How To Make the Business Case for E-Learning Software
As a success coach with Articulate, I’m on the front lines answering customer questions (and yes, indeed, we get them all). In a single day, we might hear, “What is e-learning exactly?” “What is the cost of a license?” and everything in between. The most frustrating comment we hear, however, is “Now I just need to convince my boss to pay for it.” You know how great our software is, but what’s the best strategy to convince the “higher-ups” to go for it? Here are some helpful hints …
Share a Demo
The first rule of sales is “show …don’t tell.” We are happy to offer a free, fully functional trial of Articulate Storyline and Articulate Studio so you can experience how easy they are to use, and so your boss can see how robust the software is. To someone not fully versed in e-learning, and not up to speed on Storyline, words like triggers and format painter and highly immersive courses don’t mean a lot. Those people need to see the difference.
Identify the Cost Benefit
Another piece of advice is to make it make sense—and cents! How much time would Storyline save you compared to the tools and resources you use now? Especially if your workload is at capacity, this can be a powerful message. It is always less expensive to use better software than it is to add an employee. And, software doesn’t call in sick! Your time is valuable, and anything that helps you make better use of it is a win for your organization.
You should also find ways to show how great e-learning saves your organization money. Many people find they can quickly and easily justify the expense when they think about how much this small outlay will save them in the big picture.
Demonstrate the Ease of Use
Articulate differentiates itself by providing outstanding customer support, training, and tutorials. This is key for your manager to know because you can get up and running quickly with minimal downtime—without lengthy trainings—and if there’s a problem or something you can’t figure out, our fabulous support team is here to help.
Fulfill Future Needs
Software that meets a current need is good, but software that also has future benefits for your organization is even better. So, think about your organization’s current needs, and how they will evolve. Then, have a good explanation ready for how Storyline or Studio will help your organization fill an anticipated need. For example, perhaps mobile access isn’t a huge deal to your company now, but might become so in the future. With Articulate software, you’ll have a ton of robust features to call on as your needs change—and versatility is music to a manager’s ears!
Convincing upper management isn’t always easy, but if you prepare for the meeting and present your case logically, you might find it is easier than you think!
Our success team is always here to help answer questions if you need more information, and there are some great threads in our community forums about this topic. Here are a couple to get you started:
Like this article? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest e-learning inspiration and insights directly in your inbox. You can also find us on LinkedIn and X (Formerly Twitter).
