Independent trainers ProFab_Cotters Hierarchy of Deeds_8 Strategies to Prosper as an Independent Trainer in the South African Learning and Development Industry

1. COTTER’S (2018) INDEPENDENT TRAINER PROSPERITY AND FUTURE-FIT
BLUEPRINT (ITProFaB): 8 STRATEGIES TO PROSPER AS AN
INDEPENDENT TRAINER IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN LEARNING AND
DEVELOPMENT (L&D) INDUSTRY
CHARLES COTTER PhD, MBA, B.A (Hons), B.A
www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter
PRETORIA
18 OCTOBER 2018

2. PRESENTATION
OVERVIEW
• 1. INTRODUCTION AND
CONTEXTUALIZATION
• 2. APPLYING COTTER’S (2018)
INDEPENDENT TRAINER PROSPERITY
AND FUTURE-FIT BLUEPRINT
• 3. TAKING THE TEST: ITProFaB HEALTH
CHECK
• 4. CONCLUSION

3. INTRODUCTION AND
CONTEXTUALIZATION
• Many highly competent and qualified South African trainers are living in
professional and economic poverty.
• Not because they’ve failed as trainers in the training space, but because
they’ve failed to create space in training.
• On a daily basis, my professional peers request my advice, as to what are
the winning strategies to prosper in a cut-throat, ultra-competitive S.A
Learning and Development (L&D) industry and as a result, I’ve
conceptualized the following 8-level Independent Trainer Prosperity and
Future-fit Blueprint (ITProFaB)
• Refer to Cotter’s 8-level Hierarchy of Deeds (2018).
• As the term, “Deeds” suggests, this model is an action-oriented and not a
passive approach to professional prosperity and future-fitness. The 8 P's of
Professional Prosperity are the graduated process steps of differentiation
to keep one step ahead of the independent trainer market competition.
• "If you don't differentiate yourself, you'll be traded as a low-end
commodity."

5. THE 8
PROSPERITY
AND FUTURE-
FIT
STRATEGIES
#1: Independent trainers need to
continually invest in their professional
development;
#2: Independent trainers need to
intensify and enhance their work ethic
(before 8.00 and after 16.00) and build
their industry resilience threshold;
#3: Independent trainers need to
position themselves as specialists, aspire
to next practice and consistently sustain
optimal performance levels;
#4: Independent trainers need to
adopt an abundance mindset and
symbiotically collaborate (instead of
competing) with other trainers;
#5: Independent trainers need to
expand their business network through
mining, investing in and nurturing
mutually beneficial business
relationships;
#6: Independent trainers need to serve
and future-proof the S.A training
industry and actively contribute to the
L&D body of knowledge;
#7: Independent trainers need to
shamelessly showcase the quality of
their work and liberally promote and
market themselves and
#8: Independent trainers need to
assertively build their professional
brand equity

6. STRATEGY #1:
INDEPENDENT TRAINERS
NEED TO CONTINUALLY
INVEST IN THEIR
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
• This strategy relates to level 1: PROFICIENT of Cotter’s
Hierarchy of Deeds and, although, this is a foundational
strategy, it’s provides the lowest level of differentiation.
Prosperous and future-fit trainers relentlessly commit and
subscribe to continuous self-improvement, otherwise the
S.A training industry will regard them on professional par
with their peers.
• "Just like we constantly refresh our social media pages and
update our status, so we will have to rigorously reinvent
and transform our future professional/career status to
sustain upward employment mobility.“
• I subscribe to Gladwell's 10 000-hour rule of deliberate and
dedicated practice to master your training craft. If
independent trainers don't empower themselves and stay
on the cutting-edge of the latest developments and trends
to retain your strategic relevance, then they will be easily
replaced by more career-focused trainers.

7. "A brighter tomorrow will dawn, if you empower yourself through education."
(Charles Cotter, May 2017)

8. STRATEGY #1: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO
CONTINUALLY INVEST IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
• "If you do not stay current, you will become redundant.”
• To stay competitive, independent trainers’ knowledge base, skills-set and
mindset must be next level.
• In my 14 years of experience as an independent trainer, I’ve found
education to be the most prominent accelerator of my professional
development.
• Refer to the slideshow presentation, The 7 Benefits of a Good Education (E-
D-U-C-A-T-E) https://www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter/the-7-benefits-of-a-
good-education-educate

10. STRATEGY #2: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO INTENSIFY AND ENHANCE THEIR
WORK ETHIC (BEFORE 8.00 AND AFTER 16.00) AND BUILD THEIR INDUSTRY
RESILIENCE THRESHOLD
• This strategy relates to level 2: PRODUCER of Cotter’s Hierarchy of Deeds.
• Mastering their training craft and competency is a given in an ultra-competitive training industry.
• Independent trainers need to consistently maintain an exemplary work ethic.
• This stretches way beyond the window of training (contact) time and typically includes pre-training
research; drafting training programme outlines and proposals; learning materials design and
development; preparation; broker new business and post-training communication and reporting;
introspection and reflection; social media promotion and quality assurance measures.
• However, the emphasis should be on quality and quantity. Independent trainers should constantly
strive to exceed the performance expectations of clients; be prepared to go the extra mile and
demonstrate inexhaustible levels of energy.

12. STRATEGY #2: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO INTENSIFY AND ENHANCE THEIR WORK ETHIC
(BEFORE 8.00 AND AFTER 16.00) AND BUILD THEIR INDUSTRY RESILIENCE THRESHOLD
• The S.A training industry is fraught with setbacks, disappointment and change and, therefore,
resilience is one of the core competencies of being an independent trainer.
• However, this was not taught to them at university and/or when they completed Train-the-
Trainer programmes, to start out in this industry.
• Mediated by experience, they need to develop coping mechanisms and their resolve and
expand their resilience reservoir and threshold and tap into their reserves to bounce back in
the face of industry-induced adversity.
• "Experience is an independent trainer’s best tutor.“
• Inexhaustible energy is required - complacency is the enemy. The opposite of competency is
not incompetency, but rather complacency. Independent trainers who are complacent are
committing a professional crime and committing career suicide.

13. STRATEGY #3: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO POSITION THEMSELVES AS SPECIALISTS,
ASPIRE TO NEXT PRACTICE AND CONSISTENTLY SUSTAIN OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE LEVELS
• Trainers need to become traders. The currency of the trading floor is performance excellence.
Performance excellence is not negotiable. This strategy relates to level 3: PERFORMER of Cotter’s
Hierarchy of Deeds.
• The key is that independent trainers maintain consistently stellar levels of performance levels over
prolonged time periods and across all training programmes. The quickest diluter of professional brand
equity is the market perception that an independent trainer is a “flash in the pan” and/or “one trick
pony” and/or only excel with certain training programmes.
• Success breeds more success and builds confidence – both for the trainer and the market. However,
there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, so independent trainers should be cautious in
not over-selling their achievements and/or over-stating their talents.
• Clarity regarding the brand identity is a critical success factor. Independent trainers should not confuse
the industry regarding their specific areas of subject matter expertise by taking on a diversified
portfolio of training work assignments. The S.A L&D industry rewards specialists - not generalists.

15. STRATEGY #3: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO POSITION THEMSELVES AS SPECIALISTS,
ASPIRE TO NEXT PRACTICE AND CONSISTENTLY SUSTAIN OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE LEVELS
• "The on-demand workforce will be driven and dominated by expert taskmasters, not multi-
taskers.”
• Therefore, brand positioning is vitally important and independent trainers are strongly
encouraged to fortify their professional status as a specialist, reinforce their subject matter
expertise and aspire to transcend the performance boundaries of best practice to embrace
next practice.
• There are exceedingly low barriers to market entry to trade as a trainer in the S.A L&D industry.
Therefore, independent trainers must constantly pursue next practice. Alternatively, their work
ethic and qualifications may provide resilience in a volatile and turbulent industry.
• "Stop fixating on best practice and rather concentrate on conceptualizing next practice. This is
the fundamental differentiation between industry followership and leadership.“
(Charles Cotter PhD, 2018)

17. STRATEGY #4: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO ADOPT AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET AND
SYMBIOTICALLY COLLABORATE (INSTEAD OF COMPETING) WITH OTHER TRAINERS
• This strategy relates to level 4: PROMOTER of Cotter’s Hierarchy of Deeds.
• A critical success factor for the prosperity and future-fitness of independent trainers in the S.A
market is to apply the Law of Attraction.
• “Collaboration is King.”
• Independent trainers should create a community of trusted peers and subject matter experts
who they can recommend, refer work to, actively seek out collaboration opportunities and in
the event of double bookings, farm work out to these business partners.
• Instead of competing for a larger slice of the cake, independent trainers are advised and
encouraging to collaborate to increase the size of the cake, so that all trainers can optimize
their portion of the cake.

19. STRATEGY #4: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO ADOPT AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET AND
SYMBIOTICALLY COLLABORATE (INSTEAD OF COMPETING) WITH OTHER TRAINERS
• This spirit of collaboration will build professional momentum, create
synergy, a sense of reciprocity and trainers will be rewarded by
magnetically attracting other training gigs.
• Therefore, independent trainers will be able to capitalize on the
multiplier effect.
• “The business calculator function of prosperous and future-fit trainers
is not addition, but multiplication.”

20. STRATEGY #5: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS NETWORK
THROUGH MINING, INVESTING IN AND NURTURING MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL BUSINESS
RELATIONSHIPS
• This strategy relates to level 5: PROSPECTOR of Cotter’s Hierarchy of
Deeds.
• A critical success factor for the prosperity and future-fitness of
independent trainers in the S.A market is to apply the Law of
Association.
• Independent trainers must actively hunt for value-adding business
connections and associations and nurture, invest in and build these
relationships

23. STRATEGY #5: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS NETWORK
THROUGH MINING, INVESTING IN AND NURTURING MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL BUSINESS
RELATIONSHIPS
• Independent trainers should have an “attitude of gratitude”, in which they stay
humble, grounded and constantly express their appreciation for collaboration
opportunities and business support.
• The S.A L&D industry is a ruthless equalizer, especially for those who are arrogant.
• The value of independent trainer’s business network will not be determined by the
quantity of their direct connections, but rather by their analytical ability to penetrate,
mine and harvest the business relationship potential and exploit mutually-beneficial
collaboration opportunities within the scope of your secondary and tertiary
connections.
• “As an independent trainer, your network equals your net worth.”

24. STRATEGY #6: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO SERVE AND FUTURE-PROOF THE S.A
TRAINING INDUSTRY AND ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE L&D BODY OF KNOWLEDGE
• This strategy relates to level 6: PATRON of Cotter’s Hierarchy of Deeds.
• Refer to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-fit-code-10-strategies-future-
proof-your-career-charles-cotter/
• Independent trainers should apply servant leadership (stewardship) principles
and demonstrate a high degree of engagement (emotional connection) to their
jobs; their clients; the learners and the S.A industry as a whole.
• Independent trainers should be vocal advocates, exemplary role models and
loyal ambassadors of the S.A L&D industry.

25. "Diligently serve the S.A training industry and the S.A training industry will
diligently serve you.“
(Charles Cotter, 26 May 2017)

26. STRATEGY #6: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO SERVE AND FUTURE-PROOF THE S.A
TRAINING INDUSTRY AND ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE L&D BODY OF KNOWLEDGE
• Furthermore, they should actively demonstrate a professional sense of duty and maintain the highest
levels of ethics and integrity.
• Their willingness to mentor and coach professional peers and assist and advise start-up trainers trying
to break into the S.A training industry, should be an extension and testament of their industry
patronage.
• "It's never about who the best trainer is, but rather a more pertinent question is, what is best for the
training industry."
(Charles Cotter, 18 October 2018)
• Independent trainers should be relentless researchers and actively contribute to the L&D body of
knowledge, for example, by sharing learning best practices and slideshow presentation resources on
platforms like Slideshare.
• Refer to https://www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter

28. STRATEGY #6: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO SERVE AND FUTURE-PROOF THE S.A
TRAINING INDUSTRY AND ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE L&D BODY OF KNOWLEDGE
• Being an authority is a function of sharing knowledge and expanding
and extending our learning footprint and -influence.
• Trainers should start harnessing the value of SurveyMonkey as a
learning and research tool, which can be utilized before (diagnostic);
during (benchmarking and gap analysis) and after (research findings
and learning intelligence) training programmes.
• Refer to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reality-check-chief-human-
resources-officers-africa-hrm-cotter-phd/

29. STRATEGY #7: INDEPENDENT
TRAINERS NEED TO
SHAMELESSLY SHOWCASE THE
QUALITY OF THEIR WORK
AND LIBERALLY PROMOTE
AND MARKET THEMSELVES
• This strategy relates to level 7: PLAYER of
Cotter’s Hierarchy of Deeds.
• It’s pointless to be a master trainer if you
haven’t mastered the promotional and
marketing competencies required to prosper in
the S.A training industry.
• As an independent trainer, a heightened sense
of brand awareness is the cornerstone of
building professional brand equity.
• “Visibility, credibility and reputation are the keys
to picking up training gigs.”

30. STRATEGY #7: INDEPENDENT
TRAINERS NEED TO
SHAMELESSLY SHOWCASE THE
QUALITY OF THEIR WORK AND
LIBERALLY PROMOTE AND
MARKET THEMSELVES
• Very lucrative training assignments are awarded
to independent trainers, based solely on their
professional reputation.
• The digital footprint and social media presence
e.g. LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlescotter/ and
Twitter https://twitter.com/Charles_Cotter of
independent trainers are decisional influencers
of training work assignments.
• To be recognized as a respected player in the S.A
market, independent trainers are advised to
adopt a business mindset and acumen, request
performance testimonials (crowd-sourced
performance intelligence) and market their
professional training service in a targeted and
strategic manner.

31. STRATEGY #8: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO ASSERTIVELY BUILD THEIR PROFESSIONAL
BRAND EQUITY
• Prosperous and future-fit trainers aspire to achieve the epitome of Cotter’s Hierarchy of Deeds
and the highest level of differentiation, level 8: PATHFINDER status by constantly building and
enhancing their professional brand equity and pursuing the pinnacle of their profession.
• Pathfinders are trendsetting pioneers, who transcend the conventional and who disrupt and
transform the industry.
• They are innovators, not imitators. They are thought and opinion leaders and not followers.
• They are revered as Cream-of-the-Crop trainers, at the top of their industry, who, accordingly,
are compensated at a premium (top dollar) rate.
• Refer to the illustration of Cotter’s Types of Independent Trainers (2016)

33. STRATEGY #8: INDEPENDENT TRAINERS NEED TO ASSERTIVELY BUILD
THEIR PROFESSIONAL BRAND EQUITY
• Independent trainers should aspire to be Cream of the Crop type of trainer.
• This requires trainers to demonstrate a high degree of competence and a high degree
of commitment (investment) to the S.A training industry.
• For the S.A L&D industry to be regarded as a legitimate, fully-fledged profession and to
flourish, the ratio of Cream-of-the-Crop trainers must significantly exceed the other
three configuration types, namely:
❑Wannabees;
❑Moonlighters and especially,
❑the Fly-by-Nights.

34. TAKING THE
TEST: ITProFaB
HEALTH
CHECK
• So, in light of the above ITProFaB strategies, do you believe that you
are ready to prosper as a Pathfinding Cream of the Crop type of
independent trainer?
• To determine your prosperity and future fitness score you are welcome
to complete the 2-minute, self-scoring survey. Please refer to the
following link:
• https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PV2RTN2

35. CONCLUSION
• Given the high degree of disruption and competitivity and the low barriers to market
entry to trade as a trainer, those independent trainers who adopt a "business as
usual" mindset and fixate on training competencies exclusively, will flounder and
struggle to improve their professional development and actualize their performance
potential, thereby diminishing their prospects of current and future training gigs.
• Conversely, those independent trainers who embrace the x8 ITProFaB differentiation
strategies, will have a sustainable competitive advantage enabling a future-proofing of
their careers and accelerating their employment mobility in the Fourth Industrial
Revolution.
• They are likely to pick up more training gigs, enhance their marketability and prosper as
a Pathfinder Cream-of-the-Crop (level 8) independent trainer in a "business
unusual" S.A L&D landscape.
• Differentiation is a key driver of creating space in a cluttered training market.

36. CONTACT DETAILS
• Dr Charles Cotter
• (+27) 84 562 9446
• charlescot@polka.co.za
• LinkedIn
• Twitter: @Charles_Cotter
• https://www.facebook.com/CharlesACotter/
• http://www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter