Training That Works: Delivering for Clients, Developing our People [INSIGHT]

In a fast changing world with high expectations and top performers; learning can’t be about sitting in a class room nodding off at PowerPoint presentations. It’s got to be actionable in the long term. It’s got to produce impactful outcomes for clients as well as your own business. And it’s got to be fun.

We recently brought together ten international teams from across Added Value and tasked them with creating ten WOW pitches based on real client briefs…in just three days. Throw in a sprinkling of inspiration from external experts, a creative team to support slick delivery and a Dragon’s Den style judging panel and you’ve got a live, on the job training programme that not only delivers for clients, but also develops people and builds internal culture too. We call it The Pitch.

So how can businesses use training opportunities to create commercial success as well as develop their people in relevant ways? Our people share their own experiences across the top five learnings from The Pitch…

1. Find the sweet spot where you benefit your business and the client’s

“The three day event demonstrated the possibilities of what could be accomplished in a pitch. Quality vs quantity. It reminded me of revisiting the fundamentals we take for granted like simply telling a heart grabbing story which can motivate our clients.” Carol, Singapore

2. Bring the best talent together from across the business

“Not only did I get a chance to meet many people for the first time in person, but I was also able to be motivated and inspired by all of the great infectious energy of the immensely talented and creative people around me. Truly an invaluable experience that I’ll never forget!” Whitney, New York

3. Build a lasting culture through the experience

“The Pitch was an extraordinary experience for me. Even though the client requests were real the Pitch was a simulation and thus was somewhat different from a real pitch situation – but it sure felt real to us! All together the Pitch was like a highly concentrated Added Value potion – very inspiring and boosting pride about the spirit and the way of working in that company.” Andreas, Nuremberg

 4. Take what you’ve learnt back to your day job

“The highlight for me was the inspirational external presentations because they gave some really great insight into how to prepare for a pitch. And I feel like I’ve already been able to incorporate some of the storytelling bits I learned into current debrief presentations and client conversations.  It was such a great experience and I’m hoping we can do something similar in North America to share the experience with more of the team.” Tate, New York

5. And don’t forget to have fun too

“I had spoken to a lot of people and knew them from e-mails, but to see everyone collaborating and interacting in real life was amazing. It was thrilling to contribute to so many teams in a Cultural Insight capacity and to get a glimpse of the different ways people think. The best part by far was watching the live pitches – genuinely exciting and inspiring!” Hazel, London

Enough said. It’s no good spending time and money on developing people if the training doesn’t also deliver for clients and your business as a whole. The Pitch was a fantastic opportunity for a hothouse of talent to come together and create real value for our clients, whilst understanding how we can apply our learnings to our everyday jobs for maximum impact.  And that’s what transformational training is all about.