How to Buy Customizable Training Materials: 10 Buyer-Ready Tips for HR & Trainers

Before you buy customizable training materials, consider what’s really included. The most suitable materials will give you editable documents and PowerPoint slides that you can edit and customize as you wish. You should also expect trainer notes with all slides, training activities, certificates, and the chance to reuse the materials for training future groups. The materials should ideally also be instantly downloadable so that you can instantly start using them.

There are many advantages to buying ready-to-deliver training materials, also known as ready-to-use customizable packs, that you can download immediately.

Consider, for example, the fact that all the hard work of researching the topic, putting together a lesson plan, and designing the materials have already been done for you. So, you can focus on delivering the training.

When you buy customizable training materials, there a number of things I recommend you check if you are seeking to offer quality training.

So in this post, I have brought together a list of 10 criteria that you should consider when buying off-the-shelf customizable training packages.

1. Which File Formats Should Be Editable?

I would suggest buying course packs that include MS Word and PowerPoint files so you can update and customize slides, handouts, and activities easily.

Our PowerPoint training kits are designed to be fully editable, letting you rebrand and adapt the visuals quickly for any audience.

Avoid PDF-only sets if you need editable materials.

Most people these days tend to use Microsoft Office, so this can be a good option.

See our Customizable Training Materials Guide for details on how each pack we sell can be tailored to your needs.

If you do not have MS Office, there are other programs available that can open and edit MS Word and PowerPoint files, such as Open Office and Google Drive.

2. What Trainer’s Notes Should Be Included?

Look for detailed facilitator guides with the aims and objectives, and facilitator scripts included. These ensure your delivery stays structured and professional.

Good trainer’s notes should also include directions on how to run the activities, and information on what materials you need for the training.

Of course, the trainer’s notes also need to be customizable, in case you want to change or edit anything. The trainer’s notes we make for our training packages are all in MS Word and editable.

3. What Structure Should the Training Materials Take?

Good training materials include a clear structure with aims and objectives that align with your course goals.

The sales page where you buy the course from should have a description of the course, including aims and learning objectives.

Some websites, such as ours, also include slides with samples from the materials, so you can have an idea of the design before you buy.

Check, for example, our page for the ‘Starting Your Own Business‘ training package.

So, before you buy customizable training materials, it is worth checking the information about the course to make sure that the content matches your needs and expectations.

Of course, since the material is completely editable, you can always adjust the content and the design to your needs.

Each set of materials includes corporate training content that’s easy to tailor for different sectors or workplace contexts.

So, it is not a big deal if the content needs changing and adjusting. It is just a matter of how much you are prepared to change the content.

Look for detailed facilitator notes, objectives, and materials lists.

4. What Training Games and Activities Should Be Included?

Before buying customizable training materials, make sure that they contain activities to engage participants by checking the information on the product pages.

According to the principles for adult learning, adults learn better if they are actively involved in their own learning. Therefore, using relevant games, activities, and exercises during training sessions is vital.

Of course, you can always add or remove activities as you see necessary.

It is good, though, for you, as a trainer, to have some activities already included in the training plan.

This way, you do not have to spend time and effort figuring out which activities to do.

All our customizable off-the-shelf training packages include training games and activities, which are specifically chosen for each topic.

This way, every activity is relevant to the topic being taught and geared towards achieving the learning objectives of the course.

Ready-made materials save hours of prep time and include pre-designed activities and handouts. Learn more on our Ready-Made Training Materials page.

As the Association for Talent Development (ATD) explains, pre-designed editable training materials help facilitators to deliver training sessions much faster while maintaining professional standards of quality to ensure learner engagement.

5. Should You Get Handouts and Workbooks Together?

Yes — having both ensures consistent messaging between trainer and participant materials.

Handouts are a good way to actively involve learners, particularly if they are handouts that require your learners to carry out a task. Also, learners will feel that they have got something tangible out of the session if you give them handouts.

Handouts used for a training session need to be designed clearly and professionally, so you do not have to design them yourself (even though you can, of course, adjust them and edit them if you wish to do so).

We include handouts with our training packages, which are also customizable. Our handouts match the course aims and objectives and are professionally designed.

Participants’ manuals are, just like handouts, something tangible that your participants can take away with them.

With PowerPoint, it is possible to create printouts for participants with spaces for notes.

A participant’s workbook offers extra information printed on the pages, such as explanations and main points. It can also include the handouts as part of a nice and tidy booklet.

Our participants’ workbooks include some brief explanations about the content of the course, space for notes, handouts, and a list of further resources (i.e., books and websites that participants might find useful to check after the training session).

Once you’ve chosen your pack, you can buy and download it instantly. Our How It Works guide explains each step of the purchase and download process.

6. What Extra Items Are Included with the Training Materials Package?

In addition to slides and handouts, you will ideally want printable certificates, feedback forms, and attendance sheets, to save having to design them yourself.

With professionally designed materials, all these items are often included, and you will simply need to add your logo or make small edits to suit your workshops.

Look for training packs that offer certificates of completion, sign-in sheets, and feedback forms you can print and use immediately.

Receiving a certificate at the end of a session can give your participants a sense of achievement, and it can be a tangible reminder of the course they attended.

We provide certificates, sign-in sheets, and feedback forms with our training packages for trainers, so you do not have to worry about designing them yourself.

For a detailed breakdown of every item that comes with each course, visit our What’s Included page.

7. What License Terms Should You Check?

Typically, you can expect to be allowed to use the materials for lifetime use, which means that you can deliver training using the same course materials to as many of your own participants as you wish to, without any time limits or renewal fees.

What you usually can’t do is resell or share the files with other trainers or organizations

Most training materials sellers sell you materials with the license agreement being that the materials are for your own personal or company use only.

This ensures the content remains exclusive to your sessions and protects the creator’s intellectual property.

Before purchasing, check that your license allows lifetime use and unlimited delivery.

You can normally find the agreement on the Terms and Conditions page, and like us, many sellers link to this on their bottom website menu.

8. Can you get discounts for buying training materials in bulk?

Yes. We offer 10% off when you buy 5 or more courses and 15% off when you buy 10 or more in a single purchase.

Many titles also go naturally together, meaning that you can build longer or more extensive programs for a company if you wish to. For example, you might combine:

• Emotional Intelligence, Communication Skills, and Conflict Management for leadership training.
• Time Management, Stress Management, and Resilience for personal effectiveness and wellbeing.
• Diversity and Inclusion, Allyship in the Workplace, and Unconscious Bias for DEI-focused training.
• Coaching Skills for Managers, Delegation Skills, and Decision-Making for management development pathways.

These related courses can be taught individually or as part of a bigger program.

9. Can You Adapt Materials for Different Clients?

Yes, and that’s one of the biggest advantages of buying editable course materials. Because the files are provided in editable formats such as Word and PowerPoint, you can easily update the content to suit different audiences and companies.

For example, you might be providing training for a set of customer service personnel, so you add in case studies that they can relate to.

Furthermore, you can add your own branding and logo to the slides to promote your own business.

This flexibility means that you can use well-designed materials to provide high-quality workshops, with your own branding, and save tons of time in preparation.

To see how editable materials work in practice, visit our Customizable Training Materials Guide to get a better idea of how to modify slides, handouts, and trainer notes for your specific clients.

10. How Quickly Can You Access Purchased Materials?

I would suggest choosing a supplier that offers instant download training packs so you can access your materials immediately after checkout rather than waiting for shipping.

When you buy a customizable training package, you do not want to wait for ages before being able to download it.

This is why it is important that the training designer’s site has a system in place to allow you to download the files from the training package immediately.

On our site, you can do so. It is very easy. You just need to click on the ‘buy now’ button, follow the instructions for the payment, and then you will receive an email with a link to download the product.

So if you are planning to run a decision-making workshop and need decision-making training materials as soon as possible (i.e., immediately), then do not worry, as you can download them today!

✨ You can find more information on buying training materials here.

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