How can we tell who is truly interested in investing in quality training?
When a company contacts us to create a course, the first question we all ask ourselves is:
"Are they truly willing to invest in training, or are they just trying to tick a box?"
It’s a legitimate question because anyone working in the world of eLearning knows how different it is to design a training program with vision, engagement, and resources versus responding to a request that’s just “for show.”
And often, you can tell right from the first interactions: by how the company presents itself, what it asks for, and how it reasons.
Understanding who you’re dealing with from the beginning helps you work better, build a solid relationship (when possible), and avoid misunderstandings, stress, and false starts.
Here are some key signs that help us tell the difference between a company that’s genuinely interested in investing in online training and one that’s simply looking for a product to deliver.
1. The Questions Speak for Themselves
A truly motivated company asks smart questions — not just technical, but also strategic ones:
- “What’s the best format to convey this content?”
- “Can we measure the course’s effectiveness?”
- “Can you help us build a full learning journey, not just the content?”
Those who are just doing it “because they have to” usually focus on:
- “How much does it cost?”
- “How long is it?”
- “As long as it works on mobile, it’s fine.”
Spoiler: behind every “it’s just something simple” lies a request that’s almost always more complex than it seems.
2. Budget Isn’t a Taboo
We don’t expect every client to have an exact budget down to the last cent. But those who truly intend to invest will bring up the topic or ask:
- “What can we do within this price range?”
- “Can you give us two different options?”
If the financial aspect is systematically avoided, or if we're asked to deliver “the most with the least,” chances are there’s not (yet) a real commitment.
3. Do They Have a Clear Goal or Just a Vague Idea?
There’s a big difference between saying:
- “We want to train new salespeople before the product launch.”
and - “We need a course on safety. Not sure what exactly, maybe a video?”
When the training need is expressed in terms of goals, audience, and timing, it’s a clear sign the company is ready to build a serious project.
4. Timelines Speak Volumes
Urgency itself isn’t the problem — sometimes an urgent project is well thought-out and purposeful.
But when urgency is paired with vagueness, disorganization, and a lack of listening, it’s a red flag.
Typical phrases from less-engaged clients:
- “We needed it yesterday.”
- “Let’s just get it done quickly, just to have something.”
5. Who Joins the First Meeting?
A motivated company brings in the HR team, internal communications, and training managers right from the start. They want multiple voices involved to give the project substance.
If the contact person is “someone from admin who also handles this,” or worse, “an IT person who just needs to upload the file,” the course is probably seen as a mere formality.
6. Do They Trust Us?
Perhaps the most important sign of all: are they open to being guided?
They don’t have to accept everything, but a company that values our expertise will listen, ask for advice, and challenge us in a constructive way.
Those who just want to cut costs, reject every proposal, and dictate how things should be done (without any instructional expertise)… probably aren’t ready for real training.
When the Signs Are Clear
Imagine a retail company contacts us to create a course for new store managers.
On the first call, the HR manager, the sales director, someone from internal communications and maybe the SME are all present. They haven’t figured out every detail yet, but they talk about the challenges of onboarding, the importance of conveying company values, and the desire to strengthen the customer experience through training.
They’re not just asking for a course. They’re asking for a journey. And they want to know:
- Which formats work best
- How to engage participants
- Whether it’s possible to gather feedback and measure outcomes
They trust us, but they also want to understand. They suggest a reference budget and ask for two proposals: one basic, one more comprehensive.
In short, it’s clear from the start: they don’t want to “have a course” — they want to do real training.
In Summary
Not all requests are created equal.
Anyone working in eLearning knows: the quality of a project also depends on the quality of the listening, the trust, and the budget the client is willing to invest.
That’s why learning to spot the signals from the very beginning isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.
