It’s one of the questions we get asked a lot and the headline answer is “it depends”, which is about as helpful as a chocolate teapot.
So read on to find out more about the factors that go into pricing training.
"It's how much?"
Have you ever booked a plumber, who manages to fix your leak in 10 minutes and still charges what seems like a ridiculous amount for a quick job? I know I have. And whilst at first it seems like a high fee, we need to take into account:
- Their skills, experience and years of training (if you could fix it as quickly, would you have needed a plumber?)
- The time out of their day to travel to you and back, plus the lost cost of other work in the meantime
- Their tools and equipment
Not to mention the costs of running their business: marketing, accountants, overheads …
It’s similar with training. What you’re paying for isn’t just the workshop or programme that’s being delivered, it’s also:
- The facilitators’ skills, experience and years of training
- The time out of their day(s) to travel to you and back
- Their tools, resources, materials and Intellectual Property
The 3 key factors which will impact
the price of your training
1) Whether it's 'Off-the-shelf' or 'bespoke' training
Most training and development companies will have core or standard programmes that they offer and we do too. These are usually easier to get a price for, as they are already researched, designed with the materials ready.
Working with a providers’ ‘off the shelf’ workshops can be great value. You don’t need to pay for the design and development, so they’re ideal for tighter budgets.
The downside of ‘off the shelf’ is that a great workshop for one client, might look entirely different for another. Although the key topics and themes may be relevant, the participants, the context and the timeframes may be different.
For example, a workshop on Career Development. It’s a key module of our Lead! programme and we’ve created a unique method to simplify career development conversations. However, if you’ve already got a robust process in place, with your own terminology, you might want to replace it with something more relevant to you.
Think about the difference between off-the-shelf clothing and tailored for you.
A good training provider will always offer a consultancy call before booking any training to establish what your needs are. They’ll advise you on whether their ‘off-the-shelf’ programmes might work for what you need to achieve, or whether you would be better suited with some adaptations, or something entirely bespoke.
The best training providers won’t hesitate to let you know if training might not be the answer at all! We’ve got our reputations to think of and want the best results and outcomes for you – which won’t be achieved by providing you with services that just won’t work for you.
2) The logistics: who, where, when?
Who: Who will be trained? How many people will participate? What’s their role in the organisation?
Where: Will it be in-person, or virtual? On your premises or at an alternate location. In the UK or overseas?
When: How soon are you looking to get started? What times would you want the training?
All of these factors can impact the pricing, as the trainer / facilitator may well need different skill-sets and experience. As a broad rule of thumb, the more senior the participants, or the more participants there are at one time, the more you can expect the price to increase. Or the best trainer for your needs might live at the other end of the Country, or even overseas.
Some providers will charge per person, others will charge per day or per workshop or programme. Whatever their approach, do make sure that you’re clear what that price includes. Some training can look really good value at first glance, and not cover all that you need.
3) The additional support needed
Depending on the type of training you’re looking to run, you may need additional support:
Before the training starts:
- More in-depth Consultancy to understand more about your context and challenges
- Calls with or skills measurements of the participants
- Communication planning or engagement with key stakeholders
- Branding materials to align with your company
During the training:
- Programme management: e.g. communication to participants updating participants who can’t attend a session
- Action learning sets, group or 1-1 coaching to focus on embedding an element of the programme
- Additional material to encourage ongoing learning or reflection
- Briefing sessions with key stakeholders
After the training:
- Debrief sessions with you, stakeholders or participants
- Measurement of progress
- Group or 1-1 coaching
- Supporting the business to cascade learning, create ongoing nudges or reminders, communication plans
This is why the up-front consultancy call is so critical, so that both you and the training provider are clear about what will work for you and the business you support and the provider can provide an accurate cost for what you need.
Talking about the budget...
If you already have a budget, great! Be prepared for the provider to ask what your ball-park budget is, as that will help them determine what they could offer that’s in-line.
If you don’t have a budget and are shopping for quotes, please do take into consideration that cheapest doesn’t always mean best. And in our experience, neither does the most expensive! You may find that larger companies, with their bigger overheads, charge a higher premium whilst their most junior team member actually delivers the work!
So our recommendation is to always speak to a provider to get a feel for how they work, who will be delivering and to see whether they fit your business and your needs.
It’s a little like online dating – what you see online isn’t always what you get! Always best to go for a first date before committing.
After we have a consultancy call with clients, we’ll always recommend a team member who we think is best for you – and has the necessary skills, cultural fit and experience. And we’ll recommend that you meet them first to check you can work well with them.
