Do you have questions about Gardner Hathaway?

Here's a Q&A with Gardner Hathaway CEO, James Lorenzen

Q:   You founded and built five companies of your own.   Did you have a training culture in your companies?

A:   Absolutely! Listen, the only thing worse than losing a trained employee is keeping an untrained one!  I started with what makes the cash register ring - the salespeople.   They not only need a process; they also need to execute.  That's a skill!  Let's face it; a major league baseball team has batting practice before every game.   Professional golfers take lessons and practice every day!  Sales is no different.  Skills must be developed and honed.  So, we had training every morning, five days a week, 50 weeks a year.

Q:    How important is it to have the right training manuals and guides?

A:   Important, but not critical.   When you were in school you probably had a favorite subject and a favorite teacher - one who maybe molded your life.  But, I'll bet you don't remember the name of the textbook or who wrote it.   The textbook was important, but not critical.   Let's face it; tools are everywhere!  What isn't everywhere is real-life experience dealing with the issues businesses face!  That said, we're pretty proud of the tools and guides we provide.  I think they certainly can be ranked as 'world-class' - at least equaling anything I've ever seen anywhere else.  Nevertheless, materials are important, but meaningful content and process are what counts.

Q:  Do you consider yourself an HR professional?

A:  No, actually, I don't!  HR has become a highly-specialized field with it's own earned certifications and body of knowledge.  Unfortunately, in too many companies, HR professionals are wearing a lot of hats and constantly putting out a lot of fires.  I would say Gardner Hathaway is a management resource for smart executives who believe in fostering a learning culture within their organizations.

Q:  Do you write and publish your own participant guides?

A:   No.  We do with our In-Synch Selling  program; but, we're not in the textbook publishing business any more your local college or university.   We get support materials from other sources – some more than others - based on their quality, the demand in the marketplace, and how well they fit with our philosophy.   Flexibility to customize session content and the overall process to fit our clients' specific needs is important.  I want whatever we do to be firmly planted in the real world, not the latest cult following.  In the final analysis, guides simply provide participants with a place to write.   It's the content and exercises that make the difference, not the glitz.

Q: What has been the key to success for companies using your programs and services?

A:   THEY are the key - the people in the client organization!  The key’s the same regardless of the program or consultant:  It's follow-up.  Companies who take responsibility for their own success ususally achieve it.  Those who leave training in the classroom will fail - no matter what programs or consultants they're using; that's as true today as it was twenty-five years ago.   There isn't - and never has been - any such thing as a 'training event.'     We can provide the roadmap and compass; but it's leadership and the line organization that makes it work.   Everyone should it up front.  Good managers make us look good;  everyone knows it's the in-house commitment that makes the difference. 

Q:  What size companies do you work with?

A:   No single answer, there. I've worked with many major corporations over the years; and yet I've taken our sales training to small entrepreneurial companies across the nation with as few as five  salespeople!   One small business brought me to East Lansing, Michigan to do the program and spend an entire week with his salesforce of only 6 people!   We've also worked for companies that are household names!  It's really a question of value and scale for them.  It's also a question of which program or process we're being asked to conduct.   We have many different programs that make sense for a variety of organizations.

Q:   Is the recession a factor?

A:  Recessions are always a factor.   But, think about it; if a company has just cut $500,000 in expenses to save money, making an investment of just a fraction of the savings into increasing competitiveness makes a lot of sense!  Those who end up with the most at a top are usually the ones who did the right things at the bottom.

You can learn more about Gardner Hathaway here.