Why China is hard on trainers

I do some consultancy in China and like every businessperson in the Western world I'd like to do more. 

An interview in Bloomberg sets out one key reason why I won't hold my breath when it comes to a huge uptick in work in developing markets.  Abbas Hussain is GlaxoSmithKline's president of emerging markets on his teams in China and India: -

Every year, about 20 percent of GSK's sales force quits to take jobs at rival firms, Abbas Hussain says.  And that's about average for the pharma industry in those markets, meaning that most if not all drugmakers share the turnover problem

Even in good times this is a key difference between established and emerging markets.  In Europe, North America and Australia the most common reason given by a salesperson voluntarily leaving is 'Lack of development' whereas in China and India companies are in a straight-out bidding war.

My stuff certainly enhances a team's professional (and personal) development which is why I work mostly in stable pharma markets like Europe.  Unfortunately it's still hard for a Chinese COO to justify flying in a London-based consultant to deliver in Beijing or Shanghai if he knows for a fact that 1 in 5 team-members are on the verge of quitting.