How To Get External Partners Excited About Your Extended Enterprise LMS Launch
For any organization, having a highly successful extended enterprise LMS launch is not a stroll in the park. Some people tend to ignore it or put it on the proverbial back burner. They realize how difficult it is to wow stakeholders, especially external partners. Therefore, it is important to pay close attention to detail and ensure that you channel has enough resources, time and energy towards your project. Here are 8 tips to get your sales partners, vendors and consumers excited about your extended enterprise LMS launch.
1. Create A Clear Communication Strategy
To be successful with your extended enterprise LMS launch, you need to communicate effectively with your partners. Your communication should be two-way, ensuring that everyone gets involved in the process. Make certain that all the messages in your communication plan are persuasive, concise, honest, clear, and above all, they are audience-centered. Let your partners know that their feedback is welcomed and that you respect their time and effort. Lastly, provide them with a list of resources they can use in the meantime, such as links to LMS online training tutorials so that they can already master the User Interface and get to know the LMS features and functions.
2. Collaborate With Your Partners
This is one tip you should never turn a blind eye on. Do not be a lone ranger. Work closely with your partners. Make them "develop a sense of belonging" to your extended enterprise LMS launch through continuous collaboration. Sidelining them will only make them feel like outsiders, which makes it difficult to build the buzz before the extended enterprise LMS launch. Hold separate meetings with them, and ensure all their suggestions are put into consideration during the decision-making process.
3. Sell The Importance Of The Launch
People are excited about things that will bring positive change into their lives. For this reason, be on the front line in selling the importance of your extended enterprise LMS launch. How will it help them better their lives? How will it help impact positive change in the society? Answering these questions will help convince your partners to interact with the platform and engage with the online community as a whole. In addition, start a newsletter to stress the real-world applications of your new online training program. Release a fresh edition every week leading up to the extended enterprise LMS launch so that external partners can familiarize themselves with the subject matter.
4. Host A Live Event
Host a live launch event and invite your external partners to participate. During the event, give a detailed account of how they are going to benefit from the extended enterprise LMS. Create an FAQ and use it to tackle the most important aspects of the LMS. Also, give external partners ample time to ask questions and address concerns. You can even invite a guest speaker they’re already familiar with, such as a professional in their field or an expert on the topic.
5. Start A Social Media Group
Create social media groups and invite external partners to join in the fun. In the groups, post material that is relevant to the launch to gradually build the excitement. You can also include a countdown timer so that they can look forward to the big day. Remember to have a specific time for posting so that partners can know when to anticipate information about the launch. Have some ground rules for the groups to ensure that all online discussions are relevant to the extended enterprise LMS launch.
6. Hold A Teaser Campaign
Leave hints about the extended enterprise LMS launch on your official company sites. These hints will capture the interest of external partners who come across them. Remember not to give too much information, as you still want some element of surprise. For example, slowly but surely reveal the benefits an online training course will bring or offer a sneak peek of the serious game you’ve incorporated into the module. Teaser campaigns get everyone interested in knowing what the fuss is all about. Within a few weeks, all external partners will want to get involved in the launch.
7. Award Welcome Badges And Prizes
Including games in your LMS is one way to capture the interest of external partners. Include welcome badges for your external partners to earn once they create their profiles. Since these are people with high impact on your organization, also give them rewards and prizes. Incentives will get them excited about your launch and prompt them to participate once the extended enterprise LMS goes live. For example, offer partners a 5-point head start so that they know how the reward system works and what they’re striving toward instead of making them start from the ground up.
8. Engage With Corporate Learners
Find out what your external partners expect to gain from the extended enterprise LMS. Direct interviews with people who use the extended enterprise LMS will help you determine their training needs. Once external partners feel that their requirements will be taken care of, they are more likely to get involved and engage with the online training content. Surveys are another great way to gather feedback and improve your launch strategy. Or social media polls that gauge external partner expectations and personal preferences.
Successful extended enterprise LMS launch requires involvement and engagement of external partners. Providing external partners with the support and resources they need is a great way to get them excited. This article will help you get external partners excited about your extended enterprise LMS launch so that they reap all the rewards.
Want to learn more about the possibilities of an Extended Enterprise LMS? Download our free eBook External Training 101: Everything You Need To Know BEFORE Buying Your Next Extended Enterprise LMS to discover how external partner training can improve your profit margins. We’ll also share tips to find the perfect extended enterprise LMS platform and create a more accurate budget, as well as secrets to overcome the most common LMS implementation mistakes.
