In this special 150th episode, Adam Avramescu and Dave Derington reflect on their journeys in customer education and the evolving nature of the field. They explore the fluidity of customer education roles, noting that there is no single, universal “playbook” that applies across all organizations. Dave Derington shares insights from his new role as Senior Manager of Learning Solutions and Programs at Atlassian, a large, mature enterprise.
What we’ve learned over the years is that what we call Customer Education has no discrete start or end. Universally, we focus on:
The challenges and opportunities of scaling learning programs to support millions of users,
The importance of integrating community and learning initiatives
The strategic approaches required to drive adoption and engagement within complex, distributed organizations.
The episode offers a unique perspective on the evolving landscape of customer education and the innovative ways leading companies are tackling the complexities of learning at scale. Listen in and let us know your thoughts!
In this episode of the CELab podcast, Julie Cochran, the Global Education Services lead at Charles River Development, shares her journey in developing a fair and data-driven pricing model for her company’s instructor-led training programs.
Julie explains how she partnered closely with her finance team to uncover the true costs associated with creating and delivering in-person training, including factors like instructor salaries, travel expenses, and content development time. By meticulously tracking this data, Julie was able to build a pricing structure that covered the company’s costs while still providing value to customers.
This episode explores:
The challenges of transitioning from in-person to virtual instructor-led training, and how to maintain the personal touch
Strategies for collaborating with sales and finance teams to establish fair pricing
The importance of using data and metrics to inform pricing decisions, not just gut feel
Tips for promoting continuous learning and platform adoption through engaging training experiences
Whether you’re a seasoned learning leader or just starting to build out your customer education program, this episode offers practical insights and a pricing playbook you can apply to your own organization.
At CELab, we’re always pushing the boundaries of customer education and technology. In our latest experiment, Adam dove headfirst into the world of AI-generated content using Google’s NotebookLM. But he didn’t stop there, and channeled his inner Mystery Science Theater 3000 to produce unfiltered commentary on the AI’s attempt at hosting a customer education podcast. This episode is a wild ride through the capabilities and limitations of AI in content creation, with plenty of laughs and insights along the way. Here’s what you can expect:
A behind-the-scenes look at NotebookLM’s podcast feature in action
Real-time analysis of AI-generated content from industry experts
Hilarious commentary and unexpected revelations about customer education topics
A glimpse into the future of AI in podcasting and educational content
Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a customer education professional, or just someone who enjoys a good laugh at the expense of our robot overlords, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in to “AI vs. Humans: CELab’s Real-Time Riffing on a NotebookLM Podcast” and join the conversation about the future of AI in education and content creation.
As the year comes to a close, we reflect on the top episodes of 2024 and make some bold predictions for the year ahead. What were our five most popular episodes of the year and why did they matter?
Some of our top hits this year featured Customer Education leaders like Katie Felton and Dan Ennis, to thought-provoking discussions on the intersection of digital customer success and community, these episodes are packed with practical wisdom and cutting-edge insights. But the real showstopper was Julie Dirksen, author of the legendary “Design for How People Learn” – a must-listen for anyone serious about behavior change in customer education.
Key Takeaways:
Customer education is becoming more integrated with digital customer success, community, and other teams
AI is making waves, but the real value comes from understanding its capabilities and limitations
Efficiency and automation are key, but don’t forget the human touch in content creation
The customer education job market is heating up, with a focus on leveraging AI tools
What’s in store for 2025? As usual, we have some bold predictions, from the continued evolution of digital CX to the rise of AI-powered content workflows. One thing’s for sure – the future of customer education is looking brighter than ever. Buckle up as we wrap up 2024 with style, panache, and extreme prejudice.
In this episode, we reflect on the eventful year of 2024 for the CELab podcast. Dave shares his experiences as an independent consultant, highlighting the diverse range of customer education challenges he has tackled, from revamping existing programs to building new ones from scratch. He emphasizes the importance of active listening, humility, and leveraging a network of partners to deliver successful engagements.
Adam then provides insights into his own journey, discussing the cultural adjustments of living in Amsterdam and the evolution of the customer education function at Personio, now known as the Scaled CX team. He delves into the integration of customer education with digital customer experience practices, focusing on meeting customers where they are through various channels. We recap the first year of the CELab community and plans to enhance it in 2025. Looking ahead, they share their predictions for the year to come, including a deeper exploration of scaled digital initiatives, cross-functional collaboration, and the use of AI in customer education.
Episode Highlights:
Dave’s experiences throughout 2024 as an independent consultant and the common challenges seen across the landscape of Customer Ed
Adam’s perspective on the state of customer education in Europe and the evolution of the Scaled CX team at Personio
The integration of customer education with digital customer experience practices
The launch and future plans for the CELab Community
Predictions for 2025, including Scaled CX / Scaled Digital Success, Cross-functional collaboration, and AI in Customer Education
How does podcasting help Customer Education? In this episode we welcome Craig Hewitt, the founder of Castos, a podcast hosting and production platform. We dive into the ever-evolving landscape of content creation, distribution, and how podcasting and other media formats can be leveraged to effectively reach and engage audiences.
In this field, we always see a “blurring of the lines” between marketing and education. It’s vitally important for us to meet customers where they are, and strategically use platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and social media to amplify content and build communities. The conversation also touches on the role of AI in content creation and repurposing, as well as strategies for scaling customer education efforts while maintaining personalization and engagement.
Key discussion points:
The changing landscape of content marketing and customer acquisition, with the decline of traditional tactics like ads and cold email
The rise of media-based approaches, including podcasting, as a powerful way to reach and engage audiences
The need to diversify content distribution across multiple platforms and formats to meet customers where they are
Leveraging tools and technologies, such as AI and video editing, to streamline content creation and repurposing
Balancing the open, accessible nature of content with the need for tracking and analytics to measure impact
Exploring hybrid models that combine free, publicly available content with paid, more personalized educational offerings
In this episode of CELab, we broaden our conversation about inspiring a “culture of learning” that inspires innovation. We dive deep with Leila Ishtayeh Colburn, the Learning Platform Enablement Leader at Trimble, and Owen Chamberlain, the Senior Education Alliance Manager at Trimble. The discussion delves into Trimble’s innovative approach to digital credentialing, exploring how they are leveraging this strategy to drive customer engagement, build brand equity, and foster a culture of continuous learning.
The guests share insights into the challenges and best practices of implementing a standardized digital credentialing framework across Trimble’s diverse business units. They also discuss Trimble’s broader efforts to transform their customer education programs, including the introduction of their successful “Learnfest” initiative and the exploration of gamification and hands-on learning experiences. Throughout the conversation, the speakers emphasize the importance of leadership support, the need to prioritize the learner’s perspective, and the value of embracing failure as a pathway to innovation.
Key Discussion Points:
Trimble’s digital credentialing framework and the journey to standardize it across the organization
The conceptual and technical aspects of implementing a verifiable, secure digital badging system
Trimble’s diverse industry portfolio and the role of customer education in driving value
The “Learnfest” initiative and Trimble’s efforts to cultivate a learning culture
Challenges in overcoming traditional learning methods and driving cultural transformation
The importance of gamification, hands-on experiences, and failure-based learning
Strategies for engaging internal and external stakeholders in the learning process
The role of leadership support and the need for a unified learning experience
In this episode we had the pleasure of speaking with Neel Balar, the co-founder of Clueso. Clueso is a platform that aims to revolutionize the way Customer Education content is created, offering a fast and easy solution for producing high-quality videos and documentation. Key discussion points include:
Clueso’s origin story and the pivotal moment that led to its creation
The impact of Clueso on the workflows of small and large customer education teams
A deep-dive into AI-powered features automate the video creation process, saving time and resources
How localization and translation features further make Clueso help reaching a global customer base a snap
In this episode, we invite Samantha Murray discuss her journey of boomeranging back to Customer Education where we explore the importance of consolidating customer education programs, the challenges in the industry, and the need for career inspiration.
Samantha shares her experiences in customer education at Shopify and Docebo, highlighting the value of cross-functional collaboration and the impact of customer education on the overall customer experience. What’s the overlap between customer education and product marketing? There are so many similarities and synergies to explore, so don’t miss this lively discussion!
Key Takeaways:
Consolidating customer education programs can lead to a more cohesive and effective customer experience.
There are challenges in the B2B SaaS industry, including layoffs and the cutting of customer education programs, but exploring other opportunities can lead to personal and professional growth.
Customer education professionals should focus on cross-functional collaboration and aligning with marketing, product, and customer success teams to create a seamless learning experience.
Customer education plays a crucial role in understanding customer needs and challenges, and it should be driven by customer research and feedback.
Leaders in customer education should advocate for the consolidation of learning efforts within an organization to improve efficiency and productivity. Customer education and product marketing share many similarities and synergies.
Creating value-based messaging and understanding customer challenges are key aspects of both roles.
Driving product adoption and delivering value-based education are crucial for customer success.
Integrating customer education into other learning programs can lead to efficiency gains and stronger content.
Knowledge management is essential for scaling organizations and ensuring continued growth.
The future of customer education lies in tapping into new generations of job seekers and providing targeted education programs.
Collaboration between product marketing and customer education teams can enhance storytelling and create stronger narratives.
Customer advocacy and feedback play a vital role in shaping educational content and building credibility.
The fluidity of knowledge transfer and the integration of different functions are crucial for success in the customer education field.
In this episode, Dave Derington and Adam Avramescu explore the role of strategy and active listening in the field of customer education. They challenge the notion that rigid frameworks and pre-defined strategies are the key to success, arguing that the ability to adapt and deeply listen to customers and stakeholders is often more important.
The value of slowing down and creating space for deeper conversations
The discussion covers several key topics, including:
The limitations of relying on generic frameworks and maturity models
The importance of understanding the specific business problems and opportunities
Techniques for effective active listening, such as empathy, patience, and asking probing questions
The need to balance formal and informal communication channels
Resources
Books:
“Crucial Conversations” by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
