The PMA Blog

So, you’ve been tasked with the not-so-simple job of proving the ROI of your training programs to the C-suite. You've seen the eye rolls when you mention "soft skills" and felt the pressure to justify every dollar spent on development. But fear not! With a structured approach and some savvy data collection, you can make a compelling case for the value of your training initiatives. Let’s dive into the steps you need to showcase your program’s success.

Step 1: Align with Business
Goals First things first, let’s get on the same page with the C-suite. Understand the strategic goals and priorities of your organization. Are they aiming for increased sales, improved customer satisfaction, or enhanced operational efficiency? Your training programs should directly support these objectives.

Pro Tip: Engage with key stakeholders. Sit down with senior management and department heads. Ask them what success looks like from their perspective. This not only aligns your goals but also garners their support (and let’s be honest, makes you look like a team player).

Step 2: Identify Training Goals
Next, clearly define what each training program aims to achieve. Are you looking to improve skills, enhance knowledge, change behaviors, or boost job performance? Break down these goals into categories such as operational efficiency, employee satisfaction, customer service, or sales performance.

Example: If your goal is to improve sales performance, you might focus on increasing sales revenue, improving conversion rates, or acquiring new clients.

Step 3: Select Relevant Metrics
Here’s where it gets interesting. Choose metrics that accurately reflect the impact of your training. These will become your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The trick is to make sure they’re quantifiable and can be measured objectively.

Most quality training partners should have these identified for you if you are purchasing training from them.  We generally provide examples from other similar clients at the start to help our partners ensure the data can be measured.

•  Operational Efficiency: Reduction in error rates, time savings, improvement in process adherence.
• Employee Performance: Increase in productivity, achievement of performance targets, quality of work.
• Sales Performance: Increase in sales revenue, improvement in conversion rates, number of new clients.
• Customer Satisfaction: Customer satisfaction scores, Net Promoter Score (NPS), reduction in customer churn rate.
• Employee Satisfaction and Retention: Employee engagement scores, decrease in turnover rates, number of internal promotions.

Remember: KPIs should be realistic and achievable. There’s no point in setting pie-in-the-sky targets that’ll just lead to disappointment.

Step 4: Ensure Measurability
Make sure your KPIs are backed by data you can actually collect. This might mean leveraging existing data sources or implementing new data collection methods. Confirm that you have access to the necessary data to measure your chosen KPIs.

It also usually involves asking your participants for information both pre and post-training.  You may want to provide a little overview of why you need this and how you will use the information they provide.

Step 5: Set Benchmarks and Targets
Collect baseline data before the training to understand the current performance level. This serves as a reference point for measuring improvement. Then, set realistic and achievable targets for each KPI.

Example: If the current monthly sales revenue is $100,000, a realistic target post-training might be a 20% increase to $120,000.

Step 6: Implement Data Collection Methods
Use a variety of methods to collect data:

• Surveys and Feedback Forms: Gather participants’ feedback and self-assessed improvement.
•  Performance Reviews: Incorporate KPIs into regular performance review processes.
•  Operational Data: Use existing business data like sales reports or customer feedback systems.
•  Learning Management Systems (LMS): Track participation, engagement, and completion rates.

Step 7: Regular Monitoring and Reporting
Continuous monitoring is key. Regularly track your KPIs to see how you’re progressing. Create periodic reports to update stakeholders on the training program’s impact. Use visual aids like charts and graphs to make the data more accessible and engaging.

Step 8: Calculate ROI
Now, for the best part: calculating the ROI. Quantify the financial benefits gained from the training (e.g., increased sales, reduced turnover costs, time saved). Then, calculate the total cost of the training program. Use the ROI formula to determine the return on investment:

ROI=Net Benefits/Training Cost​×100

(Net Benefits = Monetary Benefits - Training Costs.)

It’s also helpful to go one more step and show the payoff period.  For example, we recently helped a client show the payoff came within 2 weeks of the end of the training program, based on time saved every day.  That’s a great piece of information to have on hand when people say they have no time for training! 

Step 9: Present the Data to the C-Suite
When presenting your findings, make them compelling. Use graphs, charts, and infographics to clearly illustrate the data. Provide an executive summary highlighting key findings, ROI, and the strategic impact of the training programs. Include a detailed report with comprehensive data analysis, methodology, and recommendations for future training initiatives.  Here’s an example of ours, compiled this past year for all of our Working Sm@rt + Outlook programs delivered.