{"id":6992,"date":"2018-06-26T19:00:30","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T16:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/?p=6992"},"modified":"2024-05-20T15:56:08","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T12:56:08","slug":"mistakes-extended-enterprise-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2018\/06\/mistakes-extended-enterprise-learning.html","title":{"rendered":"5 Mistakes You’re Making When Training Your Extended Enterprise"},"content":{"rendered":"
Steve Jobs once said that \u201cGreat things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.<\/em>\u201d And sometimes that team is bigger than you thought! We\u2019re talking about your vendors, reps, consultants, franchisees, and customers.<\/p>\n

Your extended enterprise allows your business to succeed because of a strong network of external partner relationships. When you provide these partners with extended enterprise learning opportunities, you\u2019re improving their knowledge about your values, organizational mission, and the ins-and-outs of your products and services.<\/p>\n

An effective extended enterprise learning<\/strong><\/a> plan results in improved revenue boosted customer satisfaction, and a more consistent brand perception \u2013 to name but a few of the benefits. But the thing is, not everyone gets it right<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The 5 Mistakes You\u2019re Making in Your Extended Enterprise Learning Strategy<\/h2>\n

Training is an investment. But when it\u2019s not effective, and it doesn\u2019t lead to any positive gains for the organization, training just becomes wasted resources. So, let\u2019s take a closer look at\u00a0five of the worst mistakes you might be making in your extended enterprise training (and how to dodge them!).<\/p>\n

1) Treating your extended enterprise like your employees<\/h3>\n

Designing and developing training for internal employees is what most organizations are used to. This makes it easy to fall into old habits when creating training materials for the extended enterprise.<\/p>\n

A major difference between training internal employees and external partners is that employee training tends to be a requirement. They need to upskill within a specific time period because often, their career depends on it.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, partners can choose when, how and if they want to complete their training. Meaning that they need to be motivated by other factors. This is especially true when designing training for customers<\/strong><\/a>, who engage with learning materials on a voluntary basis.<\/p>\n

So, how do you motivate learners who aren\u2019t strictly required to engage with extended enterprise training? Start by ensuring that your training is delivered through a user-friendly and mobile compatible platform.<\/p>\n

Then, take some time to consider what motivates each of your external partners. You\u2019ll need to set rewards that appeal to them and clearly communicate the benefits of completing training. For example, if a consultant understands that training will improve their ability to close deals, they\u2019ll be more willing to sacrifice time with clients to brush up on their product knowledge.<\/p>\n

2) Treating your extended enterprise like each other<\/h3>\n

It can be tempting to split your training into the categories \u201cinternal employees\u201d and \u201cextended enterprise\u201d and then just be done with it.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t. No organization has just one kind of internal employee. Similarly, the extended enterprise comprises more than one role.<\/p>\n

Consider the difference between a franchisee and a customer. While both might want to know how to get the most out of your services, they\u2019ll be motivated by different reasons. The customer is going to want that information to improve their experience, whereas the franchisee will be looking for ways to drum up business.<\/p>\n

As a business, you\u2019ll have more opportunity to engage (and re-engage) sales partners (like franchisees, vendors, and consultants) in training. After all, they have a personal interest in understanding the organization and its products better. But, you might only have that one special chance to capture the interest of customers and engage them in training.<\/p>\n

This means that understanding what each segment of your extended enterprise wants and needs can take some work. So, start by incorporating regular opportunities for feedback into your communication with external partners. Ask partners and customers they would like to learn more about, and what their learning preferences are.<\/p>\n

By making feedback a key part of your extended enterprise learning strategy, your training is more likely to be successful in the long-term.<\/p>\n

3) Failing to tailor content for each audience<\/h3>\n

Having accepted that the extended enterprise is a varied group of learners with different needs and motivations for learning, you\u2019ll also need to adjust your content for the appropriate audience.<\/p>\n

Training for vendors, resellers, and franchisees should focus on practical steps, guides, and processes, like:<\/p>\n