If you’re searching for an LMS for customer training, you should ignore the standard sales pitch many vendors offer. Most LMS solutions are focused on employee training or bill themselves as a “combo” system with more features on the employee training side, meaning that they lack the dedicated features customer education demands while advertising features that won’t do much for you.
The hardest part of picking an LMS for customer training is figuring out your organization’s specific needs and finding the vendor that can best meet them. Fortunately, you don’t have to make the decision alone. Craig Weiss is a thought leader in the LMS industry whose predictions have proven over 90% accurate since 2009. He is the Lead Analyst for The Craig Weiss Group and offers exclusive insight on FindAnLMS.com to help organizations of all sizes choose the right LMS for their needs. You can create a free account on FindAnLMS.com to compare the top customer-focused systems head-to-head.
What is customer training?
Customer training most commonly refers to businesses that sell a product with a learning curve, forcing them to teach their customers (usually other businesses) how to use it most effectively, efficiently, or safely. This is especially common for technology companies that have to show customers how to make the most of the software or system they just purchased.
The phrase “customer training” also refers to associations that train channel partners, trade association members, and professionals in certain industries on best practices and to facilitate recertification. This is very different from the B2B model described above but is categorized with it because their expectations of a customer training platform are similar.
What’s unique about an LMS for customer training?
Since a customer training platform is targeted to external learners, you’ll probably get just one chance to reel them in. A sleek user interface is essential, and gamification is a plus if the rewards are worthwhile. You also want robust reporting tools to help quantify the benefits of taking your courses, and e-commerce capabilities if you plan to sell training. Multi-tenancy is perhaps the most important feature to look for because it allows one instance of software to serve multiple customers without overlap.
At the same time, any features centered around workforce development are irrelevant because your learners don’t work for you anyway. It can also be tempting to look into mandatory training features, but assigned training is a big “no!” in the customer education space.
How can Craig Weiss help me find an LMS for customer training?
With more than 20 years of experience in the e-learning industry, Weiss knows what questions organizations should be asking about customer education. He also has firsthand experience with countless customer training platforms, so he’ll know which vendors excel at the specific services you’re looking for.
For example, CourseStage is an LMS designed specifically for association training with features like assessment authoring and white-labeling standing out. Thought Industries has an outstanding feature called Panorama that’s essentially multi-tenancy on steroids, giving every learner a customized experience. Raven360 is an under-the-radar solution with virtual machine functionality that allows customers to explore a simulation of your product. Docebo has an add-on called Flow that provides great reporting and data visualization tools for customer education. All of these systems and more are featured on FindAnLMS.com if you’re interested in learning more.
Find a great LMS for customer training on FindAnLMS.com
If you would like to learn more about the leading customer training platforms, Weiss compiles an annual Best of the Best Customer Education Bracket that provides lots of great information on the top vendors and customer education as a whole. You can also create a free account on FindAnLMS.com to compare the best options with your organization’s specific needs in mind.
