Posted by Well, well, the first day is completed (Wed. 1-11) and so much to discuss.
First off, this is a high-level post, day two and a total post review coming Sunday 1-15, due to travel.
Before diving into the action, I’d love to recommend the Wave Rocketbook as a must for writing notes, etc. when I did with the seminars.
What is very cool is that after writing your notes, you scan the page using the app, and blast off they go to your favorite online drive site, such as Dropbox, Box, etc.
I went with Dropbox. I wished they had OneDrive to connect to, but you got to go with what they offer.
I’m not getting any kickback or affiliate angle for mentioning their name, just love the product.
Now Action Time
Here is what multiple vendors told me about the traffic on day one – two of the common phrases, “dead”, “quite”.
Yeah, there were folks wondering around in the expo talking to vendors, but when it comes to numbers you would expect or at least anticipate, wasn’t there.
For example, one vendor provided a demo session and said it was packed, however, traffic at the booth, nearly nil.
Quite confident ATD will disagree with me on the expo slow poke traffic but I am reporting only what the vendors I talked to – and they were a nice random selection of various products and offerings.
Day two might be different, we shall see.
Worst Booth Salesperson
The clear winner was at SkyPrep.
I captured a wonderful photo of the salesperson reading the smartphone while I was standing at their booth looking at stuff.
She never said anything. The only times she looked up, is when I was grabbing some schlock they had at the booth. I was hungry and wanted a kit kat bar the smallest size on the planet ( I think Halloween versions are bigger).
I did see multiple folks at various booths, standing around checking out their smartphones. My guess on why? See the earlier paragraph about traffic.
That said, you should never be looking at your smartphone while in the booth. Totally unprofessional. One booth, all three of their salespeople were looking at their smartphones.
Now tell me, how many people would walk in and check it out?
What I hate
I can’t speak for everyone, but I cannot stand when salespeople at any booth, calls out my name as though they know me.
Unless I actually know them, it is fine, but when people do it otherwise it actually is unprofessional. I mean how would they like it, if I did the reverse? Hey, Smokey, what’s up? Solved your klepto problem yet?
Seriously, though, it is just wrong. You as the sales person has no idea on what I prefer to be called. Maybe I go by a nickname. Or my middle name or prefer Sir or Miss.
The point is you can never assume. Equally, you should never stand on the edge of your booth – it intimidates people. Yet, this is a constant issue at various expos.
Does anyone teach their sales people the most effective approaches and techniques at an expo?
I mean the avoidance of standing on the edge of the booth is Retail 101. Think this way, when you are walking in a mall, do you feel comfortable walking into a store when the sales folks are standing at the door?
Vendor Report Products
One vendor (cannot release their name) is about to launch a “video assistant/assessment” option in their LMS.
Basically it works in this manner – a person (most likely a manager) asks a serious of questions of which the person (via a web cam) responds OR a person via a mobile device, posts some comments/statements/responses and then upload it whereas a manager can review and respond – either via comments or a visual recording.
You can ask questions live to the other person via the web cam/or other video offering and the other responds. Comments are important here – i.e. feedback.
The best way to really get a sense is look at Rehearsal only from the approach and not the product itself.
If you are at ATDTK, go to the Rehearsal booth to get a sense – BUT Rehearsal is not an LMS and thus is not the LMS vendor I am referring to.
I can say that there are other LMS vendors who have something similar in the works or on their roadmap including my #1 LMS for 2017, so expect to see this type of feature in 2017.
Let’s dive though back to Rehearsal. The solution continues to be nice, but if you want to change the background, you have to know CSS.
Rehearsal will create the background for you, as part of the setup. However, if you want to change it later, uh, it isn’t free for them to do it, and I saw nowhere where you could do it yourself.
Which reminds me, how many Training management, L&D management folks and respective administrators know CSS? Please raise your hand? I know HTML in my sleep, but CSS is a whole other monster.
Rehearsal is launching an app to use with their product, iOS and not on/off synch – where they see no value in doing so. I asked why iOS and more importantly it only?
Told it was based on client feedback/what they use – makes perfect sense – especially when your goal is to get new customers and Android has 70% of the market.
Great idea folks. Genius I tell you.
I swear, maybe the product management people should read the latest reports on smartphone usage by operating system AND use a cluster sample to gain a real sense n on/off synch, because if you have learned anything regarding what folks know and don’t know:
If I don’t know I won’t ask.
GoAnimate
Continues to be a wonderful product, but continues to fail at two points.
a. No course standard. You output only as a .MP4 – This has been their mantra since they day they launched – which is years ago. So, if you say want to enable people to use this as a course with the ability to jump around, OR you sought more analytics, you are out of luck.
At a minimum go with SCORM. If you desire the latest, go xAPI.
b. No app for creating/editing GoAnimate. Another big time fail. This is not a challenge here for them, but it is just missing the whole forward thinking and gaining traction ahead of others.
Trust me, someone will do it (with an offering similar to GoAnimate – which does exist), and then GoAnimate, changes their tune.
Is there a lemming in the house? Hee hee.
Video is all the rage
Many videos capturing/feedback angle products at the show. Some are nice, some are just poor, and some clearly do not understand e-learning, specifically its premise and value.
A major irritant with me as you know.
Bottom Line
Okay, day one wrapped up. I know I did not mention winners on day one, but that is what a post review provides. I did see some offerings I am going to deep dive today – day one, was initial chats.
One is an analytics solution can be interfaced/integrated into an LMS (and its subsets).
I did see some offerings I am going to deep dive today – day one, was initial chats. One is an analytics solution that can be a standalone or be interfaced/integrated into an LMS (and its subsets).
Mmm.
Something that makes sense, for so many people who want the data that can change the world.
The e-learning one.
E-Learning 24/7