I am trying to ascertain what are the top three qualities, that training buyers look for in their freelancers / providers and what steps the freelancer / provider can take in order to demonstrate these qualities.
The purpose for me asking this is so that I can position my service offerings more precisely.
I look forward to hearing from you and would like to thank you in advance.
Mark Brown
2 Responses
15 Years Experience and still Learning
Oh Mark – if only I could say for sure. I’m still learning after 15 years of selling to or being bought by training buyers. Are you in a hurry to find out? It occurs to me it would be a great question to start a discussion around and ask training buyers what they think. I wonder if TrainingZone (are you there Stephanie?) would do a survey on this. We would be pleased to host a discussion on our Clearworth Partner Page here on TrainingZone as a supplementary instrument or alternative.
Clive Hook
Clearworth – a class apart
Qualities of providers
Hi Mark,
Industries, companies, and individuals perceive quality differently and therefore benchmarks and standards are required. The examples that spring to mind include the CIPD, the kite mark, ISO 9000 series and of course the IIP programme. Is your company accredited in any way? Are your consultants qualified and certified?
In the short term, if your company is not currently accredited, working toward it is a sign of commitment.
As for the top three qualities, I would suggest – the quality of the product, service and support. I like to consider every business activity as a type of project, where there are three main requirements: quality, time and cost. Sadly, many businesses compromise and use a cost/time curve and quality often takes a back seat. Demonstrate how your company considers all three aspects equally. There is some useful information here: http://www.qpronline.com/
Are you the best training provider? Simply telling perspective customers that you are will not convince them. The key to success is quite simple (I hope your cheque is in the post)! A testimonial is the best advert for your services. OK, so no new idea here. There are several ways to use a good testimonial – quote people (with prior consent) in your company literature and Website. Another way is to advertise other companies by adding their logo to your Website (quid pro quo). Have a look at some well know training providers and high profile companies on the Web. I won’t go into to ethics, but there are several ways to achieve mutual benefit in these types of activities! I would also suggest that the more personal the testimonial, the better. An excellent example is here: http://www.a2ztraining.co.uk/ (found at TrainingZONE- Nici, you owe me a beer)!
Hope this helps.
Best regards,
Clive