Ten tips for choosing a training supplier. (Education).

If you want to embrace a "training" mindset in your system, you must first start at home. Train 'motivated' home office staff using outside training professionals; this will serve as a 'test' for training companies you may want to recommend to your individual franchisees, and you will boost learning and productivity at the home office, too.

"You Can't Teach A Kid To Ride A Bike At A Seminar." If you have kids, you know what I mean. You have to run down the street with them, holding on, talking them through it, consoling them when they fall down and skin their knees and convincing them to get back up--in short, lots of hand-holding. Seminars are OK, but they don't last. Choose a training vendor that offers reinforcement sessions, and better still, coaching sessions, too. It's here that real learning takes place--not sitting through a one-or two-day seminar--just like learning to ride a bike.

Choose a trainer that provides self-study homework and audio-tape or CD reinforcement in addition to classroom reinforcement. Many of your people drive during the day, and can turn radio time into learning time.

Motivate people to participate in the cost of the training (or, motivate them if home office is not participating in the expense at all). They will get more out of it if their own money is on the table. Of course, make sure you or someone you trust has gone through a sampling of the training first before you build a campaign around a particular training methodology. Some training companies will offer training coupons that allow an individual to attend an introductory session for free. This helps people decide, for themselves, at the local level, if they wish to participate.

A new trend is "live training with website support." Because your people are scattered about, the cost of attending training classes out of town is high. If there is no local training available, they will have to give up one, two or three days out of their business and travel somewhere else-a tough sell. If your training supplier of choice has some form of website reinforcement, where attendees can access a website and plug in exercises, case studies and articles, that may help "sell" your company on investing in the training. FYI: Many Fortune 500 companies are training their sales reps via "webinars," a 45-to 60-minute seminar delivered over the internet, like a video conference with a lower $ investment.

Your training supplier should have testing mechanisms in place to score participants before, during and after training to measure improvement. Ask them what type of testing is offered before the training begins.

Listen to your people. Many times people out in the field will "fall in love" with a training system and may never even think to tell anyone at home office. Encourage everyone to pass along success stories.

The fastest way to rollout a new training campaign is to have the best person the training company has to offer speak in front of your people (at sales meetings, regional meetings or the annual conference). If your company needs this outside training, and the supplier has a proven track record, you'll find it much easier to get your colleagues' buy-in when they can see it and experience it "live."

Consider training suppliers that are also in many locations. Several of the best training organizations have many centers and the chances are, they have local facilities near your people and can give them the best type of help -- face to face.

"To train or not to train?" All things being equal... TRAIN! Training is an investment in people that not only pays for itself, it brings a sizable return, if the training supplier you choose makes you comfortable in at least seven of the ten tips you've just read about.

Douglas Kolker is President of The Sandier Sales Institute, in Sherman Oaks, an international sales & management training/consulting firm. Please call 818-995-7197 or [e-mail] for more information or visit www.douglaskolker.sandler.com