In this episode of the CELab podcast, host Dave Derington sits down with Casey Izzo from Bionic Advertising Systems to unpack an extraordinary journey of digital transformation. Learn how a small team turned their high-touch CSM-led software training into an accessible, scaled digital success experience.
Casey shares her team’s remarkable achievement of developing a comprehensive academy with nearly 100 videos in months, using innovative tools like Synthesia for AI-powered narration and strategic content design, Camtasia for editing, Wistia for hosting, and Gainsight to bring it all together. Even more, with such a small team they leveraged content creation expertise through Greenmusk to accelerate delivery. The result? Over 150 certifications issued, dramatically reduced training overhead, and a learning platform that serves both customers and industry professionals.
Key Insights:
How to Build an Enterprise-Level Academy with Limited Resources
Leveraging AI and Smart Tools to Dramatically Reduce Training Time
Transforming Customer Onboarding from Live Sessions to Strategic 30-Minute Meetings
Creating a Learning Platform That Attracts Users Beyond Your Customer Base
Practical Strategies for Making Complex Software Training Engaging and Accessible
Whether you’re a Customer Success leader, a Training Professional, or tech innovator, this episode offers a blueprint for scaling education without scaling complexity.
Listen now and transform your approach to customer learning!
This episode is a “feed drop” or crossover episode featuring Adam Avramescu and Dee Kapila‘s new show – CXetera! As our network grows, we will often feature other shows where you can go and continue your learning journey.
This is a topic that’s relatable to all of us in the field of Customer Education: Should Customer Success Managers (CSMs) should be responsible for customer training? In this episode, Adam and Dee explore the complexities of training delivery across different company stages and contexts.
Top 3 Insights:
Training Expertise Matters: Not all CSMs have the skills to deliver effective training. Professional trainers bring specialized learning design expertise that ensures consistent, high-quality educational experiences.
Balancing Efficiency and Customer Experience: Companies should carefully evaluate their training approach, considering both operational efficiency and customer outcomes. The goal is to right-size training offerings that meet customer needs without overextending resources.
Contextual Training Strategy: Training approaches should adapt based on company maturity, product complexity, and market context. Early-stage companies might rely on CSMs, while mature organizations benefit from dedicated training teams and scalable educational programs.
The discussion emphasizes that while CSMs play a crucial role in customer success, specialized training is often best handled by professionals who can deliver consistent, high-quality learning experiences.
As our market continues to grow and change, it’s crucial for us to keep on top of emerging trends. Make sure you check out and subscribe to the CXetera substack and check out the show on iTunes, Spotify, and all the other places where you catch your pods!
In this episode of CELab, we engage in a comprehensive discussion with Brett Strauss and Dan Boyle about the intricacies of customer education and partner training. They explore the evolution of NetExam, the importance of access management, and the role of AI in enhancing training experiences.
The conversation delves into best practices for creating effective training programs, the significance of informal learning, and the necessity of building trust with partners. The episode emphasizes the need for simplicity and consistency in training while also addressing the complexities of managing partner relationships and ensuring successful customer outcomes.
Highlights:
Partner training is essential for scaling customer education.
NetExam evolved from a content management system to a specialized LMS for partner training.
Building trust with partners is crucial for successful training programs.
AI can enhance training by analyzing performance and providing feedback.
Informal learning should be recognized and credited in training programs.
Training should be simple and accessible to partners.
Certification requirements should be balanced to avoid overwhelming partners.
Custom learning paths can enhance the training experience.
Measuring success should go beyond just certification completion.
The relationship with partners should be nurtured from day one.
In this conversation, Adam Avramescu and Elli Neald discuss the evolution of customer education and support through the implementation of AI chatbots. They explore the challenges faced in the “old-school” customer support models, the transition to an AI-first strategy, and the ongoing optimization efforts that have led to significant improvements in resolution rates and customer satisfaction. Ellie shares insights on the importance of testing, data sources, and proactive education in enhancing the customer experience.
Key Takeaways from this episode:
The transition to AI can significantly improve resolution rates.
Content maintenance is a major challenge in customer support.
Testing and iteration are crucial for successful AI implementation.
Proactive education can enhance customer experience and product adoption.
AI chatbots can serve as growth levers rather than just cost centers.
Understanding customer needs is key to effective support strategies.
Data architecture plays a vital role in AI chatbot performance.
Regular optimization is necessary to maintain high customer satisfaction.
Engaging with support teams helps identify areas for improvement.
AI can personalize responses based on user-specific data.
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
