How do you develop experiential learning for emerging tech like AI? See how an industry giant is doing exactly that in an agile, scalable way.
The pressure is high for today’s technical sellers and partners. Emerging technologies and rapid-fire releases are demanding that software organizations deliver sales enablement that helps sellers close skill gaps fast to accelerate the sales cycle.
Here’s how a Fortune 500 company is taking on the challenge of technical sales enablement with hands-on learning. See how the organization delivered successful training for AI technical sellers to practice the necessary skills to assist customers in building large-scale generative AI models and applications powered by cloud AI services.
Key takeaways:
- Guided hands-on learning via simulations helps learners understand the high-level benefits and functionality of complex software without getting lost in unnecessary technical details that could delay the sales cycle.
- Real-time feedback helps sellers adjust throughout the simulation and focus on achieving key learning outcomes.
- A scalable training model enables technical sellers worldwide to engage in simulations on their own time or as part of multifaceted Instructor-led training.
Challenge: Creating right-sized training for technical sellers on emerging technology.
The multinational technology company was already bought in on the benefits of interactive learning. But they needed to decide which type of hands-on training environment: simulations, sandboxes or virtual labs. A sandbox environment didn’t provide the guided learning structure they needed, so it was between simulations and virtual labs.
The virtual lab environment the organization uses for technical experts was too in-depth for their sales audience – the company needed a hands-on learning experience that would help accelerate customer sales conversations on emerging tech, without sellers getting bogged down by the technical details and complexities of working in a real environment. The solution also had to scale globally and ensure access to a diverse group of sales professionals with a spectrum of accessibility needs.
The other challenge was developing training materials alongside the technology. The technology is so new, gathering the necessary information and resources to support the simulations was a moving target. They needed a learning solution that was agile and scalable to ensure the training resources were available as soon as the technology became available.
Solution: Accessible and engaging hands-on training simulations.
The company partnered with Skillable’s Professional Services team to develop a series of hands-on training simulations. Given the complex subject matter, Skillable’s team acted as an extension of the organization to gather critical information, connect with SMEs and ask the right questions to develop training that would make a meaningful impact. The result is a series of simulations that are designed to mimic real environments and scenarios closely to provide a realistic learning experience.
Instead of providing free range to interact anywhere within the environment, learners are guided to interact with specific areas within the simulation. Learners receive real-time feedback through tips and hints when mistakes are made, while pop-ups throughout the simulation give important context for how technical sellers can meet customer needs. This guidance makes it easier for sellers to focus on achieving key learning outcomes without getting overwhelmed by too many possibilities and unnecessary technical details.
Technical sellers can access the simulation training from anywhere in the world – either on their own time or as part of a multifaceted Instructor-led workshop that includes lectures, team activities and practice customer conversations. Accessibility was woven throughout the training to meet the diverse needs of the global seller population. Incorporating important accessibility features like alt text and audio options help support people with limited vision, dyslexia and neurodiversity.
A custom end-of-simulation summary reinforces learning outcomes based on the learner’s performance. This information is also sent to the company’s Learning Management System (LMS) for centralized tracking of learner performance and to fuel ongoing improvements to the training program.
Our Services team makes technical and essential concepts tangible.
Measuring success: Job readiness scores, positive feedback and fast turnaround time.
The company measured the impact of the training against their own job readiness score metric and found sellers who participated achieved average job readiness scores of 169 to 178 out of 200 across multiple workshops. These results moved the organization to scale the workshop across additional roles.
Additionally, positive feedback from technical sellers on the learning experience showcased the key role simulations played as part of the larger workshop experience. Here are some verbatims from participants:
- “In addition to the practical sim labs later in the session, I loved the interactive discussions early in the workshop to ideate on.”
- “Enjoyed the simulations in the student guide.”
- “Great use case. Liked the simulations.”
From concept to completion, Skillable’s Professional Services team developed and delivered the simulations in just six weeks, including review time and train-the-trainer sessions. This rapid turnaround was critical for meeting the demands of emerging technology and enabling technical sellers fast.
Need to enable your technical sales team fast?
See what’s possible with hands-on training environments.
