Who doesn’t love a new week? Full of possibilities. Full of promise and full of ambitious plans. For me, I start at 8:00 a.m. It is always the time to begin to make plans and decide where you want to go. That means deciding which projects I’m going to work on? How to spend the entire week. What training courses will I choose to look at? I like to do a little training each week.
As a Slimming World consultant, my friend is always on some kind of training. In fact, I would go as far as saying the training is relentless. this is the training she had to go through just to become a consultant.
This training starts before you even become a fully fledge SlimmingWorld consultant. You start with what they call pre-training before you go to the sparkly Castle located in Alferton in Derby. This pre-training consists of about 3 hours with a team developer. Her three-hour training lasted four and a half hours at the end of a hectic day. And to this day, she can’t really tell you what it is she learnt. There was so much going on. And in some respects, you got bamboozled with science. They go over your earnings and what you could earn in each group. Obviously, they give you the best-case scenario. The reality is very different, but you only find that out once you run your group.
Slimming World Training as a Franchise
In my friends own word
“After you have ‘signed’ the franchise agreement and paid your money (it doesn’t matter how much you pay for a franchise, as the prices can vary depending on your area and the needs of SlimmingWorld), you still get the same training.
Franchise training takes 8 days. The split is 3, 3 and 2 days. You have to attend each set of training days. All the training she had to participate in was conducted at the ‘Sparkly Castle’. This is just a big office building in Alferton in Derby. From the photos the atrium and the dining area look beautiful. The toilets are also something to behold. But the training is full on. She start at 9:00 – 9:30 in the morning on the first day, and didn’t finish until 5:30. The first few hours of your training are just going over the philosophy of SlimmingWorld.
This is similar to what you did with your team developer in your pre-training meeting. Someone got hold of a management tool on training philosophy, created some rules, and just kept repeating them. I am sure you know the rules I am talking about. This is a safe place to learn. SlimmingWorld is here to support you. We are your best friends. You are so special to be selected to become a SlimmingWorld Consultant, you know the kind of stuff.
This philosophy is repeated in different forms until 11:30 a.m. or the first break. Then you start to hear more about Slimming World and how it began. How to run a group, and all the other things you need to start your franchise. It’s important to realise that it is a franchise you’re buying. Your own business.
Throughout the day there are planned breaks. Unfortunately, when you return, you have a small recap of what you just learned. After lunchtime, you have another recap. You leave the Sparkly Castle at 5:30.
The second day starts, and you are full of vigour, anticipating the new stuff you will learn. You are in the training room at 09.00 a.m., ready to start this exciting day. Then, you have a quick recap of the philosophy of SlimmingWorld and the rules of the training environment, you know, the ones discussed on day one. That takes you to 11:30 a.m. Now, you may be thinking that I’ve just repeated this paragraph. Because that’s what I said happened on day one. You’re absolutely correct. We repeated the same stuff. It was infuriating. On day 2, you leave at about 5:30 p.m.
You guessed it, we start with a recap of the philosophy of SlimmingWorld. This is where it starts to feel a little bit like a cult. The training recaps, the philosophy and the be nice to each other. This is a safe place to learn.
From my point of view, it is not a safe place to learn at all. They may have read ‘How to Run a Safe Training Course’ book and listened to a few podcasts, but they have no idea how to implement it. I know several new consultants who asked questions, made a few comments to the trainers and were shot down in uncertain terms. Additionally, they received phone calls from their Team Developers at the next break about what was happening.
Sadly, these training courses are not a safe place to learn; you cannot be honest with the trainers and ask questions. THEY DON’T LIKE IT. These training courses should be where you can ask silly questions. You can make mistakes and get issues explained. Sadly, all the trainers did was shut the students up, refer them to the manuals, or ask them to ask their Team Developers. They had a set script they wanted to complete, and that was what they would do.
The sad thing is their attitude to training was so closed-minded. It was a shame because they had such a great opportunity with their new consultants to get a great team of people. The training is very much 1980s dictatorial.
After you’ve done your first three days, you go and collect your KIT. Exciting times. Two computers and a set of scales. Then, you go and open your first group/session. (I know we have not discussed marketing yet, but we will do). A few weeks later, you return for another three days of training.
On day four of your training, you have a recap of SlimmingWorld’s philosophy. I know you’ve already had it on days one, two, and three, and here we are again. Repeated. Now, there are other topics that you will cover, but we can’t forget the recaps. You go through more training. More recaps.
Yes, more recaps at the Sparkly Castle to finish your training and then you graduate. Graduation then sees everybody taking lots of photographs at the sparkly Castle with cap and gown stating that you are now a fully fledge SlimmingWorld consultant, even though you have been running your group for about four months.
You may think I am flippant about the training and recaps, but it was infuriating. There were some valid questions on Days 1-3 and 4-6, not so many, but you could see people wanted to ask questions, and on Days 7-8, no one really asked what they wanted to know. They asked questions, but not as many as they wished to, as they knew they wouldn’t get the answers.
In addition to this training, you must complete 8 online Diplomas. This is more relevant to your consultant role and very useful. You also have to get in the high 90% to pass. These diplomas were first-class and covered nutrition, business, marketing, and health. This is the stuff that should have been taught at Head Office.
There is more training coming your way. For the first six weeks of becoming a consultant, you have a call with the head office staff to answer any additional questions. Excellent service and very knowledgeable people. I 100% approve.
After those six weeks, your Team Developer will call you, and then you have a 30-minute chat/coaching session with them. These calls will continue until you leave SlimmingWorld. Excellent consultant support. I 100% approve.
Every other month, you have a regional meeting where you discuss new promotions, issues you have, or getting help and support from fellow consultants. I 100% approve. You also get to meet some new consultants, which is quite lovely”.
Back to Me
Slimming World Training is really good
Slimming World training does appear to be thorough. They look after their consultants, and they want to train them well. Slimming World concentrate on topics that should be covered in Team Meetings and not on these training days. Then repeat everything. A lot of the stuff that most new consultants find out, they find out by default and not through the training, which is a shame.
This Is My Supposition
SlimmingWorld has lost a great opportunity when people are at the Sparkley Castle. A prime example is the new member talk. They don’t really discuss. There is a fantastic opportunity to address many of the questions people on social media have. Why food is not demonised, how we use portion control and give people the power over their eating. It’s just not discussed. It would be fantastic if this was the philosophy SlimmingWorld taught during the Franchise training. Stop with the nicey nicey. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Because the plan is good. The consultants are passionate about their groups. Head Office, you need to give them the tools.
Above and beyond with Slimming World Training
It sound like Slimming World training was dire, and in some respects, it sounds like it. However, in other respects, they do go above and beyond. The support that everyone gets is outstanding. It’s a credit to SlimmingWorld. It’s instant, it’s there. All my friend has to do to speak to the team at Head Office is pick up the phone and they are always happy to talk. Somebody will support her. Helping her. They’ve tried really, really hard to look after their consultants. However, some of the training falls short of what is required.
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