We’re seeing quite the uptick in use of our online training services, so we decided to make a point of asking our customers “why?” Here’s what we’ve learned so far:
- Budgets are still tight. Even with a relatively strong economy, the big enterprises are keeping a tight reign on travel costs – and smaller companies are staying profitable by doing the same. Training online lets them get the job done without the big travel bills.
- “Students” are showing up. It turns out more and more working professionals actually prefer to pick up skills and information in interactive, online settings that let them log in when they have a few minutes. This is especially true of certification-bound learners, but also applies to consumers of everything from sales training to safety skills to employee orientations.
- The tools are better. Both learners and training professionals are taking advantage of better, easier animation, more interaction, and automated registration and tracking tools. Everybody knows where they are in a course (or series of courses), and everyone enjoys both creating and taking them.
Online training doesn’t just give training and HR departments the Power of Choice – it also lets learners decide when and how to take in new knowledge. Next time you have a product or program to launch, look into LINK’s complete array of online training choices here.
Client Profile
So-Cal-based Campaigners help their clients by tapping the power of Webcasts.
If you’ve every bought anything at retail, or even just gone shopping, you may have seen the work of Campaigners. This unique sales and marketing agency helps some of the nation’s best-known companies to launch new products, by providing customized merchandising and sales programs – often incorporating training for retail salespeople.
Campaigners, a long-time LINK customer, just became a bigger LINK customer through an agreement to use our Web Conferencing services to assist their clients. The company has won awards for its innovative services and dedication to client care – and we like to think they’ve chosen us for some of the same reasons. Thanks, Campaigners!
|
 LINKing up with ASTD: What we learned
about
WebLINK Live at the 2007 Conference.
Ah, springtime in Atlanta. LINK continued its longtime association with ASTD (the American Society for Training and Development) by participating enthusiastically in this year’s international conference – and the good news is, you’re the ones who stand to gain, even if you didn’t attend (and even if you’re not in the training business!).
Sure, we collected those wonderful trade show travel memories, but exactly what’s in it for you? It’s what we learned—and confirmed—as we launched WebLINK Live, our newest, Flash-based tool for live, interactive online training. Here’s what we heard:
- Best thing about WebLINK Live: Ease of use. Just about anyone can put together a highly effective, professional-looking Webcast complete with Microsoft Powerpoint slides and video--in just a few minutes. And anyone can participate, with no need to download any software
- Most popular reason for using WebLINK Live: To reach increasingly mobile workers, and collaborate with telecommuters off-site business partners
- Biggest advantage of using WebLINK Live: avoiding the high cost and disruption of training-related travel
- Most pleasant surprise with WebLINK Live: We heard time and again that one department would start using WebLINK Live, then other organizations would see it, start using it, and claim they saw it first.
- Most frequent uses of WebLINK Live: Sales (for prospecting and up-selling), HR (employee orientations, compliance), Training (you name it), and Marketing (product launches, special promotions). Other mentions included Finance, Facilities, and Professional Services groups.
If you’re not already using WebLINK Live, you might want to check it out here.
Who picked up a free iPod on the way to ASTD ’07?
Jim Shoes of Chuck Roast Athletics, that’s who. Jim attended our pre-conference training Webinar and showed the good sense to stay logged in until the end. As the big winner in our iPod drawing, Jim can now more easily listen to the podcasts he’ll doubtless be creating using LINK’s popular archiving services. Hey, Jim, you can probably get some tunes for that thing, too! Enjoy!
Alas, the iPod is gone, but you can still pick up some great tips for creating online training courses and events – by viewing the on-demand version of the Webinar. It’s free, and it’s really, really good, even without the free iPod. See it now.
The latest from LINK:
Behold our new Web site.
Here at LINK we’ve learned that the Power of Choice is most potent … when the choices are clear and easy to make. So we’ve re-vamped and streamlined our Web site to make things easier to find.
Now you – or anyone you care to steer in our direction – can get fast, concise answers on whatever kind of collaboration or communication you need. Dare we say it? Sure. Now even our Web site goes Above and Beyond the Call. Check it out!
The latest from LINK:
Client Care just became even more caring.
LINK welcomes Marcia Larson, our new Manager of Client Care. Marcia arrives at LINK with our “Above and Beyond the Call” commitment already built-in, and she also brings a wealth of experience from other customer care organizations at Western Wireless Corp.
Marcia’s initial focus will be to refine processes for both delivering and tracking customer care. At LINK, we’ve worked hard to establish a reputation for unparalleled service; now, with Marcia’s help, we’re going to see just how much better we can get. Welcome, Marcia!
The last word.
Well, it’s the last word for the Summer issue, but certainly not the last word – watch for more issues as the seasons change. If you know someone who might find it personally rewarding to receive LINK Connect, please feel free to forward this edition.
Finally, please remember our lives won’t be complete until you drop us a line to tell us what’s important to your business. We’d love to hear from you, and we’ll use your input to make LINK Connect everything you want it to be.
See you next time – and thanks for reading.
LINK Conference Service, LLC
3245 146th PL SE, Suite 230
Bellevue, WA 98007
©2007 LINK Conference Service LLC
All Rights Reserved.
|
