In our fast-paced, modern world, the demand for efficiency and personalized everything has never been higher. We expect information to be at our fingertips so that we can use that information to further our personal agendas.
We can’t ignore how this is impacting organizational training and coaching. Employees crave personalized training and coaching, so long as it’s efficient and specific to their responsibilities and needs. Keeping managers and reps engaged is the name of the game when it comes to learning, and for this reason we have diversified our modern training delivery methods.
What are examples of learning activities that Lessonly by Seismic supports with modern training methods? Good question.
First things first
First, let’s first dive into team training. Think of this as training that needs to be consumed team-wide, but certainly requires customization to your organization (Think onboarding, changes to pricing/packaging, demo certifications, etc.). Lessonly by Seismic gives managers the ability to create bite-sized learning material into lessons, and compile those lessons into learning paths for learners to consume on their own time. This training delivery method allows for scalability with learning across your team while also ensuring each learner will have the same, consistent experience.
Let’s look at traditional vs. modern methods of training delivery in this example: Your pricing changes require training on the new model and how it impacts current and future clients.
- Traditional: Ask your employees to attend an hour-long session where the changes are communicated. The content delivery methods usually consist of one presenter, a slide deck that supplements the presentation, Q&A, and a follow-up resource. The result? Disengaged employees and a process that is not repeatable every time you hire a new employee.
- Modern: Build a learning path inclusive of the changes that are being made, how it will impact each role, and retention methods (more to come on this) to be sure each learner digested the content properly. The result = satisfied learners because they can do it on their own time and at their own pace, reporting metrics on each learner’s engagement and retention, and a repeatable process because this path can be sent out to each new employee that joins your team.
Second things second
Next, let’s uncover employee retention. Two of the biggest issues with traditional learning delivery models are information comprehension and retention. Just because a learner listened to a presentation or shadowed a colleague, does not mean they retained all of the necessary information. More-so, each employee has a different set of skills and knowledge background, so retention will alway vary.
Lessonly by Seimsic features Practice, one of our key learning delivery methods, baked into our platform to identify retention levels and knowledge gaps. Practice allows managers to create scenario-based assessments for learners with a specific rubric to follow. From the assessment, learners are asked to demonstrate their knowledge. They can do this by practicing a pitch, recording a practice demo, crafting a mock email conversation, and more.
Let’s look at traditional vs. modern methods of training delivery with this example: Pricing changes, continued.
- Traditional: After the hour-long session, a deliverable is sent to each rep. Maybe something like a Google form is used to create a simple multiple choice quiz. The result? Scattered reporting and lack of confidence learners retained this crucial change. Managers will be asked to sit in on calls and review during 1:1 coaching, but this is reactive. Blended learning delivery methods can work, but this is simply not the best way to go about it.
- Modern: Within the learning path, include scenario-based practice. Provide a real-life example your reps will face, and see how they handle it based on the knowledge they retained earlier in the path. Once submitted, managers will grade their teams and identify areas for improvement so they can be proactive with personalized coaching. The result? More confident reps, tighter feedback loops, and optimized manager focus when it comes to personalized coaching. Virtual training delivery methods really do make a difference.
Last, but not least
Lastly, let’s explore personal development. Reps are eager to develop, but a common problem we hear is that managers don’t know where to start. Training is typically all done via shadowing and Zoom meetings. And Slack is a black hole of information. And they have 500 Google docs to reference back to. You get the idea.
Lessonly by Seismic centralizes all of this and allows for quick reference back to material through intuitive search. We’ve also developed more online training delivery methods, like our Chrome extension and On-Demand Practice. Our Chrome extension will surface relevant content based on activity outside of the tool, and On-Demand Practice allows learners to develop in certain skills on their own time. Quick search to reference back, recommended content based on needs, and avenues to personally develop—all under one roof.
Let’s look at traditional vs. modern methods of training delivery in our same example: Pricing changes.
- Traditional: A prospect asks about a unique pricing scenario that was discussed in the session, but not included in the follow-up resource. The employee resorts to Slacking their manager, but she is busy, so he asks his neighbor. Because timely responses are crucial, he gives an answer to the prospect that “sounds right.”
- Modern: A prospect asks about a unique pricing scenario that the learner was trained on, but not something he had practiced yet. He hops into Lessonly, searches for the answer in his training, and finds the accurate answer in the matter of minutes.
Leveling up your training delivery skills is essential to keep pace with any business. At Lessonly by Seismic, we’re committed to helping you do the same.
And we’d love to chat with you if you’re ready to say so long to so-so training. To learn more about our software and connect with a teammate, get a demo with use here.
