Undertakings must align with strategic initiatives. Scarce resources call for shrewd horse-trading. Tying training results to business results is more useful than coming up with pseudo-ROI figures. Mental images trump numbers. Those benefits will only emerge if vendors increase their focus on high-quality instructional design and engaging learning environments.
Feelings win out because the assumptions used to create the numbers can always be challenged.
Projects that evoke the best feelings make the cut. And make no mistake about it, upselling is what you need to do. The business unit manager perspective Business unit managers own the problems that training solves. They're generally pragmatic, and their overriding interest is getting a job done. Until you know what they're trying to accomplish, you can't talk with them about potential results.