The vast majority of our customers are talking iPad for their field reps.  Many of them are in the midst of pilots, some are starting pilots, some have finished pilots and are deploying.  At this point, the question is just when not if.

But interestingly, we’re also seeing that while deployments are happening, there is a lot of ambiguity around how reps will actually use the iPad.  Will be just for CRM and sales aids, or will it be for doc management/admin work, and what about training – how can we do live training on the iPad?

In our design and usability studies for iPad for training, we’ve found the following good and bad things for the iPad:

1. CRM:  If your CRM system is good on the iPad, it’s great for in-field updates.  If your CRM does not port well, it’s a major issue.
2. Sales Aids:  Most sales aids can port fairly easily.  However, current sales aids need to be re-envisioned for the capabilities of the iPad.
3. PDF/Module conversion:  Same as sales aids – documents can be converted to ePub/iBook fairly easily (watch out for formatting problems), but misses a lot of the potential of the iPad
4. Office apps (eg: Word, Excel, Powerpoint):  the iPad fails here, the software is just not ready for enterprise level office document manipulation, storage and versioning. You’re going to need to maintain a second computer if you need to do Office app work.
5. Live online Learning:  WebEx is basically Powerpoint sharing, Adobe Connect is much better. However, Adobe Connect is basically a desktop port to the iPad; it does not really leverage the iPad capabilities. And user-to-user meetings with doc sharing does not work for any of the current app offerings (wait for rVibe Vusion).
6. Effectiveness: If you’re doing formal live-online-learning (Trainer to reps rather than informal or Manager based training), Reps can effectively be trained while in the field over 3G, but you have to pay attention to methodology even more closely than before.

Some things to be thinking about as it relates to live online training on the iPad

1. Shorten the duration of your classes: 4-6 hour, multi-day training is possible at the desktop, but not the iPad and misses the value of field based live training. Short, bursty updates are the most effective methods for the iPad with users in the field.
2. Drive greater interactivity: don’t broadcast, work hard for it: Make sure users give multi-way video a try during the session and interact with content and polls. Make sure they talk back.  Don’t let 3G or a noisy environment be an excuse. Obviously for 2 way video, you need an iPad 2.  Don’t worry about data unless you do a ton, you’re only looking at about 200MB per hour of video based training.
3. Liven up your presentation with images:  the iPad is a highly visual device. If you can control your content, make it more image centric. But remember, people can hold it up close, so don’t be afraid of eye charts too.

The biggest take aways and our recommendations on iPad deployment are these:

• Use cases: Know how you intend to use the iPad; rely on subject matter experts to guide you
• Port then experiment: Port your existing processes/models/content first, then migrate to forward looking functionality and methodology
• Technical support:  For training departments that are not highly technical, use a technical subject matter expert to face off to I

It’s pretty well understood that (although not commonly implemented) that live video in the live online training environment makes a significantly better training experience. However, it’s not fully appreciated the importance of high quality audio, and with video, the synchronization of audio to video.

At a core human level, research has shown that people are predominately visual in their perception of the world.  That said, one of the interesting aspects of video interpretation is the association of audio.  With changes in audio quality, the  perception of the quality if video changes independent to the video quality.  For example, if a video is encoded at a low resolution and frame rate, and the audio has a narrow filter applied and small bit depth, the perception of the quality of the overall image is lower.  If the audio quality to the same video is increased dramatically, the perception of the video quality increases as well.

The same goes for audio synchronization. Chalk it up to decades of badly dubbed movies, or that  icky feeling you get when you see a robot that does not look quite human, or whatever, but when a person’s lips and voice are out of sync, it is problematic for effective communication. Unfortunately it’s one of those things that you don’t notice until it happens, and you don’t really want it to happen.

The thing is, traditional telephone, and now services such as skype or webinar services, sacrifice audio quality and video synchronization in the service of connection.  It’s tricky balance to strike – low latency (lower bandwidth) or higher quality audio (higher bandwith and often higher latency).  And – when video is incorporated, services like webinars and skype will send the audio and video separately leading to out-of-sync situations on a regular basis.

There are a couple ways to combat this:

1. For big-tent productions with limited online interaction, use a broadcast medium rather than a webinar or voice-based medium.  That means using a streaming appliance such as rVibe’s rCast with best in class audio.
2. Ensure your audio source has the highest quality possible. Using on-board computer microphones, or tiny USB mics are a receipie for low quality.  Make sure the microhones you use are high quality. Best quality starts at the source.
3. Increase the bandwidth and quality of connect you have available. The fatter the bandwidth and the higher quality (low jitter and latency) the connection, the greater quality you can drive through to the other end.

At the end of it, the goal is training engagement. Content is super important, but it’s also important to not underestimate the quality of the medium of delivery,

Ok, this is about in-car video chat, but it’s also about why we’re talking about it.

Most of our clients are looking seriously at the iPad for their sales environments, and so we’ve been doing a lot of playing, supporting, piloting, developing and testing on iPads around here.

We’re pretty keen on video (obviously) as a live communication medium, and one of the key element of live communication on the iPad is two/multi-way video chat.  We also are pretty sure it has to be more than video, and more than just webinarized (presentation centric) powerpoint.  We’ve actually just put a pilot plan together for our clients, and in our design tests, collaborative video and content manipulation are critical to training and learning usage. Since there are no apps that adequately support that model, we are in the middle of developing a nice collaborative, video centric iPad app as well.

That said, since our app is not ready yet,we are trying out other things for a work around. As a company, we use Google Apps for our email, calendaring, instant messaging and video chatting (since it’s embedded in the gmail client). However, until recently there has no iPad app that can handle the video chat piece of it – vTok changed that.  vTok allows Gtalk Video chatting over wi-fi and 3G.

So, I am driving down the road last week, when my iPad chirps altering me that a vTok message has come in. I turn it on, and low and behold, I am video chatting with our CTO. Driving down the road, with my iPad on the dash, talking live via Video!  It was like he was riding with me.  And, as with what we’ve noticed with all video chat, the conversation takes a more natural, nuanced tone that is more effective.

Now, you may think it’s dangerous to be chatting this way, but I would counsel that done properly, it’s no more or less dangerous that talking on a cell while driving (which can be pretty dangerous of course).

Regardless, this test provided us with a bunch of important data:

1. In car, video centric, rich collaboration is possible.
2. In car, video centric communication continues to be richer than audio along.
3. Ad hoc, video centric, interrupt driven communication in the car is possible.
4. Rich content sharing in real time on the iPad is still very limited.

And – then, when I pulled over, our CTO (who was on an iPad 2 also), then walked around and showed me the inside of his new house.

Once some rich content sharing is available in a single app that allows for interrupt driven communication, in-field, live training will be a reality.  Reps and managers can keep their numbers up, training departments can reduce out of territory time, marketing departments can reduce the communication cycle time.  Some kind of in-car Nirvana will be achieved.

Wait wait – did we also just point to a new kind of sales model?  The live, video centric sales model?  Yes, yes we did.  Did we just allude to the way Pharma sales reps of the future can create a richer, deeper relationship between Doctors and the extended Pharma company?  Yes, yes we did.

When we began working with Sanofi in 2009 to support the growth in their Virtual Training efforts, none of us knew just how far we could take the evolution of live online learning. Two years later, we now know that not only can Live Online Learning be a tremendous cost saver, but when done right, it can practically revolutionize how training is done.

By deploying methodology that became rVibe’s Virtual Maturity Model, Sanofi was able to not only save $5M over 2 years in travel costs, they were able to do things like successfully train 900 associated with two week notice and hit 95% pass rates on first time compliance tests for that group. But to be that successful, it takes a different mind set than tradition “webinar” focused learning.

As Jeff Taylor from Sanofi comments in the current issue of SPBT Focus, “We’ve never agreed with the misguided principle that you can’t conduct Web-based training the same way you conduct classroom training.”  And we couldn’t agree more.

You need to look at the whole approach, bend the medium to your need, and train as you would in a classroom.  By following Virtual Maturity Model for technique, technology, and content, it’s possible.

Live online learning is the new eLearning.  It’s the solution we all knew would finally materialize allowing trainers to shut down travel, keep people in the field and cut cost.  And we’ve heard vendors over and over again say that companies should go fully virtual for their learning.  They recommend a webinar approach for replacing in-person classroom and eLearning for pull throughs, supplements or compliance training.

However, we feel differently.  In our view, there is always a place for Live-In-Person training and meetings.  As a geographically distributed company we face these challenges just like our clients.  And we’re here to say that in person is better.  As of today, it can’t be beat.  And we would never suggest that with current technology and process that you should eliminate an in-person element to training. You’re going to need a blend of live in-person and live-online.

Notably, we find that if you can, you should do new-hire on-boarding in person.  It gives learners a sense of the company, community and purpose.

That said, we also know from experience and primary data collection that for tenured professionals, cross training, live touches and didactic education, that live-online-learning can be equally effective (if not more effective) and gets the benefits that live on line learning promises. It’s also works well to shorten POA or Sales meetings.

The key is to have a comprehensive program that combines live in-person and live-online training – treating them both equally.  Live online is just as planning intensive, and course design intensive as in-person and you have to give them equal attention.

And that means you have to do live online learning right; a webinar is not enough.  ”Telling ain’t training” is a common enough phrase, but when companies do webinars, they tend to forget this truism.  Plan your spend on course updates, technology and production.  It will pay handsome dividends.

Be sure to give VMM a try, it will help a lot.

Well, maybe not all managers, but some. And it’s with good reason, although it may have very little to do with live online learning per se.

I met with a DSM (District Sales Manager) at a large Pharma yesterday and had a very interesting interaction. Being a person who likes to know what someone’s pain points are (particularly as they relate to live online training), I asked him. He was forthright and honest and pointed to his single biggest issue with Live Online Learning: He now has to do more work – and he’s already overloaded.

Why would Live Online Learning cause him more work? Simple – he now has to manage his reps closer to ensure they have the skills they need. Where before he felt the trainer handled that, it now falls to him. How could this be?

In an in-person setting for sales training, an instructor can and will work one-on-one with a rep to do role playing, or just take the temperature of how confident and knowledgeable they are with the materials. Maybe in a breakout session, or in the hall, or a formal evaluation period. They can quickly and effectively determine where the rep is, capability-wise.

In a live-online-learning setting, there is a higher barrier to in-class on-the-fly evaluation of a reps skills. This barrier is due to a couple different things. First, based on the intimate nature of the environment, learners are often hesitant to raise the flag and say they don’t understad. And likewise, since learners are afraid to “hold-up” the class, they also won’t ask for more help. And similarly, at the risk of people fading out, facilitators may not want to take the time to make sure learners are fully absorbing the materials.

Also, in online settings, there may not be the informal time built in for checking in on skill assessment. And, in today’s technology landscape, the tools are not yet mature enough to facilitate informal interaction effectively.

So, what do we do to make DSM’s happy and relieve them of the training burden? Live Touch Points with reps on an ongoing basis. with small groups.   It’s an instructional design technique that is actually independent of the technology, but leverages the capabilities of distributed learning.

Training departments have been looking for a way to increase the volume and effectiveness of their training while decreasing impact to the field.  Do this:

1. Conduct a Live Online Learning session as a precursor to an in-person class.  Do Didactic work or something else.
2. Run an abbreviated in-person class to work on the soft-skills
3. Conduct a pull through Live Online Learning session for things that were missed or not fully grasped
4. 45 – 60 days later, begin 3 month “Live Touch”  30 min/1 hour sessions Live Online for competency reinforcement

DSM issue is solved, costs are reduced, learners are better prepared and Marketing messages are reinforced.

We’re building a place for creative collaboration and we love ideas.  Here’s the thing:

Philosophers have spent centuries defining art and creativity.  Recently scientists and educators have taken to researching creativity.  But from a work standpoint, we don’t really need to understand the roots of the creative instinct, or how the mind works comes up with ideas and makes them real.

Importantly, creativity in the work environment is almost never a solo act.  We’re constantly creating with other people.  We’re doing what humans do: interact with other humans to change their world and add something to it. It’s really as simple as that for creativity in work: make something new together.

How that happens, the outcomes and the tools and processes we use however, vary widely. Maybe we use a white board, maybe draw on a piece of paper, or make a paper airplane. Maybe it’s a list of steps, or code, or a powerpoint deck or a business plan. If it’s electronic, we probably email it back and forth, we might share it online somehow. If it’s a physical object, we have to be in the same room typically.

At a conceptual level, two or more people arrive at a space in which they intend (premeditated or accidentally) to collaborate.  There is the genesis of what they are going to collaborate on (again, premeditated or accidental), a forum in which they will work and materials with which they will work. The participants put ideas into meaningful representations into the space that both can interact with such as audible sounds (words, music, noise), text (representations of language) or images and motion.  The space holds these items while the people manipulate, add, remove each item and form them to intersect with the other elements inside the space. The participants decide to stop the creative activity, and either clean up (where they space is formalized and fixed into the intended result), or leave it for another time (which may be the intended consequence).  The end result of the collaboration ready to be used as intended by the collaborative participants.

That’s a rudimentary outline of the creative collaborative process.  Note that it does not indicate in anyway the means by which people come up with creative ideas, or suggestions on how to best be creative. That’s something else entirely. What it does imply however, is that there needs to be collaborators, a space dedicated to the effort, material to work with and a way to have the final result of the collaboration fixed in some manner for further use.

Humans have been following this exact process for creative collaboration forever. It may have taken the form of working synchronously (typically in a room together, but recently over the phone), asynchronously (like sending a painting back and forth, or emailing a powerpoint deck), or jointly like a blog narrative.

But, we believe that while the human process will always remain the same for creative collaboration, that the tools we have available to us today are not adequate; particularly for synchronous collaboration, and most notably for distributed, real-time collaboration.  They are too defined in terms of their inputs and outputs, they don’t have enough interaction capabilities and they don’t allow for accidental synchronous collaboration with an end product.  Phew, that’s a mouthful.

We find that here’s what you need for real-time, online collaboration

1. A flexible, multi-person space where materials can be easily added from a wide range of sources that are apparently not-related and from multiple layers of human relation
2. A flexible space in which to manipulate those materials as you see fit
3. A space that allows for real-time, visually oriented human interaction
4. A method to create new spaces as needed to enhance the creative activity
5. A method to store the final products of the creative activity
6. An low barrier way for participants to join (purposefully or accidentally) and leave the creative space

That’s what we’re building anyway with the new version of Vusion.

Are there things you would like to see in it specifically?  We’re always looking for input on what to add to our products!

We mentioned at SPBT this year we’ll be doing a couple sessions, one of which is a post conference workshop on how to really, actually, truly conduct successful live Virtual training (PDF, scroll down). Even with all the buzz around live Internet training, there is still a lot of fear around doing it right.  The most common concerns we come across are 1: getting the technology to work, and making sure learners are engaged for extended periods of time.  There are others too but those are the biggest.

The holy grail of live Internt learning is a blend of addressing those two concerns.  And doing it over 8 hours, across 5 days, for hundreds of learners.  And yes, we’re here to say, it’s not only possible to get through it, it’s possible to do it really really well.  Test scores prove it. Qualitative survey results prove it.  Sales stats prove it.  We’re not kidding.

But HOW do you do it?  For trainers and training departments attempting to go down that path, it seems very daunting.  The hurdles appear to be many.

1. I don’t even know what technology to use, where to get it, how to cobble it together and get it to work.  Forget it.
2. I know that when I sit in on a webinar, I tune out in 10 minutes – max.   Nobody will pay attention for 8 hours.
3. As a trainer, I won’t be able to see what the learners are doing – surfing the web, playing with dog I hear barking… are they even there?
4. I feel really really strange talking to a camera (and seeing myself).  Do I really look like that?
5. I’ve heard I have to overhaul all my materials – it’s going to take months to get through compliance with that.

BUT – those issues are all very easy to over come. No, seriously, we mean it.  They are.

The SPBT post conference workshop is a nuts-and-bolts session for those managers and trainers on the hook to make it work.  You can do it.  This workshop will show you how.  Things like:

1. Selecting an online learning platform
2. How to setup the trainer learning space
3. How to conduct a virtual training session
4. How to engage learners consistently over time
5. How to get the kind of feedback that will help your program

If you need to execute live Internet training, this is the session for you.

We’re the first to say that nothing can replace being in-person.  If there was, there wouldn’t be any need to go to the beach for vacation!  The same can be said for training, communication, collaboration and conferences.  However, with such a clear cost value proposition to Directors and Vice Presidents, virtual everything is virtually a reality.

Most training managers and departments tend to think that live, instructor lead Internet based training is a distant second-class citizen to in-person training.  That only if you really really really had to, would you EVER consider doing training virtually. It’s understandable since most teams that try it have a bad experience.

But, we’ve found that it doesn’t have to be bad.  Others have found that too. And, interestingly, you can do things with Virtual training and collaboration that you couldn’t do in-person in terms of course design and reinforcement. Wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Virtual live training can be all it’s supposed to be.  It can be engaging, fun, personal and effective.  People can stay with their families, stay in the field, hit their quotas, and even exceed them.  Here are five simple foundational things that will help:

1. Make it feel in-person and personal: Use all your engaging techniques that you leverage in the class, but with the online platform you use. Set your virtual class up like a physical class.  Play games, do intros, do breakouts, flip charts, perks, etc.
2. Technology should be invisible.  Use a producer, prep your learners and your facilitator. Make them practice together before they learn.  The technology can be made invisible if you work at it. And the payoff is huge if you do.
3. Use 20-10-5 for presentations. Don’t overhaul your materials, just shuffle them.  A four hour didactic presentation online is a recipe for failure.  Do 20 min presentations with 10 minutes of teach-back and 5 of Q&A.   Change it up regularly and make sure people are engaged.  You have to work harder at engagement, you just do.
4. Engage or go away.  You have to get people interacting more in a virtual setting that in-person. Make them raise their hand, or answer a poll.  Call on them to comment – but give them the time to actually comment – it’s harder than it seems – dead space online feels ten times longer than in-person.  Use that to your advantage.
5. Use multi-way video. There is nothing more engaging than knowing you’re being watched.  When possible, have as many participants’ cameras on at any one time.

Oh, there is one more…keep your class size under 25. Anything bigger and you might as well lecture.

We’re very excited to be going to SPBT Conference at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando; of course. The conference is May 9th – 13th. And, for us this year is super special since we’re presenting two separate workshops on  Virtual Training.

The first is a Director level view of Virtual training – benefits, tips, how to get started. We’re co-presenting with one of our large Pharma clients, and hitting a ton of valuable data around success measures: qualitative survey results, hard cost savings and revenue impact.  It’s going to be pretty amazing. If you’re going to be there and care at all about Virtual Training, don’t miss it!

Also, we’re running a full day, post-conference deep dive on how to successfully execute a live, virtual training session. Check out the link:

Effective Training Delivery in a room made of Pixels!

Our senior trainer will be delivering a power-packed session ideal for the trainer or training manger who has to deliver and get it right.  It’ll be chock-full of good information on how to be successful in a virtual training environment.  Be ready to get your hands dirty in this one!

We’re looking forward to seeing you there, but if you can’t make it, please let us know and we’ll see what we can do about a follow up at a later date.