“Grab a competitive advantage by using this often overlooked marketing opportunity.”
The value of awards for training providers
Differentiating yourself from your competitors as a training provider is not easy. Not only do you have competition from similar training organisations or training bureaus, but the range of courses (and other ways to learn) that professionals can choose from is growing every day.
What can you do as a trainer to stand out from the crowd? Show that you have a high-quality offering, that you are recognised by those who know what they are talking about and that you are appreciated by your customers.
Easy, right? Wait for a shooting star and make that wish. Or...enter an award competition in your field of work!
Why is differentiating so important for training providers?
First, the good news. The future for training providers seems bright. Professional development will only become more important and valuable (about 8.5 trillion dollars).
Lifelong jobs no longer exist and the shelf life of knowledge is getting shorter. Nowadays, it is all about what skills you have (learned). Standing still is going backwards, so to speak. Being valuable as a professional means staying relevant.
Higher life expectancy = longer working life
Accelerating change = decreased shelf life of knowledge
---
Longer working life + Decreased shelf life of knowledge = Lifelong learning
The downside of this high demand is that it creates room for a lot of supply. This increased supply makes it more difficult for you as a training provider to stand out, when you are found.
What's more, all kinds of alternative learning solutions have emerged. It is not a coincidence that YouTube is at the top of the annual Top Tools For Learning (*ahum* aNewSpring rose 77 places last year *ahum*).
Moreover, in the field of L&D people are often looking at other methods for developing employees than a formal course or training.
The benefits for training providers of having too many choices
A growing offering in a market creates an abundance of choices and we humans don’t like that. It’s the reason that there are so many successful 'intermediaries', such as online marketplaces, which bring supply and demand closer together.
Examples are Amazon, Alibaba, Airbnb. And that’s only the A’s. Closer to home, the same is happening in the world of training: Udemy, Springest, Pluralsight, LinkedIn Learning. Think of it as a way to help out the professional that’s getting lost in the abundance of offerings.
There are two lessons to be learned from this. First, you are not competing against everyone, but only in your niche. People don't search for 'trainer', but specifically for 'Lean Six Sigma Foundations' or 'Personal leadership for managers'.
Secondly, it becomes clearer what your customers base their choices on. For example, high customer ratings, certain services or specific quality characteristics.
What does the market research say?
Of course, there is always data. For example, the LPI collects international data on learning providers through their accreditations and research. Based on this, they can provide insights into the areas where training providers perform well or where they can improve. You can guess where this is going; positioning, marketing and sales are areas of improvement. In their words:
“[Learning providers] may pride themselves in their grasp of learning and performance, but the nuts and bolts of how to effectively sell and market are proving less attainable.”
Looking for more insights and data on training providers and other actors in the world of learning and development? The LPI collects and presents their data in their L&D Dashboard: thelpi.org/resources/ld-dashboard/#providers
(Optional) Going one level deeper
This is not a typo; you can skip this part if you are already convinced of the usefulness and necessity of positioning.
For those who are still here, we already mentioned it briefly: niche. The future for training providers lies in specialising. The world is developing and changing more rapidly all across the board, not in the least because of the digital transformation.
Training has also been digitalising greatly; in quantity and quality. With the ever-present internet, anyone can make his or her knowledge transferable. Nowadays, professionals actually already have access to an infinite range of training or learning resources.
So what is the next step? Relevance is the magic word. In the future, the professional will have access to a development offering made specifically for him or her, where the focus is on optimal personalisation and impact.
So, the opportunities for training providers lie not in expanding a more generic portfolio to target everyone, but in specialist supply of new skills where there is a shortage. The niche. This is nicely illustrated by research by Don Taylor together with FutureLearn and Emerge Edtech Insights.
End of this lesson.
What exactly are the benefits of awards for training providers?
Who doesn’t want a big trophy case? Maybe it is good to start by saying that awards or recognitions are viewed differently in different countries.
In the Netherlands, for example, we tend to think of it as a bit of showing off or tooting your own horn. In the UK, it is more likely to be seen as proof or evidence of what you claim about yourself.
The one does not exclude the other and if you look a little further, there is much to gain. Three important advantages:
1. Objective recognition of quality
Winning an award is a stamp of approval. The best competitions are organised by internationally renowned organisations or institutions. They are supported by experts from the field and their wide reach ensures a reliable frame of reference.
It is important for the integrity of organisers to ensure that the award for best training provider is actually a very good training provider. That stamp is also quite literal; place a badge prominently on your training offering.
2. Positive exposure
Anything to do with prizes, winning, the best, gold, confetti, rankings, trophies, etc. creates a positive association in people's minds. You don't need to have studied marketing or psychology to understand this.
Just the fact that you are taking part in such competitions gives you the opportunity to send out messages that are almost automatically appreciated. Social media, e-mail or a certificate in the office; every potential customer consciously or unconsciously puts a plus next to your name.
Then, when (or if) you win something and can give yourself a title of "best ... of the year", you certainly have your proverbial 15 minutes of fame. Your marketing team will thank you.
3. Internal side effects
You’re here for your customers, the outside world, but competing for prizes (and winning them) also gives your employees a huge boost.
From the developers and trainers of your courses to your customer service and reception staff, everyone can feel proud when your company is featured positively in the news. A good reason to celebrate internally.
Don't forget that it works both ways; happy and proud employees are happier and function better. They will then go on to create yet another award-winning course.
Examples of training providers
Let's make it practical with two real life examples. Both learning solutions are applications of the aNewSpring platform. Not to pat ourselves on the back, but because this way, we can speak from our own experience. Okay, maybe a bit of both.
NCOI Online Academy - Adaptieve Training Privacy & Security
Karin Bremer and Tom Bos of NCOI's Online Academy did research on adaptivity and learning styles using their training on privacy and security. Read more about their case here: anewspring.com/cases/ncoi-online-academy-adaptive-training-privacy-security.
At the 2019 aNewSpring Awards, they were chosen as winners by aNewSpring customers. They then entered the international Learning Awards, where they won silver in the heavily contended Learning Impact category in 2020. The only Dutch award winner that year.
HBtraining and HBBA - Onboarding for Sales Promoters
For their client HBBA, HBtraining created an impressive learning solution; mobile onboarding of generation Z: view the case here anewspring.com/cases/hbtraining-onboarding-programme.
They won the aNewSpring Awards 2020 and subsequently received a nomination at both the 2020 Learning Technologies Awards and the 2021 Learning Awards. At the former, they even won a silver award for Best Technology Based Onboarding.
Misconceptions about participating in learning awards
A common reaction to participating in award competitions is that it is not a fair competition to a greater or lesser extent.
These kinds of awards can be a lucrative business model and of course there are common examples of business awards that are questionable or downright fraudulent. But with a little desk research, you can spot them and we haven't come across them in L&D land yet.
Here are some of the misconceptions that have been cleared up.
It is a set-up
No, it's all fair and square. You can't buy prizes, nor is it a case of who you know. If you have developed something good, you have a shot. In an international playing field, it is certainly not easy, but the best ones will come out on top.
It is a popularity contest
No, that is luckily/sadly not the case. Most competitions work with predetermined criteria that are assessed by specialists and experts. So it is really about quality, not who has brought the most friends.
It is only for large organisations
No, although larger organisations naturally have an advantage. The advantages for large organisations are obviously more budget and other resources. To create a high-quality learning solution, but also the resources to make the submission and go through the process. For smaller organisations, it is important to make the relative performance and impact clear.
You have to be chosen
No, often anyone can take part. Of course, there are certain requirements or restrictions, but usually it is your own initiative (and hard work) to participate. Costs of participation are generally a few hundred euros.
What awards are there specifically for training providers?
In the ‘learniverse’, there are many more initiatives and activities aimed at corporate L&D departments than specifically for training providers.
It can therefore sometimes be a bit of a hassle to find the right award competitions for training providers. Here are a few options:
The Learning Awards
Actually, the only major competition that actually has awards specifically for trainers: Learning Provider of the Year and Start-up Learning Provider of the Year. There are also many categories for which learning solutions from training providers are suited.
The Learning Awards are organised by The LPI and are quite prestigious and grand with international high profile entrants. The awards ceremony takes place annually in February, applications are accepted until September and there are two rounds (submission and jury presentation) to get through to the prizes. Being in the final guarantees a party.
Check: thelearningawards.com
The Learning Technologies Awards
You may be familiar with the annual conferences bearing the same name and this competition is sort of a subcategory of learning awards that looks at learning technology. Now I'm going to assume for a moment that a large portion of you readers use learning technology.
If you do, then (in theory) almost every category is an opportunity to enter as a training provider or training developer.
The award ceremony is in November, registration is possible until June and there are two rounds (submission and jury presentation). This competition is more subject-specific and requires an extensive report for submission. Winning in these specialist categories can therefore be quite significant and valuable.
Check: learningtechnologies.co.uk/learning-tech-awards.
The aNewSpring Awards
No surprise, we ourselves are not to be missed, as our focus on training providers is quite unique. The obvious note is that it is only for users of the platform. There is only one category: The Most Inspiring Learning Journey of the Year and the final winner is chosen by fellow aNewSpring-users to ensure objectivity.
As mentioned before, winning the aNewSpring Awards is often a prelude to success in other award competitions. The 2021 edition saw great cases from GITP, ARMSA Academy and LAS, check out their entries here:
Or: search for subcategories
Then there are alternatives that take a little more effort to find. There are several options for HR departments, see this list for example, where subcategories might be of interest.
There are also regional (for a certain country) learning awards or sector-specific awards with a training focus, for example through industry associations.
Finally, there are also general (often national) competitions for companies or employers, with categories for training/HR(D)/L&D/etc.
Tips for participating
Make a smart choice of category
Choose a category that fits the products or services you want your organisation to excel in. Often you can apply for more than one category, but remember that popular categories also mean more competition.
Criteria are important... criteria
It's obvious, but make sure you stick to the criteria and don't just tell your own story. They are actually looked at during the assessment, so understand what they are asking from you and show that clearly.
It is (increasingly) about results
Bring on the jargon everybody loves to hate: business impact, measurable results, performance indicators, etc. Whatever the case, measurable results and data simply score big points.
You only make a first impression once
There is often the opportunity to make your submission stand out. Use inspiring visuals, catchy texts and make it look professional. Also, if you have to make a presentation to the jury, do something special to excite them. Every little thing helps.
Enjoy and have fun
Participating in learning awards is also just plain fun. You show your best side and the excitement of competing does something to people. The awards ceremonies are often truly festive occasions in special places.
Jos Berden
A thinker, questioner and listener. The perfect combination of a pragmatic and idealist.
On the wish-list to learn: soccer tactics, flying a helicopter, reading other people’s minds.
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