Upside Learning is bombarded on a daily basis with queries from companies prepared to leverage the capacity of mobile learning via the devices (yes, BYOD is here to stay folks) their people own and check constantly throughout the day. And while there are still some organizations that require more education before moving forward, more and more of them have well developed thought processes and relatively clear cut strategies for implementing mobile learning.
Yet where is the proverbial tipping point for mobile learning? We keep hearing that it’s coming…and soon! Yet where is the tangible proof – evidence in support of all the noise about the mobile learning revolution?? Quite frankly it has not proceeded at anywhere near the velocity of a revolution – few things in this world do. Mobile learning has truly been more of an evolution…let’s put a toe in the water here and see what comes of it.
So where will it come from – who goes first?? Not surprisingly, the answer has resonated loud and clear – SALES! Makes perfect sense, as sales is likely the most tangible measuring stick….scorecard if you will for calculating impact and, of course, ROI. Although we are working with clients to execute mobile learning in other ways that include a broader enterprise application, developing and delivering mobile learning content for sales organizations is far and away number one.
In fact, a 2013 ASTD (now ATD) blog post titled Sales Enablement and Employee Empowerment: Driving Performance Support With Mobile Devices references a 2012 study of pharmaceutical reps that found 65 percent of reps were using iPads when talking with physicians, which was more than double the number from the previous year.
That being said, an important question to answer is how to best utilize the power of mobile learning in conjunction with the multitude of devices owned by salespeople and sales leaders. The answer, as evidenced by the work we are doing for client sales teams, has been quite easy to articulate – it is Performance Support.
Performance Support for sales can show up in many ways, however, a fundamental component is that it must be embedded in the workflow. It cannot be cumbersome or add to a salesperson’s workload or they will not incorporate it into their daily routine. True Performance Support must help your people perform their jobs better. And mobile learning technology must work flawlessly – along with content that is engaging, brief, and adds value to the execution of their sales efforts.
Sales Performance Support can take many forms, for instance, much of what we are developing for clients includes job aids, such as mobile flash that instantly deliver process-related content (i.e., presentations. procedures, etc.) and chunked down learning and/or video snippets that are 2-3 minutes in duration – which provide quick Performance Support interventions that deliver best practices on how to execute a specific task. The only limitation on new and unique applications for Performance Support is the imagination of our clients, who continue to push us to develop more and better Performance Support solutions on a regular basis. So how can you best leverage the power and reach of mobile learning technology to help your sales team achieve a higher level of excellence?
Here’s a hint – the answer’s initials are ‘PS’
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