Pam Lander

Pam specialises in management & sales training skills for frontline team members, team managers and department managers.  Topics include coaching skills, performance improvement (both personally and from a management perspective), how to effectively engage and sell to customers and how to manage a sales team.

She gained her extensive experience working as a sales advisor in financial services, as a training manager for Lincoln Financial Group and as a coach to practice principles for Lighthouse Wealth Management Group. Since 2002, Pam has mostly worked with blue chip companies developing the knowledge, skills, attitude and abilities of sales people and managers.

What has been your most rewarding training experience?

I ran a series of Change Management workshops for all employees of a large organization which was going through some enormous changes and many of the employees were likely to be made redundant. It was very rewarding as it gave the staff some fantastic insights and life skills which needed to be implemented straight away.

Any bizarre or amusing training stories?

I used to do a lot of training for a very successful sales organization whose sales force was about 98% male. They were a very challenging group to say the least and on one training course, one of the delegates arrived with a false ladies chest on under his suit jacket! I was a bit taken aback to start with as wasn’t quite sure how to respond but decided to completely ignore it to see what would happen as the day unfolded. I even made a point of speaking directly to him as if there was nothing amiss. I think he ended up regretting it as it didn’t get the attention it certainly deserved!

What made you want to become a trainer?

I didn’t know I wanted to be a trainer until I was roped into training new recruits into a sales adviser role. My only qualification was that I was deemed to be good at selling so naturally I could train others to be good as well. After the inevitable nerves, I was hooked.

What would you be if not a trainer?

I would love to be a hill walking guide or ski guide but I would need a sense of direction for both roles and that is sadly lacking.

Which four words describe your training style?

Engaging
Challenging
Supportive
Curious

Feedback you’d most like to get from a delegate following your course?

I wish it could have lasted for ever...

Feedback you’d probably get from delegates following one of your courses?

I felt involved and was able to understand how to apply the content to meet my particular needs. The sweets were great as well and I enjoyed winning a prize for being best at Bingo Bango (ball game).

Any words of advice for a delegate about to go on one of your courses?

Take responsibility for your own learning and development and be prepared to think.

What’s the most fun you’ve ever had while on a training course?

I was lucky enough to be part of an outdoor management programme which involved potholing, abseiling, high and low ropes, throwing yourself off very tall objects, climbing up very difficult objects (sometimes with the aid of your buddy’s body) and lots of other similar stuff. It was incredibly challenging, painful, exhausting and such great fun. It’s an experience I will treasure for a very long time: I learnt so much about myself and what’s possible when you really push yourself.

What’s the most important ingredient in order for a course to be successful?

To engage with others and be engaging.