Sell More of Your Consulting, Training, and Coaching...with the Kirkpatrick Method? - Part 2 (of 2): How to Do It

In my prior article in this series I introduced the concept of using the Kirkpatrick Model (see below) as a strategic tool in your selling process.?This second article will focus more upon how you can actually innovate your service offering – to inject a powerful behavior-change element into your value proposition.?Doing this can be a game-changer to any service provider, in that if you follow this strategy, you are likely to stand out significantly above your competition.

As mentioned before, the vast majority of professionals who provide training (and other similar) services typically do so with the implicit “promise” to their client that delivery of that service will result, at best, in the participants (“students”) acquiring new knowledge.?But that’s about as far as it goes (i.e. usually only the 1st level, but occasionally up to the "Learning" level of Kirkpatrick).?The client’s true hope, however, is that these students will apply that new knowledge in ways that will translate into improved business results, including contribution to a positive ROI for the organization.?But rarely is this guaranteed or written into any formal agreement.?I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to have a powerful, compelling value proposition , in order to improve your sales effectiveness!

For professional services providers, the bottom line is: the further up the Kirkpatrick Model you go, the more compelling your Value Proposition becomes.

One of the main reasons for this difference between what is hoped for and what is delivered is that the trainer feels as though they cannot definitively make that behavior change happen. The factors that would determine whether or not employee behavior changes are typically seen as beyond the scope of what the service vendor can provide.?But what if these behavior-driving capabilities and services were available to you as the trainer??What if you could confidently include these in your “pitch” to the client (i.e. up to the 3rd - "Behavior" - level of Kirkpatrick, or above)??Would that be a game changer??It absolutely would.

What I will highlight here are three options for any trainer, consultant, coach, or other change-agent professional to begin massively ratcheting up their value proposition to their clients.?Each option essentially accomplishes the same thing – it adds effective behavior-change “arrows” to the service provider’s “quiver.”

Option 1: Collaborate with a Behavior-Change Expert. My recommended approach here is to look to those who know not only how to get people to try a new behavior, but rather those who can help make those new behaviors permanent – in other words, a new habit.?This is how the behavior becomes sustainable, rather than just temporary (i.e. until they forget or old habits slip back in and take over).?The community that I am most familiar with, and which I know uses a methodology that works – is that of the Tiny Habits? Certified Coaches, all of whom have been trained in the methods developed by Dr. BJ Fogg of Stanford University, founder of its Behavior Design Lab.?Collaboration in this case would simply mean integrating their Tiny Habits methodology into the services you provide, so that they can help you convert your skills/knowledge training into new behaviors on-the-job.?This obviously makes a difference when you deliver your services, but more importantly, it becomes a powerful new element of how you will market and sell your services. ?The advantage of choosing this option is that you can implement this new behavioral element of your value proposition relatively quickly and at minimal effort or cost to you. ?To explore this, you can consider reviewing the many Tiny Habits coaches and their relevant expertise at this site, which has more than 200 different professionals to choose from: https://tinyhabitsacademy.com/coach/ .

Option 2: Partner with an individual inside the client’s organization, who will be on-staff alongside the trainees over an extended period, and who will be focused on helping them apply their new skills and knowledge consistently.?Using this approach, you may want to get buy-in from not only the client’s decision-maker (the person who has the authority to hire you), but also the individuals themselves who will help to translate new capabilities into new behaviors, in a sustainable way.?One advantage of this approach is that it most likely does not increase the cost of the services that you provide, making for an easier budget decision for the client.?A downside is that you are leaving the ultimate success of your training services to someone you have little or no influence over, after you leave.

Option 3: Acquire these behavior-change skills yourself!?You always have the option of learning how to effect these changes by becoming your own expert in the process of helping trainees to convert new skills/knowledge into sustainable new behaviors.?The advantage to this is that you essentially have unilateral control over both the design (of your training materials and delivery) and the implementation of these services.?The other advantage is that fees for all of the billable work go directly to you, rather than splitting them with another providers.?One disadvantage here is that it takes a bit of time, and practice on your end, in order to get proficient at these new methods.?Plus there will be some nominal expense, typically, for you to take the training/certification course.?But if this is an option you may like to explore eventually, one approach would be to find out more about it from the folks who offer this – again, from one of the world’s leading authorities on behavior design and habit creation, BJ Fogg, PhD: https://tinyhabitsacademy.com/certification/ .?There are other resources available to help with this sort of skill development, but Tiny Habits is one that, from first-hand experience, I can personally recommend.

If you have any further questions about these options – their pluses and their minuses – or other aspects of this behavior-change strategy, please feel free to enter your comments below, or just contact me directly.?I’d be happy to help you get started on this powerful new journey.

About the Author.?Charlie Garland ?is an independent professional engaged in all of the services and topics described in this (as well as the prior) article, including business model innovation and culture change. He has used this very same “Kirkpatrick” strategy in a number of instances to achieve success in both selling and delivering to clients, especially those where behavior and/or culture change is among the highest client priorities.?Charlie is currently developing a workshop (webinar) to help other service professionals become more successful in selling their services to corporate clients, and beyond.?If you’re interested in such a workshop, include that within your comment below, and you may be able to participate in one of his?pilot?workshops for free.