What Research About Businesses Can Teach You
Choosing a Business Certification Training Provider
Finding a business certification training provider can be a feat, regardless of your industry. While there are many options, how do you choose the right one? What factors must you consider?
Here are tips to help you find the answers:
Choose the people you ask referrals from.
Many people will tell you they had the best course ever without even having something to compare it with. Not having had similar training in the past, how can they claim it’s the best? If they’ve been taking many courses with the same training provider, how can we be sure it’s an objective and reliable opinion? Ask referrals from those who’ve taken the same or similar courses with various providers.
Check their website.
Even a one-man team can make himself look like a multinational company with a really glossy website. But when someone has a bad website, that’s a completely different story. Whoever wants a bad website? A bad website is one where there are broken links, a mobile phone number and Yahoo/Gmail address for “company information”, poor quality images, and grammar and spelling errors. Training providers are in the business of education and have no excuse to have questionable literacy skills.
Ask about accreditation.
All training courses can have three types of accreditation – external accreditation, trade body approval and in-house certification from an independent training provider. It may seem like external accreditation is the “highest” of the three, but take note that accreditation type alone does not indicate credibility. Also important are the quality assurance systems the training provider has put in place. External accreditation is not a guarantee.
Check the price.
When it comes to business training certification courses, price does matter. If you’re drawn to a dramatically cheaper provider, always remember that they will be cutting costs in order to make profit. But good thing it doesn’t work conversely. Regardless of the provider’s brand name or reputation, you don’t have to spend more than necessary.
Research the trainers.
Intelligent persons are not automatically good teachers. Thus, you have to look past technical expertise and delve into the trainers’ teaching experience as well.
Have a chat with the provider.
By now, you should have come down to your last two or three prospects. You’ve researched them and now what’s next? Call them. You’ll feel them better when you actually speak to them instead of just learning about them from their website. Finally, trust your gut. If you sense some hesitation or if there’s even the slightest sign of bluffing, forget it and proceed to your next prospect.