AchieveGlobal's blog

What a Customer Looks for in a Training Provider

Sharon Daniels, president and chief executive officer for AchieveGlobal and I are exchanging guest posts today on each other's blogs.

Mine is about what a customer (me) looks for in a training provider, and Sharon has written about what a training provider (AchieveGlobal) looks for in a customer posted over at my blog, Great Leadership.

While I don't claim to speak for every training customer, I have managed training departments for over 20 years at 3 companies, and have worked with well over 100 training providers. I've had some awesome "partners", in the true sense of the word, and I've worked with my share of companies that resembled the cast of "The Office". It was real easy (and kinda fun) to sit back and just make a list of the best and worst.

We're inviting training buyers and providers to weigh in and add their 2 cents, to either or both blogs. Hopefully, the dialog will help facilitate better relationships and help both sides achieve mutual success.

Disclosure: My company is not currently a customer of AchieveGlobal, although my former companies were at various times. AchieveGlobal is not a sponsor of my blog. So how did AchieveGlobal stack up against my list? Actually, pretty darn well. Not perfect, but then again, no company is. I had the same account rep for over 10 years, and I loved their products and services. Finally, Sharon and her team are good sports for being willing to do this with me. 

10 Things a Customer Looks for in a Training Provider (in no particular order.......):

1. A perfect trial offer or pilot experience. Look, I know mistakes happen. However, if you know I'm evaluating your product or service, then I would expect nothing less than perfection on the first date. You've only got one shot to prove yourself - don't blow it. Would you go back to a restaurant where you got the wrong order and poor service? Probably not, unless it was your brother-in-law's and you had to. 

Leadership Lessons from Israel

By Jack McDaniel

Which country is the world's #1 destination for venture capital funding? Which has the most start-ups per capita? Which country invests the highest percentage of GDP in civilian research and development? The answer: Israel. Next question: Why?

Dan Senor and Saul Singer give an answer in their new book, Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle. They cite several factors, including an innovative immigration policy and the aforementioned investment in R&D. However, the authors attribute the largest determinant to the Israeli military experience. Here's how it works: Every Israeli citizen is required to serve in the military following their secondary school education.

During this required military service (3 years for men, 2 for women), young Israelis learn vital leadership skills in the areas of problem-solving, innovation, teamwork, and time management. By the time they enter a university, they have far more managerial experience - in arenas where the outcomes can be life-or-death - than their global peers.

Senor and Singer then turn the question around to the rest of us. How can other countries reproduce not the specific environmental aspects of the Israeli experience, but the outcome: a young but mature, highly-driven, well-trained, dynamic workforce ready to lead in innovative ways. Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Intel, eBay... they're all conducting their most critical R&D in Israel. What lessons can we learn in leadership and innovation from this tiny country?