Get Your Manager to Pay For Your Excel Training (Amazing Email Templates)
Why Request Excel Funding For Yourself?
It has always amazed me how little formal education employees have on the software they rely on every day. The method of teaching yourself as you go, while cheap, is extremely inefficient and can lead to uneccesary failures.
This ideology permeates with arguably the most popular Office program in business, Microsoft Excel. In an increasingly data-driven business environment, it is absolute insanity that companies are not pushing their employees to take Excel courses, especially when the return on investment can be so great.
In most cases, it is unfortunately up to the employee to request formal training to advances his/her skills with Excel spreadsheets. Luckily, most company budgets have money set aside each year to fund training programs and classes. Sadly, most of that money ends up not getting spent.
As an employee aiming to enhance your productivity and bring more value to your team, requesting funding for an Excel course is a smart move. It not only provides a way for you to add critical skills to your personal resume, it also shows initiative. Your newly learned skills will not only reduce your workload, but it also offers you the platform of becoming the resident “Spreadsheet Guru”. A reputation that once earned, will open up a lot more doors for your career (trust me)!
In and effort to help make these sorts of conversations super easy, I have created a few email templates that you can use to draft your own request for training funding. In order to make the most out of these templates, use them as a framework and inject as many specific outcomes you believe will come from you being able to enhance your Excel knowledge.
Example 1: Highlighting the ROI for the Team
Subject: Enhancing Team Efficiency and Data Analysis with Advanced Excel Training
Dear [Manager’s Name],
I hope this message finds you well. As we are continually striving to enhance our team’s efficiency and analytical capabilities, I have identified an opportunity that would be a significant step in that direction: an advanced Excel training course.
Over the past few months, I have realized that an improved understanding of Excel’s advanced features can drastically cut down the time spent on data processing and reporting in our daily tasks. This course, offered by [course provider], covers a comprehensive range of topics including pivot tables, complex formulas, and data visualization, which are essential for optimizing our workflow.
By investing in this course, I anticipate the following benefits:
- Improved Efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks, thus freeing up time to focus on more strategic initiatives.
- Enhanced Accuracy: Reducing the margin of error in data handling through the use of advanced formulas.
- Better Decision Making: Leveraging Excel’s data analysis tools to derive actionable insights from our data.
I believe that the investment of [course cost] in this training would be quickly recuperated through the increase in productivity and the streamlining of our current processes. Furthermore, I am eager to share the knowledge acquired with the team, multiplying the benefits across the board.
I kindly request your support in covering the cost of this course, enabling a ripple effect of positive outcomes for our team.
Thank you for considering this request. I am confident that this small investment will yield substantial returns for our team.
Best regards, [Your Name]
Example 2: Focusing on Personal Development and Future Contributions
Subject: Request for Excel Course Sponsorship – A Strategic Step Towards Skill Enhancement
Dear [Boss’ Name],
I trust you are doing well. As part of my continuous effort to bring added value to our team, I am keen to elevate my proficiency in Excel, a tool that is central to our operational effectiveness. I have found a course offered by [course provider] that perfectly aligns with our objectives and would be a significant asset to my skill set.
Here are some reasons why this course is a strategic investment:
- Professional Growth: This course will help me acquire skills that are vital for my role, fostering growth and excellence.
- Innovative Solutions: Learning advanced Excel functions can enable me to propose innovative solutions to existing challenges, promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
- Knowledge Transfer: Beyond personal development, I am committed to sharing the acquired knowledge with the team, and fostering a collaborative learning environment.
The total cost of this course is [course cost], which I believe is a worthwhile investment considering the long-term benefits for our team. Moreover, this training will equip me with the skills to contribute more effectively to our upcoming projects, such as [mention a relevant project or initiative].
I am eager to discuss this further and explore how this course can be a catalyst for positive change in our team’s performance.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Warm regards, [Your Name]
Example 3: Emphasizing Automation Opportunities and Time-Saving
Subject: Leveraging Excel Automation Features for Optimal Time Management
Dear [Leader’s Name],
I hope this message finds you well. In our continuous pursuit of excellence and efficiency, I have identified an opportunity for substantial time-saving and improved productivity – Excel automation. I am writing to propose enrolling in an advanced Excel course that primarily focuses on automation features, thereby fostering a much needed culture of streamlined operations within our team.
The course, offered by [course provider], delves deep into the aspects of Excel that allow for automation of repetitive tasks, thus potentially saving numerous hours each week. Here are some compelling reasons why this course would be a significant asset to our team:
- Automating Repetitive Tasks: Through the course, I will learn how to create VBA macros and utilize complex functions to automate the repetitive tasks that consume a substantial portion of our daily work hours.
- Error Reduction: Automating processes would not only save time but also drastically reduce the chances of errors that usually occur with manual data entry, ensuring more accurate and reliable results.
- Enhanced Reporting: The course covers techniques to automatically generate reports, saving time and effort each month during our reporting periods while providing richer insights into our data.
- Skill Dissemination: Upon completion, I plan to conduct a series of knowledge-sharing sessions to disseminate these skills amongst the team, ensuring a broader impact and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
The investment required for this course is [course cost], which, given the potential time-saving and improvements in accuracy and efficiency, presents an opportunity for a substantial return on investment.
I am convinced that the knowledge and skills acquired from this course can be a catalyst in reshaping our workflows, thereby allowing the team to focus on more strategic, high-impact tasks. I am eager to explore this opportunity to further contribute to our team’s success and would appreciate your support in this endeavor.
Thank you for considering this request. I am looking forward to potentially leveraging this learning opportunity to significantly enhance our team’s operational efficiency.
Best regards, [Your Name]
I Hope This Microsoft Excel Article Helped!
These emails articulate the potential return on investment, highlight the prospective benefits for the team, and emphasize the sender’s commitment to utilizing the skills acquired for the betterment of the team. Such an approach makes a strong business case for why the Excel course is not just a personal development opportunity, but a strategic investment for the organization.
Let me know if the comments section below if one of these email templates were successful in securing you some funding for your Excel training course!
After 10+ years of creating macros and developing add-ins, I've compiled all the hacks I wish I had known years ago!
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Chris Newman
Chris is a finance professional and Excel MVP recognized by Microsoft since 2016. With his expertise, he founded TheSpreadsheetGuru blog to help fellow Excel users, where he shares his vast creative solutions & expertise. In addition, he has developed over 7 widely-used Excel Add-ins that have been embraced by individuals and companies worldwide.