1. Your Business is Software Development, not Training or Support
As an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) the continuous development of your software product(s) or application(s) is a balancing act between the development of new features and functions that keep you ahead of the competition, and the continuous investment in resources necessary to achieve this goal. You will, no doubt, recognise the value of Training and Certification in terms of customer satisfaction and a reduction in the volume of support desk calls, but being able to offer a professional learning solution is not your core business and therefore as a priority it is likely to be sit much lower than development and actual selling of your software.
The right Training Partner will be able to offer a learning solution that not only ensures each of your customers achieve a successful implementation, but also showcases the ongoing benefit of their investment in your software.
2. Your Business is losing focus due to increased Support Desk Calls
Having to manage a high volume of support calls due to lack of user training takes focus away from your product teams developing your software. Offering training content embedded directly into your software applications (Performance Support) helps ensure that there is immediate assistance for your customer’s users, on the job. Providing Performance Support that is available when users need it also helps to reduce both yours and your customer’s support costs. Instead of calling the support desk, users can find answers to their questions at their fingertips, whenever they need it.
3. Using your Technical Teams to deliver Training is not Profitable
Being able to develop and deliver training requires a certain skill set. Your technical team will have a very comprehensive understanding of your software but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be adept at training your customers on how to use it. It could therefore take them much longer than an experienced Trainer or Instructional Designer to develop the training content, so utilising a Training Partner would be much more cost effective and ensure the training achieves the required results.
4. Competent, well trained Users ensure Increasing Sales
Despite making investments in enterprise applications, many companies fail to reap the benefits and return on investment they expect. Often, this is due to a lack of effective learning programmes to drive user adoption. Comprehensive and well-considered training is critical to achieving a return on investment and driving user adoption, and yet this is often the last thing to be considered and given the least budget. Underestimating the importance of training and the difference it can make to software implementations can have dire consequences on future success.
The sooner your customer’s users become competent and confident with new software, the quicker that software will deliver ROI. Offering a training solution that is intrinsic to their software purchase enables your customers to quickly and easily unleash the full potential and productivity of their workforce.
5. An Experienced Training Partner Can Deliver New Revenue without Risk
Delivering an effective learning programme is more than simply providing classroom training or off-the-shelf learning content. It’s about offering a flexible solution that enables your customers to create a training programme to meet the needs of their organisation, including the ability to develop bespoke learning content around your software and their processes. In order to get this right, you need access to someone with expertise in developing and delivering bespoke learning programmes, as well as experience of working with software vendors.
Offering a learning solution via a partnership with an experienced third party can accelerate your time to market, ensuring that you have a solution ready and available for your customers in next to no time. It can extend the lifetime value of each of your customers and open the door to new revenue channels for both software and services, accelerating your time to market without any risk and limited investment.
For more information about delivering an effective training solution, download our Guide to Learning Enablement for ISVs.
