How Extended Enterprise Training Helps Companies Build Stronger Networks
Extended enterprise training can help companies develop long-term relationships with their customers. This branch of training can be more complex than the employee and sales team training because it caters to an even larger audience of learners with different needs. A single extended enterprise training program may need to serve audiences in different regions, industries, and sectors. Many companies choose to set extended enterprise training aside and focus instead on internal training, but this is a missed opportunity.
Using an enterprise LMS platform, companies can bolster their relationships with partners and customers, and create a more unified brand experience. This happens through strategic training initiatives and seamless digital experiences that connect companies to their customers in a positive way again and again. But companies must invest in the right tools and strategies in order to make this effort impactful. It requires that leaders look far beyond the impact of employee training on internal processes and instead consider the variety of ways that training can support business growth overall.
In research about the future of the customer experience, PwC found that while many companies invest in bells and whistles to win their customers over, it’s actually the more foundational elements of the customer experience that matter most: efficiency, convenience, and knowledgeable service. In short, customers expect companies to know, understand, and proactively respond to the questions or challenges they face. And while there are many ways to achieve this degree of alignment, extended enterprise training should be a clear priority.
Through extended enterprise training, companies can serve their network of partners and customers with the digital experiences they require and the information, resources, and collaboration they need to be successful with the tools they have purchased. An extended enterprise LMS helps companies achieve this while maintaining customers’ expectations for convenience, efficiency, and knowledgeable service.
Extended enterprise training can help your company build a stronger network of partners and customers, extend the reach of your brand, and build a more robust sales pipeline. Here’s how.
Creating a Unified Extended Enterprise Training Experience
Extended enterprise learning is all about adding value. The ultimate goal of an extended enterprise training program is to support partners and customers with the learning content they need to get the most out of their investment in your products and services. In order to create a unified extended enterprise experience, companies must invest in technology that supports training for multiple audiences across multiple channels. An extended enterprise LMS platform is the best option.
Creating a unified extended enterprise experience is an essential component of effective branding. An extended enterprise LMS software does this in two ways. First, by making it possible to distribute large volumes of training content to a diverse range of partners and customers, companies can distribute consistent messaging across all branches of their network. This means that each partner will be provided with the same essential information as the others, and likewise for customers. Doing this helps prevent issues with products or services that may originate if the company doesn’t have a unified message to distribute (for example, if products are being sold by individual consultants who may take different approaches or use their own messaging).
Second, using an enterprise LMS enables clear branding. Companies can use a digital LMS software to distribute their course content to customers and partners and make sure that the company’s branding is evident in every digital interaction. This ensures a seamless experience and reminds end-users who is providing the content.
How Extended Enterprise Training Strengthens Partner and Customer Relationships
The primary way that extended enterprise training strengthens partner and customer relationships is by adding value. Companies can create extended enterprise training programs that answer the most critical and common questions their network may have. This can include:
- Courses about how to use a product
- Training that details how to solve common issues
- Educational courses that discuss concepts relevant to the product (for example, a commercial cleaning product company could provide training about best practices for cleaning during the pandemic)
The benefit of this variety of courses is that, ultimately, customers and partners can see that you understand their business challenges and that you have a response. Even after the sale, these courses help to solidify in your partners’ and customers’ minds that, yes, they have chosen the correct solution for their company.
Using Extended Enterprise Training to Boost Brand Awareness
Extended enterprise training can boost brand awareness by connecting partners and their customers to your brand. Not only does extended enterprise serve your partners who distribute your product, but it can also be used to train their customers as well. This is an incredible opportunity for brands to distribute their messaging and demonstrate their value to a potential new network of buyers.
Want your brand to be a household name? This is the first step in that direction. Win over your extended enterprise network by creating multiple points of contact that demonstrate your value. Provide training content that improves their experience with your products and services.
How Extended Enterprise Training Improves Business Outcomes
There is a clear tie between extended enterprise training and improved business performance because customers are served with the positive experiences they require to stay loyal. Extended enterprise training helps companies ensure regular contact with their customers beyond the point of sale.
An extended enterprise LMS takes this one step further by connecting training data to sales processes. The ExpertusONE LMS has a Salesforce LMS app that connects critical sales data to training objectives so that companies can determine areas where customers and partners may need more information or resources.
How to Develop an Extended Enterprise Learning Strategy
Developing an extended enterprise learning strategy begins with a keen understanding of the way your customers and partners use your products and services. Without a clear knowledge of their experience with your products, you won’t be able to serve them with the resources they need to thrive. Once this is established, finding the best extended enterprise LMS is the next step.
Companies must offer engaging, creative, efficient, and valuable courses for their customers and partners, and a digital LMS supports that goal. This goes back to the priorities that PwC established through their research: efficiency, convenience, and knowledgeable service. Companies cannot expect their extended enterprise training strategies to yield results if they deliver learning in a cumbersome, difficult-to-use format that does nothing to engage learners.
To develop an impactful extended enterprise learning strategy, companies need an extended enterprise LMS that offers the digital experience customers have come to expect. The user experience should be seamless, easy to use, and efficient so that learners can complete training and get on with their work. Even further, though, it must offer personalized experiences and flexibility so that learners can access training when they need it and in a format that serves them best.
Look for an LMS platform that offers both desktop and mobile functionality. Prioritize an extended enterprise LMS that personalizes the learning experience so that your customers and partners get targeted, relevant course recommendations all the time. Ensure that training is engaging and impactful by choosing an LMS with a rapid LMS authoring tool so you can add interactive elements to courses with just a few clicks.
If it sounds impossible to find all of those features in one, don’t despair. ExpertusONE is the enterprise LMS you’ve been looking for. Come see what we mean. Contact us today for a free demo.
