Frequently Asked Questions

What is the mission of The Center for Online Learning?

The Center for Online Learning (coLearn) is the Web-based training platform developed by The Center for Sales Strategy (CSS) to extend CSS’ time-tested, street-proven sales training to media organizations of all types and all sizes worldwide. CoLearn deploys state-of-the-art online learning technology and instructional design modalities to train salespeople to deliver high-value solutions that earn preferred-vendor status even in today’s brutally competitive marketplace. Our approach to online learning fully integrates online instruction with real-world application, making it the world’s most effective media sales training.

Why is Web-based sales training a benefit for anyone?

Web-based training or online learning is often a great benefit to both employer and employee. Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Anyone, anytime, anywhere! Online learning is thus totally flexible as to location—office, home wherever—and time of day—business hours, evenings, weekends.

2. Online learning is self-paced, allowing the learner to move quickly through material that comes easily… and then linger a little longer over material that is more challenging. It’s easy to jump back to review earlier material, as well as to consult resources (such as a glossary) along the way. This kind of control over the pace of learning is impossible in the classroom, and is greatly appreciated by nearly every learner.

3. Online learning documents the student’s progress and achievement, by databasing pages viewed, time spent online, scores on quizzes and exams, project work, etc.

4. Online learning is immediately available. New hires are not subjected to lengthy and costly delays before the next scheduled workshop experience. And managers don’t have to drop everything to spend a week just getting each new hire up to speed on the basics.

5. When learning happens online, the entire training investment goes toward the learning itself. Not a penny goes for airfare, hotels, meals, meeting rooms, and all the other expenses normally associated with quality training experiences, expenses that quickly eat up a manager's training budget.

What training is available from coLearn?

CoLearn's principal course offering is 3R Selling, the latest iteration of the world-famous Customer Focused Selling program in use worldwide since 1984. 3R refers to the theme and the values that underpin this entire way of doing business: Results, Renewals, and Referrals.

Media operators who expect their people to pitch packages all day long, and who think it’s normal to have a voracious need for new business every month because the previous month’s new clients didn’t return, would probably not be interested in 3R Selling.

3R Selling is a permanent business development system that succeeds by elevating fundamental sales skills and by delivering superior results and ROI for clients. Companies that use 3R Selling thus avoid the destructive limbo-dance of commodity pricing.

The 3R Selling program is self-paced and takes one to three months to complete, months during which the seller is learning 50% of the time and selling 90% of the time (yes, we know it doesn’t add up—that’s the genius of the 3R Selling program).

CoLearn also offers two short-form programs that are fully congruent with and supportive of 3R Selling:

Win-Win Negotiation —provides a strategy salespeople can use to succeed in a negotiation by helping their prospect to succeed. Self-paced. Two to four hours.

PeopleSmarts —develops a keen understanding of the four basic behavioral styles we encounter every day. Online self-assessment and observer assessments, with e-Book.

What do salespeople learn in 3R Selling?

The 3R Selling program consists of three “courses,” and salespeople graduate from the program when they have successfully completed all three courses. The courses are a combination of independent online learning, a series of real-time/real-client projects with feedback from coLearn’s Online Trainer, and an online exam. Here are the courses, and the sections and projects within each:

Course 1—The End Depends on the Beginning

Unit 1: Getting Results, Renewals, and Referrals

Unit 2: Dealing with Price Competition

Unit 3: What You Need to Know About Marketing

Unit 4: Hourglass-Method Client Needs Analysis

Unit 5: Luck—When Preparation Meets Opportunity

Unit 6: Getting the Appointment

Unit 7: Stop Spinning Your Wheels on Lousy Prospects

Online Exam

Course 2—Taking It to the Street

Project 1: Find Your Best Prospects

Project 2: Prepare Your Approach

Project 3: Secure the Appointment

Project 4: Prepare Topics and Questions

Project 5: Conduct the Hourglass-Method CNA

Course 3—Winning the Business

Unit 1: Be Interactive—Weave Buying and Selling Together

Unit 2: Hot Ideas and Where They Come From

Project 1: Prepare BrainStormers’ Briefing

Project 2: Submit BrainStorming Results

Project 3: Partner with Prospect to Select the Top Idea

Unit 3: Building the Marketing Solution

Project 4: Complete the Campaign Planning Form

Unit 4: The No-Surprise Proposal

Project 5: Submit the No-Surprise Proposal

Unit 5: 3R Selling as a Way of Life

What makes coLearn’s 3R Selling different from other sales training?

Five design characteristics distinguish 3R Selling from other media sales training:

1. No other media sales training is derived from the world-famous Customer Focused Selling program first developed in 1984 by The Center for Sales Strategy and re-developed, enhanced, and fine-tuned every year since.

2. 3R Selling offers a stimulating and contemporary training environment:

Visually appealing graphics that contribute to learning.

Fully self-paced, with frequent interactivity and active participation.

The best examples in the world—the seller’s own clients. Real-time, real-world business development is built-in.

An Online Trainer is assigned to each salesperson in the program, evaluating course projects and providing feedback and suggestions.

Downloadable reference materials and forms that encourage transfer of skills and systems to the workplace.

3. It’s the perfect balance of theory and practice. Salespeople in the 3R Selling program learn, apply, learn, apply, learn, apply! Constant application to actual business prospects helps make the learning lasting—and often results in the salesperson scoring a very solid order from the prospect he/she chose to use as the course project.

4. CoLearn’s robust instructional design model keeps sales manager is fully involved and informed—in only minutes a day. Managers don't have to wonder if the salesperson is "getting it." They:

participate at critical junctures, helping to guide and mentor;

have their own online interface where they can track each seller’s progress through the program;

observe and review the salesperson’s work on all course projects;

receive periodic emails notifying them of each seller’s progress and suggesting how they can help guide and mentor the salesperson, use the coLearn Coaching Moments; an

have direct access, as desired, to the assigned Online Trainer.

5. Comprehensive, world-class, media sales training has never been so affordable. The open rate is under $1,000 and volume users enjoy substantial discounts. Contact coLearn for pricing information.

What media companies are using coLearn’s 3R Selling?

CoLearn clients worldwide include benchmark media companies (radio, television, cable, newspaper, Internet) such as Cox, Media General, Comcast, Bonneville, Hearst-Argyle, Emmis, Radio One, Journal, Dispatch, Federated, Greater Media, Corus (Canada), Hubbard, South Central, Austereo (Australia), PressComm, Pappas Telecasting, OnMedia, LIN, Univision, Charter, and a variety of independent operators.

Who are coLearn's execs?

CoLearn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSS, The Center for Sales Strategy, headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The CSS Leadership Team also leads coLearn:

Steve Marx, CEO

Jim Hopes , President

John Henley , Executive VP

Who should I contact to learn more?

Please address inquires to Jim Hopes at 813 254 2222 or email.