1. Sales Training at the Point of Work
Cory Loria
Sales Training & Enablement
Plex Systems

2. Blended Learning with Less
Different from Formal Training
On-the-job support
Address Specific Challenge or Task
Directly in the workflow
Intro (all about me )
Today I want to talk about how we, the sales enablement team, created a blended learning training approach using ( what I would call simple) tools already on hand (Microsoft Office 365, snipping tools, etc). These deliverables would be created in the shortest format possible (job aid, short video, selfie video) and the proper piece of information would be delivered at the right time in the right format. Our learning audience includes account executives (outside sales) customer success managers (inside sales), and presales (solution engineers). Because our sales teams work in three unique spaces
(Example 1: Interactive PDF.)  I would also share the Plex Systems current onboarding, certification, and Jive implementation that we have used to meet this workplace challenge. One specific piece that I would share and discuss is our Playbook deliverable. This is a document that was created using Microsoft Publisher and is not meant to be printed. It is exported as a PDF and loaded onto our Jive implementation, Cloud City. It is easily accessed and navigated on a laptop or mobile device and did not require any special software, time, or money to develop.
Dr. Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher’s Five Distinct Moments of Need© very succinctly captures when exactly learners seek learning. According to them, learners seek support in these Five Moments of Need:
When they are learning an aspect for the first time (New).
When they want to deep-dive and learn more (More).
When they want to apply or remember something (Apply).
When they need to solve a problem or fix something that has gone wrong (Solve).
When something changes (Change).
While formal training does address the first two learning needs, the use of Performance Support Tools is particularly relevant in meeting the subsequent three needs.
Some of their typical characteristics are:
They are meant to provide support and guidance to employees when at work.
They address a specific challenge.
They can be easily accessed by employees and are usually embedded directly into their workflow.
PSTs complement formal training. While the knowledge gain to acquire this skill would happen through formal training, PSTs are provided to learners as just-in-time aids to facilitate application of the acquired skill. They are highly definitive in nature typically designed to address a specific challenge or problem.
Let me showcase how this would work practically:
Typical approach. Assume that an employee needs to do a task that he is not fully familiar with (for instance, his tasks need to be done now with an application released recently). He is likely to ask a colleague or his manager or he may review online help of the software tool. Or, he may go back to the supporting training material. You can imagine the time involved in this path.
PST based approach. On the other hand, the required information can be converted to a short microlearning nugget of a few minutes run length (as a ready reckoner that addresses typical user queries). In this approach, the user now has the access to the information exactly when he needs it (within his work-flow, on his smartphone) and in a format that enables him to get an immediate resolution of his query.
Learning aids meant to help employees with on-the-job support at the moment of need. Support and guide employees when at work. Embedded directly into learners workflow helping to provide required task support
Mobile Apps
Videos and Interactive videos
Decision making scenarios
Whiteboard annimations
Interactive PDFs
Webinars
Podcasts
Workplace performance needs include:
Lack of knowledge
Lack of immediate need
Expert advice
Customized tools

3. Frequently away from computers / desks / offices
Sales Team Approach
Frequently away from computers / desks / offices
Quick and easy access
Interactive PDFs
What does our approach look like?
No LMS
No complex sign ins
Jive mobile site
PDF
If necessary Mp4

4. Content at the Right Time, In the Right Format
Sales Playbooks
Easy to access on any device
All information in one place
Created in Microsoft Publisher, exported as a PDF
Easy to Navigate
How you can incorporate performance support into your industry’s workflow?

5. Other departments not on same page Reps save content locally
Challenges
Other departments not on same page
Reps save content locally
Content tagging not always efficient
What are ways that you have overcome performance support challenges?
For us:
No Content Management System – relied on Jive, search, and tagging
Marketing not always on same page with creating/delivering/posting content