Learning Program Case Study
The company at the center of our case study is a key player in the Energy sector. For the purposes of privacy, the company will be referred to as “EnergyCo” throughout this report. The essential need of EnergyCo was to develop an in-depth course on Negotiation and Persuasion Techniques specifically designed for their Energy Sales Representatives. The overarching goal was to equip their sales professionals with effective skills crucial for successfully operating within the Energy sector. The course was designed in a unique way where standardized interactive learning was combined with user-generated content. At the end of the course, learners would be able to download a PDF containing user-generated entries that encapsulated the essential aspects of the course, such as Key Persuasion Tactics for Effective Energy Sales, Dealing with Rejection in Energy Sales, and the Importance of Active Listening in Negotiation and Persuasion.
Legacy e-learning authoring tools, developed around traditional learning pedagogies, usually focus on delivering set content in a linear, pre-packaged manner, which makes them unsuited to handle the dynamic nature of user-generated entries. The key persuasion tactics for effective energy sales, dealing with rejection in energy sales, and the importance of active listening in negotiation and persuasion are all personalized inputs reflecting individual learner experiences and insights. Therefore, these unique, context-driven entries necessitate a platform with increased flexibility and adaptability beyond the capabilities of traditional e-learning tools. Moreover, legacy authoring tools often lack the necessary functionality to compile such user-oriented content into a single, comprehensive, and downloadable PDF, thereby increasing the difficulty of documenting and sharing these valuable lessons learnt.
Our solution came in the form of the PDF Maker eLearning widget. This tool allowed us to export answers, course data, and other content into a PDF file. The beauty of the PDF Maker is that it allowed our course designers to plan the layout of the PDF document and add placeholders for variable values. This meant that once the energy sales representative finished the course, they could download a PDF containing all the information they generated during the course.
The PDF Maker was also terrific because it could use existing Word .docx files or even Google Docs files as a template for the PDF. This feature ensured the designer had full control over the content and style of the document. Additional benefits included providing personalized PDFs that listed course interactions for further review, issuing customized completion certificates directly within the course, and allowing learners to create their own PDF documents based on their course activities. It also supported the creation of electronic workbooks and the option for learners to save their notes and inputs for offline use, thereby enhancing their learning experience.
This tool integrated well with elearning authoring tools like Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate, solving the problem efficiently and effectively.
Case Study Outcome
The result of incorporating the PDF Maker eLearning widget into our course development was a game-changer. Our Energy Sales Representatives were not only able to learn important negotiation and persuasion techniques, but also convert their learnings and interaction outcomes into a personalized PDF document. These user-generated entries were then downloadable for future reference and review, aiding in the reinforcement of the learnt techniques. This unique feature allowed our employees to engage dynamically with the content, enhancing their overall learning experience. The flexibility and adaptability offered by the PDF Maker tool allowed us to transition from a rigid, traditional learning process to a more interactive, user-centric learning environment. Over time, we noticed a significant improvement in the selling and negotiation skills of our sales staff, which ultimately resulted in increased sales and customer satisfaction rates. It was a testament to the success of the new learning approach initiated by the PDF Maker tool.
