The ultimate guide to effective customer training

Every organization wants a growing customer base. But how to achieve this eludes company leadership all the time.

One tried-and-true way to impact the customers positively is by providing customer training. Customers adapt to your products faster and feel more connected with you and your organization.

If you're looking for a way to create happy customers, you've come to the right place. Read on to find out everything you need to know about customer training.

The definition of customer training 

Customer training is the process of educating and informing your customers about the products and services you offer. It helps your customers to know and master your product and use it to its fullest potential.

There are several ways to deliver customer training, such as self-paced training, online coaching, in-person training, and blended training. The best type of training might differ from organization to organization, but the main aim of customer training is universal—to provide the best experience for the customers. Read on to understand the benefits of and the best ways to educate your customers.

The importance of customer training  

Why do you have to choose customer training? How will it benefit you and your company? We'll answer these questions below.

Faster customer onboarding 

When a new customer comes along, it's important to provide proper guidance through the first stages of getting to know your product. Offer efficient customer training programs and get them up to speed with your products and processes quickly. Training for new customers not only leads to faster customer onboarding and quicker product adoption, but also helps in creating a relationship with the customer from the start.

Increased customer satisfaction 

Customer training is implemented to make the customers' experience better. By creating comprehensive and engaging customer training programs, customers will get more familiar with your products and offerings. Training will reduce the learning curve and make the customers feel more confident about using your products. On the whole, training will have a direct positive impact on customer training.

More loyal customers 

A loyal customer base is a key determinant for the success of any business. Loyal customers have a good relationship with the brand; they keep coming back for repeat purchases and maintain the company's reputation in the market. Customer training is the first step in achieving that because it helps the customers feel valued and welcome.

Reduced strain on support 

By providing consistent customer training, customers will get more clarity about your products and its different amenities. This will reduce strain on customer support because there will be fewer customers who are facing issues with your offerings. The support costs can be reallocated elsewhere while the customers are happy with the brand.

Higher customer retention and lower churn 

Implementing a customer training program ensures that customers have a personal connection with the organization and have a better understanding about the product. This allows customers to use your products to the fullest extent and see the value and potential in them. When customers see value in your brand, they're less likely to leave you. This ensures that there is a higher rate of customer retention and lower churn.

Better chances of upselling 

SaaS companies generate 70% to 90% of their profits from renewals and upsells. Upselling is clearly a huge part of the organization's growth, and it's possible only due to the customer's perceived value of your brand. When customers are sufficiently educated and updated about the brand and are offered valuable support services at the right times, they become advocates of your brand and play a role in word-of-mouth advertising. The right customer education and support tools upsell the company and lead the organization to success.

5 steps to implementing a successful customer training program 

Define customer training goals 

The first step in customer education is setting clear, defined goals. There are several things to consider while creating the training program goals, such as the needs of the customers, the knowledge gaps, the complex aspects within the product, and the kind of knowledge you want to impart to your customers. Establishing a set of well-defined goals helps you create courses that actually address the customer's pain points and generate good results and feedback.

Choose the right platform 

Choosing the right technologies, especially the right LMS platform, is a crucial step in creating customer training programs. An LMS can deliver a customized learner experience while providing detailed analytics and reporting metrics for the course providers. Analyze the compliance settings and customization features in different platforms before choosing the LMS platform that suits your business the best.

Make learning informative and engaging 

Now comes the course creation part. Create courses with different types of content like audio, video, document, and text to make customer learning informative and engaging. Break your information into micro-learning modules, use scenario-based examples and case studies, and make use of gamification techniques to make customer education exciting and intriguing for the learners.

Track customer performance 

The best way to know how your customers interact with your training programs is through the built-in reporting system in the LMS. Keep an eye on individual learner performance and overall course progress through the LMS's analytical and reporting metrics because they provide insights into what works in your courses, what areas you're lacking in terms of course content, what needs to be changed, and how useful the training programs are for your customers.

Appreciate training efforts 

The best way to motivate customers to undertake training and make them interested in your courses is by recognizing their efforts and contributions. Award personalized badges and certificates after the completion of your training programs to show your customers that you appreciate their time and learning initiatives.

Wrapping up 

The right kind of customer training, along with adequate support resources, enhances the user experience and makes them feel prioritized. This will, in turn, lead to upsells and word-of-mouth advertising for your organization. Choose the right LMS for your company and create happy customers while reducing churn by providing engaging and informative training programs.