How Can I Successfully Launch and Promote a Trainers' Boot Camp in India? Seeking Your Advice!

Good morning to the CiteHR community. I am seeking some assistance.

Training Seminar for Established Trainers

I have been developing a training seminar for established trainers, i.e., people who have completed a Train the Trainer type course and are now working as trainers. It is not a course for people wanting to learn how to be a trainer.

The seminar will be a sort of Trainers' Boot Camp, looking at some of the problems we encounter as trainers, exploring other aspects of training in more depth, and of course, a chance to meet with other trainers and learn from each other.

This training will probably run over two days, and I would like to launch this new program first in India, initially in Delhi, Mumbai, and maybe Bangalore. The expected time frame would be September/October.

Seeking Input from CiteHR Members

I am seeking inputs from fellow CiteHR members regarding places where I could advertise and promote this program in India, ideas about what sort of cost would be reasonable to charge, what sort of things you would like to see included in the training, etc. As I live in Australia, any information about how I would go about doing things in India would be most appreciated.

I have identified some hotel meeting rooms in each city as possible venues. Other suggestions are welcome.

I would be very grateful to hear your thoughts on this idea. My email is [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons].

Thank you.

Dear John, this is a high-end training programme; hence, you have to do market segmentation carefully. I suggest concentrating on ET 500 companies (top 500 companies of India, list published by Economics Times). In addition to this, there are scores of MNCs who are present in India but are not listed on the stock exchange.

Ideal Venue for High-End Programmes

The ideal venue would be Hotel Leela Kempinski in Delhi, Mumbai, or Bangalore. This is the right venue for high-end programmes. For a two-day training programme, you may charge INR 25,000 onwards. However, I recommend you do further market research and obtain views from other training professionals as well. Let me caution you that the training culture is not well embedded in India, and many training companies that thought of doing public workshops were badly mauled in the Indian market.

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar

Thank you for your comments. I appreciate your input. I am not really aiming for a high-end training program here. I want to target trainers who are looking for help with their day-to-day training problems and perhaps step up a notch. While I agree there is scope to put together a high-end program, that would be something to consider in the future.

I feel there is an opportunity to assist trainers who have done their basic Train the Trainer type courses and who are now out there in the workplace, trying to make sense of it all and to see results from their work.

My plan is to keep this simple and affordable in the first instance so that the people who could benefit most have an opportunity to take advantage of this training. The idea of running a public workshop is to bring together a wide cross-section of people and share ideas, techniques, and different viewpoints, etc.

India is developing rapidly, and I believe there is a real thirst for knowledge there now. It is not without challenges as you rightly point out, but it is an exciting time, and I would like to be a part of that.

Regards,

If you are coming all the way from Australia, then why do you want to do a common program? From an average Indian standpoint, only experts come from abroad. You should live up to their expectations. The general perception would be, "Why do we need foreigners to teach common programs?" I recommend you search LinkedIn's past events in India. There are scores of entries of the programs that foreigners have conducted. Study them properly and then make your plans.

There are scores of institutes that offer common Train-the-Trainer programs. Now, you wish to add value to the training. Of course, it should come with a high price.

Ok...

Regards,
DVD

Dear John, Dinesh's views may sound negative, but they are not! True, we as a nation thirst for knowledge and often excel in its pursuit, but Dinesh is not denying that! There is a tendency to write off non-technical training as cosmetic efforts not even meant to make a real difference. We who believe otherwise grapple to open up the lenses of the market to our value.

Additional Point

The better/more effective/senior trainers here are seldom so because of having been T-3ed. You have a large but low-margin market of keen, receptive, already good, and non-T-3ed practicing trainers wanting to step up a notch. It's a stimulating niche for you, but please find out if it is viable too.

Only on this do I minorly disagree with Dinesh.

Best,
Debanik

Your posting has a positive connotation! You can come down to India and conduct a Pilot Workshop for 1 day! Based on the results, you may proceed with a 2-Day TTT Workshop! Regardless of the city, most Indian trainers are likely to attend your workshop if you keep your training budget less than or equal to INR 1000/person/day for the introductory programme! Even though there are a couple of TTT programs running all across the nation, you can bring fresh insights and perspectives! Your primary selection should be Delhi/Mumbai/Chennai/Kolkata (Metros).

Warm regards,

Indranil Bhaduri

Thank you for the comments. Great to read your thoughts about this.

Dinesh, thanks for your insights; it is valuable information. However, while I agree that "foreigners" may be seen as experts (it is the same here in Oz!!), I have a problem with coming into another country and setting myself up as "better" than you. I feel that is an arrogant attitude to take, and it does not sit well with me. TTT programs may be common in India, as you say, and yes, my plan is to add value over and above that basic training, but I don't see that it should come with a high price. I have identified the market segment I initially want to target, and it is not at the top end of the market. I believe starting somewhere down the scale a bit will give me valuable insights that I can later use to craft another program for the top end. It will also enable me to identify the pitfalls and problems of training in India.

Debanik, thanks also for your thoughts. Viability is important, and I would not undertake the training if it were not. However, this is a trial launch of the program, so I would be looking to cover costs in the first instance and then re-evaluate the whole idea after that. I guess my main problem at the moment is marketing so that I get enough people willing to attend. By the way, I was not sure what you meant by T-3ed???

Indranil, thanks for your positive thoughts. However, this is not a TTT workshop. As you say, they are already running in India. My seminar will be adding value to what is taught at TTT courses and assisting trainers already working in the field. This is not an introductory program, and I would need to charge more than INR 1000 per day. Chennai, Kolkata, and maybe Hyderabad are planned to be in the second round in early 2012, if the idea works.

Thanks again, everyone. I am enjoying reading your comments and thoughts about this idea.

Dear John, T-3 is Indian trainerspeak for TTT. As has partly transpired between Indranil and yourself here—there are too many TTT programs around in India, but the affordable ones tend to be useless—unless the weight of a certification makes one's promotion easier. With time, that too is wearing thin. SO PRACTISING TRAINERS HERE WHO DO HAVE A GRIP ON FUNDAMENTALS MAY WELL BE NON-T-3ed. I am aware that this may be unthinkable in most parts of the world.

Having said that, what matters now is that "you have zeroed down on your segment and decided upon your charges." If we may know these specifics, clear, implementable marketing suggestions & direction should come off this forum, John. All the best for this proposed bootcamp.

Thanks for your comments and the explanation of T-3. I had a later thought that this is what it might be! If there are people working as trainers without T-3 certification but have a good grasp of training fundamentals, then maybe I need to consider relaxing the entry standards a little. However, my Boot Camp is not a Certificate course. Participants will only receive a Certificate of Attendance. It is NOT a training qualification.

As to charges, I notice that many courses seem to run around INR 4000-5000 a day, so at the moment, that is my ball-park figure.

In regard to course content, well each course will be different as it will be based on what the participants want to some extent. I have an outline of what I will cover, but I want to tailor each seminar to meet the requirements of the group as far as possible. That way, participants get more out of it and will go away with new ideas and enthusiasm for their training. The sorts of things that I would possibly cover include presentation skills, ways to make training more interesting, learning to train without PowerPoint, difficult people, assessment methods, training styles, adult learning, etc. I want to make each Boot Camp interesting, empowering, and dynamic.

Keep the comments coming.

Thanks for your comments and the explanation of T-3. I had a later thought that this is what it might be!

If there are people working as trainers without T-3 certification but have a good grasp of training fundamentals, then maybe I need to consider relaxing the entry standards a little. However, my Boot Camp is not a certificate course. Participants will only receive a Certificate of Attendance. It is NOT a training qualification.

As to charges, I notice that many courses seem to run around INR 4000-5000 a day, so at the moment, that is my ballpark figure.

In regard to course content, well, each course will be different as it will be based on what the participants want to some extent. I have an outline of what I will cover, but I want to tailor each seminar to meet the requirements of the group as far as possible. That way, participants get more out of it and will go away with new ideas and enthusiasm for their training. The sorts of things that I would possibly cover include presentation skills, ways to make training more interesting, learning to train without PowerPoint, dealing with difficult people, assessment methods, training styles, adult learning, etc. I want to make each Boot Camp interesting, empowering, and dynamic.

Keep the comments coming.

I think what you have proposed here is an excellent idea! I wish you all the very best for your endeavor. However, training programs in India usually cost anywhere between Rs. 18,000-Rs. 20,000 for 3 days. This is the ballpark figure for exceptionally good programs.

I feel you should revise your ballpark figure to about INR 1500-2000 for a 1-day induction program. The reason I'm suggesting this is because not many people would be willing to pay Rs. 4000-5000 for a program where all they will get is a certificate of attendance/participation. It has to have more value-add than that for enticing people to pay that much.

Suggestion for Topics to Cover

A suggestion for topics you would be covering: conflict resolution and how to handle big groups (consider groupthink and its challenges for trainers). Also, what you could do is ask a few people to present the toughest scenarios/challenges they have faced and talk about it, as that would lead to more ideas dropping in.

Please let me know what you think about my ideas. I'll be happy to help you.

Regards,
Simran Soni

Hi Simran, thanks for your comments.

Clarification on Boot Camp Purpose

May I say firstly, this Boot Camp is NOT an Induction Program. It is designed for established trainers working in the field and looking to enhance their training skill set and move up a notch. It is not designed to take the place of T-3. Anyone needing a formal Indian qualification in training still needs to do the basic Train the Trainer course.

Objective of the Boot Camp

What I want to do is take people who enjoy training but have found that the basic training only got them started. They now want to build on those skills and make their training more enjoyable, more useful, and more successful. After a while, you recognize that there are challenges in training and there is more to learn in how to deal with those challenges.

Benefits of the Boot Camp

A Boot Camp such as this also enables a group of trainers to come together and explore different ways of doing things and learn what works and what doesn't, how each of us tackles different things, etc.

I liked your suggestions for topics to include; they are very good points, particularly talking about our toughest scenarios. I am just thinking about one I faced some years ago right now!!

Thank you for your valuable input.

Regards

Dear John,

So, the entry criterion is that one must be a practicing trainer and not a T-3ed one. The intangible prerequisite is that the person be passionate about training, and the investment ballpark is INR 4-5K multiplied by 2 (days). One gets a certificate of participation. Have I got that right?

A 5K INR (total, not per day) workshop with a participation certificate—for passionate trainers who just want to get better—should be feasible to promote (I did not say easily). Your ballpark would work IF your overseas brand, as well as how you wisely word that participation certificate and what you call your program, are all advantageous in terms of facing one's local market. Already, your proposed price is feasible in Mumbai and perhaps Bangalore.

John, my own mistake is that, to date, I offer my value slightly vaguely. Specify (and do so with both someone's passion and their own market in mind) what transformation you are delivering. In your case, mention it on that certificate too.

I knew a person who would be sure to have more specific and sure-fire actual market solutions for you, but these days, I am unsure how forthcoming he would be! Try calling Mr. Gaurav Gill at [Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]. Mention me if necessary. Gaurav is in the NCR (National Capital Region - Delhi and…).

BTW—My name is Debanik, and I am often called Deb. "blessedheights" I realize is inconvenient.

Regards,

Hi Debanik, Thanks for your comments. Your summing up in the first paragraph is pretty close to the mark. Ideally, it would be for trainers with T-3, but now I recognize that some of my proposed market may not be qualified, but good trainers nonetheless. I can be flexible. The only proviso is that unqualified trainers would not be able to use this boot camp as evidence of a qualification. I have no authority to issue certificates of qualification in India. In any case, if I were to teach a T-3 course, it would take about 7 or 8 days to do it properly, though I do not know what T-3 entails in India. It may not be as complex as the training qualification in Oz.

Specifying the "Transformation" Offered

As for specifying the "transformation" I am offering, well, that is the intangible here, particularly as my plan is to tailor the boot camp to each group that undertakes it. Each participant is going to take away something different, whether it be improved presentation skills, new ways of engaging trainees, or getting a handle on dealing with difficult people, etc. I want to make this training relevant to each participant as best I can, not a one-size-fits-all scenario. Most of us who are trainers will know that approach is fraught with difficulty and hard to obtain optimum results.

A New Concept for India

I am beginning to realize that this is perhaps a totally new concept for India and that my style of training is somewhat different. It may even be a new concept elsewhere as well. I am not aware of other trainers doing it here in Oz.

I used to train in Job Search and Interview Skills some years ago, and this is where I started using the techniques of tailoring the course to the group. I had certain material to cover during the course, but I adapted it to each new group. I taught that 10-day course about 20 times, and every time it was different. And that makes it more interesting for the trainer as it is never the same thing over and over again!

So maybe India is not the place to trial this boot camp.

Regards,