7 Reasons to Ditch Workshops & Webinars for Online Customer Training

Online customer training is moving to the forefront of Learning & Development and Customer Success teams. Before the pandemic and in increasing numbers since companies from every industry utilized online customer training platforms to educate prospects and customers on their products and services. 

But moving from traditional to online customer training doesn’t have to be a difficult transition. Presented in the right manner and structured in the proper way, customer training via eLearning can be a boon for both the company and the end-user. Here’s how to convey the advantages of this transition to your customers.

1. Online Customer Training is More Convenient
   
   We’re not talking about how eLearning and remote training is more cost-effective than in-person, on-site training day. That’s a given. We’re moving past that explanation. Have you ever tried to put a 30-minute meeting together for more than 3 people at your company? Even at that scale, it’s nearly impossible. So how can you think it’s easy to get 10 or 20 people on a webinar or online workshop? This is about actual convenience and understanding that it’s not necessary to schedule training sessions 2 months in advance. With online customer training, they can access their courses on any device, so they don’t even need to be at their computer to learn.
   
   Online training makes it easy for everyone to learn at their own pace, take breaks when they need it and go back for more. Not to mention, you can reach more customers with the same effort as putting together one webinar. This frees up your time as well as your customers; time, which is the most valuable asset we have. 
2. Online Customer Training Fosters Better Knowledge Retention
   
   As the self-paced eLearning enables people to absorb knowledge as our brains are naturally predisposed to — in short spurts rather than marathon instructional sessions. A method called microlearning.
   
   A report by RPS research found that microlearning improves focus and supports long-term retention by up to 80%.
   
   Asking customers to sit for hours-long online workshops might not only be less convenient timing-wise, but it will actually only leave them with bits and pieces of knowledge. They simply will not remember everything you’re teaching them.
   
   With online training, learners dip into the instruction at brief intervals, grasp what they need to know and retain it.
3. Online Customer Training Can Be Customized to the Individual User
   
   Online training permits customers to receive the instruction most relevant to their needs and how they will actually use your product or service. When crafting instructional content, you can keep in mind the lifecycle of the customer and create custom learning paths to individualized learning.
   
   For example, some modules can emphasize onboarding and basic skills for new users, while, conversely, an early adopter can skip to modules that highlight best practices, case studies and more complex skill sets.
4. Online Customer Training Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
   
   Unlike workshops and webinars, self-paced eLearning doesn’t need to stick to one medium. Each course can utilize a variety of text, images, videos and activities to keep the lesson interesting.
   
   Even more so, you can make it fun. Online learning that incorporates gamification and simulations engages users in the learning process. What’s even better than that? You have the tools, like quizzes and certifications. to ensure customers are retaining the information and are ready to move on to the next course.
5. Online Customer Training’s Unlimited
   
   Instructor-led trainings, like workshops and live webinars, are difficult to schedule. Therefore they only happen every so often. Elearning, on the contrary, permits learners to undertake the program anytime, anywhere, and at a comfortable speed for them.
   
   Imagine what you could accomplish if you weren’t giving the same webinar for each customer, but could spend that time developing new courses. This newfound time gives you the opportunity to grow your academy and dig deeper into customer training. It won’t be long before you have a full-fledged customer academy with courses from onboarding for new customers to advanced courses for long-time, highly engaged customers.
6. Online Customer Training Brings Teams Together
   
   Does it ever feel like your Sales, Service, Marketing and L&D teams are working in silos? Are they unsure of what each other are doing every day and which goals they're aiming toward?
   
   You’re not alone.
   
   But there is a way to make sure that each of these teams are working on the same information. Using an LMS gives you the opportunity to connect your learner data with your customer data. Now, your Sales and Service team can see what your customers are learning and incorporate it into their conversations, the Marketing team can personalize communications and the L&D team can serve up relevant content. Even more so, you can automate all of this when you connect your LMS to your CRM tools.
   
   
7. Online Customer Training Gives You Analytics Tools to Measure Results and Improve Your Training
   
   Lastly, but definitely not least is perhaps the most valuable part of moving your customer training to an LMS. Analytics. The ability to track your courses and learners in real-time gives you the insight to better understand your customers and where they struggle. This knowledge not only helps improve your customer training, but it helps the company identify gaps and areas of improvement. These metrics put learning on the map with tangible results that can show the positive effect it has on the bottom line. 

Want to learn how to kickstart your customer training program? Jump on a quick call with our knowledgeable team members.