Some of the success of Cerner’s evolution from a business-to-business, health-care IT corporation to a consumer-focused health company is contingent upon each associate’s ability to humanize Cerner. The company seeks to connect with current and prospective clients, other associates, and partners by sharing its passion—the “why”—with them. Cerner’s challenge is to move from having arm’s length, business relationships to side-by-side partnerships with shared purpose at a personal level.
Cerner’s ability to authentically communicate its passion and purpose as a first and lasting impression makes the difference. With support and direction from Cerner’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Sales Operations, the company began an extensive training initiative to retool the way Cerner associates communicate. Ultimately, a three-day Successful Presentations – Advanced workshop was designed and delivered to targeted groups of associates.
Program Details
The advanced workshop is an instructor-led experience where associates incorporate new techniques to deliver motivating presentations that differentiate Cerner from others in the industry. Participants use stories, analogies, props, and other methods to engage audiences in a new way. The program offers learn-by-doing exercises and evaluation culminating in end-of-day presentations under the real-time pressure of being filmed and receiving peer feedback and expert coach critiquing. Overall, learners apply their skills during 11 in-class presentations under the guidance of certified internal facilitators. The learning and evaluation continues during client-facing presentations over a 60-day, post-course reinforcement period.
Results
Since the program launch in December 2011, 1,050 associates have completed Successful Presentations – Advanced. A powerful metric that captures the impact of this course is a 122 percent year-on-year increase where presentations were noted by clients as a factor in their decision to choose Cerner. This has opened doors for new and expanded partnerships while contributing to organizational goals such as:
- Help Develop and Deliver the Cerner Campaign
- Drive Physician Adoption
- Enable Meaningful Learning and Collaboration
- Accelerate Key Associate Workforce Performance
As an outcome of being able to communicate vision and passion, Cerner has seen an increase in sales advance and win rates. In addition, Successful Presentations – Advanced routinely exceeds course quality targets, averaging 4.8 on a 5.0 scale. As a result, Cerner’s Chief of Staff and Executive Vice President for Sales have actively lobbied to set the expectation that sales demonstrators model the techniques taught in the program as best practice.
