Learning Experience Design

Converting Instructor-Led Training to Virtual Learning

October 21, 2019June 28, 2023 by Clare Dygert

Instructional design expert Clare Dygert shares five key considerations for converting instructor-led training to digital learning.

Here’s a very common scenario: Your client has been delivering training for some time now in a face-to-face or instructor-led modality. The training is fairly well-received, and in fact, learners have said that they liked the opportunity to meet and network with other people during the training and that the trainer is engaging.

But now the company is growing, and the instructor-led training is just not scalable. Or the cost of flying everyone to the training site (plus hotel stays and restaurant meals) is getting too expensive. Or perhaps the training takes three days and the business really wants the learners trained in less time. Whatever the reason, the client wants you to do your magic and convert the course to a less expensive, shorter, but more engaging digital version of itself.

So what will you do?

Here are five key considerations for converting instructor-led training to digital learning while still giving learners a quality experience.

1. Consider the audience.

At SweetRush, we put our learners first! And it makes sense: you’re going to be making a lot of decisions about how the content should be presented, checked, and practiced. Without a thorough understanding of your learners, you won’t make the optimal decisions. What do they know already? Do they need a brush-up on their knowledge or to take a deep, first-time dive? Do they like information in the moment, or do they want to rub elbows with other learners? Knowing your audience will guide all the other choices you make! Learn more about audience analysis.

2. Consider the content.

Some of your content is going to work great for eLearning, while other kinds of content you’ll want to present in an instructor-led form. Knowledge-based content—like factual information, definitions, or processes—are ideal for eLearning. Moving that kind of content to a digital modality will also probably save you seat time. The rule of thumb is that eLearning will take one-third of the time that instructor-led training will require. And some of your content will be really useful as performance support content or job aids—for example, PDFs in an easy-to-access digital location, or physical supports like desk references or posters. Maybe posters with augmented reality components? (But that’s a whole other article!)

3. Consider practice and feedback.

When learners are practicing judgment-making (such as sales skills, soft skills, or design skills), it’s ideal to be in the presence of someone who has mastered those skills. The learner can receive nuanced feedback from someone who knows just what tweaks the performance needs to take it to the next level. Likewise, if the content is procedural—like how to install a printer, for example—the “gold standard” practice is to actually do the procedure steps using the equipment. Can you accomplish the same goals using branching scenarios or a simulated environment? Sure! But if you can include some face-to-face or real-life experiences, this is where to use those training modalities. Learn more about blended learning best practices.

4. Consider collaboration.

Sometimes the best training is where the old dogs share their war stories and the young pups ask challenging questions. If the experience you’re considering digitizing includes those moments, think hard about how you will maintain that vibe. eLearning and virtual instructor-led training tend to be focused on a single font of wisdom (i.e., the provided eLearning content or the vILT facilitator) rather than a more decentralized source of truth (e.g., peer-to-peer sharing). If this has been the best part of your existing learning, perhaps maintaining a face-to-face session is worth considering. Learn more about strategies to engage cross-generational teams.

5. Consider consistency.

Sometimes the content we’re presenting is sensitive and must be expressed in a specific way. Or, for some other reason, we want to be certain that everyone is hearing the same message expressed the same way. In this case, a digital learning experience guarantees consistency, and—bonus!—allows you to test for understanding and (thanks to your learning management system) record the assessment results and prove that the individual completed the instruction. In situations where message consistency is key, nothing beats a digital presentation of content. Read a case study about bringing consistency to call center practices using an online simulation.

Of course, there are no hard and fast rules for how or when to convert instructor-led training to an eLearning or virtual instructor-led experience. And frequently, the total solution will be a blended one, combining both digital and face-to-face elements. But with a little thinking and some empathy, you will assemble the best learning solution for your learners.

SweetRush Tops Leaderboard in Game-Based Learning Awards

September 23, 2019June 28, 2023 by Heather York

SweetRush’s game-based learning work has received recent notice, winning five Gold awards from the Brandon Hall Group for games and simulations and being named a top 20 creator of gamification in learning by eLearning Industry and Training Industry.

San Francisco, Calif., September 23, 2019 — In the game of life, there are some wins worth truly relishing. SweetRush, a global provider of custom learning solutions, is having such a moment—as is its client-partners—celebrating several recent game-based learning awards and honors—including just being named on eLearning Industry’s Top 20 eLearning Gamification Companies list. An arbiter of who’s producing the most noteworthy programs and breaking new ground among learning companies, eLearning Industry’s new list highlights the most innovative and trusted creators of games for learning throughout the world.

This inclusion on eLearning Industry’s list is SweetRush’s latest recognition for its use of gamification in learning in the last six weeks, having also been named a Top 20 Gamification Company by Training Industry—for the sixth consecutive year—and having 28 wins at the Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards, including:

3 Gold awards in the Best Use of Games or Simulations for Learning category for:
- A holistic sales training program featuring serious games that teach sales skills, mobile app product knowledge games, and a gamified learning portal
- A sophisticated board game and simulation for sales managers
- A virtual reality simulation that builds empathy

2 Gold awards in the Best Advance in Custom Content category for an online empathy-building simulation and an eLearning program with gaming elements

Given these collective honors, the creative collaborations between SweetRush and its world-class client-partners—who represent a broad cross-section of industries—are resulting in many best-in-class applications of gamification and game-based learning in the Learning and Development industry.

“Games are getting better and more sophisticated every day. With simulations and especially virtual reality, they’re considerably more immersive and can allow learners to experience an environment that might otherwise be too costly or too inconvenient for employees to travel to,” says Arturo Schwartzberg, Cofounder, and Chairman of SweetRush. “But what’s very persuasive about games and simulations is the great instructional value and incredible effectiveness they can have. It’s not just about ‘fun and games’; there’s real merit to them.”

“And we are fortunate to work with outstanding client-partners who are at the top of their respective industries,” continues Schwartzberg. “They’re exceptional in their intellect, awareness, and willingness to take smart risks. When we all put our heads together, great ideas flow freely and bear real fruit. These honors are as much theirs as they are our team members’, and wouldn’t be possible without them.”

View more of our recent awards and other recognition for a variety of work.

About SweetRush

Dream for a moment that you have the expertise and tools to positively impact the lives of others. You can affect mindsets and behavior. You can help an organization grow, change, prosper, and thrive. The passionate pursuit of this expertise and the development of these tools have been at the heart of the success SweetRush has experienced collaborating with clients who share the same dream.

SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in loyal clients, a near-zero turnover of teammates, a 18-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio. Our work with clients has earned us gold awards from our peers and high ranking on the top training industry lists.

Every solution we deliver is infused with creativity. Instructional creativity allows us to discover effective and unique solutions to our clients’ challenges. Artistic creativity spurs us to create visually exciting, engaging user experiences. Technical creativity allows us to embrace new capabilities and platforms as they emerge, such as virtual reality, gamification, and mobile delivery. Cultural creativity empowers our clients to create the conditions that energize and empower their people and unleash the energy in their teams. Our Talent Solutions team builds on its unique knowledge of talent, team building, and learning and development to craft a unique, creative solution for clients who need the best temporary staff to augment their team. We apply the creative lens to all things, from project management to our treatment of our teammates, clients, and the planet.

We are over 175 people strong and have been in business since 2001. Every day, we give thanks for the trust of our world-class clients. Our deliverables span from analysis and curriculum mapping to the creation of blended training products, including live and virtual classroom training, custom-developed eLearning, and innovative use of emerging technologies.

Dream with us, and together let’s make a positive impact!

Gamification and Employee Engagement: How Branding Helps

September 18, 2019June 28, 2023 by John-Carlos Lozano

Gamification and employee engagement are intrinsically linked. When you use gamification in learning solutions, you find you have higher employee engagement. And yet there are times when gamification and engagement can both be boosted by something more.

Recently, a gamification RFP landed on my desk that started me thinking, “How can branding, applied to a gamified solution, help enhance emotional engagement with learners?” Engagement is a critical aspect of any type of training, and the connection between engagement and retention is driving gamification solutions’ popularity—hence this client’s understandable request.

However, the client asked for a creative approach for a series of mini-games, or gamelets, to teach its customer service model to a demographic who is not game-oriented. Translation: Make it fun, make it memorable, and make it effective for this audience. A unique challenge.

So, how could branding play a part? Here’s how I explain “brand” to my wife.

“It’s that first impression you feel when someone new walks into the room,” I tell her.

That feeling speaks to the emotional part of our brain—the part that’s also fundamental to how we think and make decisions. Imagine a product package designed so well that you can’t wait to reveal its contents. Good brand design triggers a sense of anticipation and excitement—creating engagement. And good brand design is also a vehicle to deliver key messages about the company (our client) itself. So, it serves many purposes, and it’s an opportunity not to be missed.

To meet this proposal’s request for an innovative way to teach the customer service model, we designed unique logos that told the story in a fun and humorous way to make the content more approachable. For this demographic, we intentionally kept the navigation and game elements simple. We used brand elements as part of the game mechanics, which reduced user experience anxiety and put the player in “the flow”—a critical aspect for this nongaming-centric audience. The brand concepts added consistency and cohesion in the gamelets, regardless of the order in which they’re taken. A game map gives players the freedom to explore, see their progress, and see how each piece of the customer service model applies to the bigger picture.

In Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, author Daniel Pink explains that emotional engagement “is made through allowing the end-user a sense of autonomy, progress, and sense of purpose,” all of which can be enhanced through the strategic use of branding. In this instance, we helped tell the story by packaging it with branding elements that enhanced how this “gamified” training sparked emotional engagement with the learners.

When designing brand elements, you examine similar data points as those used in designing the instructional approach and the game dynamics. You’re seeking the sweet spot—the place that speaks truth to and intrinsically motivates your audience and is true to the company’s brand.

The brand, instructional approach, and the game ideally work in sync to promote the same messages. When they all come together and are done right, the underlying messaging teaches the audience how their performance on the job impacts their work, careers, and even their lives.

That’s memorable and motivational. And that’s emotional engagement.

Learn more about SweetRush’s approach to games and simulations for learning.

3 Hot Tips and Best Practices for Blended Learning Solutions

August 30, 2019September 14, 2022 by Emma Klosson

Blended learning is a great option for knowledge- and skills-based content and outcomes, as it lets you leverage the best and most cost-effective tools for the job.

Blended learning describes learning solutions that combine two or more learning modalities. The blend could include asynchronous training modalities—such as eLearning, reading, research, and observation—or synchronous modalities, such as instructor-led or virtual instructor-led facilitation or a mix of both.

Blended learning is like the Swiss Army knife of learning solutions. You have many tools at your disposal; the key is in choosing the right one—or a combination of the right ones—for the task in hand. And blended learning is also a great “best of all worlds” solution to consider when your learning includes both knowledge-based and skills-based content and outcomes, as it allows you to leverage the best and most cost-effective tools (modalities) for the job.

Why Classroom Learning Doesn’t Always Meet the Need: An Example

Let’s take soft skills training, and use a very typical example. For many years, we believed the only way to teach soft skills effectively was in a classroom setting with a skilled facilitator. The training would typically begin with icebreakers and introductions, and then the facilitator would explain why this particular soft skill is important by sharing some examples. She might then go on to discuss the science, history, or theory behind the various models and tools—before revealing them and explaining how to use them. Afterward, she might demonstrate or show more examples of using video or case studies. At the end of the day, learners would finally get a chance to practice applying their new skills. More often than not, however, there wouldn’t always be enough time left for this, which inevitably meant that not everyone would get the chance to have a go.

Setting aside the financial side of things, the cost to learners of attending a program like this was extraordinarily high because they had invested more of their time listening to or observing the facilitator rather than actually practicing their new skills.

Blended learning solutions can help to address this imbalance by taking content that doesn’t require a facilitator outside the classroom and reserving the classroom time for meaningful practice, coaching, and feedback.

Top 3 Tips for Creating Blended Learning Solutions

As with all learning solutions, it’s critical that your learning objectives and expected outcomes have been clearly defined before embarking on any blended learning solution development. This includes defining not only the overall program objectives (i.e., what will learners know and be able to do at the end of the program) but also at each step along the way.

With that in mind, here are our top three tips for creating a blended learning solution:

1. Look at the content and decide which pieces can be studied asynchronously and synchronously, and then select the most appropriate modality for each.

Asynchronously: This is typically the knowledge-based content/objectives.
Synchronously: This is typically the skills-based content/objectives.

Learning Objective	Asynchronous?	Synchronous?	Modality
Define active listening. (Knowledge-based)	✔		eLearning
Describe the different tools used in active listening. (Knowledge based)	✔		eLearning
Recognize the difference between open and closed questions. (Knowledge-based)	✔		-eLearning -Observation
Use nonverbal cues to show you are actively listening. (Skills-based)		✔	ILT or vILT (with video capabilities)
Use clarifying questions to check for understanding. (Skills-based)		✔	ILT or vILT

2. Consider the best way to chunk out and sequence your learning.

If the learning follows a linear process, it may make sense to break it out into logical steps and teach each one in sequence.
If the learning is more conceptual or theoretical, identify the concepts, models, or tools learners will need to learn first in order to move forward, then build upon that as the learning journey unfolds. One way to help with this is to think about what, if any, prerequisite knowledge learners will need to have either going into the session or when moving from one block of learning to the next.

3. Balance the time between asynchronous and synchronous activities carefully. If too much time passes between tasks performed outside the classroom and the actual classroom sessions, there’s a risk that learners may forget what they’ve learned. Conversely, if tasks or sessions are grouped too close together, learners may not have time to fully review or synthesize the content. Consider your audience and their capabilities and the content and its complexity to help gauge the timing between activities.

Let’s Revisit Our Example—and Make It Blended

Here’s what our new blended soft skills learning solution might look like:

Part 1: Asynchronous learning activities – Take an eLearning course to learn about active listening.

Define active listening.
Discover what models and tools are used for active listening.
See examples of people using the models and tools of active listening (via video, case studies, animated scenarios, etc.).
Check for understanding: Use scenario-based knowledge checks to practice applying the tools of active listening.

Part 2: Asynchronous learning activities – Observe active listening in the workplace.

Listen for the use of open and closed questions in the workplace.
Practices using nonverbal cues to show others you are listening.
Observe people’s body language when they are in conversation.

Carry this out on an ongoing basis between completing your eLearning and attending class.

Part 3: Synchronous learning activities – Attend a live session to use your active listening skills.

Practice using your active listening skills.
Receive coaching and feedback on your active listening skills.

Attend this class two to four weeks after the eLearning is complete.

In this solution, we’ve extracted the knowledge-based content and designed it as asynchronous activities (eLearning and observation), and we’ve reduced the classroom time by using it to focus solely on the practice and application of skills-based content. (This particular approach of delivering theory first and then gathering to practice is also known as “flipping the classroom.”) We’ve also recommended leaving no more than four weeks between eLearning and the classroom activity, and suggest some on-the-job observation and tasks in between to help maximize retention.

Blended Learning Best Practices

Now that you have some of the basics, here are more things to think about when putting together your own blended learning solutions…

Know your audience. Understanding who your audience is and what their preferences are will help to ensure the success of your blended learning solution—particularly when selecting modalities. Things to think about include but are not limited to:

How much time do learners have to dedicate to training?
Do learners have easy access to offline and online resources?
Can they commit to a program that might take several weeks or months to complete?

Set expectations at the beginning of the blended learning journey:

Show the participants what the learning journey looks like, how all of the parts and pieces fit together, and what they can expect to achieve at the end (and at the end of each milestone, where applicable). For longer blended solutions, we recommend scheduling a formal kickoff meeting or call.
Provide realistic estimates of how much time the learner will need to invest in both online and offline activities (for example, if a blended learning solution spans three months but only has 1 hour of vILT each month, how much time will learners be spending on asynchronous activities like reading, research, and eLearning?).
Be clear on the level of participation that’s required. Let participants know if they can afford to miss one or more classroom sessions. Share what might happen if they do miss something.

Consider adding test-in and test-out or opt-in and opt-out content so that learners can bypass content or adapt the program to suit their needs.

Consider forming cohorts. If your blended learning solution comprises multiple components or sessions or will span a number of weeks or months, think about creating cohorts to help foster inclusion, teamwork, and collaboration. Adding a social component—such as Skype or WhatsApp chat groups—will provide teams with access to support and encouragement from facilitators and each other throughout the experience.

Administration: While blended learning solutions can often ease the burden of facilitation of more traditional in-person, synchronous training events—such as instructor-led training (ILT) or virtual instructor-led training (vILT) programs—they can come with an added administrative strain. This is particularly true when programs span several weeks or months or contain multiple offline or online activities—not to mention multiple participants. We have listed some of these administrative tasks here:

Coordination of participants – Ensure candidates meet requirements for the program; coordinate placement and enrollment.
Follow-up and reminders – Ensure learners know what is expected each step of the way by providing prompts and reminders throughout the program.
Facilitation of online activities – Coordinate facilitators; book classrooms or reserve online learning space.
Provision of coaching and feedback – Coordinate or provide timely and specific feedback for participants throughout the program.
Evaluation of attendance and progress throughout the program – It may be necessary to confirm completion of certain activities before allowing learners to progress to new ones.

Last but not least, here are some other factors that can contribute to or get in the way of the success of blended learning solutions:

Do participants have the support of their leader to participate in the program?
Will learners be able to prioritize the learning (if needed) in order to stay in the program?
Will learners be able to easily apply what they’ve learned once they return to the workplace?

Do you have a project in mind and think we can help? We’re happy to discuss how to best design and deliver your blended learning program for maximum impact, retention, and skill-building. Give us a shout!

Thinking About Target Audience Analysis the SweetRush Way!

July 28, 2019June 28, 2023 by Clare Dygert

Does this sound familiar? The business recognizes that there needs to be an improvement in performance. They hire you to create a training intervention to help their employees make that improvement. You ask about the need, the content, and the learners, and they supply that information. You do the work, and then move on to the next engagement.

What’s wrong with this picture?

I can’t think of a single bit of work where I was hired by the actual learners. Under normal circumstances, I would not disregard the importance of a target audience analysis, and I’d learn everything I was going to know about the learners from whoever was hiring me—the boss, the leadership team, or HR. And, if the information was a bit vague, I’d fill in the blanks with what I personally know (or think I know) about the audience.

At SweetRush, we like to do this differently. Here are our top four strategies for conducting an audience analysis:

1. Listen to the learners. When we tap into members of the learner audience, we do so by conducting what we call empathy interviews. Empathy interviews essentially answer the question, “What do you want to say?” instead of “What do I want to know?” Open-ended, filled with moments of silence, and steered by the learners, empathy interviews frequently tell us things that we never would have guessed—sometimes to the great surprise of the folks who are paying us. We have learned to trust this process, and some of our best work has flowed from the wisdom gathered there. Empathy interviews are core in analyzing your audience.

2. Ask yourself, “So what?” Do you include an audience analysis in your design work that lists learner demographics? We all do that—it’s basic instructional design! But at SweetRush, we try to take this to the next level by explicitly asking ourselves, “So what?” So what if the audience is made up of 30-year-old males with college degrees? How does that impact your design? So what if the audience has been in the field for an average of 15 years? What will you do differently because of that? What are the ways you will bend the design to fit the contours of the learner demographic? And don’t forget point number one about listening to the learners. Check your assumptions with actual members of your audience. Don’t just do what you think might be right or makes sense to you.

3. Think about the learner’s view. Traditionally, we create learning because there is either something we want learners to know or something we want them to do (or do better.) At SweetRush, we are realizing that there is another purpose for training: Because we want learners to see the world, and their place in it, differently. We call this change a mental model shift, and coming to this understanding has had a profound impact on how we think about learning design. We find that there is a current state, and a future desired state of the learners’ views, and it is our performance-level objectives that allow them to cross the divide. Finding and recording these mental model shifts has become an essential part of our design process.

4. Ask yourself, “Is this a learning problem or not?” Finally, we understand that there are some behaviors that will never be changed by training because they are being caused by something in the learner’s environment. If there is a strong incentive in the learner’s environment to behave one way rather than another way, it may be that no amount of training will fix this.

Understanding your audience deeply is the number one thing you can do to make your learning effective and engaging. So go be bold, be brave, and go deep!

How to Keep Learning Modalities on a Leash

March 8, 2019June 28, 2023 by Danny Brenes

Looking to make the switch from classroom to eLearning, blend the two, or offer both as separate tracks? Training across learning modalities can be a great learning opportunity. Just ask my dog.

Not long ago, I read an article on learning modalities that made me think about my dog.

Her name is Pati, and she’s a three-and-a-half-year-old English foxhound. I adopted her a year ago and she’s the cutest, most loving dog—well, she loves humans, anyway. The thing about Pati is that she’s really mean toward other quadrupeds, dogs and cats in particular.

There’s a pretty sad story behind Pati’s rage. During her first year, she lived in a shelter with hundreds of other dogs. She was unable to socialize with most of them because she was scared. Then, she was adopted by a married couple who kept her in a tiny yard. She shared that space with a bigger dog who abused her.

When I finally adopted Pati, I made sure to give her a home with no shortage of love and cuddles. She loves people now, but other animals are still a big no-no. Here’s the catch, though: My girlfriend has four cats. We all—two humans, five animals—want to move in together. We need Pati to learn how to get along with the cats.

The solution is, of course, to train Pati, which brings me to the article I mentioned, Learner Experience Across Modalities: A Learning Leader Challenge, published on TrainingIndustry.com.

The author, Stephani Mager-Lightfoot, shares research gathered by Training Industry, Inc., which found that “as we have introduced more [learning] modalities into the workplace, it has become a challenge for learning leaders to provide excellent learner experiences across them.”

In other words, multimodal training programs are an excellent opportunity for both learning leaders and learners, but you need to know how to use them effectively to drive learning and business results.

Learning Modalities: A Combination Does the Trick

I had a similar response from the dog school I contacted to train Pati. Dogs, they told me, react to different situations based on both physical and psychological responses; in order to modify their behavior, trainers need to combine methods for both facets.

Training for humans in the workplace is, obviously, far more complex than training for dogs. However, the combination of different learning modalities can indeed be a great opportunity for people too. Whether you’re switching from classroom to eLearning, blending the two, or offering both as separate tracks, each modality can provide an effective—yet very different—learning experience.

“Not all learning can be achieved equally well by all learning modalities—that just isn’t realistic,” says Annie Hodson, Solution Architect at SweetRush, quoted in the article. She suggests combining “different modalities to create the experiences you’re looking for.”

Switching a learning event from one modality to another can be far more challenging than going from physical to psychological training for dogs. After a few lessons, Pati only needed a treat to make her jump over a fence or be quiet on command. On the other hand, maintaining the informal learning aspect that comes with ILT events—which is sometimes more valuable than the learning content itself—when changing to a another modality is way more complicated.

However, for Danielle Hart, SweetRush’s Director of Marketing who was also quoted in the article, there is a way to “create an emotional connection with [and between] learners when you change the modality from something that’s face-to-face to something that’s virtual.” For example, by adding elements of vILT and gamification to an online course, you build an engaging experience that works in a complementary way with an eLearning component and change a possibly negative perception a learner has about eLearning.

Training a dog to be obedient and make friends with a bunch of cats can be challenging. Yet, there are ways to make it work. Similarly, there are plenty of steps you can take toward successful multimodal learning, and you can read all about them in Learner Experience Across Modalities: A Learning Leader Challenge.

How Mobile Sales Enablement Makes Loyal Salespeople

January 9, 2019June 28, 2023 by Danny Brenes

Loyal retail sales associates mean better sales for product manufacturers. Here’s a story on the benefits of training sales associates to love your brand—and how to do it through mobile sales enablement.

I’m going to tell you the story of the best shoes I’ve ever owned.

Many years ago, my dad gave me some money to get new shoes. I was a teenager, going through my skateboarding phase—yes, I got over it—and I wanted my shoes to look swaggy as hell. I wanted to look like Tony Hawk and Chad Muska and all the other skateboarders my friends and I saw at the X Games.

I ran to the store, anxious to spend the $60 my dad gave me on the coolest shoes I could find. I already knew which ones I wanted. The new Chad Muskas—the signature shoe of my favorite skateboarder—had just arrived. And, by God, I was gonna get them, no matter what they looked like, no matter the cost.

Once I got to the shoe-covered wall inside the store, I froze.

The Chad Muskas were these yellow-and-green-and-orange monstrosities that no sane 14-year-old kid would want to wear. And then there was the price tag: $100.

That’s when the sales guy came over to help. I don’t remember his name, but let’s call him John. John said hi and asked me if I needed some help.

“Well, I’m looking for the new Chad Muskas,” I said back.

“Oh yeah, man, they’re right over here,” he said, pointing at the monstrosities I already had my eyes on.

I cringed, and he noticed.

“They’re not the prettiest-looking shoes, huh,” he said.

“I—I don’t know, man. It’s the Chad Muskas—but…”

John smiled and leaned toward me.

“Look, they’re expensive and they’re kind of hideous. I know you want to look cool and impress your friends. I get it, but Chad Muska is going to go away pretty soon. You know who’s going to be big at the X Games? Bob Burnquist. Check out his new shoes.”

He pointed at some way-prettier black shoes with blue and gray details. I remembered the name Bob Burnquist from the magazines my friends and I read.

“How much are these?” I asked.

“$60, but I’ll give you a discount. You can have them for $50.”

“Really?” I smiled. I could even save some money (that I would absolutely not give back to my dad, of course).

“Yeah, man. Trust me, you’re gonna have the coolest shoes in town.” John smiled as we walked to the cashier.

A few months later, when Bob Burnquist won gold at the X Games, my friends asked, “Hey, isn’t he the guy from your shoes?”

***

I was lucky. Instead of walking out with expensive, ugly shoes, I ended up with a great product thanks to the help of an informed, well-trained, and empathic sales associate. Thanks, John!

While the younger me thought he knew what he wanted, these days customers often walk in the door with much more knowledge. Before they buy, they do their research, read reviews, and speak to people they trust about products.

As Danielle Hart, Director of Marketing at SweetRush, explains, knowledgeable customers have high expectations for sales associates. Customers expect associates to be one step ahead of them and to fully grasp the product as well as make recommendations for their specific needs.

“This situation is an opportunity for product manufacturers: If sales associates are more knowledgeable about their products, they will sell more of their products rather than their competitors’,” wrote Hart in her article “Enabling Sales and Building Brand Loyalty with Mobile Performance Support.”

She adds: “And, if the manufacturer provides sellers with tools that make selling easier, it can build brand loyalty and affinity with associates, which can also lead to increased sales.”

Taking sales associates “off the floor” to train them to sell your products at a retail store is not realistic. That’s why anyone who needs to upskill and support retail associates should be thinking mobile sales enablement.

“With mobile performance support, sales enablement, and product knowledge training can be seamlessly integrated—guiding the sales process, offering just-in-time learning, and reducing training and selling time for associates,” adds Hart. It also provides an opportunity to integrate augmented reality (AR), which can increase the engagement factor for associates.

Head over to Training Industry and read “Enabling Sales and Building Brand Loyalty with Mobile Performance Support” to learn about best practices for developing tools for mobile sales enablement.

And for more insights and considerations for implementing AR, check out What Augmented Reality Training Is And How To Leverage It In Your L&D Process.

The Perks of Offering Training Programs for Retail Employees

September 26, 2018June 28, 2023 by Danny Brenes

Training programs for retail employees can turn millennials and Gen Z—who are becoming the largest age group in the industry’s workforce—from casual workers to loyal associates.

I got my first job when I was 18. For little more than a year, I worked at a call center, taking calls for a sports betting company. I had to give betting lines to customers, update scores, and ease the nerves of people risking a lot of money during games.

I was horrible at it.

The job wasn’t really exciting or challenging; most of the time, I was bored out of my mind and was only looking forward to checking out and leave.

I remember the one time I actually felt I was learning something: About eight months into the job, they taught me how to take horse bets. A guy named Nick, an expert in horse racing, sat down with me and taught me all I needed to know about the “sport of kings;” he also told me there were far greater opportunities in the horse racing department and that I had potential.

Sadly, that was a one-time deal: I didn’t receive further training whatsoever. I scarcely took any horse bets, never heard of open positions in their department, and whenever I ran into Nick, he barely said hi to me.

That sounds sad and impractical, right? Having an unmotivated young workforce is something you’d want to avoid, right?

Well…

Millennials (such as myself) and Gen Zers make up an increasingly large part of the retail workforce. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center [1], millennials are already the largest generation in the US labor force.

Moreover, according to EY, this young core of retail employees actually want to learn and improve in their jobs, which is great for businesses: Companies want to turn their employees into associates who can provide great customer experience and boost sales. “(Millennials and Gen Z) find career-focused perks and professional development opportunities more important than other opportunities,” says the EY study.

Here’s the bad news, though: Lessonly [3] research revealed that 46 percent of retail associates don’t receive enough training to perform their jobs effectively, and 54 percent of retailers are looking for better associate training and enablement.

In How Training Can Engage and Retain Millennial and Gen Z Retail Associates, an article published by Training Industry, author Taryn Oesch explores how training programs for retail employees can turn uninvested workers into trustworthy associates who want to build a career within their company.

Training is a genuine investment, especially when it involves younger employees who are only now starting their career path. Oesch says that training lets team members know they are valued. “Providing clear career paths, for example, shows associates that you believe they are important and can improve retention by showing them their long-term potential with the company,” she writes.

Further, she quotes Annie Hodson, a Solution Architect at SweetRush, who says that “many retail employees may not know about the many career pathways available to them within a particular company once they achieve new skills.” Talent development programs can help companies retain Gen Z employees, and show them they have a path for growth at the organization.

We’re learning more about these demographics and what they value in their work environments all the time. “Authenticity is important to millennials and Gen Z employees. They want to be part of organizations that have similar values and that they feel like they are doing good things in the world,” Hodson adds.

For a more in-depth look at how training young employees can turn into a great business decision, head over to Training Industry and read Taryn Oesch’s full article, How Training Can Engage and Retain Millennial and Gen Z Retail Associates.

Resources

What Bart Simpson Teaches Us About Detours in Adaptive Learning

March 28, 2018June 28, 2023 by Danny Brenes

According to an in-depth article by SweetRush, providing detours in adaptive learning reduces boredom and increases focus and attention.

I want to talk about The Simpsons.

Actually, I want to talk about a particular scene in season 6, episode 4, when the family takes a road trip to Itchy & Scratchy Land. It’s an exciting time for Bart and Lisa; it took them some time to convince their parents, Homer and Marge, to go, so both kids are really happy when they hit the road. The drive is long, though, and Bart and Lisa eventually get bored in the back seat of the car—until they see a billboard on the side of the road.

“Next Flickey’s, 680 miles,” it reads in big, bold letters accompanied by a picture of a cup of coffee and a doughnut. The kids get super excited as the billboards keep getting better: “Next Flickey’s, 416 miles,” “Next Flickey’s, 277 miles.” Finally, after they pass a billboard that says Flickey’s is 42 miles away, Bart, his eyes full of hope, asks Homer, “Dad, can we go to Flickey’s?”

“No,” says Homer, and the family car drives past the restaurant.

Then the next billboard says, “Next Flickey’s, 25,000 miles,” and the kids are once again bored out of their minds.

Trust me, it’s funnier when you watch it:

Why is an old cartoon episode even relevant here? Well, I believe this scene works as a metaphor for an important challenge in learning and development (L&D): the challenge of giving learners what they want to learn while keeping them engaged and on track to meet our learning objectives.

We’re talking about adapting your training to each learner’s knowledge and preferences, answering questions, offering complementary information, and avoiding repetition of information.

Say you’re an L&D manager and you’ve hired a new employee, Bob. On his first day, you talk about the waterfall method, which your company uses to develop training. Bob interrupts and asks, “What’s the waterfall method?” You then stop and explain how that process works.

That deviation—when you stop and adapt your conversation with someone to make sure everything’s clear, bring more information to the table, or skip what the learner already knows—is what John Cleave, Ph.D., an eLearning Technologist at SweetRush, calls “detours.”

In his article “Using Detours to Drive Adaptive Learning,” Cleave explains that a “well-designed eLearning program should include many (detours).”

“The big win with detours is efficiency. People sit through only the training they need and don’t waste time on topics they already know,” he writes. “By not telling learners things they already know, you reduce boredom, and learners are more likely to pay attention.”

Think of your learners as Bart and Lisa Simpson: they really need that detour to Flickey’s. They’re excited about the trip, but something has caught their eye, and they also want to learn more about that. Cleave’s advice is, in essence, don’t be a Homer. Give your learners all the Flickey’s detours they want, as well as an easy, intuitive path to return to the core learning, because that will keep them invested and engaged in whatever educational journey they’re taking.

Detours, however, can be conceptually challenging. To understand how to develop them, you’ll first need to get familiar with the concept of detours, their different types, and the hurdles they pose.

To learn all about detours in adaptive learning, and the processes for developing them in eLearning, make sure to read John Cleave’s in-depth article, available now for download.

Learning Rush Alert: Sales Training Best Practices and Techniques

March 22, 2018September 14, 2022 by Carolina Montero

Enjoy this curated list of articles featuring sales training best practices and techniques.

Of all the areas in which companies invest in custom learning solutions, sales training continues to be at the top of the list. And for good reason: from building product knowledge to honing sales skills, improving the performance of sales professionals has a direct impact on the bottom line.

What will engage your sales audience—and motivate them to complete your training—when they could be spending that time making sales? Some of the sales training best practices and techniques we’ve found to be effective are keeping it short (microlearning), offering learning at the point of need (mobile learning), and adding in some friendly competition (gamification).

We’ve curated this list of great sales training best practices and techniques from industry experts to help you create compelling and effective sales training programs. Check out the articles below!

Set Clear Objectives for Better Sales Training Results

Before you start designing your sales training program, begin with the end in mind! Define outcomes, identify gaps, and formulate a team approach. This article features sales training best practices and techniques that ensure your program addresses your business need.
Read more: 3 Steps to Creating Sales Training Programs That Deliver Business Objectives

Consider Educational Marketing

Discover how we use educational marketing (also known as education-based marketing) to win the hearts and minds of sales associates who work at independent dealers.
Read more: Educational Marketing: Win the Hearts and Minds of Sales Associates

What Do Sales Professionals Want to Learn?

The results of a survey on the learning preferences of salespeople reveal that reps and managers have different expectations and desires for training methods and topics. This article describes modern training strategies that you can use to deliver sales training that sales professionals want to learn and will retain.
Read more: How to Make Sales Training Actually Stick

Using Training to Improve Sales Skills

Two challenges that often arise in developing sales training are short attention spans and working with sellers’ distinct selling styles. These five techniques will help you improve your team’s skills while addressing these challenges.
Read more: 5 Training Fundamentals Every Sales Manager Should Know

Generation Z: Entering the Retail Sales Workforce

One of the common entry-level jobs for young people is retail sales associate, and as Gen Zers reach their late teens, they are starting to join the workforce. This article will give you an introduction to the most “connected” generation and ideas for training this audience to sell.
Read more: Gen Z: Training to Unlock a Generation’s Potential

Category: Learning Experience Design