From Order-Takers to Consultants
In recent years, L&D teams have increasingly shifted their position from order-takers to strategic partners to their business and clients. This makes sense if L&D professionals are treated as performance consultants who are skilled in diagnosing performance problems and identifying the right solutions - even if the right solution isn't training.
Not only does this shift allow L&D professionals to excel at their craft, but it also helps businesses by producing a solution that addresses the core problem. It's a win-win. Why train someone to see in the dark when what they really need is a lightbulb?
A Quick Case Study
I once consulted with a company that wanted to convert more of their prospects into customers, and part of the strategy was for their sales reps to maintain a quota of cold calls to prospects.
When we looked into it, here were some of the challenges we identified:
Skills: Lacking the practice and confidence to build rapport and handle objections
Knowledge: Not knowing what to say to move the conversation forward
Motivation: Feeling demoralized by constant rejection and experiencing call reluctance
Environment: Lacking institutional support or incentives tied to cold calling behaviors
We needed to build a learning experience that would equip the sales reps with the knowledge they needed to perform their job. They would also need opportunities to practice their skills in a structured, low-stakes environment with contextualized feedback.
I also felt we could improve motivation by normalizing the experience of call reluctance with peer-to-peer shared learning. We also identified environmental factors that the business could implement, such as incentives and institutional support, to help their sales reps be successful.
Choosing a Modality
When it comes to designing the ideal learning experience, there are a number of factors to consider.
With my client, we choose a blended learning experience that equipped learners with foundational knowledge in a self-paced format, coupled with skill practice and motivation-building in an instructor-led format. I created performance support materials to support skill transfer on-the-job and provide leaders with artifacts they could use to support their sales reps.
To identify the right blend of modalities for your learning experience, download the Choosing the Modality for Your Learning Experience infographic below.
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