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When some professionals think about training, they picture having to schedule regular time out of their work calendar to go to a classroom, run through the syllabus, and complete a certification within a set timeframe.
Yet as technology has expanded and evolved, this traditional training model is increasingly outdated.
Choosing online training over classroom learning makes maintaining regular education easier for individuals. Online training and resources are up to date and available, enabling the training to be flexible, fast-moving and adaptable in the face of a rapidly changing and expanding industry.
Provided, of course, that you can keep your training software and associated programme regularly updated. eLearning platforms are just like the programmes they host–constantly changing. Providers introduce new features and functionalities every so often, which means companies also need to keep the software updated in addition to the learning materials and programme administration.
This is where Training-As-A-Service (TaaS) comes in. TaaS providers manage a company’s eLearning resources, ensuring it’s updated and reducing complexity.
A managed and hosted LMS solution provides a more effective and cost-efficient way of delivering training. It means you can concentrate on the course content as the subject matter experts and we can focus on its delivery and administration.
Related reading: How Managed Learning Services can help your business scale-up
Generating interest and enthusiasm for training typically isn’t a problem. People want to learn, and are constantly looking for opportunities to work on their skills. However, just because sales partners want to learn, it doesn’t mean they have time to spare. Lack of time is the top reason professionals knock training lower down their priority list.
Online training removes the barrier of set schedules, allowing people to participate at their own pace. This is especially important for channel partner training. These aren’t only professionals, but entire companies who are busy working on their own business. Training-as-a-Service (TaaS) platforms make knowledge accessible, whenever you’re ready to learn.
When it comes to traditional classroom training, there’s one element many organisers dread: the budget. Conference halls alone can put you back by thousands, especially if the training takes multiple days. Arranging transport and accommodations for everyone, especially if the training is abroad, can turn into an expensive, logistical nightmare.
TaaS abolishes those costs. Bound only by fees related to developing, implementing and managing the training programme, signing onto Learning Management Systems (LMS) is significantly more scalable and affordable than one-and-done classroom sessions. Plus, learners can revisit materials when needed, empowering them to turn theory into application out on the field. Companies no longer need to bring in subject matter experts every time a new batch of professionals come onboard, as the materials are already there and ready to be deployed.
Even though your sales partners are not your employees, end-users expect a consistent experience across all channels. Yet many consumers feel that departments aren’t communicating and sharing information, often getting one message from one representative, and a different one from another.
The strength of your marketing, brand voice, and service quality hinges on learners being taught the same way. And it’s harder to control for consistency during classroom training sessions, especially if you have delegated responsibility for your training to distributors and other third-parties. Facilitators can change, teaching styles differ, materials may be outdated. eLearning gives training managers absolute control over course content and its rollout, no matter where the learner may be located.
The high cost of training, in work disrupted and in costs, can make classroom training a difficult sell for upper management. Many managers will also be reluctant to allow learners to dedicate days to training, which makes it harder to incentivise participation.
Online training minimises these barriers. As it’s more affordable, justifying spend is easier. The flexibility of eLearning courses and TaaS also enables managers and business owners to constantly promote the programme and encourage participation. Channel partners are more likely to push training onto their employees when they know that there will be minimal disruption.
Accessibility is one of the biggest benefits of online training over traditional training. You can reach hundreds of learners from different regions, as long as they have a phone or a computer. Support materials are only a click away, ensuring partners can swiftly solve problems when they’re on-site.
Ease of access is an even bigger boon for companies with channel partner networks. Coordinating training between hundreds of vendors is difficult. An online resource portal ensures information is always available for partners when they need it. For instance, when a user comes in with an issue they’ve never encountered before. Learners don’t have to wait for suppliers–who may be in different timezones–to grant access or send materials. Dedicated support agents are also made available to help them navigate through pathways, no matter the time of day.
Many certifications, including major ones from companies like Adobe, SAP, and Microsoft, are subject to availability. If you miss enrolment or class schedules aren’t compatible with your schedule, you have little choice but to wait for the next round of tests. Some certifications are also only held in select testing centres–a bother for learners who don’t live near the area.
eLearning platforms enable learners to get accredited whenever they want. This helps encourage customers and partners to participate in classes, knowing that the certification exam waiting at the end is a seamless process.
Courses and support materials can be accessed any time via any online device. This offers the additional benefit of resource availability to support on-site work
Training can typically take more than a day, especially for technical, complex products. Some certification programmes take weeks. Yet not every learner can commit to successive days of learning. Unlike students at university, these are individuals who have their own deadlines and KPIs to meet, and can’t afford to be away from their work for very long.
Online platforms don’t ask learners to choose between finishing a report and completing a class. Your LMS provider can easily adapt programmes to the schedules of learners, increasing chances of participation and completion. People also consume and process information at different rates. A course paced to the learner’s speed and skill level can help them better retain information.
70% of learning comes from real life experience, 20% comes via feedback from managers or supervisors, and 10% comes via formal training.
Online training supports the 70/20/10 development model, offering a consistently available point of reference, learning material, and support to help professionals while on-site and learning via practical experience.
Channel partners are your key to expanding into new markets. Yet language barriers can hinder training efforts. Important information can get lost in translation. If you want to maximise results, you need to offer courses in languages learners are comfortable in.
Online training can be made available in multiple languages to support student preferences. One key requirement for the above is the Learning Management System (LMS) to support your programme needs. While many off the shelf LMS systems are available, they mostly require you to manage and administer them yourself, which requires staffing, expertise, management and risk.
At Wahoo Learning we are specialists in providing managed LMS solutions. Utilising our own WahooLMS, a customised LMS solution can be deployed within days which matches your organisations brand. The solution is hosted and managed on your behalf and with an SLA guaranteeing 99.99% up-time, you can be confident that your customers get a great experience.
Related reading: Everything you need to know about our Managed Learning Services
Whether you have your own eLearning content already, or require custom content to be created by our expert instructions designers, we’ll get you up-and-running in no time. For more information about how the Wahoo Learning can help you, take a look the details here, or get in touch.
LET’S BUILD TRAINING TOGETHER!
Partner training software (sometimes referred to as a Learning Management System) is an eLearning platform that will help you train your external partners, including your franchise owners, resellers, distributors , agents, and installers. This platform allows you to plan, deliver, and track the training programmes that you develop.
In the early stages of training programme development, planning how you intend to support, maintain and manage it is the key to its success.
For this, there are generally two options: outsourcing to a specialist or keeping it under one roof in-house.
However, deciding how to move forward isn’t clear cut. Many factors can impact the decision.
We are not about to tell you to outsource to us. It’s about us helping you explore your options and make the right choice for your requirements.
Whenever we make a decision to purchase a new product or service, we all have questions. Choosing the right LMS for your organisation can be a difficult decision, especially as there are so many options on the market.
We’ve written this blog to save some of the guesswork and answer any questions you may have ahead of your decision.
The WahooLMS has been specifically created for training external audiences so it’s important to us to explain the how, why and what.
Do you think you might be ready to work with Wahoo Learning? Perhaps you’ve identified your challenges and how training solves them. Maybe an online training programme is what you have needed for a while now, but you don’t have the budget or resources available to make it a success.
As a business, we work with you to gain a full understanding of your business and situation to ensure that both parties are ready to sign on the dotted line. There’s nothing worse than wasted time on both parts.
From small scale start-ups to fully-fledged enterprises, all companies have training needs. Providing the right learning tools is crucial to enabling company growth, which explains why an increasing number of businesses are choosing to outsource their training.
Partner training software (sometimes referred to as a Learning Management System) is an eLearning platform that will help you train your external partners, including your franchise owners, resellers, distributors , agents, and installers. This platform allows you to plan, deliver, and track the training programmes that you develop.
The distribution sales model has existed since the inception of modern trade. Singer was tapping independent agents to sell and repair sewing machines as early as the 1800s. IBM’s now unshakeable foothold in the PC industry started with distribution through retailers.
On a racecourse, some lanes are shorter than others. Called an inside track, it’s a naturally advantageous position for racers to be in: shorter means closer to the finish line.
Product knowledge is a customer’s inside track towards user satisfaction. It gives them the tools to properly sell, install, test troubleshoot, and maintain products where others might take the longer route with self-taught information.
Smart lights have gone a long way from automatically switching on or off. Redwood’s intelligent lighting system uses a network of smart sensors that collect and analyse temperature, motion, and brightness data to deliver energy and cost-efficient, dynamic lighting.
Before you invest in a training programme and start working with Wahoo Learning, there are some important elements to have in place first.
Even though we take care of the training programme delivery and project management, there is some preliminary work you can do to help us hit the ground running and get to the deployment stage as smoothly and quickly as possible. Of course, this is also dependent on the individual requirements of your programme.
Here is a detailed overview of what you need in place before we start work together.
