you do and by driving that through into performance changes in the workplace. Just one word of caution on the periferals. I have seen organisations starve L&D of funds and investment to the extent that basic requirements such as decent chairs, refreshments and unbroken flipcharts are neglected. This is not just false economy, it undermines the training you offer. In many instances I’d rather do less and do it well than try and keep programmes limping along in a decayinging environment. I think that it gives such a poor message to learners and reduces the credibility of the offer, sometimes to the extent that it is not heard as loud as it should be and the returns on the investment are undermined.
As to a launch I suspect that it is more about being upbeat, getting your intranet copy right, getting someone senior to cut some tape, telling people about the changes, and raising awareness of what they will get and what they will need to do in future. In the best of times, a few branded pens won’t go amiss, but when times are tighter I’d stick to getting the message right and not worry too much about freebies.
Hope it goes really well for you
Graham
BRANDING
Thanks Steve again and Graham … for keeping it real. As you said, measurable quality will always be the most important thing to offer. Some interesting tips and websites though so thanks.
Sue
The Two Fundamental Factors
As mentioned by others, a lot of banding is about how customers see your products and services and the two fundamental factors are quality and simplicity. Quality allows you to compete with others and convince customers not by words but by actions, i.e. offering something that in their view is better than anything they can get elsewhere. Simplicity helps them to understand your service quickly and decide quickly as well. The art of branding therefore is about getting the balance right between simplicity and quality. As always, easier said than done, but those who do it well will be rewarded.
Training Materials
Ehsan Honary