“Our business is really quite specific.” “Things work differently here.” “A trainer really needs to know our industry, otherwise it’s pointless.” We hear it every time a new client calls. And rightly so. Your challenges are unique. So picking a training programme off the menu – package A, B or C – doesn’t work. But how do you recognise a genuinely à la carte journey?
What the FAAQ (Frequently Asked Atlas Questions)?
What does a training programme cost? How do you make sure a training programme sticks? Why does one approach work and another doesn’t? In the FAAQ series, we tackle these kinds of real questions. Honest, direct and without the corporate waffle.
Got a burning question of your own? Shoot!
How to recognise a genuinely bespoke training journey
Sad but true: many so-called ‘bespoke training programmes’ turn out to be standard programmes after all. Swap the logo, add two different case studies, throw in a short round of introductions in the first session, and hey presto – a ‘tailored’ offer. So, no. Genuine bespoke work is more than a bit of cut and paste. Here’s what a truly tailored learning journey looks like:
✅ The intake takes longer than the proposal
Anyone delivering genuine bespoke work invests time in understanding you. Not: “send us some info”, but: “can we schedule a few conversations?”
At Atlas, we immerse ourselves fully in your organisation. Whether you’re after a journey on sales, leadership or efficiency, we start by listening thoroughly. To our clients, and ideally to a number of participants too. As growth architects, we first want to take the pulse of your growth culture and mindset:
- What defines your growth culture: where does your organisation stand now, and where do you want to go?
- What mindset exists among your people? What motivates them, what holds them back?
- What’s your concrete challenge? What do you want our journey to solve?
- Who are the participants, and what really needs to change in their behaviour?
Once that’s clear, we put together a journey – not a stand-alone day! – that’s tailored to it. So: getting a proposal straight away, with no conversation at all? Red flag!
➡︎ PS. Bespoke also means: no fixed prices. So how much does training actually cost?
✅ The sessions are interactive AND about you Does the trainer immediately pull ready-made tips, generic examples or hypothetical role-plays out of a hat? Another red flag! A bespoke training journey revolves around your clients, your stories and your challenges. That’s the only way to grab participants’ attention and make sure they apply what they’ve learned straight away, in their very next meeting or client visit.
✅ The trainer dares to adapt along the way (or even improvise) Bespoke also means daring to deviate from the script. If a training programme is scheduled down to the minute, it’s unlikely to truly respond to your situation. A good trainer picks up on what’s going on in the room, shifts emphasis, adds a topic or drops an exercise that no longer feels relevant. Let’s be honest, the best conversations often start when someone says, “That’s exactly what happens with us,” and the group dives deep into the situation. Atlas trainers, for that matter, have little trouble with this kind of improvisation. Contrarian thinking, straying a little off the beaten path, or knocking over a few sacred cows: that’s who we are. A session that goes completely differently from planned, and still does its job? Wonderful!
✅ There’s homework (yes, really) A truly bespoke journey comes with homework. Before the sessions, the trainer asks for some of your time to sharpen the context. After the sessions, participants get homework: small experiments, conversations, observation tasks… Tasks that push them outside their comfort zone, without sending them off the rails. Repetition and application aren’t a punishment — they’re the only way to make new behaviour stick, and to actually grow.
➡︎ Don’t call it training, call it a growth journey. Dive into our vision and discover how we build bespoke growth plans.
✅ The real work starts after the session We don’t believe in quick fixes. If a training programme stops at “thanks for a great day”, very little sticks. Real impact needs more than one session, and deliberate follow-up. So a bespoke journey always includes a piece of aftercare: feedback rounds, check-ins, evaluations or brief follow-up moments. Not to tick boxes, but to see: what’s stuck, what’s actually being applied, where’s it still getting stuck? That way, training doesn’t become a cost, but an investment that pays off in behaviour and results.
➡︎ How does Atlas make sure an investment in training actually pays off? You can read it in our FAAQ on impact.
Does a trainer need to know your industry inside out?
Honestly? No, not necessarily. Of course, experience in your industry helps, but it’s more important that the trainer:
- is curious and asks sharp questions
- scan adapt quickly based on what they hear and see
- focuses on behavioural change, not theory
The Atlas team doesn’t know every industry inside out, and we don’t pretend to. But we can get up to speed on any situation lightning-fast. We often get feedback like: “It’s like you’ve already worked in our industry” or “You could just join our team.” Last but not least, we’re also open and transparent. If we feel we can’t make a difference, we’ll say so. If it’s not a good fit, no hard feelings.
Looking for training that really fits you? Not copy-paste, but bespoke work with real impact? Get in touch.
