Whether you want your team to improve in sales, customer service, or leadership, they’ll need training to truly grow. But giving your employees access to expert-level training can get expensive quickly. It may have you wondering where all the cost-effective training solutions have gone.

We put together this article to try to answer that question. Keep reading to learn how to find more cost-effective training and for a closer look at The Cattalyst’s custom-designed training modules.

What is a Cost-Effective Training Solution?

It’s worth first clarifying that you’re the only person who can define what a cost-effective training solution means for your company. It can vary based on your budget, the size of the team you need to train, and whether you want custom-designed training modules or are willing to use a pre-built plan.

The more research you do the better. When you compare prices across many different potential suppliers, it becomes easier to see where you’re going to get the deal on the services you need.

Of course, this takes time. So if you’re not very interested in researching a variety of training solutions and their prices in your spare time, feel free to contact The Cattalyst. Whether you use our training services or not, we can talk you through your options generally and help you figure out the type of training that aligns closest with your goals.

How To Find Cost-Effective Training Solutions

So – now that we’re on the same page about what cost-effective training means, let’s get into some tips for finding it. Here are some strategies you can follow to find the right training courses at prices that meet your budget.

But if you want to find a training solution that balances cost with quality without spending hours researching, click here to schedule a consultation. We specialize in creating customized, cost-effective programs that align with your company’s unique needs, saving you time and effort in finding the perfect fit.

Define Your Training Needs Precisely

First, make sure that you’ve defined your training needs as narrowly as possible. You only want to pay for training that you actually need. So the more specifically you can define what you need the less your training package should theoretically cost.

For example, a digital leadership course should be more affordable than a generalized leadership course. If a company won’t charge you any less for a smaller training package, then that’s a sign you probably shouldn’t be working with them.

Negotiate Bulk Rates

Next up – consider how many people you want to train. Is it an entire department or a full team? If so, some external training companies may be willing to give you a discount for buying courses in bulk. This can be a fantastic way to reduce the average amount you pay to train each of your employees.

Even if a company doesn’t explicitly advertise bulk rates on their website, you should still ask for them. The worst they can say is no, and if they feel like they may lose your business if they don’t offer you a discounted bulk rate, you never know how generous they could be while trying to convert the deal.

Look For Free Resources and Sponsored Programs

There are also many free and low-cost resources available online. For example, Khan Academy offers free training courses on a variety of business and marketing topics. Some of these may be just what you need to equip your team with the right skills.

There are also some government and nonprofit-sponsored training programs for certain types of employees. For example, you may be able to find a low-cost training course focused on sustainability if that’s a new angle you want to add to your business.

Leverage In-House Training Capabilities

It’s also possible that you don’t need to hire anyone to help you train up a new team or department. You may already have an employee on payroll who’s an expert in the topic you want the rest of the team to learn. If so, you should definitely try to take advantage of this.

Even if the person can’t teach your team everything they need to know about the new topic, they can probably teach some of it. And that could save you thousands and thousands of dollars, depending on how extensive your training needs are.

Encourage Participation in Industry Organizations and Conferences

Finally, you should encourage your team to participate in professional organizations and conferences that are relevant to their training goals. Many of these groups host trainings and showcases at little or no cost to members. They can be a fantastic way to improve your team’s skillset without having to put up much company money to make it happen.

Other Tips to Save Money on Training

Those are our main tips for finding low-cost training options. But there are other ways to save money on training after you’ve already decided on a course for your employees. Here are three additional ways you may be able to bring down your total bill for training costs.

1. Do It Right The First Time

It’s smart to try to save money while searching for a training course. But you don’t want to cut too many corners in order to do so. Otherwise, you’re going to end up with a poorly-trained group of employees who really need further support to achieve the goals you have.

So your first priority should be making sure that the cost-effective training soluton you choose is enough to get the job done. Once that criteria is met, then you can start looking for ways to save money. Doing it the other way around can lead to issues that eat into your savings.

2. Consider Group Training With Personalized Follow-Up

One-on-one training is the most effective way to make sure every employee on your team receives the support they need to upskill. But it’s not always an economic solution. That’s why you may consider enrolling a team in a group training course and adding in personalization after the fact.

For example, your team could complete a group course and then you could have a supervisor or manager recommend a personalized follow-up training plan for each employee based on their performance in the class. That way, everyone still gets the personalized support they need but you don’t have to pay as much.

3. Track Your Analytics To See What Works

Finally, you want to be tracking analytics to make sure that the training you’re offering is working. You should be noticing improvements in the core metrics that prompted you to seek out training for the team. If you’re not seeing any improvements, then something isn’t working and you may need to consult with an expert to get back on track.

The Cattalyst’s Cost-Effective Training Solutions

If you’re serious about finding cost-effective solutions for sales, leadership, or customer service, you should contact The Cattalyst. We offer a variety of fairly-priced leadership solutions that are flexible enough to meet your company’s unique needs no matter what they might be. Here are four features our training solutions have that make them a good fit for so many different types of businesses.

Custom-Designed Training Modules

We build every new training course from the ground up to meet the unique needs of each company we work with. This allows us to meet your team wherever they’re at now and guide them toward where they need to be within whatever time frame you specify.

Live Workshops and Seminars

We also offer a variety of live workshops and seminars. These can be more effective than standard taped training courses because they give your employees the opportunity to ask questions when they have them. The net result is your team gets a more personalized training experience even if the content in their course is identical to other cost-effective training solutions you may have seen.

Bespoke Online Learning Content

We also create bespoke online learning content for employees with a variety of training needs. From leadership to assistance with managing external teams like an outsourced call center, we can build whatever materials your employees need to take the next step toward the goals you’ve set for them.

Pricing to Suit All Businesses

Finally, The Cattalyst offers flexible pricing to suit the needs of every business. Whether you want to spread the cost of training out over a year or longer or are interested in paying upfront for a reduced rate, we can work with you to find whatever pricing model makes sense for your company.

So why wait? The Cattalyst can be your all-in-one answer to cost-effective employee training. We have over 30 years of training experience and have worked with companies of all sizes and goals.

Get in touch with us today for a free consultation and we’ll tell you more about how we can help.