St. Cloud, MN, February 23, 2004—how online training can add to your bottom line.

Personal on-line training eliminates the need for airfare, hotel, transportation, or long distance phone bills to the customer. Personal interaction with a live "trainer" reduces the learning time, and increases retention of the materials learned because it is customized to the particular needs of the "learner".

Just because there is an on-line help manual, doesn't mean the "learner" will use it, or use it effectively. Studies have shown that non completion rates for e-learning run as high as 80%.

Here are some items to consider while choosing a new application for employees to use:

1. Is there an on-line manual?
   Are your users self-motivated enough to complete the on-line training themselves? Is the manual clearly written and easy to use?
   
   
2. Not all applications provide a user manual.
   Are your users self-motivated and skilled enough to explore the new application thoroughly on their own? How will they know what areas are most important to them? Will they miss useful information that could save them time?

With personal guided on-line training, the help manual becomes a useful aid to remembering items that a particular group doesn't use frequently. The training experience can be customized to the "learners" level of readiness and understanding. Training is meaningful because it is relevant to the "learners" particular on-the-job tasks.

If you can't remember what you've learned, there isn't much value in learning it. Personal on-line training guarantees learner practice, and practice builds proficiency and retention of new material. It also increases the ability and motivation for the new "learner" to continue to use the new process.

How can management help?

"Learners" need:

1. Dedicated time set aside for them to learn new skills.
   It can be difficult to assimilate new material while "on duty" taking phone calls, etc.
2. Dedicated time for them to practice new skills on their own, derive and get answers to individual questions. This is the power of personal training.
3. Supervisory support of the corporate criteria and vision, so "learners" receive the local support and motivation they need to actually apply their new skills.

In return, management will benefit with increased retention of new material, a shorter learning curve, and increased motivation to continue to use the new skills acquired, all of which translates into money saved.

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