Do any of these sound familiar?
- You work for a small company and need to create customer and/or new-hire training, but don’t have the expertise in-house;
- You have an existing training program, but would like it to be more effective;
- You have no idea if your training is effective; you just deliver it and hope for the best. You’d like to find a way to measure how your training impacts the bottom line: increased customer satisfaction, fewer support calls, faster ramp-up of new hires, etc.
If so, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve been solving problems like these for the past 10 years; I created this site to share what I’ve learned.
How did I get here?
I started out as an independent software developer, creating custom software for a variety of clients. To help establish my credentials and drum up business, I began writing articles for trade publications and speaking at technical conferences; I discovered that I have a knack for explaining complex subjects in a way that people find easy to understand.
In 2005, while doing customer support at a small software company, the head of support needed a technical trainer and asked if I’d be interested. I was, and thus began my adventure as an accidental instructional designer.
Along the way, I’ve learned how to be a more effective trainer, how to create better training in less time, and how to be a problem-solver, not just an order-taker.
When I’m not designing instruction or training tech, you’ll find me cycling around Portland or playing bass with Sons of Malarkey.
Testimonials
Here’s what some past students and clients have had to say:
Phil is an exceptional presenter who knows his subject matter inside and out. He has the rare skill to be able to make complex information interesting even for the less technically skilled people in the room. When you add that to Phil’s sharp wit and fabulous sense of humor, the result is a strong and compelling instructor who is an asset to the team. — C.H., manager
Phil is one of the rarest of breeds - he is a top-notch developer who has excellent business sense and is the kind of person you just want to hang around with. I recommend him highly. — D.J., client
Will definitely recommend [this class] to my colleagues since the training is very practice-oriented, and have to mention the awesome trainer Phil. — R.C., student
Phil is smart, funny, and charming. I’m proud to have him as my son. — Mom
So come on in and take a look around. And if you have some training challenges you think I can help you with, drop me a line.