7 Secrets To Maximize Your Employee Training LMS Trial Experience
From a vendor perspective, free trials are a premium marketing technique. In theory, they’re high-value and sound. Software companies know clients have a tendency to rush through the last three days of the trial period. Then, to relieve their guilt, they’ll buy the product anyway. Vendors can see all this in their metrics. So as a potential buyer, how can you avoid this self-made trap and make the most of your LMS test drive? What can you do to ensure your employee training software trial period points out the product faults and highlights the profit-boosting benefits?
1. Use Your Features List
While you were (window) shopping, you probably had specific features in mind. Some were mandatory, others would just be nice to have. Use that list during your trial. Issue it to your free trial testers, assigning them one relevant feature a piece. For example, you may be interested in ease of use, learning curve, reporting tools, or asset management. Every tester should write (and present) a clear report on their findings. Check in with your testers on a daily or weekly basis, to avoid the last-minute rush. That type of procrastination wastes everyone’s time (and money).
2. Pick The Right Team
Some employees will engage in your training software more frequently than others. And every department will use a different part of the course. Their personal path will depend on their job description or workplace duties. Have at least two testers in every area of relevance. And make sure the tester is familiar with their testing niche. Customer care and tech support staff can – for example – test call recording tools. L&D can test mobile content creation features. Accountants can test for invoicing, quotation, and payroll. Warehouse staff, salespersons, and delivery teams can test for offline accessibility.
3. Set Aside Adequate Time
This may seem redundant because free trials are time-barred. It could be 14 days or 3 months. However, your testers have other office tasks to finish. So, for the duration of the trial, free up their schedules. Re-assign their workload or set aside specific testing hours. You could have them explore your training software after hours, paying overtime for the privilege. Or you could ask them to do it at home, testing the time-tracker in the process. (To be sure how long they were actually on the training app.)
4. Keep Communication Lines Open
You want to stay in touch with your testers, and with your vendor, so be accessible. As the person in charge of the free trial, be a go-between. You can forward your employees’ concerns to your vendor. You can take questions from non-testers and incorporate them into the trial assessment. And by communicating actively, you’re testing the software’s feedback loop as well, a pretty essential feature for any training product. Also, keep communication consistent. Follow up on questions, and actively prompt employee queries, if they don’t arise organically. You might even think about setting up a meeting with the vendor after your employee training LMS trial to address concerns.
5. Cut Across Devices
Unless your organization issues universal phones and computers, you’re likely to run into compatibility problems. So as part of your testing set-up, find out the different types of devices actively used by your staff. Then test the new software on each one – or at least a representative of each class. These could be operating systems (for mobile and desktop), phone brands, computer brands, and screen configurations. You can go an extra step and test its suitability for differently-abled users, less tech-savvy trainees, or uncommon first languages.
6. Test Against Existing Software
This portion of your software assessment has two components. One, you want to see how it compares against your previous training software. Does it have all the features you need? Have any key elements been omitted.? Does it work faster, better, longer, or cheaper? Is it an objective improvement on what you currently have? Then, the second level of testing is how well it plays with others. Does it fit into the supplementary non-training software you’re using in the office? Can they be fused into a single system, or is it comprehensive enough to merge software roles?
7. Create A List Of Questions For Your Free Demo
Employee training software demos work a bit differently. You usually meet with a vendor rep who shows off the product and fields your questions. But you need to be prepared so that you make the most of your time (and respect theirs). Meet with your team to identify their current LMS pain points and what they expect from the new system. Questions should also focus on the price (what’s included) and support services. As well as how the system is going to help you achieve your objectives.
Enhancing Your LMS Software Experience
Getting a free trial is a buyer’s dream. It convinces you you’ve made the right decision because the vendors let you play before you pay. But too many of us take that trial period for granted. We forget it, neglect it, then rush to complete it. How can this be avoided, ensuring a thorough, more rounded testing experience? Pick testers by the department and assign them each a relevant test section. Designate testing time in their workday. Communicate openly and consistently – both with your vendor and your testers. Verify compatibility across gadgets, operating systems, and tandem software within the company.
Find out which employee training LMS vendors offer free trials and demos. Then evaluate user reviews to see how they perform in corporate training settings. Our online directory features the top employee training software solutions and highlights their pricing options. You can also sort results by satisfaction scores and see if they show up on the top 20 lists for UX and CX.
Download the eBook Is It Time For New Employee Training Software? Your Guide To Finding The Right LMS Match to make a strong business case for new employee training software and choose the best solution.
