| 1. |
Ineffective Content Delivery: product training content is often developed by people who have little direct sales experience. So it is often organized in a way that is neither relevant, nor useful to salespeople or channel partners. Content is typically delivered in a way that is not instructionally effective. |
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Key Point: Product content might be correct, it might be complete, but if it isn’t useful, it won’t be used. |
| 2. |
Deficient Learning Activities: Most product training is developed by people who have little instructional design expertise. This results in designs that are heavy on content delivery and light on effective learning activities. If activities exist at all they are typically designed to be entertaining not instructionally engaging. |
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Key Point: Without effective learning activities and engaging mental struggle, knowledge is fleeting. |
| 3. |
Insufficient Learner Motivation: Despite the industry trends, learner motivation is rarely on the radar screen of product training developers. Salespeople are expected to bring their own learner motivation. |
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Key Point: As a rule, they don’t. |
| 4. |
Inadequate Success Monitoring: Knowledge measurement is aimed not at inspiring learner motivation but at enforcing learner compliance. Compliance-based measurement creates a barrier to learning. |
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Key Point: Sales people resist compliance. Top salespeople ignore compliance. |
The Product Training Challenge
