After the short video introduction, please consider this post and leave your comments...

We aren’t taught to learn. We grow up doing it naturally: through exploration, example, and experimentation. Think about it: ever since that first time...you’ve avoided hot stoves, right? That’s because you’re an awesome, natural born, mean, lean, learning machine!

Now think about your e-learning program. Does it let your learners naturally explore new information? Does it allow them to practice applying that information, until they’re confident they can get the right results in the real world?

Or is your program more e-reading than e-learning? Maybe you’re getting sucked into that vortex of page-by-page, PowerPoint-like courses! If you are, that really does suck...and it's wrong, because your learners aren't getting all they need to perform at top levels.

At w/ we refer to that natural process of eXploration and eXperience as X-learning. When we formalize it, digitize it and put it online, we call it a PowerSim™.

Want me to give you a quick run through on how it works?

• In a PowerSim, we generally start by exposing learners to a category of products or services. We include strategic sound bites about markets and customers, but we don’t overdue it. This category overview module provides greater context and meaning, as learners move on to a non-linear exploration of feature/benefit information.

• In the feature/benefit module, we utilize engaging, full-body avatars to demonstrate good selling techniques. All of the feature/benefit information from all of the products is included, so learners can visualize how they would do the same thing.
  

• Then, in the simulation module, learners apply the information gained from the first two modules, to practice selling. This is how they internalize decision-making skills and new behaviors. The results are an increase in sales and satisfied customers.

Why do PowerSims work?

Each selling scenario in the simulation module is purposefully designed around a critical risk area. These risk areas are key elements of sales and business strategy where your people are likely to falter or fail, without practice in making the right decisions. Focusing on these critical issues means your learners are getting the highest-value training available.

The PowerSims approach is effective because it takes advantage of the way people naturally learn. But you know what I think is even cooler than that? Because PowerSims go the extra mile in making your learners successful, these same learners turn around and go the extra mile in promoting your products and building your brand. Now that’s a return on investment!

What results do we get?

In a recent survey, over 1000 sales managers “agreed or strongly agreed” that our courses helped their salespeople:

• Recommend our customer’s brand over the competition, 93% of the time

• Recommend the right solution or product, 96% of the time, and

• Overcome customer objections to close the sale, 93% of the time

It’s no wonder then, in the same survey, 76% of sales managers estimated their sales results went up an average of 12.5%, due to our courses.

So, you see why I say that page-based, PowerPoint-like e-learning is just plain wrong? It just doesn’t get the same results as exploration and experimentation inside of a PowerSim.