Purchasing and Negotiation Training

Robert Menard, Certified Purchasing Professional, Certified Professional Purchasing Consultant, Certified Green Purchasing Professional

corporate market for education and training has shifted during this prolonged economic downturn.  Over the past five years, there has been a drastic increase in online course education and training for individuals as opposed to the more traditional “Instructor Led” customized on site seminars.   

While this latter live method will always be the most effective education and training option when delivered by skilled, knowledgeable, and talented seminar leaders, there are many cases in which economics dictate the favorability of online courses.  With so many pretenders crowding into the market, how does one pick the best sources for online courses? 

Along with the explosion in online training and education have come the predictable hangers-on, shameless marketers, and a bevy of loud mouth self promoters.  For example, there are so many free webinars circling the web that it would put a large team to work full time just to attend them.  But what value do they provide?  Often, these so called free webinars are often little more than two stage up-sells.  The first stage is the free webinar, the tease in which promises are made to learn much more if you sign up for the paid follow on course. 

So the question arises, “How do you know which online course has the quality that is worth paying for?”  As with almost every commercial endeavor, testimony as to quality and service are best provided by previous customers.  Here is the link to the high quality education and training courses offered through the American Purchasing Society. 

online training in purchasing, negotiation, and sales

The Society invests in the best talent and collaborates with renowned subject matter experts to create high content, high quality online courses.  Authors and developers must also be skilled in andragogy, the sciences of adult learning, as opposed to pedagogy, which is how most competitive other courses are created.  There is also an emphasis on “Instructional Design” so that the material is presented in the most effective fashion, including attention to the various learning styles (linear, global, kinesthetic, etc).  

In the next blog post, we’ll list some of the many courses offered by the Society.  After the brief synopsis, you see a testimonial from real customers, not just some advertising hype.