Learning leader Archives | Page 8 of 10

Are Videos the Best Way to Learn? 3 Reasons to Use Video in Learning

Posted on February 16, 2021March 16, 2023 by Maestro

Video has quickly become one of the fastest ways to gain and keep attention. According to a Forrester report, employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than read a document. Beyond work, your learners engage with video daily—it’s why YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok are so popular. This begs the question: are videos the best way to learn?

Video packs a powerful learning punch for formal and informal training—here are three reasons we think video is a critical learning medium.

Why use video in learning?

1. Video simplifies learning

It’s probably no surprise that adults learn by doing. When learning is too conceptual and not grounded in real world experience, many learners find motivation in short supply. The benefit of video is that it not only simplifies concepts by visualizing them, but it shows learners how something works in the real world.

For this reason, we highly recommend using motion graphics or live-action sequences in training videos that are trying to simplify the complex, especially when it’s a multi-step process you’d like learners to replicate. For a regional grocery chain client, we helped their business analysts and associate buyers by creating a live-action, scenario learning video that showcased how decisions made in corporate offices impacted everything from warehouses to store shelves. Showing contextual reality through video is a great way to improve learning outcomes.

2. Video is a tool for powerful storytelling

Admit it, videos give you the feels. When you’re reading text, your brain is busy reading, but when you’re watching a video, your brain is busy feeling. What’s great about feeling something is that it’s a perfect engagement method for people to learn something, too.

Beyond emotional impact, video is a powerful storytelling device, allowing you to visualize realities for your learners. You can use a learning video or training video to show employees what success and failure look like, giving them something to work towards in their job role.

It’s great to use the emotive quality of video to motivate your learners to value certain behaviors, procedures, or products.

3. Video delivers high value and impact

Research has shown that 83% of human learning takes place visually. It stands to reason that video learning is a more efficient use of time, especially for an audience with a short attention span (uh, hello, everyone these days)!

With this in mind, it’s also important to remember that video quality is roughly equal to the amount you invest. Production quality has an impact on the final product—consider set design, lighting, audio quality, and script, and partner with a team that shares your vision and understands your objectives.

What are you waiting for?

Are you considering corporate training videos for your learners? If you are, I’m sure you’re already seeing the benefits. If you aren’t, start! Video is no longer something that’s just nice to have—your learners expect it.

How to Be a Good Interviewer: Improve Your Qualitative Interviewing in 5 Minutes

Posted on February 9, 2021March 9, 2023 by Maestro

As learning professionals, it’s important for us to gather data — learn about learning, if you will — in order to grow our learning systems and confirm that we’re solving the right problems.

Being a good interviewer is an essential part of gathering feedback from users, learners, and partners. When done correctly, asking questions and listening helps build empathy with your audience while gathering valuable intelligence that can power your organization forward.

How to be a good interviewer — preparation is key!

When you’re using interviews to gather information, make sure you understand what you’re hoping to learn more about. Understanding what you’d like to learn helps set up the rest of your interview.

A common way to prepare for interviews is to create a set of questions. Make sure your questions follow these basic principles:

Avoid leading questions. Leading questions are the biggest enemy to a successful interview. You want to learn what the interviewee really thinks! Don’t set them up to tell you what you want to hear. For example instead of asking “You like learning with flashcards, don’t you?” ask, “What’s your favorite way to learn?”
Use shorter questions. Shorter questions are easier to understand and allow room for interpretation. This helps to get the interviewee talking, which can lead you into unexpected territory and reveal valuable information you never considered.
Avoid hypotheticals. Consider a question like, “If we offered a course about how to make balloon animals, would you take it?” People always want to present themselves in the best light possible, of course they’ll say they’d take your course! In reality there are so many factors that will impact whether or not they choose to participate.

If you’re going to hold the interview sessions virtually, prepare for any technological challenges you may encounter. In our digital world, these types of challenges can ruin an interview, but they’re usually easy to avoid if you plan ahead.

We thought you could use a cheat sheet for all of this

Download our quick reference to keep these tips top of mind during your next interview!

Download the list→

How to be an effective interviewer — notes from the pros

Emulating the masters of your craft is a great recipe for success. While there’s no hall of fame for the world’s best interviewers, there are many people working across different industries that you can look to for pointers. Here are a couple of role models to learn from as you look to get the most out of your interview:

Make your interviewee feel heard

Oprah Winfrey holds the record for most-viewed television interview (her interview with Micheal Jackson) and she interviewed tens of thousands of people over the course of her career, including Tom Cruise, Barack Obama, and Beyonce. Winfrey realized that every issue or problem that was featured on her show, at its root, was due to someone not being noticed or heard. She reflected on her interviewing experience,

“After every interview, you know what they would say? ‘Was that okay? How was that? How did I do?’ In one form or another, somebody always said that [to me]….”

You may not be interviewing presidents or pop stars, but the principle still applies. Asking questions about the challenges facing your audience, and listening to their responses can provide valuable insights.

Don’t be afraid to interrupt

Malcolm Gladwell is the author of five New York Times bestsellers and the co-founder of the audio-content company Pushkin Industries. In Malcolm’s Masterclass he discusses how people tend to be afraid to interrupt. As an interviewer, one tactic Malcolm uses is to slow the interview with polite interruptions in an effort to get as much context and definition from his subject as possible. Asking clarifying questions is better than making assumptions about what your subject is saying.

Don’t over-prepare

Larry King was dubbed “The most remarkable talk show host on TV, ever” by TV Guide and “Master of the mic” by Time Magazine. To Larry, every interview was an exercise in curiosity. In a 2017 interview, Larry advocated for not having any agenda or preset list of questions. From Larry’s perspective, the strategy of having a preset list of questions and objectives is in direct conflict to curious interviewing. Larry of course was a trained professional who honed his interviewing skills over years of experience. If you’re not as “live in the moment” as Larry, stick with your list of prepared questions and know that you might have to be a little flexible to get the most out of your sessions.

Qualities of a good interviewer — during the interview

There are a couple of principles that can support additional conversation and get the interviewee talking about their experience, so you can listen and learn more.

Adopt an investigative mindset

At this point in the process, you’re prepared for the interview and ready to ask questions. It’s important to make sure you adopt a mindset to examine the information your interviewee is giving you. Consider reconciling what is known, against what is unknown while you’re interviewing. Focusing on uncovering the unknown and learning more about it can help lead your interview in a valuable direction.

Follow up for more detail

Sometimes all it takes is a small phrase to get to the detail you’re really searching for. It can be hard to think of a follow up prompt in the moment. Here are a few of our favorites:

“Tell me more…”
“Expand on…”
“What did you mean by…”
“Could you describe…”

Pick one of these that feels most organic to you, write it down, and reference it during your interview. (P.S. We made a downloadable checklist for how to be a better interviewer, if you’re interested.)

Take advice from a 3 year old

If those prompts don’t reveal the information you’re looking for, consider asking “Why?” multiple times. This method, popular with many 3 year olds, was developed at Toyota Motor Company and was instrumental in helping them develop their continuous improvement approach to manufacturing. While it might seem clumsy, asking “Why?” multiple times can lead the conversation toward a path of discovering the root cause of an issue.

Identify questions that don’t work

In the spirit of continuous improvement, make note of what questions confuse interviewees or perhaps even cause them to react negatively. These notes will become invaluable as you proceed to other interviews and as you become a more seasoned interviewer.

Leave some room

Once you’ve asked all the questions on your list, make time for the interviewee to cover any ground they think is important that perhaps you missed. While many interviewees might not offer this information up, try prompting them with one of these examples:

Is there anything you want to add?
Is there anything you want to discuss that we didn’t cover?
What didn’t I ask that you want to talk about?

What Is the Difference between Coaching and Mentoring?

Posted on January 12, 2021March 9, 2023 by Maestro

Professional development is vital for creating a work environment where employees thrive. Up to 49% of millennials plan to quit their job within two years, and one way to avoid this costly turnover is to provide opportunity for your employees to better themselves personally and professionally. Two tools that work wonderfully for this: coaching and mentoring.

Although the terms coaching and mentoring are often used interchangeably, there are distinct differences between the two, and it’s important to know when it’s best to use each. Failing to recognize and understand these subtle differences between coaching and mentoring can also obscure objectives and lead to confusion among employees.

So, what are the differences between coaching and mentoring, and how can you use both to maximize your team’s potential? First, let’s define them.

Coaching explained

According to the International Coach Federation, coaching is, “an interactive process to help individuals and organizations develop more rapidly and produce more satisfying results; improving others’ abilities to set goals, take action, make better decisions and make full use of their natural strengths.”

Coaching is task-oriented with a focus on specific skill or performance issues. The learner is typically looking to improve or master skills. This type of relationship is often short-term, but it can last as long as necessary to accomplish the goal(s) at hand.

Driven by performance, coaching doesn’t necessarily have a standard method, because a coach will meet the student at his point of progress and work toward the desired end goal.

Even though there is no set design, coaching tends to be more formal and structured. Sessions are regularly scheduled in specific and predictable venues. The immediate manager of the coachee is involved directly as an active partner. A coach is not typically viewed or regarded as a role model, like a mentor might be, and usually does not introduce the student to people of influence in the industry or organization.

Mentoring explained

The Association for Talent Development defines mentoring as “a reciprocal and collaborative at-will relationship that most often occurs between a senior and junior employee for the purpose of the mentee’s growth, learning, and career development. Often, the mentor and mentee are internal to an organization, and there is an emphasis on organizational goals, culture, and advice on professional development.”

Mentoring is relationship-oriented and seeks to provide a secure environment for sharing and relationship building. Mentors want to create balance by improving self-confidence and self-esteem in their mentees, being driven by the desire to help them develop personally and holistically. This type of working relationship is almost always long-term, and involves mutual sharing and the creation of a climate of trust necessary for personal growth.

Unlike coaching, mentoring usually involves a design phase to examine strategic purpose, areas of focus, and tactical details. The direct manager of a mentee is indirectly involved in a mentoring relationship. The primary connection is between the mentor and the mentee.

Mentoring tends to be informal, and meetings can take place in a variety of venues—including over dinner, on outings, or in private settings. A mentor is often regarded as a role model and frequently advocates on behalf of a mentee. The mentor may also focus on introducing the mentee to persons of influence in the industry or organization.

What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?

The use of words such as trainer or counselor can blur the distinctions between coaching and mentoring further. However, there’s one noticeable difference that these definitions underscore.

Coaching is task-oriented, mentoring is relationship-oriented

In most cases, coaching focuses attention on improving a specific skill or helping the coachee reach certain goals. Mentoring emphasizes a more holistic development of the mentee. In other words, coaching is more task-oriented and mentoring is more relationship-oriented.

Mixing coaching with mentoring

Coaching interactions are generally of shorter durations than mentoring relationships. But, that’s not always the case. The relationship between a world-class athlete and their coach or high-powered executive and a coach may start with the desire to hone specific skills, and it may grow beyond that—moving on to other performance tasks, and even evolving into a broader and more personal connection that’s a mix of coaching and mentoring.

Defining the relationship is key with coaching and mentoring

What begins as a coaching initiative may evolve into a broader relationship with many of the characteristics of mentoring. The disciplines have clear and logical differences, and it’s good for everyone involved to understand what’s expected of them. Whichever route you choose, knowing the difference between coaching and mentoring forms a strong foundation for professional development.

How to Run a Focus Group like a Boss

Posted on November 10, 2020March 9, 2023 by Maestro

When it comes to collecting high-quality, detailed customer feedback, creating a focus group is one of the best ways to do it. So, what’s the purpose of focus groups—and how can you run one in a way that maximizes insight and helps you gain a deeper understanding of how your ideal customer thinks?

What is a focus group?

A focus group is a method of market research that involves getting a group of people together to gather feedback about an offering, this can be a campaign, product, service, etc. Typically, focus groups involve a well-trained facilitator along with carefully selected group members that fit the target market of whatever you’re gathering feedback on. Beyond the usual topics of products and services, focus groups can also be run to get insights on training, messaging, and almost any question you want to verify by collecting data.

What do focus groups do?

Before getting into the weeds of how to run a focus group, it’s important to understand their purpose and answer the question: what do focus groups do?

Focus groups offer scalability and group interaction

With a focus group, you can get rich, detailed feedback from your ideal customers with less time and monetary investment than other qualitative feedback methods like one-on-one interviews or ethnography. Another great thing about focus groups is that they generate discussion when facilitated well. Participants not only get the opportunity to give their opinions but also to comment on and respond to others’ opinions, generating discussion and insights that you couldn’t have anticipated or written in a survey.

Focus groups are a great source of qualitative feedback

With surveys, it’s easy to generate quantitative feedback, which is helpful when refining products, services, and campaigns. However, focus groups offer qualitative data, giving you a personal, bird’s-eye view of how your customer sees your offering in the world and the topics you present to them. When a focus group is run successfully, it gives your developer, designers, and marketers a roadmap for more successful launches.

How to run a focus group

1. Set up a focus group

A focus group without objectives might as well be called a book club. Start strong by meeting with team members and coming up with three to four objectives for the focus group. These objectives should serve as guides throughout the process to make sure you’re on track to gathering the information you need through questions and answers.

2. Select your participants, facilitator, and observers

Participants

Most focus groups function best between 4–12 participants. You want a group that’s not too big or too small to encourage healthy discussion. While ideally selection of participants should be randomized in some ways, you want the group to be reflective of your target audience.

Facilitator and observers

Facilitators can either be sourced in-house or hired, depending on the importance of the project as well as your budget. If hiring someone is beyond budget, don’t worry. A facilitator from inside of your organization can be trained on how to run a focus group (more on this later). Every focus group should also have a few observers from the organization who watch and take note of reactions, including body language, from another room.

3. Run the focus group

Establish ground rules

Group dynamics can be a lot to reign in, and the best way to get ahead of that potential challenge is by establishing solid ground rules for your focus group. This is the time for the facilitator to reiterate the purpose of the study to participants, remind them that it’s ok to agree and disagree, and encourage open communication.

Present the topic for discussion

Once the rules are established, you can present the subject of the focus group; which could be a product that group members interact with, or a presentation on a service or campaign to inform them. Once participants have had time to experience the topic that’s up for discussion, it’s time to read the room.

Probe into participant reactions

Unlike a survey, you have the unique opportunity to dig deeper when a participant reacts in a way that makes you want to learn more. Facilitators should be trained adequately to know when to ask for clarification and be careful to avoid creating bias in participant responses. Avoid leading questions that imply a particular answer, double-barreled questions that ask multiple questions at once, or closed questions that discourage elaboration for best results.

4. Analyze and apply the data

Once you’ve ended the focus group (don’t forget to thank your participants!), it’s time to collect and analyze the insights. Looking for common themes is one way to understand responses from focus groups. You can also assign value to certain responses and standardize insights to further organize them. No matter how you choose to look at the data, remember to filter responses through your original objectives to maintain focus.

Tips for focus group facilitators

Now that we’ve covered how to run a focus group, here are some helpful tips for focus group facilitators.

1. Make sure to cover all of the questions

Facilitating groups of any size can be a challenge to stay on schedule. With that reality, focus group facilitators should keep time at top of mind in order to make it through the full schedule of questions. Often, focus groups are run over several sessions, so take the time to plan ahead on each session’s agenda to ensure everything gets covered.

2. Make sure everyone gets a chance to share

Every group will have people that can’t wait to share their opinions, and people that will think their opinions don’t need to be shared (despite being a participant in a focus group, which is, quite literally, the point of being in a focus group.) How do you manage these dynamics? Facilitators should gently guide discussions and even ask quieter participants questions directly to make sure everyone has a chance to respond. If there’s a particularly talkative group member that is resistant to create space for others to share, a facilitator could ask other group members to respond to what’s being said to encourage a more lively discussion.

3. Learn to be comfortable with silence

It can be tempting to fill those awkward silences focus groups inevitably experience, but doing so can actually limit who speaks and what kinds of insights you gather. A good rule of thumb for group facilitators is to count six seconds each time they finish asking a question and every time someone finishes speaking. This gives ample opportunity for those participants who need that silence to collect their thoughts.

Customers are your biggest source of insight

When it comes to how to run a focus group, the customer is key. They’re the people you serve, and their opinions should drive how your products, services, and messaging are developed. If there’s one thing you take away from our advice on creating a focus group, it’s this: don’t run a focus group unless you’re ready to make a change. Gathering customer feedback only makes a difference when you respond to it. And when you do, your customers will thank you for it.

How to Make a Splash at Your Next National Sales Meeting

Posted on October 27, 2020March 9, 2023 by Maestro

When it comes to company-wide events, national sales meetings (NSMs) are one of the best opportunities to celebrate successes and strategize for the year ahead. For many, national sales meetings are the one opportunity to gather your entire sales force each year, so it’s important to be intentional with your time and ensure that each element contributes to sales team empowerment and accomplishing your goals.

Year after year, events like these run the risk of growing stale, so we’ve compiled a list of national sales meeting ideas to keep it fresh in the time of coronavirus—along with some of our top planning tips.

Purpose of a national sales meeting

Your annual sales conference will often serve multiple purposes—celebrating successes, strategizing for the year ahead, introducing new products, and mobilizing your sales force can all be included among NSM goals. Our recommendation would be to set goals for this year’s NSM early; the more time you have to plan, the more intentional you can be with each part of the event whether it’s in-person or virtual.

Make your next national sales meeting meaningful

Most national sales meetings include a theme, breakout sessions, videos, speakers, and workshops; the difference between valuable and forgettable comes down to intentional planning and strategy. Here are some national sales meeting ideas to make sure every part of your event is a success.

National sales meeting themes

It can be tempting to fall back on platitudes for national sales meeting ideas, but generally speaking, cheesy themes don’t generate buy-in. Instead, approach your sales meeting theme the same way you would with a campaign, choosing a message that can easily be woven into every element of the event. The key is to ensure that the message stays consistent, so review presentations, trainings, or breakout sessions to see that the theme is sprinkled throughout the various experiences for attendees.

This year, it would make little sense to leave the year’s events and the coronavirus pandemic unaddressed. However, most of us are tired of hearing phrases like “we’re in this together” so make sure to spend some time brainstorming messaging that would help attendees feel supported and empowered during these unprecedented times.

Breakout sessions

Breakout sessions are expected at events like national sales meetings. One way to make it worthwhile is to build lots of opportunity for interactivity. What makes a breakout session memorable? If you’re introducing a product, give participants an up-close and personal look at the product’s details for themselves. In order to keep everyone safe, consider trading a physical product demo for a virtual one via augmented reality. Build your breakout sessions with engagement in mind to avoid the notorious PowerPoint snooze fest.

Hype videos

Got a new campaign launching or a product to show off to your sales team? Hype videos are a great way to get everyone excited and generate interest. The best hype videos have laser-focused messaging and an energized tone. Related to the hype video are the longer, feature-benefit videos, while it might seem efficient to combine these two, we recommend choosing to keep them separate. After all, they each serve a separate purpose and will function better communicating the right messaging on their own.

Training

After the excitement of a keynote speaker, theme, and hype videos, we’ve noticed that training can be left to the last minute at national sales meetings. Don’t miss this opportunity. There should be as much thought and intention put into training at an NSM as any other aspect.

To motivate this year’s sales meeting training sessions, consider ditching the printed pdfs (considering the format your NSM will take, hardcopies might not even be a relevant means to deliver training anyway) and opt for a modern approach with eLearning that embraces microlearning, scenario-based activities, and technology to engage your audience and makes them want to follow-up later.

Sales tool launches

New sales tools generate lots of excitement at national sales meetings. They’re great for getting your sales team to start strong on strategy for the year ahead. However, we’ve seen companies rush a sales tool build just to launch it in time for an NSM. Our advice? You can still educate and build lots of momentum around a tool before it’s ready for launch, and your team will thank you for taking the time to perfect it. You can do this with a presentation or a hype video designed to highlight key features and prepare attendees for what’s ahead.

Dos and don’ts at this year’s NSM

Do: Plan earlier and better

Since national sales meetings are high stakes and meant to send off your sales team in a unified direction, careful and early planning is the best way to guarantee success. Especially when it comes to productions like product launches or videos, planning can start as early as May–June (in which case, you might’ve already started working on deliverables for the big day); that way, there’s plenty of time to craft a high quality experience for your attendees. Planning ahead also leaves room for adjustments you may not be able to avoid (hello, this year!). If we’ve learned anything from 2020, it’s to expect the unexpected. If you haven’t started thinking about what you’re bringing to your NSM, let this blog be the sign you needed to get started!

Don’t: Try to combine everything into one resource

National sales meetings can cost a lot, and part of that is the printed collateral. It may be tempting to combine pieces for efficiency, but marketing materials perform better when focused on a specific target audience. And this year, you might need to think differently about what that varying collateral looks like, with people experiencing remote work in some capacity. Spend time with your team to plan out each email, pdf, slide deck, etc. beforehand—that way, each resource will be valued and support your sales meeting goals.

Do: Take advantage of insights from voice of customer (VOC) work

Throughout the year, as your team collects customer feedback for products and campaigns, don’t miss the opportunity to use those insights in your national sales meeting. It’s powerful for a sales team to hear straight from the customer what worked and what didn’t. Make sure to look through your customer insights throughout the year to find a few quotes to share in a workshop or training session.

How to Creatively Host a Virtual National Sales Meeting

Posted on September 29, 2020March 9, 2023 by Maestro

For many companies, national sales meetings are a great way to highlight the year’s successes, inspire with strategy for the year ahead, introduce new products or initiatives, and mobilize and equip your sales team for whatever lies ahead. This year, the coronavirus pandemic presents a unique challenge for companies who are used to large-scale, week-long national sales meetings; is there a way to provide the same value when hosting a virtual meeting? Let’s talk about corporate best practices for your upcoming NSM (it’ll be here sooner than you think).

Did you know we made a training course on how to properly wear PPE?

We’re giving it away for free. Pass it along.

Download here→

The purpose of national sales meetings

Whether you’re going virtual or finding creative ways to host an in-person national sales meeting, reflect on what you need to accomplish with the time you have this year.

1. Celebrate successes of the previous year

Many companies track sales success with leaderboards, and national sales meetings are the perfect moment to highlight the sales reps who’ve knocked it out of the park. This is the place where top sales reps share personal stories, giving others inspiration and motivation for the year ahead.

2. Execute sales strategy for the upcoming year

The national sales meeting is the one event each year where you can guarantee your entire sales force is present—it’s important to take advantage of this by making sure everyone is on the same page about messaging, marketing, and sales techniques. National sales meetings are perfect for marketing presentations and other resources you can give your sales team to maintain brand consistency.

3. Introduce new products and reveal upcoming campaigns

National sales meetings are also a place of excitement and big reveals; there’s no better time to introduce a new product, service, or initiative that you want your company to be excited about. You can use video, product demonstrations, augmented reality, and even breakout sessions to give everyone the opportunity to familiarize themselves with your offerings before embarking on another year of sales.

4. Equip and mobilize your sales force

If you do nothing else at a national sales meeting, make sure you educate, inspire, and empower your sales team. After all, they’re the ones that connect directly with customers, building the strong relationships you rely on to be successful. There are so many ways to accomplish this, including keynotes and workshops.

Embrace the unconventional this year

It may seem impossible to accomplish your company’s usual agenda in a virtual setting, but we think with the right strategy and a shift in mindset, virtual meetings can be as impactful as an in-person national sales meeting.

5 creative ideas for virtual meetings

1. Recreate a game in virtual space

Just like ice breakers at in-person events and conferences, why not start your virtual meeting with an easy, team-based game? Try to choose a game that doesn’t involve additional technology to avoid issues around bandwidth or connectivity. To personalize it, consider creating a company-oriented trivia challenge and have groups form teams to increase interaction among participants.

2. Invite an outside speaker, ideally a customer

There is so much to learn from loyal customers, and your reps might not be aware of your customers that have turned into evangelists. Bring that success right in front of your sales team by inviting one of them to speak during your virtual NSM. A customer sharing their positive experience with your company is a great opportunity for your sales team to learn directly from the source, while getting inspired to create even more loyal customers.

3. Create product videos that make up for the loss of interactivity

When introducing products and campaigns at national sales meetings, it’s common for videos to be mostly hype without much practical application. For in-person events, that’s expected as there is usually a live demo or workshop to compensate for what doesn’t get explained in a video.

Since that won’t be an option this year, consider using your traditional hype video to include more details on the product features to educate and empower your team through media that you were already planning to have there.

4. Deliver swag ahead of time

In-person national sales meetings are normally packed with a bunch of goodies for sales reps to use in the year ahead like branded merchandise, brochures, and other helpful materials for them to use with customers. Even if you’re planning on a virtual meeting this year, don’t skip this step! Coordinate swag bag deliveries to your guests before the dates of your virtual NSM to build anticipation and excitement for the event. An intentional gesture like this shows your team how much you value all of their hard work.

5. Take advantage of conference app features

Whether you use Zoom, Webex, or any number of professional conferencing tools for your virtual meeting, there are plenty of interactive features you can use to your advantage and increase interactivity among your audience. For example, replace asking for a show of hands with the “raise hand” feature many apps offer to allow participants to respond to content in real time. This is also a great feature for virtual Q&As.

Additionally, many conferencing apps include chat and even polling capabilities to help you get that much more out of virtual meetings. When brainstorming a switch to virtual this year, take some time to research the features available to you and find interesting ways to incorporate them to help your sales team feel like they’re sitting in the room with you.

3 pro tips for switching to a virtual meeting

1. Plan early, and plan intentionally

Since this year’s virtual meeting is likely to be different from every other national sales meeting, it’s time to start thinking about what kind of presence you want to bring to the (metaphorical) stage. Need to mail marketing materials? Gather those addresses bright and early. Want a few case studies for a breakout session? Identify those success stories and start prepping them to share in a virtual space.

Another thing to be conscious of is that virtual meetings are inherently at a greater risk for disruption due to technical difficulties. It wouldn’t hurt to have extra help from IT on standby, whether it’s your internal department or extra support hired to ensure a smooth event.

2. Acknowledge the pandemic

We’ve all had a wild year—how would it feel to sit through a national sales meeting where none of the hardships of the pandemic were even acknowledged? Making mention of how the year’s events have affected everyone is a good show of authenticity as well as a reminder to your employees that you’re thinking about their wellbeing.

3. Don’t just slap Zoom on it and expect it to work

If you take your exact itinerary from an in-person national sales meeting and think transferring it to Zoom/Webex/any other conferencing app will work out, you’re mistaken. No one wants to be at a conference for 8 hours a day for a week-straight. In order to make your virtual meeting a success, it’ll require intentional restructuring and planning. Sit down with team leads ahead of time to gather insight on the content everyone wants to learn.

Treat virtual meetings like a process, not an event

Virtual meetings are a bigger success when they’re treated more like a process and less like a one-off event. If you take one piece of advice from this blog it should be this: consider how to build momentum and interaction beforehand, and find creative ways to follow up on the content shared during your national sales meeting for optimal results.

What Does It Really Cost to Create Augmented Reality?

Posted on August 11, 2020March 9, 2023 by Maestro

In recent years, augmented reality has continued to grow with companies around the world looking for ways to implement the technology to increase sales, boost demo impact, or show off the details of their latest products—but is anyone talking about how much augmented reality costs? And is augmented reality a practical tool for companies to implement? Here are the factors that impact augmented reality app cost, and what AR on various budgets can look like.

The value of augmented reality

Whether you’ve used augmented reality before or not, it’s important to know why this technology is so compelling. By allowing users to superimpose digital images onto reality through devices like phones, AR has transformed the way companies approach sales, product demonstrations, education, and even rehabilitation.

The value of AR continues to grow as we discover new ways to use it. Now, we know what you’re thinking, more value = more cost. But not necessarily. Here are three factors that we know impact the cost of AR apps.

3 factors that impact augmented reality app cost

1. Interactions

The concept of augmented reality is built around interactions, or experiences that allow the user to interact with a new reality that is created when the digital image is superimposed into real space. There are many different kinds of interactions available, and AR apps with lots of high-level interactions cost more.

What are some of the interactions available? For basic interaction, most AR apps will use 3D animated interactions, which projects a 3D model into reality. This is likely what many people think of when they think of AR. An intermediate interaction takes this a step forward — what was once a solid 3D model in real space can now be revealed layer by layer, showing the user the inner workings of a product. Advanced AR interactions can involve multiple models interacting or proximity animations, where different sequences are activated depending on where the user is standing in relation to the models.

As the number and complexity of interactions increases for an AR app, so does the cost. Don’t let this deter you from investing in an AR project. Spend time with your team and gain a thorough understanding of the experience you’re hoping to create for your users. From there, it will become clear the types of interactions you need and how you should prioritize budget.

2. Asset and model preparation

Any high-quality AR app relies on models and assets of the products a company wishes to project into reality. Not every company has 3D models and digital assets prepared when they start an augmented reality project. A company that approaches a developer with branded assets, 3D files, and other elements will likely spend less to develop their AR app than one that hasn’t begun this process.

Many AR developers, including our Array team, are happy to help with this part of the process to ensure that your AR experience is everything you envision.

3. App developer

Another factor that influences augmented reality cost is the developer for your project. Prices can vary depending on what you’re looking for with an average cost of $150 an hour for global app development. Though cost will influence who you choose to develop your AR app, it’s equally important to make sure that you’re working with someone who understands your vision and is committed to exploring innovative solutions with you.

Low-, mid-, and high-cost AR projects

Now that we understand some factors that affect augmented reality cost, let’s look at examples of low-, mid-, and high-cost AR projects.

Low-cost: A six-foot tower in your back pocket

When one of our clients, a large medical device company, approached us to help them take their six-foot, bulky medical device and make it portable for product demos, we worked with them to create an AR application that put this looming piece of tech straight into their sales reps back pockets. The basic interactions included in this project helped make the sales process easier for them, and engaging for their potential customers.

Mid-cost: Showcasing pre-surgery workflow

In our work with a medical company, the company needed a way to easily explain the surgery prep process to their staff. To accomplish this, we created an app that allows them to project a leg with AR anywhere in the room, allowing surgeons to walk through the pre-surgery workflow with their teams. This project required more than the basic 3D projection of the project in the low-cost tier, allowing medical workers to see and familiarize themselves with procedures and to improve the overall surgical workflow.

High-cost: Making complex processes simple with AR

Eaton approached us to improve their trade show experience and showcase how their electrical components work together to improve vehicle performance. This project went beyond basic 3D model interactions and used layering to show consumers the details of Eaton’s tech in real-time on the showroom floor. Verbal explanations can fall short when reps are trying to explain complex processes, and with this AR experience, we were able to help Eaton support their sales reps to show instead of tell.

A low-cost, high-impact AR solution

Between interactions, asset prep, developers, and real world examples, augmented reality app cost augmented reality app cost may seem like too much of an investment to take on—but what if we told you there was a way to get a high-impact AR experience for only $250 a month for your first product?

We’ve worked tirelessly to develop Array, our AR app that allows customers to see what’s possible with your product. The app gives you a place to upload a branded catalogue of products for your customers to interact with. Array gives companies the high-polish experience of a custom AR app, with the added benefits of updates, feature improvements, and a community-driven user base.

Quiz: Is Immersive Technology Right for Your Learning?

After years of hype, VR and AR have finally become more practical, accessible, and affordable. But is immersive technology right for your learning?

It’s time to stop wondering and start planning. This quiz takes the guesswork out of AR and VR to tell you whether immersive technology is right for your project—and if it is, which format is the best fit for your learning objectives. Ready to find out if your future is virtual?

Quiz: Is Immersive Technology Right for Your Learning?→

7 Examples of Augmented Reality That Made an Impact

Posted on July 28, 2020April 20, 2023 by Maestro

From its start in the mid 20th century, to its growing prevalence in modern society, augmented reality has enabled us to impose virtual objects into reality to entertain us, expand our understanding of technology, help consumers make purchasing decisions, and empower interactive, virtual demos.

While it may seem gimmicky to some, augmented reality should be part of every company’s toolkit for its versatility and range of benefits. Let’s take a look at eight augmented reality examples that showcase what’s possible with AR.

7 augmented reality examples that changed business

1. Pokémon Go: Putting augmented reality on a global stage

Many people didn’t know augmented reality could exist in their pockets until Pokémon Go hit app stores in 2016 and took the world by storm. Video games have been going viral for years—what made Pokémon Go different was its use of augmented reality on anyone’s phones, which inspired masses of people to explore their neighborhoods and cities in search of pokémon, treasure, and gym battles.

Though the game wasn’t the first instance of augmented reality, its virality brought AR to the global stage, showing off its potential for calls to action and increasing interactivity in the app.

2. IKEA Place and Shopify: Using AR to drive product sales

Demoing products doesn’t always involve a sales rep with AR. In these augmented reality examples, IKEA, Shopify, and other retailers have harnessed the power of 3D models to allow customers to see what products will look like in-person.

For IKEA’s app, Place, augmented reality calculates a user’s room size and allows the user to place full-scale furniture in their homes to preview if the furniture will fit in their spaces. For Shopify store owners, this means introducing 3D models of their products in the app so customers can see every angle as if they were looking at the items in a store. For the retail industry, augmented reality takes the guesswork out of the buying process and could increase conversions by up to 250%.

3. Eaton: Boosting trade show performance with AR

When we were approached by Eaton to improve their trade show experience, we used AR technology to superimpose a car onto the trade show floor though an app to highlight Eaton’s electronic components. Not only could trade show attendees clearly see Eaton’s products, but they could get specific insights into how they worked at the show without needing to set up another demo with a rep later.

The best way to learn is through real world examples, and augmented reality allows companies with advanced products to showcase them in a way that tells a clear and compelling story.

eaton car augmented reality experience on ipad

4. Google Expeditions: Enhancing learning through AR

Augmented reality also has the potential to transform education, and Google has been one of its early adopters with the launch of Google Expeditions in 2015. Using a mobile app, teachers can push the boundaries of their classroom by allowing students to explore 360 degree scenes through virtual reality and view 3D models in the classroom using augmented reality.

When AR is used in the learning industry, the benefits include increased engagement and higher learner retention. While Google Expeditions was created for use in schools, there are applications for AR in corporate learning, too.

5. PEZ Play: Using gamification to tell a brand story

One of the more lighthearted augmented reality examples is PEZ Play, created by the candy company to gamify their collectible candy dispensers. Using the PezPlay app, PEZ packaging can be scanned to unlock a PEZ world full of games, even allowing users to place PEZ characters in the real world. Using AR in this way is a great way to tell a story with your brand and build on what your customers already love about your products.

6. Spaulding Rehabilitation Center: Applying AR to the healing process

At Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, the Inspire lab has found a remarkable way to use augmented reality to help their patients heal. Through an AR headset, spinal trauma and similarly impaired patients are able to follow a virtual PacMan through the halls of the hospital to build muscle, increase their pace, and learn to keep their head steady.

The PacMan AR program has varying speeds that it uses to challenge and improve patient mobility, and it can be customized to fit each patient’s current ability. This is a perfect example of augmented reality apps for healthcare really making an impact, giving people added interactivity as they face rehabilitation can empower their healing journeys.

7. Array: Making AR effortless with dynamic product demos

One of the biggest benefits to AR that we can’t reiterate enough is that it makes demoing products easier, especially those large, high tech products. Sales reps don’t have to think twice about showcasing these products to potential customers when they can do so by opening an app on their phone. That’s exactly why Array exists. Array is an augmented reality app that allows users to upload 3D assets of their product and save those assets in a product portfolio for easy demoing when engaging with potential customers. Added bonus: the simplicity of Array’s UI makes not only adding assets to the app and demoing products effortless, it also makes for easy adoption of the app by reps.

Beyond the ability to demo the size of a product, AR is more than worth it when you consider its ability to give customers an ‘under the hood’ look at your products. AR can detail how each component works, putting visuals to processes that happen inside of a product and that can be hard to explain. This is another challenge with in-person, which is why we think it’s worth investing in an AR app like Array. Less worrying about transport or how to communicate all of the comprehensive features = more time for your sales team to focus on making the product stand out.

array engine augmented reality experience on iphone

Augmented reality is the way forward

Still think AR is a gimmick? After reading through these augmented reality examples, hopefully you have a new understanding of just how powerful this tool can be for your business.

As you continue to look for ways to improve your sales funnel, train your employees effectively, and build a better world, consider this: augmented reality could be the next step to get there.

4 Brainstorming Ideas to Help You Adapt to Changing Circumstances

Posted on July 21, 2020March 9, 2023 by Maestro

Have you ever been in a meeting where you’re supposed to think of creative ideas, but you’re totally stuck? When you think of brainstorming, is the association a positive one — where you and the team walk away with brilliant ideas — or the opposite, leaving an extra long meeting with feelings of wasted time?

We’re talking brainstorming ideas that help you and your team generate motivating ideas every time, and how to keep that momentum in this constantly changing world we’re in.

What is brainstorming?

Let’s start by defining what brainstorming is. Did you know the term didn’t exist until 1948 when Alex Osborn published the term in the book Your Creative Power? In his book, he described brainstorming as a method that would allow a person to generate up to 87 unique ideas in 90 minutes.

Beyond this, Osborn set four ground rules for brainstorming:

No negative feedback
Quantity over quality
Use others’ ideas as launchpads
Encourage big thinking

Essentially, Osborn created a system for idea generation that removed limits we often place on ourselves that prevent creativity. This is why when brainstorming is done effectively, you can master the exploration stage of any project and come up with unique ideas.

Convergent vs. divergent thinking

Another way we like to frame effective brainstorming is by talking about convergent vs divergent thinking. Convergent thinking is about narrowing down, focusing, and getting to an answer, whereas divergent thinking involves continually opening the mind to new and wilder possibilities. One of our favorites, IDEO brainstorming, has embraced the power of divergent thinking and built activities to encourage bigger and better ideas.

4 ways to set up your brainstorming sessions for success

Now that we understand what brainstorming is and isn’t, let’s talk about how to set the stage for a successful brainstorming session. Here are four ways you can improve your brainstorming sessions right away.

1. Start with clear expectations

Let’s get it right from the start: your brainstorming session is going to be as strong as you plan for it to be. It’s a good idea for organizers and facilitators to plan ahead, setting expectations for participants before they ever step in the room. When everyone is already aware of what’s expected of them in the session — less time can be spent getting everyone onboard, and there’s more time for idea generation.

Beyond setting expectations, it’s also recommended to communicate session objectives ahead of time. Maybe you’re trying to generate as many ideas as possible for an upcoming campaign, or you want to walk away one step closer to solving a problem at hand. No matter what the goal is, the clearer you are with those attending the session, the better.

2. Set a schedule ahead of time to keep things moving

Setting expectations and sharing objectives are both important steps to take before a brainstorming session; equally important is for organizers to decide a schedule and assign time limits for various activities and discussions. Once a schedule is set, make sure to send it to everyone for a smoother process — consider adding a short agenda to the meeting invite!

3. Choose the right facilitator and invest in their growth

We believe that anyone has the potential to be a good facilitator, but there are some qualities they should have. First, facilitators need to maintain a neutral perspective throughout the session. Favoritism can interfere with ideas being presented, and potentially be interpreted as negative feedback.

Facilitators should also be curious and willing to ask follow-up questions while fielding ideas from the group. Often in the discussion following an idea you get the information needed to bring that idea to life. Finally, facilitators should be active listeners. The purpose of a brainstorming session is to get as many ideas on the floor as possible; having a facilitator that can listen while also guiding the conversation forward is key.

4. Include warm-up activities to generate creative energy

In order to get the creative energy flowing, we recommend including a few warm-up activities at the beginning of any brainstorming sessions. These activities lighten the mood and reduce nerves contributors may feel around sharing their brainstorming ideas. Here are a few ideas to try for warm-up activities:

Circles

For this activity, every group member gets a piece of paper with 20 circles drawn on it in a grid. Each person is tasked in the time given to create something out of the circles. The reason we love this activity is that every person thinks differently. For example, one person could combine two of the circles in the grid to make a can of soda; another person may string together circles to create an animal. After time is up, everyone shares what they used the circles to create in the grid.

Improv

Surprise! Brainstorming and improv actually have a lot in common. Like divergent thinking used in brainstorming, improv relies on a “yes, and…” attitude, continually building off of other people’s ideas. Our favorite format for this is to get the group to stand in a circle and one person takes a piece of paper from the group leader with an idea on it. Whoever starts will begin a story using whatever idea is on their scrap of paper. The person standing next to them in the circle says “yes, and…”, taking the previous person’s idea and incorporating it into the next part of the story with their own idea. This activity gets people to think on their feet and get comfortable sharing their ideas out loud.

4 activities for powerful brainstorming ideas

Now that you have the tools to build a strong brainstorming foundation, what are some brainstorming activities that you should include in your next session?

1. Individual brainstorming

Our first brainstorming idea isn’t for a specific format, but rather a reminder to include individual brainstorming opportunities in your sessions before you come together to share ideas as a group. This allows everyone to bring their unique perspective and voice to the table, giving way to more individual, and hopefully varied, ideas and avoiding groupthink.

2. Mashup

Mashup involves taking two ideas that don’t seem to go together and finding connections between them. For example, if your client is a hospital, you could do a mashup activity based on the question, “How do we make a hospital more like an Airbnb”? The idea of a hospital stay is much different than a stay at an Airbnb, but what aspects of an Airbnb vacation can be brought into a hospital setting to make the hospital environment better for patients? Have participants spend time writing down what makes an Airbnb great, what is different about staying in a hospital, and what parts about staying at an Airbnb could make the hospital stay better. The more different the two idea starters are for the mashup, the more your group will be forced to think creatively and come up with unique ideas.

3. Random object activity

Another activity for generating brainstorming ideas is the random object activity. A facilitator can grab a seemingly random object from a bag and start asking questions about it. Questions like:

What made this object innovative when it was first introduced?
How is this object similar to our product?
Sell the object to the group in 2 minutes or less.
What are some of the object’s flaws? How would you address those?

Once dialogue has started about the object you can use the “yes, and…” attitude to generate more and more ideas. Remembering that quantity over quality is a goal for the brainstorm.

4. Idea wall

The Idea Wall is an IDEO brainstorming exercise. Set up a whiteboard or corkboard in a public area (even a bathroom could work) along with other office supplies like markers, push pins, colorful paper, and sticky notes. Ask employees to spend time drawing, writing, and posting ideas to the board and then discuss those ideas together. This activity is great if your group is short on time and a formal meeting time is a barrier to the brainstorm. You can set the board up whenever and wherever, and as your employees pass it throughout the workday they can add ideas when it’s most convenient for them. You never know when creative thinking will hit. Another benefit to this is that you can leave the board up as long as you want, though it would be helpful to set expectations with your group with a deadline for when you all will discuss what’ posted on the board.

Think bigger with brainstorming

Beyond the ideas generated in your brainstorm sessions, brainstorming can also positively impact company culture. Allowing employees’ ideas to be heard without judgment boosts confidence, encourages collaboration, and improves teamwork. And the more confident and collaborative your team is, the better your ideas will be.