"Memories are made when you are traveling, not when you are chained to your desk."
"I live half the year on Necker, a tiny island in the Caribbean, and it's always full of people in party mode. Everyone comes up to the big house, and we'll be dancing until the early hours.”"
Richard Branson
This program originated from Dr. Bizzi's idea that learning becomes transformational when combined with a unique, memorable travel experience. A group of young sales professionals will stay together for five days, sharing their experiences, challenges, dreams, difficulties, and bonding together, while dining, playing, relaxing, partying, and going out. The best memories are made when traveling together with a group of like-minded and growth-oriented professionals all motivated to live a phenomenal experience, become friends, and help each other grow professionally and personally. The energy, the adrenaline, the intellectual stimulation, the passion, the openness to experience together, the laughter, the sheer joy. Strong emotions make learning indelible.
Working in sales is stressful and demanding. Traditional training is dull and not engaging. You retain very little of what you absorb. You need an experience that fuels your motivation, re-energizes you, and makes you willing to return to work with a rejuvenated desire to excel and perform.
Training sessions will be held in the afternoon in the conference room of the resort where everyone is accommodated. In the morning, you can choose to engage in relaxing activities, sports activities, beach activities, cultural activities, or social activities. Whatever you desire, but with one condition: You must invite other participants to join if they want. The group needs bonding so that meaningful relationships are formed, and participants can better support each other, becoming trusted network connections after the experience is over. At night, the group dines together, and for those who enjoy nightlife, the party will go on as much as desired. Leisure experiences facilitate deep connection so that participants will become comfortable sharing work issues, will help one another, and will reinforce each other's work motivation.
The target size for the group is 20-30 members, and the program is tailored to sales professionals in their early career stages, typically in their 20s and 30s. Participants need to face similar work and career struggles to enable deep sharing. Dr. Bizzi is working on a program for seasoned professionals, which will be launched soon.
Dr. Bizzi led study abroad programs in 18 countries all over the world. At California State University Fullerton, he developed the most successful study abroad program of the university, with record applications from hundreds of students each year. He witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact that abroad experiences have on learning. People come back not just with more learning but with a rejuvenated desire to work and succeed.
At the same time, he trained professionals, managers, executives, and CEOs for 20 years, winning multiple awards. Hence, the idea of combining professional training with study abroad. Formal training gets easily forgotten and does not fuel the desire to constantly improve and grow. Networking in conferences is shallow. But when training and networking are combined with a unique travel experience, they get empowered.
This is professional business training from a university professor. If you are self-employed, a business owner, a freelancer, or an independent contractor on 1099, business training is tax deductible. If you are an employee on W2 you can ask for employer reimbursement for development expenses, as your employer might be entitled to tax-free educational assistance. And sales training should not count as PTO, so you are not wasting your vacation days. Make sure, though, to clearly verify whatever applies to your specific case.
Already the tax benefit could justify the expense. Even if the training costs you a little more than you would pay if you went on a vacation in Punta Cana on your own, how many more deals do you need to close to cover this “little more?" If only all the knowledge acquired from an award-winning professor increases a tiny fraction of your sales, you get a positive ROI. And if the learning gets you zero deals? Networking with peers will. The bonding will be much stronger than anything you can get from a conference. And if the networking also does not bring you deals? Well, you are not wasting money going to a boring conference in a remote town. You are still going to a beautiful island and meeting new friends, while not wasting your PTO days. Travel tours don’t work because people have different interests, expectations, and needs. You don’t network effectively. Here, everyone has similar passions, dreams, hopes, and willingness to have a great time. The experience is bliss! In your best scenario, this can be the best experience of a lifetime, and in your worst scenario, it will never be a waste of your money and time. Still uncertain?
