Even if you are convinced of your training concept, gaining your clients' buy-in can sometimes be a challenge. Especially when you, as a trainer, coach, or consultant, hear certain phrases over and over again. We will show you 5 typical statements where cognitive errors hide and what you can respond!
Through our close contact with our clients, we also know the typical statements made by some HR representatives in companies. For example, I spoke with the successful personal trainer Zach Davis about these statements – and how he reacts to them.
“An external trainer is too expensive for us!”
Let’s start with the classic: the cost question. Many companies assume that internal trainers are cheaper and may want to negotiate you down on price. Why spend money externally when internal staff can be used as trainers?
Why there is a cognitive error here
An internal trainer is only cheaper if they work as competently as the external one. Those who resort to internal staff due to cost savings might be saving in the wrong area. Additionally, many HR representatives underestimate the effort involved in preparing and following up on training.
This means: Those who want to achieve a real change in behavior in their employees should also be willing to invest in it. If the learning objective is not achieved, the cost savings do not benefit the company in the end.
What you can respond
Redirect the topic of costs to the actual subject of further education and specifically ask about the concrete goals of the planned measures. If it’s about behavior change, you can convince your clients with positive examples from your previous training.
The cost question in creating an E-Learning
Companies often underestimate the effort required to convert a classroom training into E-Learning. (Zach Davis)
Especially in the area of E-Learning, many companies are still not experienced enough to properly assess the effort and related costs. You can specifically inquire who will fill the E-Learning with content and how many E-Learnings have already been created so far.
Tip: Convince your client with examples and bring a tablet to the sales conversation. On it, you can show two differently well-created E-Learnings for the same classroom training. This makes it clear how different approaches can be and that a simple "translation" from the seminar to an online course is not effective.
“We want to offer a seminar on XY.”
You think that sentence sounds good? Then take a closer look, your client is making a typical cognitive error that many trainers and coaches may also overlook.
Why there is a cognitive error here
Often, HR representatives not only have a specific goal in mind, but also the concrete format. They may be searching for a seminar on leadership instead of fundamentally seeking a solution for the lack of trust between employees and supervisors.
Often, HR representatives not only communicate the topic to you but also the pre-conceived solution category, e.g., seminar. (Zach Davis)
What you can respond
It often helps to point out this assumption to your clients, as it often happens unconsciously. Directly suggest other solution examples and explain why an alternative format might be more sensible in this or that situation. This shows that you are truly aiming for a behavioral change and are responding individually to your client.
Tip: In the blended learning concept, this approach is central – offer the appropriate format for each content and create meaningful connections. This does mean a bit more effort for you at the beginning, but it enhances your external presentation and your position as a trainer or coach.
“We’ve never done it that way!”
The classic among typical statements that is especially to be expected in traditionally run family businesses. New formats and approaches are often viewed critically or even ruled out from the start.
Why there is a cognitive error here
New does not automatically mean bad – and of course equally does not automatically mean good. The argument “We’ve always done it this way” is actually not an argument but a mere statement.
Many simply do not know my training format yet. If there have only been bicycles so far and no cars, the advantages of cars in terms of speed are obvious. However, making the car known is not so easy. (Zach Davis)
What you can respond
Do not be discouraged by a conservatively seeming basic attitude and try to sell based on your advantages. After all, there are good reasons why you chose your training concept. If you offer blended learning, you can refer to our 7 sales arguments.
“We want to offer a seminar XY as E-Learning”
E-Learning is a trend that gradually reaches even the most conservative companies in this country. For example, if in recent years or even decades a leadership training was offered as a 2-day seminar, this seminar is now to be modernized – and offered completely online.
Why there is a cognitive error here
There may be nothing wrong with this statement if there are good reasons behind it. However, often only the one format is transferred into a new, seemingly more modern one. After all, one wants to keep up with the times. However, as shown in the examples above, that is not a good reason for a format.
What you can respond
An E-learning is not fundamentally better than a seminar. The contact with the participant can be essential for the success of the training in some cases. In other situations, an E-learning is more efficient and gives the participant more freedom. Show your client the principles and benefits of blended learning and make initial suggestions on where in the training which format might be sensible.
Tip: Not only HR developers are susceptible to this cognitive error. Trainers and coaches should also regularly check whether the offered format actually matches the content – or whether perhaps only a seminar has been pressed into an online course.
“We can only dedicate one day of employees' work time to it.”
As the last typical statement from HR developers in sales conversations with trainers and coaches, we have chosen the argument of working time. You do not only hear this argument when you are starting with an online accompaniment. Time is becoming increasingly scarce, and so you might be faced with this restriction right at the beginning of your conversation: please only a maximum of a one-day seminar, otherwise employees will lack too much time for their daily tasks.
Why there is a cognitive error here
This sentence fits well with conventional seminars that are “carried out” from 9 am to 5 pm. Why is it specifically one working day, and what happens if the planned goal cannot be achieved with this limitation? Such statements often stem from negative experiences with multi-day seminars that were not worth it for the company. However, the problem here likely does not lie in the time spent at work.
Such statements often stem from negative experiences with multi-day seminars that were not worth it for the company. However, the problem here is usually not the working time itself. The cognitive error lies in the fact that the principle of online accompaniment, which allows learners to prepare or follow up on content relatively independently of time, has not yet taken hold with your clients. Thus, the issue is usually not the time itself but the fear of a lack of effectiveness.
What you can respond
Ask whether your client is primarily concerned about losing work time all at once. With the blended learning concept, you solve this issue: you spread the participants' time over several days. This is not only more effective for long-term memory and a real behavior change but also does not create a long “work absence” for employees.
Learn more about this argument in the article High Learning Effect with Low Work Absence – This is How It Works!
Which of these five statements have you heard so far? Can you think of other typical cognitive errors that we have forgotten here? I am curious about your experiences!
For more arguments specifically for selling an online accompaniment, you can easily download our PDF: for example, find out how your concept increases training transfer and how you make learning progress visible. Good luck!
