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How to Budget a Project for Better Results

Role: Learning leader

How to Budget a Project for Better Results

Posted on by Maestro

When it comes to the question of how to budget a project, it’s hard to know where to start. For many, a project budget represents limitations, and the idea of limiting an important project seems like it would interfere with its potential. But have you considered the advantages of defining your budget up front?

Today, we’re going to take you through our approaches to clients who know their budget, those who don’t; and why we think it’s important to have a number in mind.

Client one: no budget, no rules

We’re joking with that headline. When we’re approached by clients that don’t know how to budget a project, we’re happy to explore options with them, but tend to approach the process differently than other projects with more guidelines set at the beginning of the project. Rather than getting targeted and specific from the start, we come up with broader budget options (usually three price tiers) and narrow project goals down from there. This often leads to several rounds of brainstorming, and potentially lots of back and forth.

The reality is, client one has to disclose their budget at some point before we move to the development stage. It’s only a matter of when  — delaying the inevitable can actually hinder the process of zeroing in on the best solution.

Client two: project budget in place

When a client comes to us knowing how to budget a project, it means we can get straight to work on creative ideas that fall within their preferred range. Rather than thinking broadly, we start specific and develop targeted solutions to address the challenges they’re looking to solve by partnering with us.

For example, if client two approaches us with a $100,000 budget, we can create a more comprehensive eLearning curriculum, software, or marketing campaign. For eLearning, this could look like providing pre- and post-course content to reinforce learning outcomes. For marketing, it could mean adding more touchpoints for the target market to interact with in a campaign. For software, it means having the ability to build out a feature-rich final product.

In the absence of a larger budget, we work hard to deliver the same quality of work, while maximizing the project value. A project with a smaller budget might require more flexible solutions that work best in the short term, like just-in-time job aids on an eLearning project. It’s not so much about the size of the budget as it’s about having a budget to begin with. A project budget provides both the client and the partner with clarity for creative outcomes that meet and overcome those challenges the client is asking for help with.

Why having a project budget matters

Beyond brainstorming and planning, why does budgeting matter? Here are some of the reasons we find it valuable to plan ahead when it comes to project spend.

1. Creating and sticking to a budget prevents overspending

One of the most practical reasons for setting a budget is to prevent overspending. If you start a project without a number in mind, it will be hard to know when to spend and where to save. With a planned project cost estimation, you and your team can spend time brainstorming potential snags beforehand, so that every dollar has a purpose throughout the project.

2. Budgets challenge people to make creative solutions

Believe it or not, the Maestro team feels more creative when tasked with remaining within a certain budget. When the question of budget is unanswered, too many potential solutions can be presented that could all be out of your budget when it’s defined later in the process.

Even a ballpark number instantly helps us eliminate things that won’t work — while also focusing our energy on combining things that will work into a custom solution for you. Think of it like real estate: you wouldn’t want your real estate agent to show you houses that cost $1.5 mill. when you’ve only been pre-approved for a mortgage of $200K.

3. Sharing your budget shows us what you value

We want to create projects that match the value you place on solving your problem. Higher budgets don’t always mean you value a project more, but coming in with a clear vision of what you’re willing to spend helps us understand what creative risks you’re willing to take in order to see the final product. We’ll work to find innovative solutions within any price range.

4. Budget, along with scope and time, are key for project management

Have you ever heard of the Triple Constraint? It’s a project management term that refers to the three factors that must be considered when executing a project. Budget, scope, and time are like points on a triangle, and when one is stretched, the others are affected.

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How to Execute Project Management for eLearning

The benefit of setting a budget early is that you can already start to consider how other factors, like time and scope, might be affected. It offers you a clearer vision of the possibilities, and even obstacles to those if constraints happen, all-in-all better preparing you for what’s ahead.

How to create a project budget 

If you’re still procuring quotes and deciding who to work with on the project, it’s best to let us know up front. If we have a rough idea of what you’re looking for, we can come up with an estimate to save you time and make the selection process easier.

The process of project cost estimation can often be challenging for companies. If you’re not sure how to create a project budget, we can work with you to create a value proposition that lays the foundation for a budget. No matter where you find yourself in the budget planning process, we can meet you there.

What Two Stores Did to Improve Performance through Training

Posted on by Maestro

Grocery store training must adequately address the unique challenges facing the industry as the world continues to modernize. How will grocery stores and retailers continue to innovate as online shopping and delivery continues to grow? What will chains do to address the environmental factors that directly impact the items on their shelves?

And most importantly, how do grocery and retail stores create a culture and environment that communicates their value and importance to customers for future success? We’re diving into those questions by analyzing two stores—a large, national retailer and a regional grocery chain—and how they’ve tackled these challenges with custom grocery training.

When it comes to grocery training, here’s what’s important

Inventory and distribution

Distribution and stockroom workers aren’t the only employees who should have an understanding of how product moves from farms and factories to store shelves. In fact, great training for supermarket employees should educate everyone on how decisions in the store and corporate offices impact the entire supply chain. 

Sales

You can’t talk about grocery store training without talking about sales. Sales is one of the driving forces of store profits, and ensuring your team is well equipped to navigate the sales process with ease is crucial for happy customers and your company’s bottom line. And when replacing a sales rep costs an average of $115,000, this isn’t something you want to mess up.

Soft skills

While job roles and sales skills are key for retail training, soft skills are equally important for employees to help create customer satisfaction and loyalty. Some of the most valued soft skills for retail workers include customer service, organization, attention to detail, and active listening.

Policies and procedures

Every company has mandatory policies and procedures they must include in their grocery store training. An engaging approach with relevant content is key—after all, policies are vital to ensure employee, company, and customer success and safety. Store training like this can include workplace safety, workers’ rights and policies, or even health and safety topics like personal protective equipment.

Addressing bias training for a national retailer

Communicating company values across stores nationwide

Our client came to us with a challenge to create a supermarket management training program to address bias as well as a fundamental store training to walk team members through the store’s ethos, distribution and sales processes, customer philosophy, and more. Being a large, national retailer with over 1500 stores across the United States, it’s essential for them to replicate company values across all of their locations to create a cohesive customer experience.

three different screens of a retail store training program on three laptops

Our training solution

For the bias training, we created an app-based learning experience using eLucid to demonstrate the store’s three-step bias response model: Think. Pause. Act. Training is most effective when it meets learners where they’re at and offers an experience that keeps their attention; to do this, we created a motion graphic video to show the bias response model in a clear and visually appealing way.

think pause act screen from a retail store training program on laptop

To cover fundamentals, we developed a 4-course series with sections focusing on customer centrality, retail macro-forces, store performance, and the journey of products from manufacturers to store shelves. Our client needed a course that would not only give managers what they needed to succeed in their everyday tasks; but also a deeper understanding of driving forces, values, and motivation for the company. This course also used the eLucid app framework, and we implemented additional motion graphic videos for each course.

guest training screen from a retail store training program on laptop

Bridging training between corporate, distribution, and store in a regional grocery chain

Understanding the journey from distribution centers to store shelves

Our second grocery client is a large regional chain who saw disconnect between their business analysts, associate buyers, and the distribution centers. Most of these analysts and buyers were young hires, and the only direct exposure they had to distribution were in-person tours that had to be arranged by the company. These tours, though helpful for these employees to experience, weren’t helping them see how their decisions in the corporate offices impacted the journey of product from centers to shelves.

Our training solution

With this client’s grocery training, we knew the most important thing was to create learning that challenged business analysts and associate buyers to think critically about the farther-reaching impact of decisions made at the office. Powered by Rise (by Articulate), we created a motion-graphic video that told the story of a product’s journey from the distribution center to the shelf. The video contained valuable information not only for the business analysts and associate buyers, but it also adds value to the chain’s larger employee base.

distribution facilities screen from a grocery training program on laptop

The video was only part of how we addressed the challenge at hand. To ground the store training in real world choices, we filmed an interactive, live-action video using a store, a distribution center, and a corporate office. Business analysts and associate buyers were presented with scenarios and given three possible responses. Whichever response they chose was followed by a video sequence, revealing exactly how their choice would impact both distribution centers and stores. As an added benefit, users also see the results of choices they didn’t make, helping them understand which decisions are better than others.

knowledge check from a grocery training program on laptop screen

Grocery store training with results that speak for themselves

Both of these store training clients make one thing abundantly clear: custom training is a powerful tool for addressing challenges, building strong teams, and getting results. Some of the feedback we’ve received so far on these training solutions are that they’ve been impactful and helped bridge understanding between their employees. Next time you encounter a learning gap, roadblock, or new training concept, we hope you’ll consider the benefits of a custom elearning solution, and connecting with us to help!

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How to Convert in-Person Training to Digital

Posted on by Maestro

The global shift towards remote work has created new obstacles, making it challenging for teams to execute planned in-person training. And for many, training is critical, so what can companies do to get necessary training in the hands of learners in this new, largely digital work environment? Today, we’re talking about eLearning strategies, reasons to convert ILT to eLearning, and how to make the shift towards digital in a strategic way.

Benefits of converting ILT to eLearning

While in-person training has its benefits, there are circumstances that call for a shift towards the digital. Luckily, the benefits of eLearning and digital training are many. eLearning courses allow for greater flexibility and accessibility for users, provide consistent content that can be used again and again, and tend to follow a learner-centered approach that lends itself to better learning outcomes and higher engagement.

Shifting towards digital: what to consider

Now that the benefits of digital training and eLearning have been outlined, what’s next? What should companies consider before converting ILT to elearning?

Determine which training is essential

Before you start converting every in-person training to digital, it’s vital to consider which training is crucial for moving the needle in your company. Take this time to sit down as a team and assess what your current business objectives are and which existing training is helping move the company closer to those objectives. Doing this upfront saves money, time, and effort while also ensuring that the digital training you do develop is impactful.

Choose course length and format

Once you have pinned down which training is essential, it’s time to get practical and start thinking exactly how the course should look. Will it be short, medium, or long? Will it be completed at a specific time, or will employees have some choice over when they complete each module? Will the course be a webinar, where an instructor will deliver training in a similar way as before, or is the content best suited for an eLearning course?

Digital training formats: pros and cons

Here are a few options for how to format your ILT for digital along with their pros and cons.

Webinar

For a less drastic change from start to finish, consider transitioning your in-person training into a webinar. Using tools like Zoom, Google Meet, or Webex enables companies to conduct instructor-led training in a digital space, and with features like breakout rooms that allow learners to discuss and connect, there’s great potential for training that’s engaging and interactive.

Make sure to note that presentations that would have worked well in an in-person setting should be adapted to make up for the lack of in-person interaction that learners are getting. Slides should be informative and educational, and there should also be many opportunities for interaction throughout to avoid having your employee’s eyes glaze over. Turns out, it’s not as simple as uploading a powerpoint and prepping a speaker.

eLearning course

A more involved path to digital training is eLearning course development, but there are many reasons to consider this option. eLearning courses offer limitless potential in that they can be customized to perfectly meet learner and company needs in terms of content and format. eLearning strategies take an intentional step away from top-down, push style learning and embrace what’s known as pull-learning, where the content itself draws the learner in and invites them into the learning process.

If your company is in a tight spot and needs eLearning as soon as possible, another option to consider is off-the-shelf-eLearning. There are many off-the-shelf eLearning marketplaces that offer excellent courses across various industries to meet whatever training needs you may have.

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5 Benefits to Replacing ILT with eLearning

Mixed media

Finally, who’s to say you can’t combine the best of eLearning courses and webinars? The beauty of moving training to digital is that you could easily develop a course that includes webinars as well as interactive course material to be completed in between sessions. And there are so many options for how to modernize your content with technology, whether through interactive video, motion graphics, or even AR/VR.

eLearning course development strategy

It’s clear that there are benefits to digital training/eLearning as well as a need to make the shift in today’s climate. So what are the steps companies should be taking to convert ILT to eLearning?

Prioritize learner needs

In addition to considering company needs, take time to also consider your learner’s needs when developing digital training. What was once an hour of in-person training with a simple slide deck may need to be developed into a much more interactive course in order to maintain the same levels of engagement. Your learners won’t get the same energy from a pre-recorded in-person session, so it may be worth considering converting parts of your training to interactive elements using motion graphics, branching scenarios, or video roleplay.

Decide where your learning will live: LXP vs LMS

When you make the in-person to digital switch, it’s also important to consider where your training will be stored. For many years, companies have used Learning Management Systems (LMS) to store and deliver compliance and training to employees as well as tracking progress and providing feedback. Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs), on the other hand, take a more modern approach by allowing learners to choose their own courses and paths, even receiving recommended content based on their skills, job role, and more.

Invest in an eLearning project management process

Once you have identified your core training and where you’ll house it, it’s time to invest in a robust content development process. In order to successfully convert ILT to eLearning, you will need strong project management.

Most eLearning development requires a thorough gathering of source content, design that is committed to brand integrity, and a clear vision of company and learner needs. Your team will also have to think of pragmatics such as course length, format, and who will lead the development process. This process can be completed in-house (subscribe to our blog for the latest DIY tips) or with the help of an outside partner, like our team.

Look for opportunity in the change

Overall, the thing companies should consider when they convert ILT to eLearning is this: your existing training is likely to change, but remember—not all change is bad. In fact, the process of eLearning course development could be exactly what your company needs to reach its goals, build stronger teams, and create a culture of learning.

5 Benefits to Replacing ILT with eLearning

Posted on by Maestro

Let’s be clear: we have nothing against instructor-led training. In fact, there are many situations in which ILT is the better choice for particular learning outcomes. In many cases, ILT is the default choice for companies, when in reality, eLearning may be a better choice for engagement and learning outcomes. Here are five reasons you should convert your ILT to eLearning today.

1. eLearning offers scalability and flexibility

As companies grow in size and expand geographically, the cost of real-time training, whether digital or in-person, could increase exponentially. Scaling instructor-led training as you grow could require hiring additional instructors, or in the case of digital ILT, coordinating across timezones to ensure webinar attendance.

When you convert ILT to eLearning, there’s a sense of instant flexibility that enables companies to train one person just as effectively as one hundred. Still looking for the engagement factor of ILT? Try implementing pre-recorded webinars and include opportunities for employee discussion throughout eLearning courses.

2. eLearning follows a learner-centered approach

With instructor-led training, learners have little control over the pace of a course. Everyone, regardless of experience level, will participate for a given amount of time in ILT Training. An added benefit of eLearning is that, dependent on the technology, each participant has the ability to control how long they spend on different concepts, activities, and modules. This follows a user-centered approach to learning. and when delivered through a Learning Management System (LMS) or Learning Experience Platform (LXP), companies can even track progress, deliver feedback, and see their employees strengths and blindspots in real-time.

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3. eLearning offers additional accessibility

While instructor-led training can be great for encouraging social learning and creating connections on teams, sometimes taking a large chunk of time to conduct ILT for every training need is neither practical nor effective. eLearning, in contrast, can be broken into smaller parts known as microlearning, offering employees small, impactful lessons to build skills, address blind spots, and improve everyday job functions.

Another way that eLearning improves accessibility is the format. Most modern eLearning platforms are mobile-compatible, and many courses can be crafted to include content forms that are easy for employees to consume on the go, like audio and video lessons.

4. eLearning provides consistency

The more instructors and facilitators you have, the more difficult it becomes to train to a consistent standard. Some instructors may be exceptional, others less so, and even an excellent instructor can have a bad day from time to time. The more distance and time your training encompasses, the more of an issue consistency can be.

On the other hand, eLearning allows companies to combine their most impactful and engaging instructor-led content, delivering it in a way that can be easily repeated with the same quality.

5. eLearning allows for affordable translation

Regardless of what your company’s official language is, you may have substantial numbers of employees who are non-native speakers. They will often learn more quickly and effectively if they are taught in their native language. That’s fine if your instructors are fluent in a second language, but adding multiple languages and factor reasons 1 through 4 above to the mix, and regular multilingual training can quickly become cost-prohibitive.

Even if you deliver your eLearning in English, for example, having eLearning available in multiple languages ensures that your employees have all they need to truly understand and apply what you’re trying to teach them.

Create enviable courses in Rise

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The right learning to fit your needs

So, are we implying that changing ILT to eLearning is always the right choice? Certainly not. In fact, to experience the full benefits of eLearning, companies should invest in the proper analysis to decide which solution is the best fit for them. There are no one-size-fits-all training solutions; however, there are some that fit better than others. Whatever your company chooses, make sure it is the best fit for your needs.

What Every Company Should Know about Custom eLearning Development

Posted on by Maestro

What makes a company stand out to top talent? As it turns out, employees want to work for companies that are dedicated to and invested in their professional—and even personal—growth. And one of the first points of interaction between an employee and a company is through training. While there are thousands of ready-to-go eLearning options available for purchase, we’re making the case for custom eLearning development, because we believe it has the potential to attract and keep dedicated and successful employees for your company.

What is custom eLearning?

The simplest way to define custom eLearning is by defining what it’s not. Alternative to custom is off-the-shelf eLearning. Off-the-shelf eLearning includes courses that are pre-designed and available for purchase across multiple industries. Rather than going through the process to build a course from scratch, companies can purchase ready-made courses to train and develop their employees.

Custom eLearning, on the other hand, is developed with a specific company, audience, and subject matter in mind and is tailored to perfectly fit your company’s objectives. It has all of the content inclusions of off-the-shelf with the added feature of context.

Articulate Rise like you've never seen it before

When you love something, you want more of it. That’s why we created Mighty, a powerful little Google Chrome extension that helps us (and you!) do more in Articulate Rise. If Rise is your go-to authoring tool, Mighty has the features and functionality you need to level up your visual design, increase your efficiency, and create better learner experiences. Want to see all that Mighty can do? Start your free trial now!

Learn more + sign up→

Benefits of custom design eLearning

There are many benefits to custom eLearning, and here are a few worth highlighting.

1. It’s branded from the bottom up

With custom eLearning, you don’t have to worry about the look and feel of your learning not aligning with your brand identity. When you choose custom, you get to decide how to infuse your brand’s personality and look into every aspect of the learning, from the graphics, typography, imagery, and even the audio.

When eLearning is branded like this, your employees can connect more deeply with your company while they learn, multiplying the potential impact.

2. It allows you to choose the best content and leave out the rest

When you choose off-the-shelf learning, you have to take it as-is. Even if an entire module or section doesn’t apply to your employee base, it’s there and even has the ability to cause distraction. When you choose to invest in custom eLearning, you can decide from the start which content is most relevant and suits your business objectives.

3. It can be delivered however you need it to be

Off-the-shelf learning structures are already predetermined. While using these courses may involve less planning, the format is static, leaving no room for potential innovation. With custom eLearning, the doors are wide open to structuring learning in the way that works best for your employees. And with modern technology like motion graphics, video, and augmented reality, the possibilities are truly endless for making eLearning that’s both powerful and interesting.

In addition to choosing how content is delivered with custom, you also have the freedom to structure the course in a way that makes the most sense in your company’s context. You could make a longform course meant to be completed at the employee’s pace, a course that’s meant to be completed in bite-sized portions in a group context, or some combination of both. This added personalization will enable you to make sure that every training you run is perfectly suited for its intended purpose.

goose island custom branded elearning course user interface on ipad screen image
royal caribbean custom cocktail elearning app user interface on ipad screen image
google custom elearning course user interface on ipad screen image

Tips for maximizing impact with custom eLearning solutions

The benefits are clear for custom eLearning, and here are our top three tips for developing high quality custom eLearning solutions whether it’s something your team is tackling internally or you’ve decided to work with a creative learning partner:

1. Develop activities that mimic real world job scenarios

If you’re going to invest in custom eLearning, you should take full advantage of it and offer modules, activities, and feedback that specifically connect to things that your learners engage with in their positions.

Rather than creating generic sales activities, connect the activity to products or services your company finds particularly challenging to sell. This gives learners the unique opportunity to apply their skills, confront potential blind spots, and even fail (and learn from it) in a safe environment. Creating these close-to-real scenarios creates confidence in your employees, which translates to better job performance and enjoyment in the long run.

meijer real world job scenarios course user interface on ipad screen image

2. Infuse your eLearning solutions with your brand’s personality and values

You might as well buy an off-the-shelf learning solution if you’re not planning to infuse your branding and company values into every aspect of your custom eLearning. From the language you use, to the presentation style, to the static and motion graphics as well as audio, you have a unique opportunity with custom eLearning to tell your company’s story, share your values with learners, and increase the usability of your learning.

southwest branded course user interface on laptop screen image

3. Create custom eLearning modules to level up your learning

With custom eLearning, you can say goodbye to timed voiceovers, pointless quizzing, or other knowledge checks that create boredom for learners. Instead, you can invest in creating dynamic, branded experiences through motion graphics and even virtual reality that increase engagement and drive learning.

In our work with a popular hotel chain, we were able to do just that for their social media training. In order to challenge employees and reveal how different behaviors on social media could affect their interactions with customers, we custom developed a faux social media feed with custom eLearning modules that incorporated branching scenarios. Depending on how employees behave in the social feed, their outcome changes, revealing how they might behave differently in the future, and how their actions ultimately affect the hotel’s brand image.

In addition to branching scenarios, consider building modules that are self-paced, enabling each learner to go at their own speed. This added touch communicates to employees that you are invested in their success and supportive of how they learn best. And when employees feel their company cares, it inspires their own wellbeing as well as the company’s.

social media training course user interface on ipad screen image

How to start custom eLearning development

Not sure where to start with custom eLearning development? We think, more than anything else, it’s important to have a solid case for learning. This means narrowing down your options and even being willing to consider whether or not eLearning is the best solution for the problems you’re currently facing.

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Second to having a good case for learning is to have a clear and thorough understanding of your learners. Interviews, focus groups, and assessments could be a good place to start to gather this information. Either way, Maestro is happy to meet you where you’re at in the eLearning development process to help you create something personal and memorable for your employees while driving future success.

Ready to get started with custom eLearning?

Let’s work together to create a  beautifully branded, personalized solution for your company.

4 Technologies That Are Transforming Learning

Posted on by Maestro

Here they are! The four learning technologies which we expect will be important components of successful eLearning this year. This past year, we saw two major trends in the creation of effective eLearning strategies: learner-centrism and accessibility.

Learner-centrism means learning that is designed to fit the needs and preferences of the learner. This is done to optimize learner retention and engagement. Similarly, accessibility means learning that is self-paced and can be watched and reviewed from anywhere, at any time. This helps to improve and individualize the learning experience.

These trends continue to redefine the way we learn. We have identified four learning technologies which could help advance the goals of these two trends:

  1. Technology that delivers microlearning
  2. XR
  3. Video
  4. LXP
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Technology that delivers microlearning

Microlearning describes learning interventions designed to focus on one specific learning objective. These interventions are short in duration (typically ten minutes or less) and can be completed in one sitting. Advantages to microlearning include that it can be easily individualized because of its length, and it results in higher employee engagement. This is because learners have short attention spans, especially in the world of Google searches and 15 second Instagram stories.

When watching a video, learners are typically only fully engaged for two minutes. Woah. Therefore, microlearning leverages our attention spans to successfully teach us about one subject in a short amount of time. Because of its ability to be tailored to the needs of the learner and improve engagement, technology that delivers microlearning, like custom-designed eLearning courses, engaging videos (number three on our list), and learning experience platforms (number four on our list) will be an important tool this year.

XR

Augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality (collectively known as XR) all have huge potential as learning tools. These all use technology to build simulations that recreate real-life scenarios that look and feel authentic. XR solutions create an immersive experience and a huge opportunity to capitalize on experiential learning.

Experiential learning, or learning through experience, is one of the most effective ways to learn. Simulations created with the use of XR can have the same impact on learning as real-life experience. Studies have shown that XR increases learner comprehension and retention. This technology understands that people learn best through doing. 

Another reason why XR will transform learning this year is because its accessibility is on the rise. While XR’s software and hardware have been very expensive and not widely owned in the past, this trend is reversing today. XR’s software and hardware are becoming more inexpensive and accessible than ever. In fact, by 2025, the global market for XR is predicted to be worth nearly $200 billion. XR’s expanding accessibility and its tailoring to the way we learn ensures that it will be a useful learning tool in the year to come.

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?→

Video

Who doesn’t love a good video? Video is both highly learner-centric and accessible. Because of this, people learn better from watching videos—learners’ levels of engagement and retention are both improved when using videos on learning. 

First of all, video is learner-centric because it can simplify complex ideas, evoke emotion, and take advantage of how our brains process information. Video’s combination of visual and auditory cues gives it its simplifying power. Its combination of these elements can also appeal to a wider range of our senses than text alone and evoke greater emotion, which makes learning more memorable. 

Finally, our brains retain more information when lessons are presented to us in a way that uses both auditory and visual elements. Video is designed to provide a learning experience which is well-fitted to the way learners operate, helping us feel more engaged and remember more information.

Even more, video learning is extremely accessible. Video can be accessed anywhere, anytime. It can be reviewed and repeated at the learner’s desire—it really is a self-paced dream come true. Individualizing the learning experience in this way ensures that learners get more than a one-size-fits-all experience, and can absorb information in the way that works best for them.

Just think of the growth of learning platforms like Khan Academy and Crashcourse. Check out their impact in academia—the video-based lessons these platforms offer are being used more and more in schools across the country today. One school has even used Khan Academy as their core curriculum, all because its educators realized the impact that video can have on students’ ability to learn.

These impacts of video in improving retention and engagement support the two major learning trends and make it a win win for learning in 2020.

Learning experience platform (LXP)

Every year, the world is getting harder, better, faster, stronger. The world no longer has time to tolerate technologies which aren’t accessible, innovative, or convenient. Why settle for less for your employees? This year, learning experience platforms, like Loop, which guide employees through onboarding, training, and continuous improvement all from one platform, will find success in the learning world.

Championing the belief that learning is a never-ending process, Loop provides an innovative way for your employees to learn, practice, and build on their knowledge and experience. After facilitating the onboarding and training processes, this never-before-seen technology furthers learning by creating personalized recommendations for your employees to take in content that’s  most relevant to them. Your employees’ individualized learning experiences continue with learning paths to help guide them through onboarding, new product launches, or any other structured learning goals. This learner-focused personalization saves software like Loop a place among the most promising learning technologies for 2020. 

With the position the world is in right now, there will be big opportunities to come. Take advantage of all the learning opportunities that 2020 still has to offer by investing in these four technologies.

Best Practices for Training Remote Employees

Posted on by Maestro

We are living through a historic and unprecedented time with the global spread of COVID-19. Because of this, companies have rapidly shifted to remote work in order to promote the health and wellbeing of their employees and flatten the curve in their communities. For many companies, however, managing remote employees is an entirely new venture, and one that brings up a lot of questions. So what are some best practices for training remote employees, and what are some resources companies can utilize today to make the transition to remote go well?

Good news is, remote work has already been proven to be a good choice for employees and employers alike

As of March 2020, 5 million US employees are remote working anywhere from half- to full-time. Though remote work may be unknown to you and your company, thousands of companies have been implementing remote work for their teams and seeing impressive results.

Employers could save up to $11,000 per half-time worker when trained well. This is due to reduced turnover, increased productivity, and reduced absenteeism. When employees feel supported and trusted to work at home, they work harder and enjoy their jobs more.

With this in mind, here are some best practices for training remote employees.

Best practices for training remote employees

1. Embrace digital learning by adapting existing training to a new structure

Odds are, your company has an existing body of training to help employees succeed and thrive in the workplace. Now that your team is working from home, consider ways to breathe new life into old training by shifting towards a digital platform.

What used to be an in-person training could easily transition to a series of video workshops, interactive motion graphics, and activities that implement branching scenarios or other helpful elearning modules.

For a short-term solution, there are many off-the-shelf learning companies that have created massive libraries of training across multiple industries. While working towards a more custom solution, off-the-shelf elearning can offer temporary relief and give employees a source of support. Need help choosing an off-the-shelf learning solution? Here’s a list of our personal favorites.

2. Create a sense of community by offering opportunities for connection

For new remote workers, it can feel isolating sitting at home each day, unable to collaborate with team members. It’s vital for managers to consistently check in with their team members to track progress and offer assistance. If remote employee training is not done well or at all, this could leave your team feeling abandoned and isolated.

For training remote employees in particular, a sense of community can be achieved by conducting a digital Instructor-Led Training on Zoom followed by breakout sessions. Luckily, Zoom has this feature built-in, allowing smaller groups of people to discuss within the context of a larger Zoom call. The great thing about this style of training is that it implements social learning theory, a human-centered approach that allows employees to learn by watching and imitating the actions of others.

3. Create a personalized training experience with an LXP

If you’re looking for a way to train remote employees that departs from the one-size-fits all model, consider investing in a learning experience platform (LXP). LXPs allow employees to select the skills/training that are most relevant to them, giving them a tailored experience while showing them that your company is invested in their growth.

Need a completely custom LXP that’s perfectly branded, easy to use, and free of feature clutter? Check out Loop LXP and learn how you can transform your remote employee training today.

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Helpful technology for training remote employees

Need a few resources for training remote employees? Here are a few that we find helpful whether we’re all together or worlds apart.

1. Zoom for team meetings or digital instructor-led trainings

Just because your team is out of office doesn’t mean you should forego an in-person feel for your remote employee training. Using platforms like Zoom create opportunities for collaboration and interaction which are essential for a collaborative learning process.

2. LXPs for custom, clear learning paths

Learning experience platforms take the features of learning management systems and supercharge them, creating limitless opportunities for employees to pursue personalized learning paths alongside structured training. And with some LXPs like Loop, there are built-in features for feedback and personalized coaching along the way to address individual needs and improve learning outcomes.

3. Communication apps for encouraging post-training growth

Reinforcing what employees learn through training is key to ensuring that what they learn sticks with them. With a remote team, communication apps like Slack are a good way to foster post-training discussions, address lingering questions, and create a collaborative environment for pursuing goals.

Great remote teams are built on communication and solid training

We hope you found these best practices for training remote employees helpful, and we’d love to see how you take these concepts and apply them in your workplace.

What Is Augmented Reality? Plus 3 Ways to Use It

Posted on by Maestro

When you hear the term augmented reality (AR), what comes to mind? For many, it’s images of expensive headsets and futuristic tech. While that may be true for some forms of virtual and mixed realities, for the most part, AR doesn’t involve expensive gear and has never been more accessible than it is today. So what is augmented reality, why is it important, and how can companies use it to their advantage?

What is augmented reality?

Augmented reality is often confused with virtual reality (VR), which relies fully on a virtual environment and doesn’t attempt to blend with the real world. In contrast, augmented reality definition is technology that involves virtual objects being superimposed onto reality with the help of smart devices like tablets and phones.

The goal with AR is to give users the ability to interact with virtual objects in 3-dimensional space, enabling them to experience them in the real world. This technology is powerful, and has the potential to transform company sales funnels, enabling virtual product demonstrations with an ease (all of your products are in your back pocket) and a level of user interactivity that was previously thought impossible.

A brief history of AR

Now that we know the augmented reality definition, let’s take a look at the history. While many think of augmented reality as recent, cutting-edge technology, it’s actually been around for over 50 years. Here’s an abbreviated timeline to show the progression of AR.

  • 1968: The first AR tech, an AR head-mounted display system, was developed at Harvard University by Ivan Sutherland
  • 1974: The first laboratory dedicated to augmented reality was built by Myron Kruger at the University of Connecticut
  • 1990: Tom Caudell coined the term ‘augmented reality’
  • 1992: Louis Rosenburg created Virtual Fixtures, one of the first augmented reality systems 
  • 1998: The NFL began using AR to mark the 1st & Ten line for televised games.
  • 2008: The first commercial AR app was developed by German agencies in Munich, allowing customers to interact with a virtual model of a car in real time by using a printed ad.
  • 2014: Google unveiled Google Glass, augmented reality glasses that allowed its users to have immersive experiences.
  • 2016: Pokémon Go launched, captivating millions of players and bringing AR into the mainstream
  • 2017: IKEA introduced IKEA Place, an app revealing the sales potential of AR technology

Though AR has been around for a while, we’ve only seen the technology become accessible and affordable in the past decade. So what does this mean for your company, and how can use harness AR’s limitless potential for your clients and teams.

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3 ways to use augmented reality

Since augmented reality is so accessible (and only getting more accessible as technology advances), we think it’s in every company’s best interest to consider possibilities for using it. Here are a few uses for AR worth highlighting.

1. Drive sales with AR product demos

Augmented reality has the potential to supercharge your sales team, enabling them to walk through product demos with customers directly on a mobile device. For companies with larger, higher-tech products, this expands their ability to show off products to potential customers without the burden and complexity of bringing physical products with them, fumbling with set up, and potentially dealing with nonfunctional pieces or processes in front of a customer.

Looking for an intuitive app that saves your 3D product models and does the heavy lifting for you? Ask us about Array, a tool for companies to supercharge their sales funnels through AR.

2. Closely mimic real world scenarios while maintaining safety

There’s nothing more potent than experiential learning, and for industries where mistakes can be costly, it’s important to create a scenario that closely resembles reality while lowering the risk. AR and other forms of XR learning allow users to test their skills, learn from mistakes and grow from feedback in a no-consequence environment, a powerful combination that gives learners the skills they need and the confidence to continue improving.

3. Improve learning retention and engagement through AR learning

It’s no surprise that people learn best by learning from others. And because AR technology is compatible with the social learning method, using it in a training context can improve learner engagement and overall learning outcomes. Using augmented reality combines the best of both worlds: the enrichment of learning with others and the excitement of seeing the virtual and real come together.

In our work with an automotive company, we developed an AR app to educate potential customers on its electric car, how energy flows through it, and some of its defining features in the trade show setting and beyond. Apps like this take lofty concepts and put them right in front of us, allowing the learning process to more interesting and memorable.

So what are you waiting for?

What is augmented reality? You know that, the augmented reality definition has been covered. We also talked about the use cases for AR in your business — powering sales, safely experiencing real-world scenarios, and improved learning. So what are you waiting for? The potential of AR is huge, and the possibilities will continue to expand as technology continues advancing. Now is the time to take advantage of this powerful tool for learning, sales, and interactivity, and we’re happy to provide support as you navigate the process.

4 Ways to Use Video Throughout the Sales Cycle

Posted on by Maestro

Lots of sales professionals are capitalizing on the value of video as a sales training tool. In fact, video’s impact is being felt even before the beginning of the sales process. Video as an onboarding tool smooths entry and integration into the company, paying dividends even before sales reps start calling on clients. This is because many people learn visually, meaning that both seeing and hearing during training videos help increase comprehension.

Once new salespeople are on board, it’s in everyone’s best interest to get them on task and generating sales as soon as possible. The name of the game is sales force productivity, and the quicker you can train and aim new reps, the better. Want to introduce your company culture and vision in ten minutes? Use video. Is your office downtown on the eighth floor? Walk new hires through parking and accessing the office with a video. Want to overview company policies without boring new hires?? Video to the rescue!

Video is playing a central role at the front end, getting new sales reps introduced to the company and streamlining their training. But savvy sales teams are also finding ways to leverage video at other points within the sales cycle.

1. Using video for lead scoring and qualification

While you can use research and white papers to facilitate conversations to capture prospects’ contact info, video’s sophisticated tracking options mean you can look a lot deeper. You can understand which parts of your video were watched for how long and if the video was shared. All of this data adds up to valuable insights that help you pinpoint which prospects are the most likely to buy, and who would be most beneficial to start a conversation with. By tracking watches and shares, you can determine what content is really hooking your prospects, study the videos that have those high rates, and then use that information to create even better videos.

Worried about the costs of production? Advancing technology is making video production easily affordable. Don’t let any of that data go to waste, and always keep looking for new ways to boost prospect response with video.

2. Using video during pitches and presentations

What better way to showcase your product and nail the messaging than to share a powerful video clip? With the Internet simplifying selling on a global level, competition intensifies by the day. In order to increase sales, innovation is mandatory. Video is one of the best ways to stand above the rest. People watch videos every day, with over a billion hours of video being watched on YouTube daily. By combining audio and visuals into one powerful package, video has become one of the most effective ways to present information.

Depending on the content of the video, it can take the pressure off of sales reps, provide a nice change of pace during presentations, and showcase your products or services. Video can even communicate in ways that talking and physical demonstration simply can’t, such as with 3D video’s ability to show how actions not normally visible to the human eye have an impact on the product and subsequent results.

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3. Using video in trade show booths

With the trade show floor buzzing with dozens of vendors and hundreds of potential sales leads ripe for prospecting, every brand and sales rep is vying for attention. In order to connect with as many people as possible, you need to not only stand out from the crowd to attract attendees to your booth, but you need to leave them with the right impression and the information they need to understand how your products or services can solve the challenges they face. 

Video does just that. A well-crafted, on-brand video will draw attendees to your booth—especially in the case of an eye-catching 3D video—and keep them engaged with your brand and informed about your products or services. But more than introducing prospective customers to your offerings, videos with an informational focus will lead to deeper and more productive conversations with sales reps, as well. Video’s reach and accessibility in the trade show environment is unparalleled, and it’s a powerful tool to support your sales reps and your message. If you’re not already using video in your trade show booths, it’s time to start.

4. Use video for communication after the sale

Almost everyone sends a follow-up communication after a presentation from the sales team, but most of these are simply “thank you” and “great to meet you” emails that rely solely on text. Emails like these are generic and easily lost in a messy inbox, or ignored by busy professionals. So why settle for predictable?

Separate yourself from the crowd by using video—it’s a great way to personalize post-sale conversations. Use videos to share helpful research, explain services, or demo products in a presentation deck. Your client will be relieved to take a break from long-winded emails, and you’ll achieve the follow-up results you’re aiming for.

Leverage the versatile power of video

Video is gaining traction in sales training, but why stop there? Why build fences around its value? From lead scoring and qualification, to pitches and presentations, to trade show booths, and post-sale communication, video has the power to leave a lasting impact on your current and prospective customers. It can inform them how your products or services solve the challenges they face every day, keep them engaged with you and your brand, set you apart from the competition, and provide actionable data that will shape your sales collateral and content creation.

The power of video as a sales tool is growing each day, while its production costs continue to fall. Keep looking for more ways to use video throughout the sales cycle—the possibilities are endless—and never stop innovating.