In this episode we're joined by Special Guest - Shannon Howard - as we dive into the Intellum-sponsored study from Forrester:  “Driving Business Success Through Customer Education”.  This is a refresh of the 2019 report, which is crucial for those in our field to review and absorb. What's changed? Are there new trends?

Highlights? Here are just a few we cover:

Grab your copy of the report and a beverage and listen in to this deep-dive that you won't want to miss.

Missed the 2019 report? You can find it here, and our coverage in Episode 41!

"If you just focus on educating your customers, you're missing a HUGE opportunity!" says Mark Kilens, Co-Founder of HubSpot Academy and Drift, and now CEO and Co-founder of TACK ⛵️ & ClubPF. Check out Mark's projects at tacknetwork.com and tackinsider.com.

Tune in to as we discuss:

In this episode we welcome Katie Felton - Director of Academies, Global Education Services at Anthology Inc. to continue our exploration into Pricing and Packaging for Customer Education.

This episode dives deep into the world of customer education programs for software companies, featuring an EdTech expert. Here are some key highlights:

If you're involved in the EdTech industry or building customer education programs for software products, this episode is packed with valuable insights!

How do we price our Customer Education programs? It's a hugely challenging task, even for the experienced - and one that CELab listeners have asked for!

We welcome Mindy Barenblat to the show - an Austin-based an education & enablement strategist and consultant, formerly GM/VP of Education Service at Blackbaud and Eloqua. Tune as we discuss:

In this conversation we are joined by Emily Brogan, the Customer Education Manager at Dovetail. Emily's experience (and ours!) expresses and dives into the importance of putting the customer first, and the role of Dovetail in providing customer insights. Emily shares her experience in building the Dovetail Academy and the challenges of scaling customer success and education - particularly focusing on collaboration and listening to customers as the company grows. The need for simplicity, customer-centricity, and continuous learning is key in this journey. Join us for another great conversation with these takeaways:

Takeaways

Listen in as we explore the ever-evolving intersection of community management and customer education with Brian Oblinger. Brian is a seasoned veteran in community management, and shares invaluable insights drawn from his extensive career, underscoring the power of learning from past endeavors. Our discussion ventures beyond the surface, examining how industry giants have leveraged platforms like North Pass to foster innovation in digital customer education, ultimately enhancing product engagement and retention.

We tackle the strategic and technical challenges of creating a frictionless user experience across learning management systems and community forums, sharing practical steps for incorporating single sign-on and prioritizing user experience in program roadmaps. The transformative potential of integrating community into educational strategies is not just a dream—it's a reality we're passionate about, and we want to share that passion with you.

Brian Oblinger is a revered community management expert with a wealth of experience dating back to the mid-90s. As the co-host of the In Before the Lock podcast, he shares his extensive knowledge to help others avoid past mistakes in community engagement. His expertise is rooted in building strategies that intertwine community and customer education, showcasing his proficiency in creating symbiotic relationships that enhance digital learning experiences.

About the Show

CELab is the Customer Education Lab for Innovative Customer Success, Enablement, and Marketing Teams. Our mission is to explore how to build Customer Education programs, experiment with new approaches, and exterminate the myths and bad advice that stop growth dead in its tracks.

Brian Oblinger LinkedIn

Before the Lock Podcast

Northpass

Thought Industries

TechSmith

Dave Derington LinkedIn

Adam Avramescu LinkedIn

Two of the key activities in the life of a Customer Education professional are crucial skills to have: Collaboration with Product Teams and getting their buy-in.

In this episode we welcome Jesse Evans, Director of Customer Education at Honeybook - and Box and Meta alum. This is an action packed episode where we'll dive into all things Product and learn how to engage, collaborate, and develop your relationship with Product and Product Marketing to make a difference.

Ever wonder how the minds behind world-class customer education programs construct the experiences that not only stick but also spur action? That's exactly what we’re talking about in this episode with instructional design virtuoso Julie Dirksen. Julie, David, and Adam navigate the transformative power of digital customer training - with Julie's insights, gleaned from her years of experience, and books including "Design for How People Learn" and "Talk to the Elephant." The episode peels back the layers on why industry giants like Walmart and Freshworks are betting big on modern, engaging learning platforms to foster customer retention and engagement.

Julie provides a treasure trove of strategies for fostering behavior change within customer education. We delve into the COM-B model and how it dissects behavior into capability, opportunity, and motivation, shaping the design of customer education programs. We also highlight the significance of collaboration between UX and customer education in system efficiency, sharing firsthand experiences from financial applications to healthcare environments.

Gear up for an episode that promises to enrich your understanding of instructional design and arm you with techniques to enhance learning experiences across the board.

About the Show

CELab is the Customer Education Lab for Innovative Customer Success, Enablement, and Marketing Teams. Our mission is to explore how to build Customer Education programs, experiment with new approaches, and exterminate the myths and bad advice that stop growth dead in its tracks.

Listen in as we discuss:

Resources:

Julie Dirksen LinkedIn

Books by Julie Dirksen

Usable Learning

Book: Badass: Making Users Awesome

Northpass

TechSmith

Videate

Dave Derington LinkedIn

Adam Avramescu LinkedIn

Have you ever considered how an overlooked design choice could shut out a swath of eager learners? Imagine excluding twenty-five percent of adults from your training programs. That's the staggering possibility we tackle in Episode 124, as we welcome our friend Sharon Castillo to the show!  Sharon is a Customer Engagement and Education Leader currently working as Sr. Director of content Strategy and Enablement at Okta.

Making training accessible is more than a box-ticking exercise; it's a strategic imperative that opens the door to a diverse audience, ready to engage with your product. Our conversation not only sheds light on the barriers to learning but also equips content creators with the know-how to craft learning experiences that welcome everyone to the table. Accessibility is a topic we've perhaps only touched upon on the CELab podcast, so Sharon shares why accessibility - particularly good accessibility, is also good customer education.  We discuss the kinds of platforms and tools you'll want to include in your planning, even as a very early-phase program.

So join us as we ‘access accessibility’ for Customer Education!

About the Show

CELab is the Customer Education Lab for Innovative Customer Success, Enablement, and Marketing Teams. Our mission is to explore how to build Customer Education programs, experiment with new approaches, and exterminate the myths and bad advice that stop growth dead in its tracks.

Listen in as we discuss:

Resources:

Sharon Castillo LinkedIn

Okta

Docebo

Intellum

Thought Industries

Dave Derington LinkedIn

Adam Avramescu LinkedIn

What can Clown Core teach us about Customer Education?  Every year, Adam and Dave take some time to clown around and have a little fun.

So have you ever stumbled into a musical rabbit hole so deep, it turned into a blueprint for revolutionizing customer education? That's exactly what we did in our latest auditory adventure, as we celebrate our annual fun episode by drawing parallels between the unorthodox methods of the enigmatic band, Clown Core, and the innovative strategies in customer training. The discussion pirouettes from the band's chaotic yet captivating performances to how digital education platforms keep audiences both educated and entertained. Prepare for an electrifying conversation that dances between genres and redefines engagement in learning.

While our business is serious, we take inspiration from many different fields - including music. The band "Clown Core" blends genres from jazz, funk, electro, r&b, soul, and pop - metal too.  What kinds of insights will come of this episode?  Listen in and make sure you listen to the end to hear a special music session from Alan Koda and Dave. Happy New Year to everyone in our audience!  We look forward to another amazing year.

CELab is the Customer Education Lab for Innovative Customer Success, Enablement, and Marketing Teams. Our mission is to explore how to build Customer Education programs, experiment with new approaches, and exterminate the myths and bad advice that stop growth dead in its tracks.

Clown Core

Northpass       

Videate           

Strigo

Dave Derington LinkedIn

Adam Avramescu LinkedIn