Train to Gain

Two out of three Google searches now end without a single click. So if you're a B2B company counting on your website to get found — you need to hear this.

In Episode 21 of Train to Gain, Katie sits down with Laura Johns, Founder and CEO of The Business Growers, to talk about what AI search is doing to B2B marketing, why the old SEO playbook isn't enough anymore, and what MSPs, IT companies, and telecom providers need to do right now to stay visible.

Laura has spent 20 years in this industry. She built The Business Growers because she was an MSP marketing leader who couldn't find a marketing agency that actually understood her world — and had real accountability to her pipeline. Now she helps companies like hers get found, get leads, and grow.

This one is packed with practical insight — and it connects directly to how B-Lynk thinks about managed knowledge bases, help sites, and the content that shows up (or doesn't) when a buyer searches for your clients' products.

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- What "zero-click search" means and why it changes everything for B2B companies

- The difference between SEO and AEO — and why you need both

- Why your website content matters more than ever, even if it's not where your leads come from today

- How real buyer questions — not keywords — should be driving your content strategy

- Why AI can't recommend you if it doesn't know your differentiator

- How B-Lynk's managed knowledge bases are showing up in AI search results for clients

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

- If you're not in the AI summary, you don't exist. Buyers are getting answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overview, and Claude — and never clicking through to a website. If your content isn't feeding those engines, you're invisible.

- "Fast and responsive" is not a differentiator. If your competitor could say it without changing a word, AI sees you as identical. Get specific about who you serve, where you serve them, and what makes you different — and say it everywhere, consistently.

- Your website is where AI is looking. Even if your leads don't come from your website today, neglecting it means you're essentially invisible to AI search. There's no better time to fix that than now.

- Answer real questions, not keyword lists. The content that's winning in AEO isn't blog posts stuffed with keywords. It's specific, honest answers to the questions your buyers are actually asking — including the uncomfortable ones like price and comparisons.

- 82% of B2B buyers are done researching before they talk to sales. That means the content you put out — help articles, FAQs, blog posts, training materials — is doing most of your selling before a human ever gets involved.

The average worker toggles between systems 1,200 times a day — nearly every 24 seconds. That's almost four hours a week lost just to switching between tools.

So why are most companies throwing AI spend at the problem without asking what's actually causing it?

In Episode 20 of Train to Gain, Katie sits down with Mark Ramsey, COO of H2 Infrastructure and Founder of Markeri Consulting, to talk about what it really takes to implement AI in a way that drives efficiency, scales your organization, and doesn't just become a very expensive Google search.

Mark introduces the concept of "Leader AI" — a specialized AI system built around your company's unique knowledge, roles, and processes — and why generic, plug-and-play AI tools can't get you there. He and Katie also dig into why documenting your institutional knowledge isn't just a training exercise. It's the foundation your entire AI strategy depends on.

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- Why most AI spend doesn't actually solve the efficiency problem it's meant to fix

- What "Leader AI" is and how it differs from standard LLMs and off-the-shelf tools

- Why your institutional knowledge has to be documented before AI can scale it

- How to identify the right starting point for AI implementation in your organization

- What "AI as an operating system" means — and why it's the next major shift coming for businesses

- How B-Lynk is helping companies document roles and processes to prepare for AI at scale

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

- Generic AI is just a fancy Google search. Plug-and-play tools and basic LLMs can surface information, but they can't replicate the way your organization actually operates. That requires something much more specific.

- You have to train AI like a new employee. The depth and breadth of what your AI knows is no more or less than what you give it. Surface-level SOPs produce surface-level results.

- Start with one problem, not a budget. "Go get us AI" is not a strategy. Identify one real pain point, solve it, and build from there.

- Documenting institutional knowledge is step one. Before you can build a Leader AI, you have to sit down with Suzy in accounting and ask exactly what she does and how she does it. Every step. Every workaround.

- AI as an operating system changes everything. When AI is embedded into how a company runs — not just used as a helper tool — it will surface problems you didn't even know you had.

Every company has too many ideas and not enough clarity on which ones actually matter.

Alex Brodsky, Founder and CEO of Iteright, has spent 15+ years watching product teams drown in requests, build things no one asked for, and struggle to connect their work to real business outcomes. He built Iteright to fix that — and in this episode, he and Katie dig into why the problem is getting harder, not easier, in the age of AI.

This is a little outside our typical UCaaS lane, but if you've ever had more priorities than bandwidth, this conversation is for you.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• What a "feature factory" is and why it's silently killing product teams
• Why having a giant list of ranked ideas is not the same as having a strategy
• How to get clear on where your company is actually going — before deciding what to build
• Why AI is creating more waste faster if you don't have a validation system in place
• What UCaaS product leaders specifically can do right now to manage competing demands
• The one mindset shift that separates companies that move fast from ones that just stay busy

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Output is not the same as outcomes. Shipping features and driving business results are two very different things — and most companies are optimizing for the wrong one.
• You can't prioritize without a destination. If your team can't answer why they're building something, the problem isn't execution — it's strategy. Get clear on three to five real priorities before anything else.
• AI is accelerating the problem, not solving it. Unvalidated ideas are getting pushed into production faster than ever. A system for deciding what matters has never been more important.
• Your boss is just as overwhelmed as you are. Don't hand them a 50-page report. Figure out what they actually need and communicate in that format. That's where AI can genuinely help.
• Almost no one has it figured out. After talking to 700 product leaders, Alex says fewer than 5% feel like business, technology, and product are truly in sync. The goal isn't perfection — it's progress in the same direction.

What happens when a city of 50,000 people runs a 311 call center with nine agents covering 77 services — and most of that knowledge lives only in people's heads?

Parker Skophammer, Director of Finance and Administrative Services for the City of Mankato, Minnesota, joins Katie to talk about what it actually takes to build a training foundation in local government — and why it matters more than most leaders realize.

Parker and the City of Mankato partnered with B-Lynk to document processes, build out eLearning courses, and create video-based training for their 311 agents. What started as an onboarding challenge became a longer-term strategy to protect institutional knowledge, reduce ramp time, and lay the groundwork for smarter operations going forward.

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- What a 311 call center is and why the City of Mankato built one

- How undocumented knowledge becomes a real organizational risk — and what to do about it

- Why onboarding time dropped from 10 weeks to 6 weeks with structured training

- What role eLearning and video content played in getting 311 agents up to speed

- How municipalities are thinking about AI — and why governance has to come first

- Three AI use cases Parker is watching closely in local government

- What every city leader should do right now to protect the long-term health of their organization

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

- Institutional knowledge is an organizational liability. When processes live only in people's heads, attrition becomes a crisis. Documenting and structuring that knowledge is the first step toward sustainability.

- Onboarding time is a measurable win. The City of Mankato cut new agent ramp time from 10 weeks to 6 — a direct result of structured eLearning and video training built with B-Lynk.

- Training isn't a one-and-done event. Ongoing curriculum and knowledge testing for existing staff is just as important as onboarding. You can't assume knowledge sticks if you're not measuring it.

- For municipalities, AI governance has to lead. Data security, council buy-in, and community readiness all matter before ROI even enters the conversation.

- Documentation is your AI foundation. You can't build a smart knowledge base or future AI workflow on top of undocumented processes. Getting information out of people's heads and into structured content is step one.

In this episode of Train to Gain, Katie Merrill sits down with Kevin Nethercott, CEO of Tresic, to explore what happens when AI meets the full volume of an organization’s conversation data — and what becomes possible when that intelligence is actually put to work.

Kevin shares how Tresic’s Intelligence Cloud captures and analyzes 100% of customer conversations, surfacing upsell opportunities, compliance signals, and churn risks that most organizations never see. The conversation also digs into the natural connection between Tresic’s data and B-Lynk’s SmartScore AI readiness product — and how the two work together to help organizations confidently move toward AI-enabled customer experiences.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• Kevin’s origin story and how Tresic came out of stealth in January
• What “intelligence actioned” means — and why it’s different from traditional analytics
• Why most companies only review 1–2% of their calls and what it’s costing them
• How Tresic’s 16 vertical packs deliver industry-specific intelligence
• The connection between real conversation data and AI readiness
• How B-Lynk’s SmartScore uses Tresic data to assess documentation confidence
• What the first 60 days with Tresic looks like — and why you can’t unsee the data

Key takeaways

• Reviewing only a fraction of calls leaves upsell opportunities, compliance issues, and churn signals completely invisible
• Acting on conversation intelligence — not just reporting on it — is what drives real business change
• AI readiness requires clean, accurate documentation, and real call data is the best source for identifying gaps
• The combination of conversation intelligence and targeted training creates a continuous improvement cycle
• AI levels the playing field — what differentiates organizations is how they engage the human side of it

In this episode of Train to Gain, Erin and Katie are joined by Nate Mengel and Pete Brown from Sunset Learning Institute to discuss the evolution of contact centers—from on-premise systems to the cloud—and why training has become the most critical driver of adoption, customer success, and long-term business outcomes.

Drawing from decades of experience across contact center technology, software development, and training, the conversation explores how education empowers users, reduces risk, and ensures organizations realize the full value of their technology investments.

1. Contact centers have evolved dramatically since the first implementation in 1965.
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3. Early systems were complex, on-premise deployments focused primarily on technology.
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5. The shift to cloud solutions changed the model—making it easier for customers to adopt, but also easier for them to leave if value isn’t realized quickly.
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1. Cloud solutions shift risk from the vendor to a shared responsibility between vendor and customer.
2. Customer retention now depends on adoption and ongoing value—not just implementation.
3. Training has evolved from a technical step into a critical business function that directly impacts customer success and renewals.

1. Nate Mengel shared his experience as a contact center agent during the early days of dial-up internet.
2. Contact center environments are high-pressure, and technology changes can add significant stress if users aren’t properly supported.
3. Training that focuses on empowering users—not just introducing new tools—makes transitions smoother and more successful.

1. Successful deployments depend on educating all stakeholders, including:
2. Agents
3. Supervisors
4. IT teams
5. Business leaders
6. Training ensures users understand reporting, workflows, and capabilities critical to business operations.
7. Poor training can lead to frustration, poor performance, and ultimately customer churn.

1. Training should not be treated as a checkbox or one-time event.
2. Instead, it should function as an ongoing education engine that:
3. Drives adoption
4. Improves customer satisfaction
5. Supports long-term business outcomes
6. Organizations that invest in education see better results, stronger adoption, and higher customer retention.

The partnership between B-Lynk and Sunset Learning Institute combines:

1. Administrator training
2. End-user training
3. Strategic education programs
4. This comprehensive approach supports the full spectrum of users—from IT teams to front-line agents.
5. The goal is to help vendors, partners, and customers achieve better adoption and stronger business outcomes.

In this episode of Train to Gain, the team welcomes Travis Burris, VP of Global Channels and Alliances at NuWave, to explore the realities that emerge after a solution is sold and implemented. Together, they discuss how adoption, training, and enablement directly influence customer satisfaction, channel success, and long-term revenue.

From shifting industry dynamics to the growing importance of end-user experience, the conversation highlights why delivering technology is only part of the equation — ensuring customers know how to use it is what drives real value.

What you’ll hear in this episode

1. An overview of NuWave’s channel strategy and industry focus
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3. The challenges organizations face with post-deployment adoption
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5. Why end users play a critical role in product success
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7. The connection between training, profitability, and renewals
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9. Supporting partners and carriers with scalable enablement resources
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11. How forward-thinking partnerships strengthen competitive positioning
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Key takeaways

1. Adoption gaps remain a major industry challenge as organizations transition to modern communication platforms
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3. End-user experience impacts satisfaction, retention, and revenue
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5. Training and enablement aren’t add-ons — they are strategic differentiators
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7. Providing a complete lifecycle experience builds trust and drives renewals
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9. Channel partners benefit from resources that extend beyond technical delivery

Customer expectations have changed—and waiting for answers is no longer acceptable. In this episode of Trained to Gain, Erin Raitt and Katie Merrill explore how self-service support is being re-architected for the AI era, and why delivering real-time, accurate answers starts long before AI is ever turned on.

They discuss the evolution from static PDFs and traditional knowledge bases to conversational, AI-powered experiences—and why strong, well-structured documentation is still the foundation that makes it all work. If your AI can’t solve the problem in the moment, this episode explains why—and what to do about it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why customers want right answers right now, not more content
2. How self-service support expectations have shifted in an AI-driven world
3. Why AI is only as effective as the knowledge behind it
4. The role documentation plays in delivering fast, contextual answers
5. What it takes to prepare your support experience for AI
6. Why maintaining and evolving your knowledge is an ongoing process

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone focused on customer experience, adoption, and building support systems that actually solve problems—at speed.

🎧 Tune in to learn how AI-ready knowledge leads to AI-delivered outcomes.

In this episode of Train to Gain, hosts Erin Raitt and Katie Merrill kick off the first episode of 2026 with a special guest as part of their OG Series—highlighting the people who helped shape B-Lynk in its earliest days.

They welcome Tim Sisneros (Cisco), a longtime partner, collaborator, and early advocate who played a key role in B-Lynk’s growth. Together, they reflect on how partnerships, trust, and training have evolved—from the early VoIP days to today’s subscription-based cloud and contact center solutions—and why adoption is more critical than ever.

1. The early days of VoIP and UCaaS—and how adoption challenges then mirror what we’re seeing today
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3. Why new technology feels overwhelming, even when the functionality hasn’t changed much
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5. How training helps reduce resistance and build confidence during technology transitions
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7. The shift from one-time purchases to subscription models—and why adoption is now priority one
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9. Why onboarding can’t be a one-and-done event in a world of growth, churn, and role changes
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11. The importance of ongoing training to support renewals, expansion, and long-term value
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1. How strong partnerships are built on trust, mutual support, and “opening doors together”
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3. Why recorded, on-demand training is essential for scaling enablement over time
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5. The role of snackable, bite-sized learning in driving real feature adoption
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7. How training supports outcomes—not just product usage
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1. Why contact center adoption is significantly more complex than traditional VoIP
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3. The growing importance of admin vs. end-user education
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5. How reporting has become a major adoption hurdle—and a major opportunity
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7. The shift from manual wrap-up tasks to AI-assisted workflows, and what that enables next
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9. How reducing employee resistance starts with the right tools and clear guidance
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Adoption is no longer optional—it’s foundational. In a subscription-based world, training and enablement directly impact renewals, expansion, and customer loyalty. When organizations invest in ongoing, accessible education, they reduce resistance, increase confidence, and help users get real value from the tools they rely on every day.

Thanks for listening to Train to Gain! Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, and share—and stay tuned for more conversations on adoption, enablement, and training throughout 2026.

In the final Train to Gain episode of 2025, hosts Erin Raitt and Katie Merrill bring a festive close to the year with a special holiday-themed edition: The 12 Training Tips of Christmas.

No singing (you’re welcome!)—just a fun, helpful rundown of twelve actionable training and enablement strategies you can take into the new year. Erin and Katie also reflect on the journey of launching Train to Gain, the incredible guests who made the show meaningful, and the listeners who joined along the way.

• Why the Train to Gain team is feeling extra grateful for listeners this year.
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• The full “12 Training Tips of Christmas,” including:
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• One clear onboarding plan to build user confidence from day one.
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• Two interactive demos that let users learn by doing.
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• Three bite-sized videos for snackable, high-retention content.
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• Four knowledge checks to reinforce skills and pinpoint gaps.
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• Five how-to guides (articles, FAQs, cheat sheets—whatever format works best).
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• Six product FAQs placed where users can quickly find what they need.
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• Seven role-play scenarios including AI-powered sales simulations.
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• Eight feedback loops that keep training relevant and effective.
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• Nine adoption metrics to track usage, time-to-value, and success.
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• Ten virtual training sessions that connect features to real-world productivity.
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• Eleven incentive ideas to motivate learners with points, badges, and recognition.
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• Twelve continuous improvements to keep training fresh as products evolve.
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• A reminder that training is most impactful when it's interactive, iterative, and fun.
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• A look ahead to 2026 — with more guests, more conversations, and more ways to elevate training and adoption.
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Great training isn’t a one-and-done effort—it’s a living process. When you combine structured onboarding, rich content, interactive learning, and ongoing feedback, you create experiences that drive adoption, confidence, and long-term success. The “12 Training Tips of Christmas” offer simple, repeatable ways to strengthen your training strategy all year long.

Loved this episode? Subscribe to Train to Gain on your favorite podcast platform and follow us for more insights on training, enablement, and product adoption.

Share this holiday episode with a colleague who could use fresh inspiration heading into 2026!