Despite the economic crisis being largely behind us, many trainers are still feeling its impact. New technologies are creating a momentum that offers opportunities for the innovating trainer, while the real expert has to consciously position himself. A non-profiled trainer who keeps doing the same thing, has a problem. Similar agencies are in trouble too, or have already disappeared. How do you make sure your expertise is being seen, requested and implemented? Make a decision!
Inevitable development
The rise of e-learning and, more recently, mobile training and video role plays is causing more and more knowledge and soft skills development to take place online. This means that the market as a whole is growing in size: lower cost mean training is available for a larger group. In this model, the trainer spends less hours per participant, who has to do more on their own.
The added value of a trainer lies in short coaching moments and possibly a kickoff and planning. The trainer who shows specific skill in these activities, will be sustainably useful.
Expert in a niche
Parallel to this, there is a remaining market for the expert with a focus on creating vision and togetherness or team building, including a corresponding high hourly rate. Individuals or smaller groups, such as higher management, still periodically require an experienced mentor. This, however, means you should be able to position yourself as such. In many cases, your added value should be in a vast knowledge of one or a few topics.
Articles, books, research and readings show you are the unmistakeable expert. Or you’re a ‘process tiger’: convictions, politics, interests and hidden agendas are all clear to you and you use them to move a team or organization to new behavior and communication.
Make the decision
Since the middle course is disappearing, it’s time to ask yourself the question: do I have a niche in which my ‘live’ added value is unassailable, or do I move along with the online development and start training larger and larger groups? Do not be mistaken: online, too, knowledge and experience are essential.
By channeling this through video role plays, you’ll reach the participant in a contemporary way while they practice at the time and place of their choice. No need to build the technology yourself: your strength is in content and coaching. Designing an online training and adding content should be easy enough for you to just focus on your unique content and teaching.
From trainer to strategic partner
More often than companies simply cutting their training budget in half, we’re hearing about managers having to do more work with fewer people. This means development becomes more important, while at the same time the loss of income from a few training days weighs heavier than ever before. E-training offers the opportunity to reduce employees’ out of office time.
Another advantage is being engaged in sustainable processes: not just a stand-alone training, but a balanced securing process with pushed repetition exercises every once in a while. This helps a trainer to become a strategic partner of modern HR management. Which decision will you make?
