How do I turn my current live classes into e-learning?

This is a very common question from many new LMS customers. Many companies adopt an LMS expressly to overcome the challenges they have with live training. When customers ask me this question, I first ask them if they are sure they should take their classes online. This usually starts a productive discussion about the reasons for their desire to move to e-learning, and validates whether or not it’s a good idea.

Most of the time there are compelling reasons for the move. These can include the standard reasons of reducing time away from work, having reliable reporting, and reducing the time required to launch a new course.

However, more and more I hear additional reasons that speak to how companies really use training, and why they value online training.

Consistency Across Training Courses

No two teachers are exactly alike and no two classes have the same dynamic. We’ve all been in classes where the instructor is engaging and the students participate. We’ve also all been in classes where the opposite is true. Classes that lack engagement and participation are hard to sit through, and it’s even harder to justify the time and expense of holding it. It’s just the nature of live training, and a successful class is dependent on a number of variables.

E-learning can be a great equalizer. Companies can insure that all students get the same quality of training, and can pass a standardized assessment on the material. While a live class with an experienced and effective instructor is hard to beat, e-learning gives you confidence that everyone will be exposed to the same content, in the same way.

Real-time Resources for Field Sales, Channel Partners, Support Staff

When you send a sales or support person on-site to visit with a customer, you expect them to be knowledgeable. You also want to equip them with all the tools they need to be successful. What better way than to arm them with product videos, data sheets, demonstrations, testimonials, best practices, and upsell options – all at their fingertips on a laptop or tablet. Content delivered through an LMS can be an ideal way to make this happen. Your people in the field will get better results if they are trained, and if they know where to go to get specific content. An LMS can provide searchable e-learning content to staff whenever and wherever they need it, and on whatever device they are using.

A recent customer of mine created e-learning that featured incredible animations that demonstrated how their product worked. Not only did each of their salespeople view these animations for training purposes, they also played the compelling presentations on their iPad during their initial customer meetings. This one practice helped their salespeople close more deals and increased retention.

LMS Integration with CRM/HRIS/Company Intranet

During the work day, most of us spend a lot of time in one or more of these applications. I spend most of my time in a CRM, and I can access my training courses there. I don’t worry about jumping out and logging into a different platform to take a course or finish a module. Not only is it convenient but it also makes sense from a productivity standpoint. In addition to keeping trainees in the office, companies can keep their staff in the tools that they use to do their jobs!

LMS integration can have many benefits but one of the biggest is to make it more likely that people will actually find and take the training that they are assigned — a very attractive proposition to businesses that invest in ongoing training for their employees.

There are many more benefits to implementing e-learning with an LMS. What are some that you have found?