How American Express uses training to increase sales See how this large financial services company effectively uses e - learning to train their salesforce

THE CLIENT A merican Express is largest card issuers, processing millions of transactions daily as the premium network for high - spending card members. It also serving both consumers and businesses.

BUSINESS GOAL A merican Express was introducing new products and services across EMEA and needed to train more than 300 sales people on them in a very short period of time. They designed a skills and knowledge programme which was targeted at their sales team and was to enable sales managers to identify new opportunities and increase revenues for the business.

THEIR CHALLENGE

Complex training programme To create the desired behaviour change among sales people, American Express needed a skills and knowledge programme that comprised a blend of classroom training focused on soft skills, and e - learning which would complement the traditional training sessions. Low enthusiasm for e - learning While e - learning had been used by American Express in the past, few sales people had any enthusiasm for it. Short timescales Project timing was critical and the e - learning course had to be completed by staff in just two weeks in preparation for the final face - to - face workshops. Tracking and reporting With such short timescales American Express had to make sure all involved staff completed their e - learning in time for classroom training. Not enough in - house e - learning capabilities The majority of were face to face, and though the company had an internal e - learning team, they needed more capabilities to meet the demands and timescales of the project.

THE DISCOVERY A merican Express needed a training partner that would assist them in the design and development of the e - learning modules and fulfil their expectations.

Samantha Hansford , Training & Development Manager, EMEA C ommelius has an excellent track record in the delivery of e - learning and considerable experience in how e - learning is best delivered as part of a blended learning approach. We were confident that they could deliver an excellent product within a very tight timeframe .

THE SOLUTION

T o combat low expectations, it was vital that the e - learning had a style and approach that would bring the subject matter to life and provide an engaging learning experience to reinforce the essential knowledge and behaviours. Samantha Hansford , Training & Development Manager

Solution: interactive e - learning that could also be used in a just in time way Commelius created three hours of interactive and engaging e - learning; with one module being designed per product. Designed in collaboration with key stakeholders across the business, the modules included all the required facts and knowledge about each product within an innovative design. Each module used a familiar structure that was easy to navigate if the learner returned to use the modules in a just in time way. They also each contained a useful and practical product toolkit. Each module ended with a user assessment so learners could check their knowledge.

W ith such short timescales, the tracking and reporting capability was key to .

Solution: tracking and reporting tool The e - learning was delivered on ALTO - learning management platform. Every morning during the two week completion period, thanks to a tracking and reporting tool Pursuit which is a part of ALTO the L&D team could download a report on who had successfully finished the modules. Samantha and her team were then able to identify who had not yet completed the course and escalate actions to the relevant management teams, so they could push their teams through.

RESULTS

The e - learning course was completed on time and on budget with a completion rate of 86% . Over half the learners completed feedback forms with 100% rating the learning as good or excellent , 99% reporting that they were now more familiar with the capabilities of the products and 90% felt they were more comfortable discussing products with customers.

W delighted with the e - learning and the feedback the users really enjoyed the experience and we were able to move into the workshop phase fully prepared . Samantha Hansford , Training & Development Manager

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