3 Ways to Boost Training Engagement and Buy-In

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It doesn’t matter whether you're rolling out a BD session for your partners, a writing workshop for your juniors, or even offering a thought leadership session to clients, the success of any training hinges on one thing: engagement.

At last month’s Training Roundup, BD expert David Freeman shared practical insights that can help law firm trainers and L&D leaders gain traction with any audience. Here are three ideas that stood out:

1. Be Your Own PR Machine

It doesn’t matter how awesome you think your training is. People will forget unless you remind them. David stressed that L&D professionals and trainers need to be their own internal PR machines. In other words, you need to be regularly and strategically communicating the value you bring—before, during, and after training.

What to try:

  • Create a short, memorable statement about what you do (e.g. “I help lawyers unlock more of their potential as lawyers, leaders, and business developers.”).

  • Share short success stories in team meetings or internal emails—especially when a training leads to a client win, positive feedback, or noticeable behavior change.

  • Don’t assume people remember what you did six months ago. Keep the good work visible with regular reminders.

Client Training Tip: This approach is just as relevant if you're delivering a training to clients. You can position yourself as a trusted resource by highlighting the results you've delivered for similar audiences.

2. Sell with ROI—Not Just Learning Outcomes

You will find it a lot easier to get buy-in for training if you link it to things that matter most to leadership: revenue, recruitment, and retention. David encouraged L&D leaders to position training not as a “nice to have” but as a strategic lever.

What to try:

  • Connect internal training programs to firm goals like cross-selling, lateral recruitment, or lawyer retention.

  • If you’re training clients, highlight how the session supports their strategic priorities—efficiency, risk management, team development, etc.

  • Use phrases like “This training helps achieve X goal” rather than “This session improves soft skills.”

Related Goals Tip: Even if you can’t directly tie your training to billable hours, you can focus it on related goals—like better collaboration, faster delivery, or improved client satisfaction.

3. Make Your Audience the Co-Author

People are more likely to engage with a program they helped shape. That’s why one of David’s most practical tips was to invite key stakeholders to shape your training. Show them a draft of your session plan, and ask them to add, adjust, or build on it.

What to try:

  • Share a working version of your training plan with partners, clients, or team leaders and say: “This is just a starting point—I'd love your input.”

  • Invite your audience to suggest real-life challenges or scenarios they’d like included.

  • Frame it as a collaboration rather than a presentation. When people contribute, they feel ownership.

Another Client Tip: This works beautifully with client trainings too—especially if you’re positioning yourself as a partner in their success, not just a one-time speaker.

Final Thoughts

Obviously, you might find the above tips a bit daunting. But, even if you just implement a few of David’s tactics, you can definitely get a dramatic increase in the engagement with your training programs.