How it works: The result
Attrition rates have fallen, wrong hires have been quickly identified, performance has improved with staff reaching targets more quickly, managers have become more involved and high potential has been identified and fast-tracked more effectively.
The Academy’s main programmes are revised every six months and the Academy is now supported by a Learning Resource Centre.
Taster Topics
Training Disconnects
Some straight forward ideas on how to improve the effectiveness of what is taught in the classroom by translating it into improved performance in the workplace.
Find out more >>
Tiger Teams
The Tiger Team project was undertaken for one of the UK’s largest insurance companies and was a programme designed to address branch office problems quickly and efficiently.
Find out more >>
Champions Programme in Customer Care
A programme focussed exclusively on the concept of servicing “internal customers”.
Find out more >>
Financial Efficiency
One of the more positive outcomes of the current economic climate is that businesses are actively looking for ways to become more efficient. This has led to a number of customers asking how this can be translated directly to financial matters.
Find out more >>
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)
A vast amount of research, analysis and sheer intellectual energy has seen NLP begin to influence thinking in almost every area of human activity including the Business world.
Find out more >>
How it works: The problem
The idea of a Training Academy was born out of efforts to turn around the performance of one typical company-wide sales training programme, where:
- Induction training was patchy and boring
- Product training was a sea of facts and figures reinforced with an end-of-session test
- Paperwork was “covered” but with no rigor
Sales training was a five-day course ending with a test
- New recruits were sent to the regions to be further “developed” by managers
How it works: The solution
The solution uses PTS’s principles of hands-on, client-centred training with follow-up monitoring and measurement. The Sales Academy is a 26-week programme that includes training, follow-up, monitoring, reporting, development, fast tracking and (in a small number of cases) removal.
- We make product training more application-oriented, including demonstrations.
- A home study workbook is written to ensure complete understanding of the sales documentation. Delegates are asked to read business scenarios and produce quotations and proposals, supported by completed documentation.
- The initial five-day activity-based sales training programme gives delegates a structure to their selling, and practical and effective tools to increase the accuracy of forecasting and qualification.
- Live telephone calls to potential customers provide diarised appointments immediately after basic training. Delegates set their own test each day and the end-of-course test is replaced with an end-of course video.
- Tutorial staff provide individual reports to identify stars for fast tracking, those likely to graduate and those who might have a problem graduating.
- Delegates return every six weeks to report on how they have applied themselves, their activity levels and their results. Follow-up sessions build on previous training with more demanding sales situations.
- The process culminates in a graduation presentation or, for those not yet ready, an extended programme of support.
