Guide to Buying Training Materials

It can be a bit of a minefield buying in training materials, or rather more like a lottery. You could end up hitting the jackpot, or you could end up feeling very short-changed.

That’s why a lot of facilitators and L&D professionals are reluctant to buy them in. Especially if they’ve had a bad experience in the past.

So, how can you maximise your chances of hitting gold? Here are our tips for making sure you get training materials that give you what you need.

DO

1. Be clear about what you want - otherwise you could end up being seduced by the latest shiny object.

2. Look for a sample – an actual sample, not a photo of a box or a description of what you will get. We all have very different ideas of what ‘comprehensive notes’ means! If the company won’t let you see the product in advance, ask yourself why.

3. Ask for recommendations – if people you know like and trust a supplier, that’s got to be good news. They will give you the lowdown on what you will (or won’t) get.

4. Look for independent reviews – a business can write what it likes on its own website, but google reviews are genuine, so take a look.

5. Make sure the materials are easy to use – you’re probably buying them to save time. If you have to spend days working out how to run a session, it’s a false economy.

6. Check who they are for - will the materials suit your intended audience, method of delivery, numbers and timings?

7. Have an ideal budget in mind - but be willing to re-evaluate that. If you can find what you need for less than you thought, brilliant! If you find something that is perfect but slightly more than you expected, it may be worth it.

8. Look for quality standards – but be mindful that quality standards and accreditations can be bought and may not relate to the actual content of the material. That said, a relevant and up to date award can give you confidence.

9. Read the terms and conditions – can you adapt the materials or will be restricted in how you use them? For example, can you dual brand them? Will you be tied into a licencing agreement?

10. Get in touch with the supplier – can they talk to you about the sessions and what you need or do you just get a sales pitch?

DON’T

1. Be guided solely by price – A high price CAN mean great materials – it may also just mean an expensive marketing machine. A low price doesn’t mean poor quality – it may actually be phenomenal value.

2. Get sucked in by swish marketing – a fancy video and cool website don’t always mean the training materials are good. It means the marketing is good.

3. Automatically buy from the ‘big’ names – if you have got their material, so have hundreds of other companies. Search out something new.

I'm sure there are other DOs and DON'Ts that you can share.

I'm also sure that if our materials meet your needs and budget, you can buy them with confidence.

Check our our Google Reviews HERE

And why not browse what we have?