Recruiter News Line

Coldfire offers customizable training modules that cover everything from design and productivity software to writing skills.

“Our new programs are specifically designed to meet the needs of companies that are struggling to do business effectively, despite smaller budgets and shrinking workforces,”

says Catherine Stone, principal of Coldfire, a training, design, communications and corporate optimization consulting firm.  “These new skills will also increase the value of employees who are concerned about keeping their jobs in difficult times.”

“Our talented and personable trainers make themselves available when our clients are ready—at their location and their convenience,” adds Don Heymann, a writer, consultant and teacher who is Coldfire’s director of communications. “We also offer a unique follow-up mentoring program to help participants get through frustrating or particularly challenging projects.”

Increasing Productivity
In addition to acquiring practical new skills, many employees may be unaware that they are wasting time and energy by doing their jobs inefficiently or even incorrectly, notes Stone.  In today’s economy, companies and employees should be looking for ways to improve productivity and efficiency in every task they do.

Principal Coldfire training modules include:

•   Complete Software Training – with a focus on the most widely used design and productivity software titles: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, Outlook Express, Adobe Photoshop and Quark Xpress, among many others. Whether companies need to produce captivating presentations, coerce a computer to print out 500 separate addresses on 500 separate envelopes, or draft a persuasive proposal or sales pitch, there are skills and techniques to help employees get the job done fast and effectively.

•   Effective Communications –  basic and advanced training to help employees at all levels write more quickly and effectively – from emails and letters to reports and RFPs to presentations and speeches to marketing communications. Communicating properly is one of the biggest hurdles employees must overcome to do their jobs well, but it doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming, says Heymann.

•   Efficient webinars – a way to connect with key stakeholders without the high costs and wasted time of travel. Coldfire will help companies develop the in-house tools needed to produce and conduct webinars for both internal and external audiences.  From production and transmission to content development, Coldfire can help develop webinar capabilities used for training or communicating sales, marketing and other timely information.

Coldfire’s Approach
All Coldfire courses are completely customizable, with a focus on the specific skills each client needs.  After a thorough consultation, Coldfire will bundle needed courses to create the most efficient learning experience possible.

“We don’t do generic courses that sound good but are irrelevant to your needs,” says Stone.  “We bundle our courses so you can learn exactly the skills you need in the most efficient way possible.

“We also understand the value of a live teacher who, unlike videos or online courses, will actually answer your questions and help you solve problems in real time,” she adds. There is much greater satisfaction when employees really understand what they’re doing and learn the skills they need to know.”