Posted November 6, 2009 by Julie Maranhao
I just recently started working in marketing here at Firmwater and this is going to be my very own blog space! I will basically be writing about anything and everything that I learn about online learning. I’m pretty excited about it.
Now, if you’re looking at that cartoon and at least slightly cracking a smile, then it has served its purpose. By the way, I really look like that; at least 99.9% of the time. I’m also a chatterbox and very much a kid at heart. And if you’re wondering right now, as you look at that cartoon, whether or not to take me seriously, well I must tell you; I have extensive industry experience that will prove my credibility. In a nutshell, I have over twelve years of experience in procrastination, nine in perfectionism and at least four being a nonconformist. As you can see, this experience is clearly relevant to the topics I will be discussing.
Moving on, let’s talk a little bit about the purpose of this blog series. Cutting to the chase, it’s pretty much for newbies. If this is your first time in the elearning pool, then this blog is for you! Now if you’re a newbie like me then you’ve probably only recently frolicked around the shallow end of this pool. But as you may already be dreading, our due date for Olympic enrollment is coming up very soon. So, it’s time to jump into the deep end! Can’t float? Well, perhaps you can find some comfort in knowing that your water wings could, in essence, be this blog.
So, what I will in fact be learning about is how to move your training online. Why am I doing this? Well, it is part of my job. After all, marketing is not just about coming up with creative ways to sell things. It’s even less about selling something that proposes to solve a problem. It’s really about trying to figure out what that problem actually is - and the best way to do this is to experience it. Having a client tell you what their difficulties are, is one thing. But experiencing their same frustrations and limitations is quite another. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes to see what they’re really going through, right? Well, this is what I propose to do.
And how will this be of any help to you? Well, I know that before you can get up-and-running with your online training business there is a process that you need to follow. And I know that this process can be quite lengthy and even overwhelming at times. From creating your content to shopping for a LMS, you will not stop learning, deciding and, regrettably, running into road blocks. So, how will you find time to learn about all of this and what can you do to overcome these road blocks?
Well, I am by no means intending to replace the technical support department, but what I will be doing, hopefully, is cutting down your learning time by running into these road blocks before you do. With that being the case, I can then find and write about the different ways to avoid them. And I suspect that, if like me, you are not from a technical background, then you will most likely encounter similar problems that I do.
Now, if I’m learning about something irrelevant or you’d like me to explore something in particular, please let me know. Remember, I’m new to this too, so it’d be great to get your input!
What’s Next? Stay tuned for my post on CSTD’s “Telling Ain’t Training” workshop!
