Training Program Plan - April's Weebly



Training Program PlanApril JohnsonAET 570July 11, 2016Dr. Charity JenningsTraining Program PlanPart I. Training Program DescriptionThe sales force of an organization has a large influence on the success and profitability of the company. Many organizations establish learning and development departments to improve productivity and efficiency of their sales force. The following training program will focus on the sales force of Farmers Insurance. The training program is entitled, Farmers Boot Camp (FBC). It is a brand new, innovative training program especially designed for new agents. A portion of this training can also be utilized by tenured agents. FBC is in the process of becoming a sole registered trademark of the author and not company owned by Farmers, Zurich, or any of its affiliate, sister, or parent companies.Scope of TrainingLearning participants will benefit from the training program by learning strategies to increase policy sales. The training program will focus on field training and classroom learning. In addition, students and new agents will have the ability to communicate using technology to benefit from a social learning experience. Applying the skills and techniques provided in this training program will help participants to become more productive sales professionals and increase their earning potential. Rather than using traditional sales training techniques that occur in a classroom; the training program will include methods of classroom learning, hands on training, and social learning.Intended AudienceThe role of a sales agent focuses on driving policy revenue. The training program is designed to support sales agents and improve their ability to increase policy revenue. As the primary audience, sales agents will improve their corporate group sales and increase new account lead generation. The development of corporate relationships will help support a sales advisor primary job or generating new policies and help to increase their personal lead generation process.Program GoalsThe primary goal is to improve sales production within the organization through skill based learning programs on self-generated business. The secondary goal is to increase corporate partnerships by increasing knowledge and skills on acquiring corporate leads.Program ObjectivesThe objectives for the primary goal of increasing sales production through self-generated business include:Sales Agents will perform the sales script at 95% accuracySales Agents will generate 10% increase in corporate membership lead generation from prior year.The objectives for the secondary goal of increasing corporate lead generation include:Sales Agents will generate 5 corporate leads per monthSales Agents will perform corporate sales script with 95% accuracyThe training program will also teach sales agents how to establish corporate offsite events, promote corporate enrollment events, and generate acquire corporate accounts. Developing this training program will help improve the skills of one of the most important positions within the company.In addition, the training program will include a needs analysis, budget, staffing plan, stakeholders, goals, communication plan, and program evaluation. Inclusion of each of these components will provide support for implementation of the program and a method to determine success. The implementation of the training program will help to improve the organizations field operations and improve the delivery of training throughout the organization.Part II. Needs and Gap AnalysisThe development of a needs analysis is important to creation of an effective training program. If there is insufficient data to support the training program, it may fail to provide value to the learning audience. There are a variety of techniques that help with a needs analysis including questionnaires, observations, interviews, test, social indicators, and many others. The following methods were chosen to conduct a thorough needs analysis on corporate sales training for sales agents with Farmers Insurance.QuestionnairesThe development of a questionnaire for sales agents included five questions that identified sales agents’ competency with corporate sales and acquisition. The students’ responses displayed a 74% proficiency in corporate life policies. The expectation is that sales agents maintain a 95% proficiency in corporate membership policies. The results displayed a 20% gap that would benefit from a training program on corporate policies.Documents and ArtifactsThe membership unit mix report is a tool that provides a measurement of the type of membership that sales agents enroll at their respective agency. Upon review of the June and July 2016 results, the data displayed a corporate mix of 8% on an expectation of 20%. The review of this report displayed a gap of 18%. The development of corporate policy sales through training and increasing awareness will increase the unit mix.Group DiscussionThe feedback from sales agents is another valuable tool to assist in the determining factor of the need for a corporate policy training program. A sales agent from each agency in the Kansas City region was selected to participate in a group discussion on corporate policy sales. The content included topics on corporate policy leads, penetration, cold calling, and other sales processes. At the conclusion of the meeting participants were asked to rant their satisfaction with the current program. Less than 25% listed satisfied and more than 50% listed improvement was needed.Needs and Gap AnalysisThe completion and review of sales agent questionnaire’s, documents and group discussions provided valuable content on the corporate group sales program. The sales agents displayed via feedback the implementation of a training program would help to improve their delivery of this valuable corporate product. The questionnaires displayed the lack of applicable knowledge to appropriately implement the program. The statistical data through corporate mix documents represented the under use of the sales tactics of the policies by sales agents. A group discussion conducted throughout the region also provided support for additional training. The development and delivery of the identified training program on corporate policies and corporate lead generation will shrink the gap and improve sales agent performance.Part III. BudgetExpense1 Month Cost(s)12 Month Program Cost(s)Personnel$ 50,000$ 600,000Fringe benefits$ 25,000$ 300,000External Staff$ 32,000$ 384,000Materials$ 26,000$ 312,000Technical support$ 15,000$ 180,000 Equipment$ 10,000$ 120,000Travel$ 10,000$ 120,000Facilities$ 5,000$ 60,000Supplies$ 1,200$ 14,400Miscellaneous$ 1,000$ 12,000Total Cost$ 175,200 $ 2,102,400Income1 Month increments12 Month Program IncomeParent Company$ 98,000$ 1,176,000Donations$ 25,000$ 300,000Participant Fees$ 62,000$ 744,000Miscellaneous$ 32,000$ 384,000Total Income$ 217,000$ 2,604,000Part IV. Staffing PlanThe sales agent training program will include a staff of corporate employees and external partners to support the success of the program. The staff management will leverage all departments within Farmers including regional educators, human resources, claims, personal and commercial lines, and other corporate departments. Business needs describe the operational and strategic goals for an organization or some unit or department within it. These needs are what the organization must accomplish if it is to be successful over the long term. Business needs are measured quantifiably. Growing market share is an example of a business need; it can be measured in terms of the percentage of market share, the number of new customers, and the revenue generated (Robinson, 2008). The Farmers Boot Camp will have a seven-person training team. This team consists of a Program Coordinator, two Regional Educators, a Human Resources Manager, an Office Administrator, and two Field Consultants. The use of the following staffing model will assist the adult learners to benefit from classroom learning and field training. The following is an outline of the staff positions, qualifications, and skill requirement. The salaries for the staff were included in the budget portion (Part III) of the Farmers Boot Camp Training Program Plan.Staffing RequirementsInternal ResourcesThe training program staffing model will leverage many existing departments within the company to provide a world class learning experience. The training staff will include the existing regional educators that provide new hire orientation and job specific onboarding training. In addition, the program coordinator, and field consultants will include persons within the company that are current district managers or agents. The Human Resources Department will also support the delivery by overseeing operational aspects of the program. External ResourcesThe effective delivery of the training program involves the management and facilitation of training programs in classroom, field operations, and through self-paced online learning programs. The training program will require training facilities that include existing regional training facilities as well as offsite locations when not available. The program will use facility subcontractors to deliver classroom and computer based training. In addition to company based training material, the program will also include external training material to be delivered in the classroom and field. Leveraging other sources of training materials will provide students with a broad scope of the program objectives and goals.Additional Resources NeededThe program is designed to make a measureable influence on participant performance. However, the participant evaluation process lacks sufficient data gathering processes. In an effort to ensure the program’s effectiveness it is important to measure participant results before, during, and after completing the training program. In addition, it is important to evaluate the return on investment and identify methods to improve efficient use of resources. A data and analysis group could provide measurable data to help make adjustments to current programs and help influence future programs.Strategy to Fill GapsAn important role of education and training in an organization is to help address weaknesses, improve employee performance, increase consistency, and improve employee satisfaction. The delivery of a productive program requires a quality analysis of the program delivery, participant response, and cost management. An approach to fill the gap of this department is to identify a company that provides data capture and analysis services. The program coordinator may also partner with another insurance company or research organization that would like to use the program as a case study in exchange for data capture and analysis. The fulfillment of this important function is necessary to provide the evaluation of the program.Staff Performance EvaluationThe evaluation of the training staff is closely connected with the overall evaluation of the training program itself. A model for evaluating training programs is the Kirkpatrick model with includes the following four components: evaluation of results, evaluation of behavior, evaluation of learning, and evaluation of reaction. The evaluation of staff will be assessed according to the areas that are most influenced by their department. The evaluation of reaction will provide a foundation for an overview of the operation admin, support staff and human resources. The evaluation of behavior will provide a measurement for evaluation of field consultants. The evaluation of learning will provide insight on the performance of the regional educators. The program coordinator will be closely linked to the evaluation of results. The development of specific evaluation forms will connect the results to the expected behaviors and provide quality feedback to improve the program for the student participants. Part V. Stakeholders and GoalsStakeholdersPartnership goalWays to build supportProduce positive impact on adult learningExecutive Leadership and OwnershipProvide financial and organizational resources to ensure program success.Provide statistical data displaying effectiveness of program.The delivery of training programs that improve the productivity of workforce and provide agents with business skills that support their independent agencies. Sales Training Material SuppliersSupply training program with high quality learning tools to improve the training program and support employee development.Supplier allows corporate to select customized material to meet the demands of agents.Student learners/agents receive high quality learning material that is tailored to their specific needs.Small Business OwnersSmall business owners leverage the independent contractor agency to build their own brand with Farmers.Small business owners are networking to provide one another the necessary support needed to build a community of referrals.Increased awareness of insurance services in the community provide many families with an educated analysis of their insurance needs.Financial PlannersPromoting financial awareness throughout the community.Participating in cosponsored events to increase community knowledge of finance.Increased awareness of financial planning, retirement, Roth, 401K investments.Part VI. Communication PlanSales Agent Corporate Sales TrainingFarmers Boot Camp Farmers Boot Camp is designed to help agents increase their sales through the corporate development strategy. The stales training program will provide agents with diverse methods of instruction to help employees achieve maximum knowledge retention. The objective of Farmers is to provide clients with the best selection of insurance for the most affordable price. Farmers not only prides itself on helping you plan wisely for the unexpected, but also on helping restore order when it occurs, so you can keep moving along the road of your life’s plans (Farmers, 2016).Training Program GoalsImprove Sales PerformanceIncrease book of businessDelivery Methods and Learning MaterialsFarmers Boot Camp will include various forms of delivery methods including classroom education programs led by regional educators, on the job training monitored by field consultants, and online self-paced learning. The program will include all necessary learning materials that will be customized to the position of the agent audience. Agents will use the training materials during and after the program as a resource. Training ScheduleThe training sessions include the following program courses:Ten sessions classroom learning (7 hours per session)Four field training sessions (6 hours per session)25 Online Based Training modules via University of Farmers (approximately 40 hours)Program length: 2 monthsTraining Program BenefitsThe development of Farmers Boot Camp for the agents is intended to provide new agents (which are called Reserves) with the necessary skills needed to improve upon their sales performance as well as becoming a business owner. The training program provides participants with three primary benefits including improving sales confidence, sales techniques, and sales execution. The sales confidence for the agents has been increased due to the repetition that each agent is able to experience on sales techniques and processes. The sales techniques in the training program provide the agent participants with an outline on the sales processes tailored to corporate and business acquisition. The delivery of the program through a combination of online learning, classroom learning, and field training helps to reinforce the sales process which the agents learn throughout the process. The benefits of the training program for the agents can provide additional benefits to support the organization. The development of a sales culture is a vital component of a successful organization. The diverse method of instruction helps to provide the adult learners with instruction that meets the different learning needs of the students. The students will experience a positive result in their personal and sales related development through the completion of this program.Promotional Channels and MaterialsThe implementation of a training program requires the development of a quality curriculum and staffing skilled professionals to deliver the program. Communication of the program offering to employees and internal stakeholders is vital to participation and program success. The promotional channels at Farmers Insurance include web, email, in person, and written communications.The web communications include the posting of the training program course schedule on the intranet as well as the web based training calendar. Communicating the information through these web based channels will provide exposure and promotions to the training programs to the agents that use computer based applications. The training will also be networked out through the recruitment process via .The email communication will include a written attachment of the program facts, schedule, and enrollment process. The delivery of the emails will include all District Managers and department heads of sales professionals as well as tenured agents. The written and oral communication of the training program would include regional educators and District managers delivering a printed version of the email attachment and orally communicating the training program details during their staff meetings. The majority of the frontline team members who will be participating do not have access to email until the first day of training. Due to this fact, the oral communication will ensure attendance of these participants.Part VII. Program EvaluationThe program evaluation is an important component of the overall program because it evaluates many aspects of the program to identify areas of strengths and opportunities. The primary individuals responsible for overseeing the program evaluation are the Human Resources Manager, Program Coordinator, and the Office Administrator. The program evaluation will focus on various aspects of the program including the management of the budget, student learner participation, outcome of desired results, and operational management. The evaluation of the financial investment of the training will measure actual dollars spent compared to budgeted dollars for the training program. The office administrator will review financial reports to identify opportunities for savings and areas for additional investment.The engagement of agents is important to the success of the training program. Regional educators will be responsible for reporting attendance over the course of the program. Prior to the implementation of the program the human resources manager and the program coordinator will gather data on sales agent performance using internal sales performance tools. The data will be measured through each implementation of the program and at the end of the first wave. The methods of evaluation will include capturing participant sales production numbers prior, during, and after completion of the training program using the internal sales production application. The office administrator will be responsible for capturing this data. Agents will also evaluate the program by completing a multiple choice and rating scale course form which will rate different aspects of the training program. The results of the training program evaluation will provide a positive impact on adult learning by helping to improve delivery of the training program and development of other training programs. The evaluation of the facilitators will ensure the learners receive a high quality instruction that provides adult learners with a productive learning environment. Maintaining a focus on making a positive impact on adult learning provides the foundation for delivering a beneficial training program that yields success for all stakeholders.The following metrics will apply to the evaluation:Kirkpatrick Evaluation ModelExcellent25 – 20 pointsGood19 – 15 pointsFair14 – 10 pointsNeeds Improvement9 – 0 pointsLevel I-Reaction25%Participant surveys andInstructional AuditsTrainer clearly communicated learning goals and objectivesTrainer communicated most learning goals and objectivesTrainer communicated some learning goals and objectivesTrainer communicated none of the learning goals and objectivesLevel II-Learning25%Students Complete Quiz and ExamsMeets expectationsStudents obtain 90% competency of role requirements and job objectivesMostly meets expectations Students obtain 80-89% competency of role requirements and job objectivesSomewhat meets expectationsStudents obtain 70-79% competency of role requirements and job objectivesFail to meet expectations Students obtain less than 69% competency of role requirements and job objectivesLevel III-Behavior 25%Manager Observation forms and contact management system auditsAs a result of the training sales agents highly improved guest management process and toured, presented, and manager introduction 95% or more guest interactionsAs a result of the training sales agents highly improved guest management process and toured, presented, and manager introduction 85% or more guest interactionsAs a result of the training sales agents highly improved guest management process and toured, presented, and manager introduction 75% or more guest interactionsAs a result of the training sales agents highly improved guest management process and toured, presented, and manager introduction 55% or less guest interactionsLevel IV-Results25%Pay period sales reporting by team memberGreatly Exceeds Expectations in sales productivityExceeds Expectations in sales productivityMeets Expectations in sales productivityFails Expectations in sales productivityConclusionThe development of Farmers Boot Camp for new and tenured agents attempts to enhance and enlighten the effectiveness of sales agents. The program includes a clear description of the program, objectives, and goals. In addition, the training program plan includes and estimated budget and staffing plan to implement the training program. The inclusion of the communication plan and program evaluation describes how the program will effectively be promoted and measured. ReferencesFarmers Insurance.?(2016).?Retrieved from , J. J. (2008). Section VI: Measuring and evaluating impact - chapter 32: Return-on-investment. Alexandria: Association for Talent Development. Retrieved from Robinson, D. G. (2008). Chapter 4: Performance Consulting: A Process to Ensure Skill Becomes Performance ASTD handbook for workplace learning professionals. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press. ................
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