# LLMs.txt - Sitemap for AI content discovery

# CloudShare

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## Pages

- [Testimonials](https://www.cloudshare.com/testimonials): See how CloudShare empowers businesses with innovative solutions. Read real customer testimonials and success stories.
- [Partner With Us](https://www.cloudshare.com/partners): 
- [community](https://www.cloudshare.com/community): If you’re a Customer Education or Sales expert, congratulations – you’ve just found your people. Welcome to your tribe.
- [Events](https://www.cloudshare.com/events): Discover top sales and training events in one place! Stay updated on industry insights, conferences, and workshops.
- [Free Software Training Budget Calculator by CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/software_training_budget_calculator_free): Running a software training program isn’t cheap but it can really pay off. Well-run training leads to greater retention, improved customer satisfaction, and fewer support tickets. So how do you measure if your training program is delivering the ROI that makes your business grow? CloudShare's training budget calculator helps you put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and see what you can do to optimize your training costs.
- [Software Training Budget Calculator by CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/software_training_budget_calculator): Running a software training program isn’t cheap but it can really pay off. Well-run training leads to greater retention, improved customer satisfaction, and fewer support tickets. So how do you measure if your training program is delivering the ROI that makes your business grow? CloudShare's training budget calculator helps you put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and see what you can do to optimize your training costs.
- [Thank You Blog Subscribe](https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-blog-subscribe): 
- [CloudShare Agreements](https://www.cloudshare.com/cloudshare-agreements): Software-as-a-Service Terms Data Processing Addendum with SCCs – United Kingdom Version Service Level, Support, & Security Exhibit Metrics
- [Thank You Contact Us Request Unsuccessful](https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-contact-unsuccessful): 
- [Thank You Quote Request Unsuccessful](https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-quote-unsuccessful): 
- [Thank You Contact Us Request Successful](https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-contact-successful): 
- [Thank You Quote Request Successful](https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-quote-successful): 
- [Thank You Demo Request Unsuccessful](https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-demo-unsuccessful): 
- [Thank You Demo Request Successful](https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-demo-successful): 
- [Sandboxing](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/sandboxing): Sandbox with speed, scale and savings around the corner or around the globe. It’s easy to share environments with CloudShare.
- [Cybersecurity](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/cyber-security): Learn how cloud-based cybersecurity labs can help your organization with customer and employee training as well as secure environments for product testing.
- [Demos](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/sales-enablement/demos): CloudShare enables sales teams to organize demos, while focusing on moving the client through the funnel, with virtual labs in the cloud.
- [POCs](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/sales-enablement/pocs): Build, invite, and view intelligent metrics for every virtual and cloud POC, using virtual labs, to know which users are most active and close the sale.
- [Channel sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/sales-enablement/channel-sales): Provide channel partners with an always-accurate, hands-on version of your software. They can sell, train, or demo with ease, dramatically shortening time.
- [Sales Enablement](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/sales-enablement): Win more sales with CloudShare’s cloud-based virtual POC and sales demo solution. No hardware to ship, software to install.
- [Onboarding](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/virtual-training/onboarding): Put hands-on education at the heart of your onboarding, so customers can play with your product, break stuff (safely), rinse and repeat.
- [Self-paced training](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/virtual-training/self-paced-training): Self-paced training provides students with flexible hands-on learning to fit their schedules, while saving you time and money.
- [News & Events](https://www.cloudshare.com/company/media-news): CloudShare's upcoming and latest events and conferences. As well as latest news, partnerships and new customers.
- [Work with us](https://www.cloudshare.com/work-with-us): Join our team and become part of a fast-growing company that’s creating some of the most exciting virtual experiences in the world right now.
- [Thank you](https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you): 
- [Meet the team](https://www.cloudshare.com/meet-the-team): CloudShare enables businesses to deliver engaging hands-on experiences to drive better customer acquisition and retention. Meet our executives.
- [Questions](https://www.cloudshare.com/question): -2819
- [Glossary](https://www.cloudshare.com/virtual-it-labs-glossary): Virtual IT Labs are an important component for a broad range of use cases, verticals, and markets. This glossary will cover key terms related to virtual training.
- [Contact us](https://www.cloudshare.com/company/contact-us): Talk to one of our Cloud Labs experts. Get in touch with us and discover how easy it is to create your Cloud environment – in minutes!
- [Careers](https://www.cloudshare.com/company/careers-at-cloudshare): We are looking for people who want to influence, build, learn, and deliver exceptional customer experience. Send your CV and join us.
- [Book a Demo](https://www.cloudshare.com/request-a-demo): See how simple it is to create awesome experiences to your students, prospects, and partners with our cutting-edge platform.
- [Pricing](https://www.cloudshare.com/pricing): CloudShare offers flexible pricing options to fit your team and company needs to demo, teach, and learn. Get a demo now!
- [About Us](https://www.cloudshare.com/company/about-us): Meet the team behind CloudShare's ready-made specialized cloud environments for virtual training, sales, sandboxing, and support.
- [Product](https://www.cloudshare.com/product): CloudShare's virtual labs technology is built for performance and enables self-service provisioning, automation for cost control, and more.
- [Resources](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources): Top Virtual Training Resources: Boost Your Skills Anywhere! Explore Interactive Courses, Workshops, and Tools for Remote Learning.
- [VILT](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/virtual-training/instructor-led-training): CloudShare means more time teaching and less time fighting technology, with eye-catching environments that are simple to manage and scale to handle any class size.
- [Virtual Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/virtual-training): Provide learning experiences that stick with the most powerful virtual training labs - with minimal IT support.
- [Solutions](https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions): 
- [Home](https://www.cloudshare.com/): CloudShare's ready to use solutions provide secure, specialized virtual IT labs for software training, sales demos & POCs sandboxing.
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.cloudshare.com/privacy-policy): Last update on August 2024 This Privacy Policy (the “Policy”)describes Our policies and processes on the collection, use and disclosure...

## 


## Resources

- [20 Employee Training Statistics You Should Use](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/employee-training-statistics/): Check out the 20 essential metrics to measure and improve your employee training program's effectiveness and ROI.
- [Why Continuous Learning Should Be Your Organization's Top Priority](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/continuous-learning-in-the-workplace/): Discover how continuous learning drives employee retention, productivity, and business growth in today's competitive market.
- [Spring Has Sprung with Our Biggest-ever G2 Badge Haul: 39 Beautiful Reasons to Celebrate!](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/spring-has-sprung-with-our-biggest-ever-g2-badge/): Spring is in the air, and at CloudShare business is… blooming! We're absolutely thrilled to announce that we've received 39 G2 badges.
- [AI in Cybersecurity: Building Effective Certification Programs in the Era of Machine-Speed Threats](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ai-in-cybersecurity/): Discover how Darktrace revolutionized cybersecurity training with AI-driven certification programs to combat machine-speed threats.
- [The 8 Best Virtual Cybersecurity Practice Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-practice-labs/): Learn about the top virtual cybersecurity practice labs that deliver hands-on training through simulated environments.
- [Just-in-Time Training: Benefits, Tips, and Use Cases](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/just-in-time-training/): Learn how just-in-time training delivers on-demand, bite-sized learning to boost engagement while reducing costs and training time.
- [How to Build a Cybersecurity Certification Program That Works](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/blog/how-to-build-a-cybersecurity-certification-program-that-works): In our latest webinar we learned the best practices for a successful VM-based training and certification program.
- [The 7 Best Cyber Security Conferences in Israel for 2025](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-cyber-security-conferences-israel/): Discover Israel's top cybersecurity 2025 conferences where global experts gather to share innovations in the world's cybersecurity capital.
- [How to Measure and Improve Your SaaS CSAT](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/improve-saas-csat/): Learn how to measure, benchmark, and boost your SaaS CSAT scores to reduce churn and improve customer satisfaction.
- [Software Training Masterclass: Knowledge Retention Science, Strategies, and Solutions](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-masterclass-knowledge-retention-science-strategies-and-solutions/): Master software training with knowledge retention strategies and solutions to boost learning and performance effectively.
- [8 Crucial Partner Onboarding Best Practices](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/partner-onboarding-training/): Eight essential best practices for effective B2B partner onboarding to build successful partnerships and accelerate your sales cycle.
- [WBT Training vs. CBT Training vs. eLearning](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/wbt-cbt-elearning-modern-training/): Discover the differences between WBT, CBT, and eLearning to select the ideal online training method for your organization.
- [Why Technical Training is Essential to Software Sales Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-technical-training-is-essessnetial-to-software-sales-success/): Boost customer satisfaction and drive retention with effective technical training at every stage of the customer journey.
- [How Hands-On Learning Accelerates Time-to-Value: Strategies for Rapid ROI](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-hands-on-learning-accelerates-time-to-value/): Accelerate time to value with hands-on training that boosts product adoption, engagement, and customer success.
- [The State of Customer Education in 2025: Maximizing Revenue & Organizational Value](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/the-state-of-customer-education-in-2025-maximizing-revenue-organizational-value): Discover key insights from landmark surveys on the evolving role of Customer Education, its revenue impact, and strategic value within organizations.
- [The Best Strategies to Combat Learning Fatigue in Virtual Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/learning-fatigue-in-virtual-training/): Reduce learning fatigue in virtual training with engaging content, hands-on learning, and smart scheduling strategies.
- [7 Top Tips to Effectively Use AI in Corporate Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/using-ai-in-corporate-training/): Discover how AI transforms corporate training with adaptive learning and personalized education to close skills gaps and boost efficiency.
- [Turning Data into Action: Headlines & Highlights from the CEdMA-CloudShare Webinar](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/turning-data-into-action-headlines-highlights-from-the-cedma-cloudshare-webinar/): Our latest webinar navigated the ever-shifting landscape of customer education covering performance tracking and technological enablement.
- [Accessible vs. Inclusive Learning Content: What You Need to Know](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/accessible-and-inclusive-learning-content/): Learn the key differences between accessible and inclusive learning content and how to design training that supports all learners.
- [How Customer Education Drives Success and Retention](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-education-drives-retention/): See how customer education boosts retention, reduces churn, and drives revenue by empowering users.
- [The Importance of Customer Education: 15 Experts Spill the Tea! ☕](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-customer-education-15-experts-spill-the-tea/): Today, customer education is stealing the spotlight and proving itself to be an absolute game-changer in the software world.
- [Turning Data into Action: Strategies for Better Customer Education Results](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/turning-data-into-action-strategies-for-better-customer-education-results): In this webinar, we discuss how you can turn the latest data into an action plan for you, your team, and your company.
- [SaaS Sales Velocity: 8 Proven Strategies to Accelerate Your Time to Close](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-velocity-strategies/): Optimize SaaS sales velocity with targeted strategies, personalized outreach, and engaging product demos to close deals faster.
- [The Growing Intersection between Learning Management Systems and Learning Experience Platforms](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-learning-experience-platforms/): Discover the top learning experience platforms of 2025 to enhance personalization, learner engagement, and self-directed professional growth.
- [Well CEd II: Insights from today’s Customer Education Experts](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/well-ced-ii-insights-from-todays-customer-education-experts/): How far has our field come over the past year? Where are we headed in 2025? And how will you leverage the rich experience of some of the world’s foremost Customer Education experts?
- [Virtual Lab Software for Remote Training: Best Practices ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-lab-software-for-remote-training/): How virtual lab software transforms remote training with immersive, hands-on experiences and strategies to optimize learner engagement.
- [Transforming Tech Training: Virtual Labs, AI, and the Future of Certification](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/transforming-tech-training-virtual-labs-ai-and-the-future-of-certification/): CloudShare and Kinaxis are transforming tech training with virtual labs and AI, enabling scalable, hands-on learning and certification.
- [Introducing CloudShare’s New Visual AI Checks: The Virtual Lab That AI-Fives Your Students](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshares-new-ai-teaching-assistant/): Discover CloudShare’s new Visual AI Checks—enhancing virtual labs with smarter, faster student support and seamless hands-on training!
- [Fusing AI with Certification and Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/fusing-ai-with-certification-and-labs): Kinaxis and Kryterion scaled training with AI-driven labs and proctoring, boosting efficiency and CSAT scores.
- [7 Steps to Creating a Learning Culture that Supports Employee Growth and Development](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/creating-learning-culture-strategies/): Build a workplace learning culture to enhance employee engagement and retention and future-proof your organization.
- [How to Design a Dynamite Demo Agenda](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/designing-effective-demo-agenda/): Create winning software demos with structured agendas that address prospects' pain points, showcase solutions, and drive next steps.
- [How Online Technical Training Drives Customer Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/technical-training-customer-success-strategies/): Boost customer success with hands-on online technical training that enhances onboarding, accelerates sales, and improves retention.
- [The Critical Role of Hands-On Learning in Engineering Onboarding](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/hands-on-learning-in-engineering-onboarding/): Discover how hands-on learning transforms engineering onboarding, boosts retention, and accelerates skill development for new hires.
- [7 Key Benefits of Training Software for Employee Development](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/benefits-of-training-software-for-employee-development/): Boost employee development with training software. Discover 7 key benefits, from skill enhancement to engagement and productivity gains.
- [Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Learning: Key Advantages and Best Practices](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/asynchronous-vs-synchronous-learning/): Explore the differences between asynchronous and synchronous learning to choose the best approach for effective training and collaboration!
- [Rocking around the Christmas Tree with a Record-Breaking 31 G2 Badges](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/rocking-around-the-christmas-tree-with-a-record-breaking-31-g2-badges/): We’re happy to announce that we once again got everything we wanted for Christmas! from Santa (actually the global community of G2 reviewers)
- [The 5 Best DevOps Training Platforms of 2025](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-devops-training-platforms/): Discover the best DevOps training platforms to enhance skills, boost collaboration, and streamline your development and operations teams.
- [How To Keep Your Virtual Training Lab Content Up To Date](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-training-lab-content-up-to-date/): In this blog, we'll share a few best practices for keeping your corporate training content fresh and relevant. Read more here.
- [The Top On-Demand Training Tools](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/on-demand-training-tools/): On-demand training, also known as self-paced learning, lets participants learn at their own speed and on their schedule.
- [Virtual Labs & LMS Integration: The Good, the Bad, and the Why](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-labs-lms-integration-the-good-the-bad-and-the-why/): Explore the pros and cons of virtual labs LMS integration and learn why it’s key to enhancing learning experiences and outcomes.
- [3 Reasons Why Hands-on Training is Hands-down Better Than Passive Learning](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-reasons-why-hands-on-training-is-hands-down-better-than-passive-learning/): Discover 3 compelling reasons why hands-on training outshines passive learning in engagement, retention, and practical skill-building.
- [The Role of Virtual Environments in Red Team vs Blue Team Exercises](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-environments-in-red-team-vs-blue-team-exercises/): Explore how virtual environments enhance Red Team vs. Blue Team exercises, boosting security readiness and team collaboration.
- [5 Benefits of Gamification in Employee Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/benefits-of-gamification-in-training/): Discover how gamification transforms training, boosting engagement, retention, and skill-building for effective learning outcomes.
- [Best Practices for Simulating Cyber Attacks in Safe Environments](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cyber-attacks-in-safe-environments/): Learn how safe environments enable teams to simulate cyber attacks, enhancing skills and resilience without real-world risks.
- [How to Run Successful Cyber Range Simulations: Key Steps & More](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cyber-range-simulations/): Explore how cyber range simulations prepare teams for real threats, building hands-on skills in a risk-free environment.
- [The Power of Contextualized Labs for Simulating Large-Scale Cyber Attacks](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/contextualized-labs/): Discover how contextualized labs offer immersive, real-world learning experiences that enhance skill application and knowledge retention.
- [10 Cybersecurity Awareness Topics Your Training Should Cover in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-awareness-topics/): Explore essential cybersecurity awareness topics that equip teams to recognize threats, prevent breaches, and protect data effectively.
- [Sneak Peek into Self-Paced Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sneak-peak-into-self-paced-training): Learn how self-paced training can boost engagement, increase course completion, and deliver faster ROI in this insightful webinar recording.
- [CloudShare G2 Badges Video - Fall 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshare-g2-badges-video-fall-2024): This Fall, CloudShare continues to shine as a market leader, together with 25 new badges. We’re making an impact from pre-sales to post-sales.
- [Why Scaling Training Solutions for Global Teams is Mission Critical](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-scaling-training-solutions-for-global-teams-is-mission-critical/): Learn why scalable training solutions are vital for global teams, ensuring consistent skills, security, and compliance across regions.
- [The Top 7 Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) Software Solutions for 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-vilt-software/): Discover the top 7 virtual instructor-led training (VILT) software solutions for 2024 to enhance remote learning experiences.
- [Five Best Practices for Mastering Software Sales Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-best-practices-for-mastering-software-sales-training/): Master software sales training with these best practices for building effective, personalized, and data-driven programs.
- [The Customer Education Elevator - with Strategic Marketing](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/the-customer-education-elevator/): CloudShare’s latest eBook that will help you unlock the secrets of top-performing customer education programs. 
- [5 Top Channel Sales Tools You Need in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-channel-sales-tools/): Read about the top 5 channel sales tools of 2024 to boost partner management and sales success.
- [Education-Qualified Leads Deliver Golden Marketing Opportunities ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/education-qualified-leads-deliver-golden-marketing-opportunities/): Learn how education-qualified leads (EQLs) from customer education and marketing collaboration can drive growth and retention.
- [The Benefits of Active Learning in Product Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-benefits-of-active-learning-in-product-training/): Learn how active learning can enhance SaaS product training by improving engagement, comprehension, retention, and learner autonomy.
- [Seven Validated Habits for Stunningly Successful Demos](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/seven-validated-habits-for-stunningly-successful-demos): Discover seven proven habits from Peter Cohan that turn demos into deal-closing successes.
- [Marketing the Spirit and Soul of Your Product—with Dave Derington](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/marketing-the-spirit-and-soul-of-your-product-with-dave-derington/): Discover how marketing strategies elevate customer education with insights from industry expert Dave Derington.
- [How HubSpot Uses Education to Attract, Engage and Delight Customers - with Courtney Sembler](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-hubspot-uses-education-to-attract-engage-and-delight-customers-with-courtney-sembler/): Discover how HubSpot Academy, led by Courtney Sembler, uses education to attract, engage, and delight customers, driving growth through strategic initiatives.
- [SAI 360 Streamlines Hands-On Training with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/sai-360-streamlines-hands-on-training-with-cloudshare): Vincent Perkins, Academy Manager at S60, shares how CloudShare has transformed their customer training processes.
- [Transforming Training with CloudShare: Insights from Ping Identity Experts](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/transforming-training-with-cloudshare-insights-from-ping-identity-experts): Leone Schwede, Director of Training, and Niah Johnson, Manager of Global Training Delivery Operation at Ping Identity, share their experience with CloudShare.
- [Customers Who Learn Don’t Churn—with Debbie Smith](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customers-who-learn-dont-churn-with-debbie-smith/): Discover how Debbie Smith leverages customer education to reduce churn and drive business success with data-driven insights.
- [Bridging Skills Gaps with Hands-On Collaborative Learning](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/bridging-skills-gaps-with-hands-on-collaborative-learning): Discover how collaborative learning can bridge skills gaps and drive impactful growth with insights from 360Learning and CloudShare experts.
- [Everything You Need to Know About the Software Sales Process](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-sales-process/): Learn the essential stages of the software sales process to optimize your strategy and stand out in the competitive SaaS market.
- [CloudShare's Virtual IT Labs for Sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-virtual-it-labs-for-sales): CloudShare’s virtual IT labs solution lets you quickly spin up cloud-based environments for POCs and demos, that are wonderfully collaborative and totally hands-on.
- [CloudShare's Virtual IT Labs for Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-virtual-labs-for-hands-on-training): CloudShare’s virtual IT labs solution lets you quickly spin up cloud-based environments for training programs and courses, that are wonderfully collaborative and totally hands-on.
- [Critical Training KPIs Every Training Manager Should Track](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-kpis-to-track/): As a training manager, learning and development metrics help you both optimize your training and convey that training's value to leadership.
- [Level Up: Marketing Customer Education Like a Pro - with Shannon Howard](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/level-up-marketing-customer-education-like-a-pro-with-shannon-howard/): Join Annie Reiss as she interviews Intellum's Shannon Howard on elevating customer education through strategic marketing and internal collaboration.
- [Top 6 Blended Learning Tools for 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blended-learning-tools/): Discover the top 6 digital tools for effective blended learning to enhance your corporate training initiatives.
- [How Sales Engineers Can Close Deals Faster with Modern Sales Enablement](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-sales-engineers-can-close-deals-faster-with-modern-sales-enablement-with-leighton-nelson): Your technical expertise is your superpower. Now let's add rocket fuel to your sales process.
- [The Rise of the Community in Customer Education: What You Need to Know](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/rise-of-the-community-in-customer-education/): Explore the rise of community-based learning in customer education and how it can enhance customer engagement, support, and loyalty.
- [How to Create Effective Sales Demo Environments](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/effective-sales-demo-environments/): Learn how to create effective, personalized sales demo environments that engage prospects and showcase your software's capabilities.
- [Hi, We Are CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-virtual-it-labs-brochure-2025): CloudShare’s virtual IT labs solution lets you spin up cloud-based labs, super fast, that are wonderfully collaborative and totally hands-on
- [5 Blended Learning Strategies for Engagement](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blended-learning-strategies/): Discover five effective blended learning strategies to enhance engagement and improve outcomes in your corporate training programs.
- [Understanding the Different LMS Modules](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/lms-modules/): Explore the essential LMS modules to enhance your corporate training, including assessments, course management, and user management.
- [Discover Your New Superpower: RDP Booster](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/discover-your-new-superpower-rdp-booster/): Imagine a technological breakthrough that completely revolutionizes how companies deliver training and sales experiences.
- [Webinar Recap: Seven Levels of Stunningly Successful Discovery](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-seven-levels-of-stunningly-successful-discovery/): Discover the seven levels of effective discovery calls for software sales, as explained by Peter Cohan in our latest webinar recap.
- [The Top E-Learning Tools of 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-e-learning-tools/): Learn about what's involved in finding e-learning software for your online training program and what you should look for.
- [How to Evaluate and Compare Virtual IT Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-it-lab-providers-buyer-guide/): Learn how to evaluate and compare virtual IT labs to find the best solution for your training and development needs.
- [Say Goodbye to HTML Hassles: Meet Our WYSIWYG Editor 🥳](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/say-goodbye-to-html-hassles-meet-our-wysiwyg-editor/): Let’s face it - creating unique and dynamic content with HTML is about as easy as trying to whip up a gourmet meal with a microwave and instant noodles.
- [Cheat Sheet: 11 Must-Ask Questions for Software Sales Discovery Calls](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/cheat-sheet-11-must-ask-questions-for-software-discovery-calls/): This cheat sheet will help you uncover key insights and drive the sales process forward effectively.
- [Virtual Training Labs vs. Simulations: Key Differences & More](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-training-labs-vs-simulations/): Discover the key differences between virtual training labs and simulations to choose the best method for your training needs.
- [A Framework for ROI: How Customer Education Pays for Itself - with Vicky Kennedy](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/a-framework-for-roi-how-customer-education-pays-for-itself-with-vicky-kennedy): Stop guessing your ROI: master the metrics of customer education today!
- [7 Best LMS Platforms for Product Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-lms-for-product-training/): Explore the 7 best LMS platforms for effective product training, enhancing learning experiences for your team and customers.
- [Customer Testimonial: Fiery Scales Educational Portfolio with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/customer-testimonial-fiery-scales-educational-portfolio-with-cloudshare): Pedro da Silva, Global Educational Services at Fiery, shares his success story using CloudShare solution.
- [Revolutionizing Apprenticeship Assessments: City & Guilds' Success with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/revolutionizing-apprenticeship-assessments-city-guilds-success-with-cloudshare): David Wacket, Industry Manager at City & Guilds, explains how CloudShare revolutionized apprenticeship assessments.
- [CloudShare G2 Badges Video - Summer 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshare-g2-badges-summer-2024): Meet Ted, employee 57 at CloudShare. Ted struggles with love. We don’t.This summer, CloudShare earned 30 G2 badges 🔥
- [Essential Cybersecurity Training Topics for Modern Organizations](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-training-topics/): Discover essential cybersecurity training topics to keep modern organizations safe from evolving digital threats and vulnerabilities.
- [5 Best Demo Automation Software Solutions in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/demo-automation-software/): Explore the 5 best demo automation software solutions of 2024 to boost your sales team's efficiency and success.
- [Sizzling Success: 30 G2 Summer Badges Thanks to Our Customers' Hot Reviews](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-g2-reviews-badges-summer-2024/): CloudShare is definitely turning up the heat this summer. After a fantastic spring harvest of 19 badges, we rode that wave into summer with a blazing 30 G2 badges! We’ve never been hotter, and it’s all thanks to you, our amazing customers. 🥳
- [8 Best Training Management Systems for 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-training-management-systems/): Explore the top Training Management Systems (TMS) of 2024 to enhance and commercialize your corporate training programs.
- [Knockout! Customer Education Boosts Revenue and Cuts Costs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/knockout-customer-education-boosts-revenue-and-cuts-costs/): Customer education, when implemented strategically and correctly using vendors, will boost your top and bottom lines and positively impact KPIs...
- [Better Discovery, Better Conversion - How to Master the Most Important Element of Software Sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/better-discovery-better-conversion-how-to-master-the-most-important-element-of-software-sales/): With a big assist from Cohan’s book, insight from industry insiders, and recent research, we’ve created a concise and informative guide to catapulting software sales with masterful discovery.
- [How to Make Automated Sales Demos Work for You](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-make-automated-sales-demos-work-for-you/): Everything is becoming automated, so why not sales demos? Learn why sales demos should be automated and how virtual labs can help.
- [Seven Levels of Stunningly Successful Discovery - with Peter Cohan](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/seven-levels-of-stunningly-successful-discovery-with-peter-cohan): Done effectively, discovery is the key to delivering compelling software demos and proposals that accelerate the sales process and reduce “no decision” outcomes. Watch our webinar with Peter Cohan to master sales discovery.
- [The Best Ways to Do Cyber Resilience Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-best-ways-to-do-cyber-resilience-training/): All organizations are vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks and must focus on cyber resilience and training. Learn best practices in this post.
- [6 Key Benefits of Customer Education You Should Know](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/benefits-of-customer-education/): Empower your customers with top-notch education and unlock business growth! Discover the benefits of customer education today.
- [7 Best Customer Engagement Platforms for 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-engagement-platforms/): Boost your business with the best 7 customer engagement platforms. Discover how to increase interaction and satisfaction effectively.
- [Top 10 Pre-Sales Software Tools in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-pre-sales-software/): Discover the best pre-sales software to streamline your sales process and boost conversions. Enhance efficiency and close more deals.
- [How to Maximize the ROI on Your LMS Investment](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-maximize-the-roi-on-your-lms-investment/): Maximize ROI on your LMS investment with our expert tips. Learn strategies to enhance efficiency & value from your LMS.
- [7 Essential Types of Instructional Design to Use in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/types-of-instructional-design/): Explore different types of instructional design to enhance learning experiences. Discover methods that optimize educational outcomes.
- [Cheat Sheet For Beginners: Generative AI for Software Sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/cheat-sheet-for-beginners-generative-ai-for-software-sales/): Generative AI can be a serious game changer in B2B SaaS sales. However, most sales professionals still don’t know how to reap its enormous value. Here's a cheat sheet crammed with the tips you need to fuel your sales engine with generative AI.
- [5 Strategies to Design Impactful Software Product Training - with Jordan Hopkins, Intellum](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/5-strategies-to-design-impactful-product-software-training-with-jordan-hopkins-intellum): Take your training to the next level with time-tested strategies from Jordan Hopkins, Education Program Manager at Intellum.
- [7 Effective Methods for Increasing Engagement in Online Learning](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/increasing-engagement-in-online-learning/): In this article we explore seven of the most effective methods for increasing engagement in online learning.
- [10 Essential Tools for Modern Sales Engineers](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-essential-tools-for-sales-engineers-in-a-remote-working-world/): 10 sales engineer tools that can be used by all kinds of sales professionals who are working on complex technical sales with savvy clients.
- [Top 5 Benefits of Developing Hands-On Methods for Employee Training Programs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-5-benefits-of-developing-hands-on-methods-for-employee-training-programs/): While in-class hands-on training is becoming widespread, virtual instructor-led training takes it up a notch.
- [The 7 Best Cyber Range Training Solutions in 2025](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-cyber-range-training-solutions/): We've listed a few of the top cyber range providers for various industries and needs — including our own powerful virtual labs.
- [Delivering Interactive Workshops on a Grand Scale - with Damon Shratter, Deltek University](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/delivering-interactive-workshops-on-a-grandscale): Discover how to effectively scale your workshops for large audiences without losing engagement.
- [Drive Learner Engagement with Conversion Rate Optimization - with Brian Childs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/drive-learner-engagement-with-conversion-rate-optimization-with-brian-childs): Learn how to use conversion rate optimization (CRO) practices to increase discoverability of your training program.
- [Understanding Customer Delight And Why It Matters](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-delight/): Discover why customer delight matters and how it goes beyond satisfaction to ensure your SaaS company excels by exceeding expectations.
- [Deliver Exceptional Demos with This Complete Product Demo Checklist](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/demo-checklist/): Use this complete demo checklist to deliver exceptional product demos, impress prospects, and drive SaaS sales success.
- [How to Apply Learning Insights to Virtual Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/learning-insights/): Unlock the power of learning insights to enhance virtual training. Discover how data-driven strategies can improve training quality.
- [8 Essential Features for Virtual Training Technology](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-training-technology/): We discuss how to select the right virtual training platform that provide an interactive, intuitive, and accessible experience that's also highly scalable and cost-effective.
- [Differences Between Sales Training Vs Sales Enablement](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/differences-between-sales-training-vs-sales-enablement/): Learn about the differences between sales training and sales enablement! it is time we answer some questions.
- [The 5 Best Product Demo Platforms for 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-product-demo-platforms/): We'll talk about how such a product demo platform might look, then go over a few excellent options you might consider exploring.
- [7 Best Customer Education Software Tools for 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-customer-education-software/): Effective customer education programs are key to software companies' success, relying on robust tools for content development and delivery.
- [The Future of AI Videos for Customer Education - with Kevin Alster, Head of Synthesia Academy](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-future-of-ai-videos-for-customer-education-with-kevin-alster-head-of-synthesia-academy): Discover how AI-generated video can crank up the velocity and effectiveness of your customer education programs.
- [Six Ways to Excite, Inspire & Engage Your Software Customers](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/six-ways-to-engage-your-software-customers/): This eBook is your playbook for crafting training experiences that are fabulously engaging. You’ll learn about 6 effective techniques to keep your customers switched on
- [Why Training is the Key to Overcoming Customer Churn](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-training-is-the-key-to-overcoming-customer-churn/): Churn is among the most significant hurdles your software company must overcome; a low churn rate is one of your biggest KPIs.
- [10 Ways You Can Increase Customer Engagement in Your Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/increase-customer-engagement-in-training/): We discuss why most successful customer engagement programs include a customer education strategy. Read more here and discover everything.
- [Measuring Customer Education Results: Key Metrics & Best Practices to Know](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/measure-customer-education-results/): We discuss how you know if your customer education program is working and the KPI's you should measure. Read more here.
- [How Do You Develop a Sales Enablement Strategy?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-do-you-develop-a-sales-enablement-strategy/): How do you define your sales enablement strategy? Where do you even begin?
- [Elevating Customer Education Through Gamification](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-education-through-gamification/): We discuss why customer training is the best way to cultivate customer enablement — and the role gamification plays in achieving both.
- [Knowledge without Application is Meaningless](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/knowledge-without-application-is-meaningless/): Kevin Streater draws on the framework provided by an often overlooked ISO standard for technical skills development as a guide for developing effective technical training.
- [5 Best Remote Training Tools for 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-remote-training-tools/): We're going to go over some of this year's best tools for remote training, from communication and collaboration to virtual reality.
- [Integrating Generative AI Into Your Virtual Sales Strategies](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/integrating-generative-ai-into-your-virtual-sales-strategies/): Today, we're going to focus on how generative AI can revolutionize your business's virtual sales strategy.
- [Essential Sales Enablement KPIs Every Sales Professional Should Know](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/essential-sales-enablement-kpis-every-sales-professional-should-know/): Key performance indicators (KPIs) are a cornerstone of sales enablement... But what KPIs should you monitor? How can you ensure you're contextualizing everything properly? And what is a KPI, exactly?
- [Cheat Sheet For Beginners: Generative AI for Customer Education](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/generative-ai-for-customer-education-cheat-sheet/): Using the right GenAI tools in the right way can help you drive results in your customer education programs, speed up your program development processes, and deliver top-notch educational content.
- [How to Develop an Efficient, Scalable Customer Education Team](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-develop-an-efficient-scalable-customer-education-team/): We'll discuss what's involved in putting together a top-notch team to serve as a foundation for a successful education strategy.
- [How to Make Accessible Video Content for Customer Training - with Elly Henriksen, Synthesia](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-make-accessible-video-content-for-customer-training): With 1 in 6 people in the world experiencing a significant disability, it’s super important to make sure that your online training attends.
- [The Importance of Bringing Together Customer Success and Customer Education](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-bringing-together-customer-success-and-customer-education/): We'll discuss what customer success actually entails before examining why a customer education program is the best way to pursue it.
- [The Ultimate Guide to Customer Training in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-training-guide/): A comprehensive guide walks you through everything you need to know about customer education, from best practices to key metrics & strategies.
- [Checklist: Build A Winning Customer Software Training Plan In 6 Steps](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/customer-software-training-plan-checklist/): This handy checklist guides you through every step of planning, delivering, and measuring ROI of your training program.
- [Why On-Demand Training is the Key to Successful Customer Onboarding](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/on-demand-training/): Discover how personalization turns good onboarding into exceptional experiences, making prospects more likely to become loyal customers.
- [How to Scale Your Sales Enablement Program: A Step-By-Step Guide](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/scale-sales-enablement/): You have a sales enablement program in place. But have you given any thought as to how that roadmap will evolve as your SaaS company grows?
- [How to Choose the Best Sales Enablement Platform in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-sales-enablement-platform/): Effective sales enablement demands that you provide your team not only with the necessary training, but also with the content, data, and more.
- [Why Marketing and Customer Education Go Hand in Hand](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cooperation-between-marketing-and-customer-education/): How you can leverage customer education and training to inspire deeper loyalty, engagement, and satisfaction in your audience.
- [Invest in Success: A Guide to the Top Customer Education Events in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-education-events-coming-up/): The more you educate your customer about your product, the higher the chances of retention. Attend leading industry conferences of the year. 
- [21 Critical Tools for Sales Enablement Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/12-critical-tools-for-sales-enablement-success/): Here we explore some of the most useful and feature-packed tools for sales enablement available.
- [How to Build a Strong Virtual Sales Enablement Process ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-build-a-strong-virtual-sales-enablement-process/): The world is moving online more each day, and virtual sales enablement is becoming necessary to stay in business. Here's how to do it right.
- [What’s In Store for CEdMA In 2024?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/whats-in-store-for-cedma/): We interviewed Debbie Smith and asked her about her outlook on customer education and the association she aims to re-invigorate.
- [5 Key Benefits of LMS Integration](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/key-benefits-of-lms-integration/): If you're using a LMS in your corporate training, then you've probably already integrated it with other training tools such as virtual labs.
- [43 Best Practices to Master Software Training - a 2024 Guide](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/43-best-practices-to-master-software-training-a-2024-guide/): We’ve updated our most popular eBook to guide you through creating your best software training yet. This eBook is loaded with best practices to apply to every step of your software training process, including the most effective ways to use AI.
- [Why You Need to Craft a Winning Product Adoption Strategy](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-adoption-strategy/): By understanding how to drive product adoption, you can significantly improve your chance of success, winning new product adoption strategy.
- [5 LMS Activities to Drive Learner Engagement](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/lms-activities-to-drive-learner-engagement/): An LMS is a powerful tool for learner engagement, how you can leverage one to make both employee and customer training more effective.
- [Why Product Training Should Be Part of Your Product Launch Strategy](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-training-support-new-launches/): Effective product training enhances SaaS launch success, boosts adoption, and reduces churn, engaging educational strategies.
- [Well CEd! Insights from Today's Customer Education Experts](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/customer-education-experts-insights-2024/): What’s in store for customer education in 2024 and beyond? What’s the secret to creating effective CEd programs? Read customer education experts answers to five questions.
- [Teaching Smarter: How to Provide Winning Technical Training for Generative AI](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/technical-training-in-gen-ai-era/): A few technical training tips to help you get started. establish a training program to help your people upskill, reskill, and learn everything.
- [8 Best Practices for Using Generative AI in Customer Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/generative-ai-for-customer-training/): Explore key practices for integrating generative AI into customer education, including prompt engineering, fact-checking, data privacy, and more.
- [G2 Winter Awards Have Landed - and CloudShare's Sleighing It!](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-g2-winter-2024-awards/): CloudShare's G2 Winter 2024 awards arrived and we’ve been voted again as market leaders in virtual IT labs, and more.
- [The Top 10 Sales Engineer Communities to Join in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-top-10-sales-engineer-communities-to-join/): Here are some of the best sales engineering communities to help you gain new knowledge, discover new tools, and develop your career.
- [The Importance of Sales Enablement Solutions in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-enablement-solutions/): Why do sales enablement solutions matter in 2024? Find out the benefits and key components of a sales enablement solution, in this blog.
- [The 12 best LMSs to look out for in 2024: a starter's guide](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-lms/): Learning management systems are platforms where you can create and share educational content with students. Find the best options here.
- [How to Market Your Training Program Like a Pro! - with Dave Derington](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-market-your-training-program-with-dave-derington): Collaborate with the marketing team to build a Go-To-Market strategy for your training. Watch our inspiring webinar with Dave Deington.
- [How to Develop a Highly Effective Software Training Plan](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-plan/): Most businesses struggle to align software training with business goals; a strategic approach with KPIs and executive support is essential.
- [The Best Israeli Startup Innovation Programs in 2024](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/startup-innovation-programs/): Explore the leading Israeli startup innovation programs in 2024. Uncover the secrets to their success and stay ahead in the tech world!
- [Why Leadership Training is Invaluable for Your Business](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-for-executives/): Is poor leadership dragging down your organization? There's a big chance that the answer to that question is yes. Read here.
- [4 SaaS Demo Best Practices for Better Conversions](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-saas-demo-best-practices-for-better-conversions/): Sales demos can make or break your sales process. Here we explore why sales demos are about more than just closing a deal.
- [Training New Hires: How to Create Engaging Employee Onboarding](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/engaging-new-hires-through-training/): Boost engagement and retention by implementing comprehensive onboarding and training programs. Learn how in our blog.
- [9 Tips for Sales Engineers to Master the Art of Presentations](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-tips-for-sales-engineers-to-master-the-art-of-presentations/): Want to know what makes a brilliant sales engineer? Probably a good combination of sales skills and technical knowledge of your product.
- [Pow! How to Develop Knockout Software Training Plans - with Brenna Strickland](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-develop-knockout-software-training-plans-with-brenna-strickland): Watch our inspiring webinar with Kristine Kukich from Thought Industries, brings a refreshingly practical approach and informative how-to lesson on getting started using AI technology in customer education.
- [The Critical Role of Cybersecurity Awareness Training in Cyber Risk Management](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/employee-training-in-workplace-cyber-risk-management/): Guard your organization against cyber threats by empowering employees with effective cybersecurity awareness training.
- [AI Upskilling: Training in the Time of ChatGPT](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ai-upskilling/): AI's disruptive force reshapes industries. Embrace AI upskilling for future success – adapt, grow, and thrive in the age of artificial intelligence.
- [Bite-Sized Learning vs. Microlearning: What's the Difference?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/bite-sized-learning-vs-microlearning/): Escape information overload with microlearning and bite-sized learning. Boost productivity, retention, and engagement in your corporate training.
- [Customer Training Professionals are Feeling the Pressure](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-training-professionals-are-feeling-the-pressure-cedma-2023-survey/): The results of the survey we conducted with CEdMA of its members regarding the state of customer education and the use of key technologies.
- [How to Create an Exceptional Interactive Online Training Program](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/interactive-online-training-program/): Static, passive training content is functionally obsolete. If you want your online training to truly resonate with learners, it needs to be interactive.
- [Key Product Adoption Metrics You Should Already Be Tracking](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-adoption-metrics/): If you don’t understand how to measure product adoption, you’ll have no real way of knowing whether or not your software is a success.
- [How to Implement an Effective Product Education Strategy](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-education/): If your software is technically complex, customer product education must be a priority for your SaaS company. An onboarding process is crucial.
- [The ROI of Bridging the Cybersecurity Skills Gap](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-skills-gap/): As the world continues to move towards digital transformation and hyperconnectivity, cybersecurity training will only grow more critical.
- [The Biggest Product Adoption Challenges You Need to Know About](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-adoption-challenges/): Product adoption is simultaneously one of your most important metrics and one of your greatest challenges as a SaaS company.
- [How Does Generative AI Align with Customer Software Training?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/generative-ai-in-customer-software-training/): Understand the implications of AI in customer education and put initiatives in place to ensure realizing the productivity benefits this technology can deliver.
- [Harnessing Generative AI For Effective Customer Software Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/harnessing-generative-ai-for-effective-customer-software-training-2/): Understand the implications of AI in customer education and put initiatives in place to ensure realizing the productivity benefits this technology can and will deliver.
- [Unleashing the Power of Self-Paced Training for Personalized Learning](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/self-paced-training/): Self-paced training allows a learner to progress through a course on their own time and at their own rate, with complete autonomy.
- [Harnessing Generative AI For Effective Customer Software Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/harnessing-generative-ai-for-effective-customer-software-training/): Understand the implications of AI in customer education and put safe strategies and new initiatives in place to ensure you realize the undeniable productivity benefits the technology can and will deliver.
- [How to Set Up an Online Virtual Classroom in 3 Easy Steps](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/setting-up-an-online-virtual-classroom/): Create a virtual training environment that is identical to the best local classroom experience with the benefits of giving instructions remotely.
- [The Benefits of Employee Engagement Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/employee-engagement-training/): Employee engagement training is a management-focused program that focuses on how to improve engagement in an organization.
- [The Power of AI in Learning and Development](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ai-in-learning-and-development/): AI can improve your training in many ways, regardless of whether your focus is onboarding new customers, certifying partners or helping employees.
- [The Top Product-Led Growth Tools of 2023](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-led-growth-tools/): Product-led growth (PLG) makes your software the focal point of your company's go-to-market efforts. Find here our list of the best tools.
- [How to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Customer Training Strategy](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-measure-the-effectiveness-of-your-customer-training-strategy/): Measure, monitor, optimize. Let's talk about what's involved in customer training analytics — starting with a brief deep dive on why they're important.
- [Customers Reward CloudShare with 21 G2 Badges](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-g2-reviews-badges-fall-2023/): CloudShare's 21 G2 awarded badges for Fall 2023 in 3 categories: customer education, virtual IT labs, and demo automation.
- [10 Best Practices for Building a Winning Self-Paced Customer Training Program](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/10-best-practices-for-building-self-paced-training-program/): In recent years, self-paced customer training has grown rapidly in popularity. In 2023 alone, self-paced course offerings increased by 20%.
- [How to Create a Killer Self-Paced Customer Software Training Program](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-create-a-killer-self-paced-customer-software-training-program/): Everything you need to know and understand in order to successfully incorporate self-paced learning into both onboarding and customer support.
- [How to Increase Product Adoption with Customer Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-increase-product-adoption-with-customer-training/): Particularly in SaaS, product adoption is indicative of not only a product's market fit but also the strength of its sales and onboarding processes.
- [SaaS LMS vs. Hosted LMS: Pros and Cons Analyzed](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/saas-lms-vs-hosted-lms/): Every organization has unique L&D needs. In some use cases a SaaS LMS simply doesn't stack up while hosted LMS may indeed be the better option.
- [12 Ways to Propel Productivity in Customer Education with AI](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/12-ways-to-propel-productivity-in-customer-education-with-ai/): CloudShare's CMO looks at the 12 ways Customer Education pros can tap the power of generative AI. Read more here.
- [The 2023 Cram Kit for Online Software Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/the-2023-cram-kit-for-online-software-training/): Help yourself to this year’s most informative collection of customer education resources. %%title%% is packed with up-to-date data.
- [Get Up to Speed with the 2023 Cram Kit for Online Software Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/get-up-to-speed-with-the-2023-cram-kit-for-online-software-training/): The 2023 Cram Kit for Online Software Training," brings you CloudShare's best-performing content - industry research reports.
- [AI: The New Imperative for Advancing Customer Education - with Kristine Kukich](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/ai-the-new-imperative-for-advancing-customer-education-with-kristine-kukich): Watch our inspiring webinar with Kristine Kukich from Thought Industries, brings a refreshingly practical approach and informative how-to lesson on getting started using AI technology in customer education.
- [Level Up Your SaaS Business with a Proof of Concept Template](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/level-up-your-saas-business-with-a-proof-of-concept-template/): Proof-of-concept demos are a key part of any successful SaaS vendor’s sales process. They demonstrate how to solve a potential customer’s problem.
- [10 Best Practices for Building a Winning Self-Paced Customer Training Program](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/10-best-practices-for-building-a-winning-self-paced-customer-training-program/): Self-paced training is the on-demand option of the customer training world. Forget meeting in a conference room with an instructor who’s traveled miles for a scheduled session. Self-paced training is available when customers want it, on their device, with no need to worry about keeping up with other learners.
- [Best Practices for Choosing a Cloud Training Service Provider in 2023](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-for-choosing-a-cloud-training-service-provider/): Our guide to help you find your way through the jungle of options when choosing a cloud training vendor: best practices and success criteria.
- [AI in Sales and Pre-Sales: Unlocking Opportunities and Overcoming Challenges](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ai-in-sales-and-presales/): AI sales automation is not only unlocking new opportunities for sales teams but also freeing them up to focus on making better pitches and closing more deals.
- [Save the Date for the Ultimate Overview on Advancing Customer Education with AI [Webinar]](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ultimate-overview-on-advancing-customer-education-with-ai-webinar/): While we’ve published some introductory lessons regarding ChatGPT on our blog, we’re now gearing up to present a comprehensive webinar about it..
- [NTT Innovation Laboratory Israel Creates "Magic" Product Evaluation Environments with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/ntt-innovation-laboratory-israel-creates-magic-product-evaluation-environments-with-cloudshare): Read NTT Innovation Lab Israel case study to learn how they were able to repurpose the CloudShare platform to create a sandbox for evaluating new technologies for their clients.
- [Embracing Cloud Diversity with Open Arms and a Dash of Humor](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/embracing-cloud-diversity-with-open-arms-and-a-dash-of-humor/): Dive into CloudShare's humorous take on cloud service devotion. Embrace cloud diversity, avoid migration headaches, and more.
- [Qlik Scales Up Self-Paced Training and Onboarding with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/qlik-scales-up-self-paced-training-and-onboarding-with-cloudshare): Read our case study on how Qlik enables scalable, self-paced training with CloudShare.
- [ControlUp Improves ROI and Customer Satisfaction with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/controlup-improves-roi-and-customer-satisfaction-with-cloudshare): Sivan Kroitoru, Senior Training Specialist at ControlUp, shares her success story using CloudShare - %%title%%.
- [CloudShare Alternatives: What Should You Use for Virtual Training?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-alternatives-for-virtual-training/): CloudShare Alternatives for virtual training. CloudShare's training platform is flexible, scalable, intuitive, most importantly affordable.
- [5 Best Practices for Technical Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/technical-training-best-practices/): Technical training is generally used to teach core technical skills and competencies, either as part of employee onboarding or for upskilling/reskilling purposes.
- [Effective Product Onboarding: Maximizing User Engagement and Satisfaction](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/effective-product-onboarding/): Effective product onboarding goes well beyond a product demo or a few tutorial videos, after all. Let's talk about what you can do to improve your own process.
- [The Engagement Spiral - Key Strategies for Keeping Trainees Engaged with Jan Keck](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-engagement-spiral-key-strategies-for-keeping-trainees-engaged): Watch our inspiring webinar with Josh Cavalier, who discussed AI's secret power to unlock the mysteries of customer education.
- [How to Maximize Success in MVP Development](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/mvp-development-mistakes/): MVP development is an approach to software development that focuses on creating a minimum viable product at the outset.
- [Technical Due Diligence: Key Components and How to Get it Right](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/technical-due-diligence/): As you might expect, technical due diligence can be incredibly complex. It's very easy to go about performing an assessment the wrong way.
- [NTT Innovation Lab Creates "Magic" POCs with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/ntt-innovation-lab-creates-magic-pocs-with-cloudshare): Moshe Karako, CTO of NTT Innovation Lab Israel,, shares their success story using CloudShare for evaluating technologies.
- [Tap These Tips to Keep Every Trainee Engaged](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/tips-to-keep-every-trainee-engaged/): Read our expert's blog post about %%title%%.
- [Understanding Software Training Pricing: What You Need to Know](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-pricing/): Whether you're offering premium training to customers, or working on employee onboarding, you need to know how to calculate your software training costs.
- [The Five Key Elements of an Effective Training Environment](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/effective-training-environment/): The effectiveness of any training program ultimately comes down to two things. First is the guiding strategy under which the...
- [ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Training Managers](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/prompt-engineering-for-training-managers/): If you want to truly harness the potential of ChatGPT for your training program, there’s one critical skill you’ll need...
- [How to Use ChatGPT for Training Content Creation](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/chatgpt-for-training-content-creation/): We recently discussed how training professionals can use ChatGPT. Today, we’re going to revisit that topic. Specifically, we’ll examine what...
- [How to Reduce Your Training's Dropout Rates](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-dropout-rates/): One of the most effective ways to reduce churn is with onboarding. Customers that understand how to use your software...
- [5 Strategies to Boost Customer Renewal Rate and Drive Revenue](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-renewal-rate-strategies/): You’ve likely heard a dozen times by now that it costs roughly five times more to acquire new customers than...
- [The Power of Customer Training Analytics: Unveiling Valuable Insights](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-training-analytics/): Software-as-a-service is, for all intents and purposes, a buyer’s market. Unless you’re fortunate enough to operate in an incredibly focused...
- [The Power of ChatGPT for Customer Success: A Revolutionary Approach](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/chatgpt-for-customer-success/): Let’s get one thing out of the way first. Don’t buy into the hype about ChatGPT. It’s not replacing human...
- [5 Benefits of Blended Learning for Corporate Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blended-learning-for-corporate-training/): Remember when some people thought in-person instruction would be completely replaced by virtual training? Granted, the idea wasn’t completely crazy....
- [How Procentia Successfully Transformed Customer Training with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/procentia-cloudshare-customer-training-case-study/): Hands-on experiences are vital for effective software training, enabling learners to engage in immersive, unforgettable experiences.
- [Unlock the Power of Multi-Region VILT with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/multi-region-vilt/): Though virtual training has given way to blended learning in recent years, its benefits are still clear to anyone who’s...
- [Semperis Achieves Faster, More Effective and Scalable POCs with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/semperis-achieves-faster-more-effective-and-scalable-pocs-with-cloudshare): 
- [Procentia Delivers Exceptional Customer Experiences with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/procentia-delivers-exceptional-customer-experiences-with-cloudshare): Rebecca Forster, Training Manager, and Stewart Colgrave, Technical Software Training Expert at Procentia, share their success story using CloudShare
- [Navigating Tight Budgets: Insights from Our 2023 Virtual Software Training Industry Survey](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/navigating-tight-budgets-insights-from-our-2023-virtual-software-training-industry-survey/): Insights from our 2023 virtual software training industry survey. A snapshot of our key findings and a few stats that are likely to surprise you.
- [The State of Virtual Software Training in 2023 - CloudShare's Industry Report](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/the-state-of-virtual-software-training-in-2023): Read our industry survey about %%title%%. Organizations are taking a defensive approach to training, focusing on customer and employee retention, and leveraging self-paced training to help compensate for understaffing.
- [10 Sales Enablement Influencers to Follow in 2023](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-sales-enablement-influencers/): Maintaining an effective sales enablement program is a collaborative undertaking. It requires not just software, strategy, and training but also...
- [CloudShare & Qlik - How to Build an Effective and Profitable Self-Paced Training Program](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/register-how-to-build-an-effective-and-profitable-self-paced-training-program): Watch our webinar with Qlik on %%title%%.
- [The State of Virtual Software Training in 2023](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/the-state-of-virtual-software-training-in-2023-report): Our 2023 survey about the state of virtual software training shows that organizations are taking a defensive approach to training, focusing on customer and employee retention, and leveraging self-paced training to help compensate for understaffing. In the current context of layoffs and budget cuts, one of the most crucial issues facing training departments is to show their value by effectively aligning training KPIs with business goals.
- [5 Online Training Influencers to Follow in 2023](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/online-training-influencers/): Your business needs an effective training program — not just for employees, but also to onboard new customers. That goes...
- [Building Your Perfect Sales Tech Stack in 2023](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/building-your-perfect-sales-tech-stack/): Whether for customer success or sales enablement, your tech stack is crucial. Without the right tools and technology, your sales...
- [See How Your Online Training Program Measures Up to Industry Benchmarks](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/online-training-program-and-industry-benchmarks/): The 2023 Online Training Industry Benchmarks Leave Something to be Desired. Find out what yours are and how to exceed them, in our blog.
- [The Six Disciplines for Using Artificial Intelligence in Customer Education - with Josh Cavalier](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-six-disciplines-for-using-artificial-intelligence-in-customer-education): Watch our inspiring webinar "%%title%%" with Josh Cavalier, a top-notch expert in the field of computer-based training, who discussed AI's secret power to unlock the mysteries of customer education.
- [A Step-By-Step Guide to <br />Planning Your 2023 Training Budget](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/guide_to_planning_your_software_training_budget/): Learn more about how to plan your software training budget with CloudShare Step-By-Step Guide to Planning Your Training Budget.
- [10 VILT Tips: How VILT Software Can Help Your Business Stay Competitive in a Changing World](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/vilt-tips/): How VILT software can help your business stay competitive in a changing world. Check out the top 10 tips for VILT.
- [How VILT Can Save a Technical Sales Pitch Under Pressure](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-vilt-can-save-a-technical-sales-pitch/): VILT allows you to wrap both a technical sales pitch and a product demo into a single, highly effective package.
- [Best Corporate Training Models for Learning &amp; Development](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-corporate-training-models-for-learning-development/): No matter your industry or vertical, stagnation is not an option. You need to plan for the future — you...
- [Using ChatGPT for Training: Practical Hands-On Tips for Training Professionals](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/using-chatgpt-for-training/): Artificial intelligence has been front of mind for virtually everyone of late, and with good reason. OpenAI’s ChatGPT took the...
- [What to Accomplish in Your First 90 Days As a Director of Sales Engineering](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-to-accomplish-in-your-first-90-days-as-a-director-of-sales-engineering/): Are you a new Head of Sales Engineering? Read this blog to understand what to accomplish in your first 90 days on the job.
- [Measuring Success Across the Customer Lifecycle: Key Metrics](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/measuring-success-across-the-customer-lifecycle/): Most modern customer education programs are centered around onboarding. Find out why this is a mistake and what to measure instead.
- [CloudShare, Docebo & AlgoSec - Level Up Your business With a Hybrid Learning Model](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/cloudshare-docebo-algosec-level-up-your-business-with-a-hybrid-learning-model): 
- [Top Sales Enablement Podcasts of 2023: Our Full List](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-sales-enablement-podcasts/): We've collected some of the top sales leadership podcasts — valuable resources to help you grow and improve your sales skills.
- [What to Accomplish in Your First 90 Days as a Head of Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-to-accomplish-in-your-first-90-days-as-a-head-of-training/): Landed your first role as a Head of Training? Find out what you must accomplish in your first 90 days, in order to be successful.
- [How to Become a Head of Training and Development](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-become-a-head-of-training-and-development/): Learn our article and find out how to make the career transition from a training professional to a Head of Training and Development.
- [How to Become a Director of Sales Engineering](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-become-a-director-of-sales-engineering/): Learn how to make the career leap from sales engineer to director of sales engineering. Find out how to secure your first role in our guide.
- [Testimonials: Start Seeing ROI From Your Training Program](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/testimonials-start-seeing-roi-from-your-training-program): Discover how thousands of leading software companies are spinning up training labs in seconds, scaling training, controlling costs, growing into new channels of business, and increasing their bottom line, with CloudShare
- [How to Create an Azure Sandbox Environment](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-create-an-azure-sandbox-environment/): Read a detailed how-to article, to learn how to create an Azure sandbox environment. Bonus: Receive best practices from trusted experts.
- [SaaS Customer Onboarding: 7 Best Practices to Ensure Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/saas-customer-onboarding-best-practices/): Uncover the 7 best practices to ensure a successful SaaS onboarding. Find out what successful SaaS onboarding looks like in this blog.
- [From Cybersecurity Training to Cyber Resilience: 8 Major Benefits of Cyber Range Platforms](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/from-cybersecurity-training-to-cyber-resilience-8-major-benefits-of-cyber-range-platforms/): Although cyber ranges were developed originally for the public sector, they have expanded far beyond their original roots. Learn more here.
- [What is a Product Demo? A Helpful Guide for Sales Teams](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-is-a-product-demo-a-helpful-guide-for-sales-teams/): What's a product demo? And what's the difference between a product demo and a sales demo? Find out when you read CloudShare's blog.
- [The Importance of Customer Onboarding in Reducing SaaS Churn](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-onboarding-in-reducing-saas-churn/): Find out why customer onboarding plays a crucial role in your SaaS churn rate, and effective strategies for reducing SaaS churn.
- [9 Must-Know Metrics to Measure Sales Engineer Performance](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/9-metrics-to-help-you-build-a-more-effective-sales-engineering-team/): 
- [Measuring Success: Create Effective Customer Education Across the Entire Lifecycle - with Brian Childs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/measuring-success-create-effective-customer-education-across-the-entire-lifecycle-with-brian-childs): 
- [Sneak Peek into VILT in 2023: How to Achieve Data-Driven Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sneak-peek-into-vilt-how-to-achieve-data-driven-success/): In our "Sneak Peek into VILT in 2023" we show you where the industry is headed, based on CloudShare's proprietary research.
- [Sneak Peek into VILT in 2023 - How to Achieve Data-Driven Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sneak-peek-into-vilt-in-2023-how-to-achieve-data-driven-success): In 2023, there’s considerably more pressure to prove your training program’s ROI, and tangible metrics of success. You can keep your training program “as is” (and achieve the exact same results), or explore a new framework to achieve data-driven success with VILT.
- [ChatGPT for SaaS Sales: 5 Ways Your Team Can Use ChatGPT to Convert](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/chatgpt-for-saas-sales-5-ways-your-team-can-use-chatgpt-to-convert/): What are the 5 best uses for ChatGPT in SaaS sales? Find out how to turn ChatGPT into an effective SaaS sales tool in our blog post.
- [7 Ways to Make Your SaaS Training Subscriptions Irresistible](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/make-your-saas-training-subscriptions-irresistible/): This blog shows you the 7 ways that you can improve your SaaS training subscription renewal rates in the long run.
- [10 Best Practices to Increase Your SaaS Training Renewal Rates](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-to-increase-your-saas-training-renewal-rates/): We've listed 10 renewal best practices that you can use to entice customers to continue their SaaS training subscriptions year-over-year.
- [The Road to Upsell and Cross-sell Your Training Bundle As Part of the Customer Retention Journey](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-road-to-upsell-and-cross-sell-your-training-bundle-as-part-of-the-customer-retention-journey/): Looking to increase the subscription renewal rates for your training programs? Explore the value of training as a retention strategy.
- [Cyber Security Sales Training: The Future of the Industry](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cyber-security-sales-training-the-future-of-the-industry/): Every industry implements sales training. The more complex the industry, the more difficult it is to network—and the more critical sales training becomes.
- [Beat the Benchmarks - CloudShare 2023 Users Research Report](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/beat-the-benchmarks-cloudshare-2023-users-research-report): After analyzing the data from hundreds of thousands of CloudShare’s global users (and comparing them to industry benchmarks), we’ve developed our 2023 State of Virtual Sales and Training Experiences report.
- [Sales Enablement Training Software: What Is It, and How Does It Work?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-enablement-training-software-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work/): Innovative advances in technology platforms for sales enablement training mean that engaging prospects is faster and exceedingly more effective.
- [What's the Difference Between Sales Readiness vs. Enablement?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-sales-readiness-vs-enablement/): Learn about the the basics of sales readiness and sales enablement and how to avoid inefficient issues during workflows.
- [CloudShare & Semperis - Scale Your POCs & Grow Sales with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/cloudshare-semperis-scale-your-pocs-grow-sales-with-cloudshare): 
- [What is SaaS Customer Onboarding and How You Can Improve It](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-is-saas-customer-onboarding-and-how-you-can-improve-it/): Whether in a demo to pitch, close, or follow a sale, here’s a plan to improve SaaS customer onboarding and optimize customer engagement.
- [3 Actionable Strategies for Increased Training Subscription Renewal Rates](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/increased-training-subscription-renewal-rates/): Shachar Avrahami, shared his insights on three renewal strategies that can help companies increase revenue through training subscriptions.
- [CloudShare & EverAfter - 3 Proven Renewal Tactics for Training Subscription](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/cloudshare-venafi-3-proven-renewal-tactics-for-training-subscription): Proven Renewal Tactics for Training Subscription
- [5 Key Metrics to Align Training and GTM Teams to Boost Subscription Renewals](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/key-metrics-to-align-training-and-gtm/): We've listed five critical metrics for training that you should measure to create opportunities for cross-selling and recurring revenue.
- [Bridge the Gap: How to Align Customer Training with Company Go-To-Market Goals](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/align-customer-training-with-company-go-to-market-goals/): Here are three ways you can align with the GTM of the company, and ensure that you’re part of the action. 
- [7 Sales Demo Best Practices to Close Prospects](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/7-sales-demo-best-practices-to-close-prospects/): Sales demo best practice includes both an effective content strategy and the right technology approach to presenting it. Here’s how to get them both right.
- [CloudShare's Product Experience Platform - Transform Your Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshares-product-experience-platform-transform-your-training): CloudShare makes it simple and fast to create fully interactive hands-on experiences in the cloud.Live in-class analytics that helps you track your user engagement, optimize your user on the go, manage your resources and take immediate actions on POCs.
- [Get The Highest ROI From Your Training With CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/get-the-highest-roi-from-your-training-with-cloudshare): Get the highest ROI from your training with CloudShare's cost-effective virtual training labs
- [What To Think About When You’re Choosing A Virtual Training Experience Solution](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/choosing-a-virtual-training-experience-solution/): These are just a few of the things you’ll need to think about when you’re looking for the best virtual training platform for your business.
- [Best Practices for Customer Training Software in 2023](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-for-customer-training-software-in-2023/): Learn about our best practices for customer training software in 2021 and why it is important to invest in.
- [How Can You Create an Effective Employee Virtual Training Program?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-can-you-create-an-effective-employee-virtual-training-program/): Creating an employee training program requires alignment between the employee's needs and the company's overarching objectives.
- [Sales Metrics vs. Customer Retention Metrics — Which Should Training Departments Focus On?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-metrics-vs-customer-retention-metrics/): Organizations are increasingly shifting their focus from sales performance measurement to measuring customer retention, NPS score, and expansion.
- [The Cost of Sales Engineer Training for Employees](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-cost-of-sales-engineer-training-for-employees/): Sales engineer training is supremely important in any business as potential customers are shown demos and proofs-of-concept are deployed.
- [Customer Training Pricing and Packaging Best Practices](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-training-pricing-and-packaging-best-practices/): Learn how customer training programs are priced and how you can determine the right virtual training pricing package for your organization.
- [Increase Customer Education Revenue with 5 Subscription Renewal Strategies](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/increase-customer-education-revenue-with-5-subscription-renewal-strategies/): Customer training is a massive factor in turning customers into product advocates and retaining them long-term. However, many organizations fail...
- [5 Key Takeaways from CEdMA Conference 2022](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-key-takeaways-from-cedma-conference-2022/): This year’s CEdMA conference EU gave us an opportunity to network with old and new friends, meet customers and partners face-to-face, and learn a lot.
- [How to Improve Cyber Security Hands-on Training Experiences for Employees?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-improve-cyber-security-hands-on-training-experiences-for-employees/): In this blog, we look at how to improve virtual cyber security training outcomes. Learn why cyber security hands-on training is so effective.
- [What to Expect in 2023: A Look into the Future of the Training Industry](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/future-of-training-industry/): The past two years have seen a massive shift in how customer or certification training has been offered. The most...
- [8 Training Budget Planning Insights from Training Leaders in CloudShare's Community](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-budget-planning-insights/): Find out how some of our top clients are planning their budgets for 2023. We've gathered the top training budget planning insights.
- [Trim Training Expenses in 2023 With Virtual Training Solutions](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/trim-training-expenses-with-virtual-training-solutions/): Learn more about Training Expenses in 2023 with Virtual Training Solutions. CloudShare will help you to minimize your Training Cost
- [Looking to Improve Partner Enablement? Cloud Development Environments are a Low Maintenance Approach that’s Paying Dividends](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloud-development-environments-are-a-low-maintenance-approach/): We recently sat down with Paul Cleary, Sr Ecosystem Architect at Venafi to discuss challenges in working with technology channel...
- [Learning Management System Vs. Training Management System: What's Right For Your Organization?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/learning-management-system-vs-training-management-system-whats-right-for-your-organization/): What's Right For Your Organization? the diffrences between organization learning management system and training management system
- [5 Tips for Accelerating Channel Partner Training Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-tips-for-accelerating-channel-partner-training-success/): Accelerating Channel partner training success here are the 5 top tips for getting it right, and facilitating success for channel partners.
- [Best Practices for Instructor-Led Training in an Enterprise Environment](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-for-instructor-led-training-in-an-enterprise-environment/): Virtual instructor-led training, or VILT, is a popular and effective tool for scaling business operations and improving the organizational bottom line.
- [CloudShare & Venafi - How to Use Virtual Env. to Boost Your Tech Partner Success?](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/cloudshare-venafi-how-to-use-virtual-env-to-boost-your-tech-partner-success): 
- [The Art of the POC: How to Convert More Leads into Customers](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-art-of-the-poc-how-to-convert-more-leads-into-customers/): PoCs empower sales professionals and solidify the idea of a solution. Watch this exclusive meetup to learn how to convert more prospects into leads.
- [5 Metrics to Measure Your Software Training With Next-Gen Analytics](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/metrics-to-measure-software-training/): Here are 5 metrics you can use to optimize your training performance & costs - and maybe secure that coveted budget increase for next quarter. 
- [Support, Marketing and Sales: How Hands-on Virtual Training Experiences are Making Impact Across the Business](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-hands-on-virtual-training-experiences-are-making-impact-across-the-business/): When we talk about how a remote software training platform can enable growth, Digital Experience Management platform, ControlUp, is one...
- [Tech Sales Training: 6 Do’s and 3 Don’ts](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/tech-sales-training-the-major-dos-and-donts/): Learn the do's and don'ts of technical sales training such and the skills to teach your sales engineers in order to convert your prospects faster.
- [Cyber Range Training And Simulation With Cloud-Based Technologies](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cyber-range-training-and-simulation-with-cloud-based-technologies/): Cyber ranges are one way companies are leveling the playing field against cybercrime. Cyber range training is essential for CISOs and SOC managers.
- [How to Generate Leads At Your Next Conference With Product Experience Platforms?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-generate-leads-at-your-next-conference-with-product-experience-platforms/): This article will discuss the benefits of using a product experience platform at conferences and how you can leverage CloudShare for this purpose.
- [CloudShare Instructors, Tips & Tricks](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-instructors-tips-tricks): 
- [How to Deliver Virtual Channel Partner Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-deliver-virtual-channel-partner-training/): Embracing a channel partner sales strategy can help you gain credibility, enter new markets, and ultimately bring in more customers.
- [5 Tips for Improving SaaS Retention Rates with Customer Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-tips-improving-saas-customer-retention-rates/): Here are some tips to improve your SaaS customer retention and save your piece of the $1.6 trillion pie. Retention starts with proper SaaS training.
- [CloudShare & ControlUp - Better training results in higher performance](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/cloudshare-with-controlup-better-training-results-in-higher-performance): CloudShare & ControlUp Webinar - Learn How To Use Software Training to Improve Retention, Relieve Helpdesk Bottlenecks, and Support Conferences
- [10 Steps to Convert Traditional Classroom Content into Effective Virtual Instructor-Led Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-steps-to-convert-traditional-classroom-content-into-effective-virtual-instructor-led-training/): What’s the Biggest Mistake in Converting a Classroom Course into a Virtual Training Environment? Before planning your first virtual instructor-led...
- [A Quick Thank You Note To All Of Our Customers](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-quick-thank-you-note-to-all-of-our-customers/): CloudShare has been voted as market leader by its customers. We just wanted to say a huge, heartfelt thank you for being part of the cloudshare journey so far.
- [3 Solutions to Common Pre-Sales Roadblocks](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-solutions-common-pre-sales-roadblocks/): Pre-sales is all about what happens before a lead has been acquired and up until the point that a customer signs up with your business.
- [Latest CloudShare Update Improves Entire AWS Experience](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/latest-cloudshare-update-improves-entire-aws-experience/): Read about the%%title%% here with CloudShare.
- [CloudShare G2 Categories Leadership - Thanking All Our Customers!](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshare-g2-categories-leadership-thanking-all-our-customers): Our customers have seen such awesome results from our products that they’ve voted us market leaders in three categories on G2
- [4 Sales Demo Tips That All Enterprises Should Be Using in 2022](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-sales-demo-tips-that-all-enterprises-should-be-using/): Check out these 4 simple tips to make your sales demos stand out and shorten your sales funnel with virtual labs for demos and virtual POCs.
- [The Ultimate Training Budget Kit For 2023](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/budget-kit-2023/): Learn more about Cloudshare Training Budget Kit for 2023
- [Working On Your Software Training Budget During an Economic Downturn? Read This First.](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/working-on-your-software-training-budget-during-an-economic-downturn/): Every department is vying for budget so that they don’t need to reduce headcount, abandon ongoing projects, or cut items from their roadmap. 
- [Mark your Calendars! 8 Corporate Training Conferences Coming up this Season](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-corporate-training-conferences/): Training is an essential component to any organization's success. Find out which training conferences are happening this season, and what they'll offer.
- [Introducing Our New Sales Enablement Integration - Webhooks!](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-enablement-integration/): Learn more about Sales Enablement Integration - Webhooks and how to use Webhooks API and when with CloudShare.
- [The Best Formula for a Successful POC Starts with The Cloud](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-formula-successful-poc-starts-cloud/): Deliver successful sales POCs, empower the enterprise & provide value to every customer, while giving vendors feedback & information about their product.
- [CloudShare for Sales Enablement](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-for-sales-enablement): Deliver unforgettable remote demos and POCs with CloudShare's most engaging hands-on solution.
- [How Cloud-Based Product Demos and POCs Increase Sales for Software Vendors](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-cloud-based-product-demos-and-pocs-increase-sales-for-software-vendors/): Gerry Brown, Research Director, gives insight into why cloud-based demo and POC solutions are so important to the software sales cycle.
- [Thanks to our incredible customers… CloudShare scored a G2 hat-trick!](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-scored-a-g2-hat-trick/): It’s always great to get industry recognition, but there’s something extra special about the validation that comes directly from our...
- [Overcoming the IT Skills Gap: Technical Training Certification](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/overcoming-the-it-skills-gap-technical-training-certification/): To build your certified virtual IT training course, you’re going to need a reliable and dynamic virtual platform.
- [CloudShare & Aderant - 4 Fresh Tactics to Keep Your Students Engaged During Virtual Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/cloudshare-with-aderant-4-fresh-tactics-to-keep-your-students-engaged-during-virtual-training): CloudShare & Aderant | Watch On Demand. Students Are Bored Out Of Their Minds?? Check Out 4 Brilliantly Fresh Ways to Engage Learners in Virtual Training This Summer
- [Sales Enablement Influencers Outlook: Challenges, Skills and Tech](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/sales-enablement-influencers-outlook-challenges-skills-and-tech): Leaders Take a Deep Dive into Top Challenges, Skills, and Tech. Discover how to assess your internal processes to build a forward-thinking sales enablement program for your organization. This Influencers Outlook features top Sales Enablement leaders sharing powerful insights.
- [13 Software & Technical Training Leaders You Should Follow on Social in 2022](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/13-software-technical-training-leaders-you-should-follow-on-social-in-2022/): You've heard that the best leaders are lifelong learners. That the most successful businesses are those with effective employee training programs.
- [The Essential Elements of Building a Product-led Growth Strategy](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/building-a-product-led-growth-strategy/): Learn the essential elements of building a Product-led Growth Strategy with CloudShare tips and best practice.
- [CloudShare & Google Cloud - How to Fight Market Fluctuations and Close Skills Gaps With Customer Education](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/co-hosted-with-training-industry-and-google-cloud-how-to-fight-market-fluctuations-and-close-skills-gaps-with-customer-education): 
- [Leverage CloudShare’s Integration Hub to Reduce Churn and Improve Existing Opportunities](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/leverage-cloudshares-integration-hub-to-reduce-churn-and-improve-existing-opportunities): 
- [Influencers Roundtable by CloudShare - Sales Enablement in a New World: Challenges, Skills, and Tech](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sales-enablement-roundtable-se-in-a-new-world-challenges-skills-and-tech): 
- [How to Leverage Real-Time Insights to Improve Virtual Training & Sales Results Immediately](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-leverage-real-time-insights-to-improve-virtual-training-sales-results-immediately): 
- [In It For The Long-Haul: User Experiences That Drive Retention - with Donna Weber](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/co-hosted-with-training-industry-in-it-for-the-long-haul-user-experiences-that-drive-retention-with-donna-weber): 
- [Improve Conversions, Streamline Operations, and Reduce Customer Churn with Our New Hubspot Integration](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/improve-conversions-streamline-operations-and-reduce-customer-churn-with-our-new-hubspot-integration/): What if you could draw a line between the performance of your POCs and demos, and how engaged your prospects...
- [Cost Cutting Clouds: How Cloud-Based Training Reduces Your Expenses](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cost-cutting-clouds-reduce-expenses-with-cloud-based-training/): Cloud based virtual training helps cut corporate training costs, eliminate travel/lodging expenses and eradicate wasted classroom space. Read more here.
- [Students More Interested in the Sunshine than Your Software Training? Learn How Aderant Makes Virtual Training More Engaging](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/students-more-interested-in-the-sunshine-than-your-software-training-learn-how-aderant-makes-virtual-training-more-engaging/): Learn How Aderant Makes Virtual Training More Engaging and Engaging Learners in Online Learning Environments
- [Worried About Growing Software Training Costs? Lean on these 5 Cost Control Practices in an Economic Downturn](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/worried-about-growing-software-training-costs-lean-on-these-5-cost-control-practices-in-an-economic-downturn/): Training supports so many essential business outcomes, such as improving product adoption and adding upsell opportunities.
- [Boost Your Channel Partner Sales with CloudShare for Channels](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/boost-your-channel-partner-sales-with-cloudshare-for-channels): 
- [CloudShare Virtual Labs for Sales Demos and Proofs of Concept](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshare-virtual-labs-for-sales-demos-and-proofs-of-concept): 
- [CloudShare Virtual Labs for Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshare-virtual-labs-for-training): 
- [Collaborate Better with Next-Gen In-App Video Conferencing](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/collaborate-better-with-next-gen-in-app-video-conferencing): 
- [Download our 2022 Sales Enablement Influencers Outlook](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-enablement-influencers-outlook/): Download our 2022 Sales Enablement Influencers Outlook and learn more about how to measure sales enablement
- [CloudShare for Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-for-training): Keep your audience on their toes with CloudShare's game-changing training experiences
- [VILT in 2022: How to Deliver a Virtual Classroom](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/vilt-in-2022-how-to-deliver-a-virtual-classroom): 
- [CloudShare for Channels](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-for-channels): Let prospects take your software for a test drive!
- [CloudShare, Sales Hacker & Walnut - Closing the Gap Between B2B and B2C Sales Experiences](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sales-hacker-walnut-closing-the-gap-between-b2b-and-b2c-sales-experiences): 
- [CloudShare & Training Industry - Experiential Learning Technologies](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/co-hosted-with-training-industry-experiential-learning-technologies): 
- [CloudShare & BCS - Why Software Training Should Be More Focused On Experiences, with Kevin Streater](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/a-bcs-webinar-with-kevin-streater-why-software-training-should-be-more-focused-on-experiences): Watch our webinar with BCS titled %%title%%.
- [All-Times Best-Seller: 51 Best Practices to Achieve New Levels of Performance](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/all-time-best-seller-how-to-optimize-your-customer-software-training-51-best-practice-to-achive-new-levels-of-performance/): 
- [CloudShare for LMS: Streamline Your Training with Hands-On Practice](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-for-lms-streamline-your-training-with-hands-on-practice): Download our brochure "%%title%%". Streamline your training with hands-on practice
- [How Kaspersky Shifted In-Person Cybersecurity Training to On-Demand Virtual Workshops with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/how-kaspersky-shifted-in-person-cybersecurity-training-to-on-demand-virtual-workshops-with-cloudshare): 
- [Sneak Peek into VILT in 2022](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sneak-peek-into-vilt-in-2022): 
- [Why You Need Cloud-Based Cyber Range Simulation for Cybersecurity Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloud-based-cyber-range-simulation-for-cybersecurity-training/): Learn how cloud-based cyber ranges work and see all the meaningful benefits that these solutions offer to organizations.
- [What We Learned (and Experienced) at the 2022 CEdMA Europe Conference](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-we-learned-and-experienced-at-the-2022-cedma-europe-conference/): It was definitely an insightful experience at the 2022 CEdMA Europe Conference this year, which we were fortunate enough to attend in London.
- [Optimize Your Data and Unlock Better Insights With Cloudshare's New Analytics Dashboards](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/optimize-your-data-and-unlock-better-insights-with-cloudshares-new-analytics-dashboards/): At CloudShare, we’ve long prided ourselves on offering the most advanced SaaS analytics solutions on the market. Our intuitive platform...
- [AWS Sandbox: How to Set One Up Securely and Responsibly](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/aws-sandbox-how-to-set-one-up-securely-and-responsibly/): Learn the basics of setting up an AWS sandbox as well as best practices for configuration, security, flexibility, access, and creation.
- [Why SaaS Companies Should Leverage a Product-Led Growth Strategy](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-saas-companies-should-leverage-a-product-led-growth-strategy/): What exactly is unique about that, though? As a software vendor, isn't your product the focal point of marketing and growth strategies anyway?
- [Cyber Security Training In 2022: An Up-To-Date Guide](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cyber-security-training-in-2022/): Since the pandemic, cyber threats have increased by over 600%. Here are five of the most effective cyber security training practices.
- [What Is the Difference Between Hybrid and Blended Learning?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-hybrid-and-blended-learning/): What is blended learning? What is hybrid learning? Learn everything about the differences in virtual learning and training as well as how they fit together.
- [Why Product Led Growth is Here to Stay ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-product-led-growth-is-here-to-stay/): Product led growth is an approach to sales enablement and lead generation that puts the product at the center of all go-to-market efforts
- [5 Ways a Simulated Development Environment Helps With Software Developer Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/simulated-development-environment-helps-software-developer-training/): A simulated training environment allows developers to execute code and get real-time feedback without the consequences of doing so in a live environment.
- [5 Ways Having The Right IT Infrastructure Can Support Your Sales Enablement](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/having-the-right-it-infrastructure-can-support-your-sales-enablement/): Here are five examples of why the right IT infrastructure can both support and augment your sales enablement efforts.
- [10 Useful Analytics Tools to Transform Data into Usable Business Insights](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/analytics-tools-to-transform-data-into-usable-business-insights/): Here are some data analytics applications that can help you in that regard, generating all manner of useful business insights. 
- [Cybersecurity Training in 2022](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/cybersecurity-training-in-2022/): Read our eBook %%title%%. Find out the 5 Ways to Improve Your 2022 Cyber Security Training Results
- [How To Effectively Train Staff Virtually To Use and Understand Your Medical Device Security Software](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/effectively-train-staff-virtually-to-use-medical-device-security-software/): Medical device training is difficult for even the most tech-savvy medical staff. Here's how to do it right.
- [5 Ways to Increase Manufacturing Productivity Through Software](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-ways-to-increase-manufacturing-productivity-through-software/): To improve productivity in manufacturing, software plays a pivotal role. Here are a few ways you can apply it within your own organization. 
- [4 Checklists to Assess Your Software Training Platform ROI](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/4-checklists-to-assess-your-software-training-platform-roi/): 
- [4 Checklists to Assess Your Software Training Platform ROI](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-checklists-to-assess-your-software-training-platform-roi-2/): These 4 checklists will help you make sure that you are making the most out of your investment in training your users.
- [Top 10 Analytics Software Tools for Perfect Data Management](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-10-analytics-software-tools-for-perfect-data-management/): Here are some of the best analytics software for data management solutions to help your company enhance its analytics capabilities
- [Virtual Cyber Security Training is Better Than Onsite Training - Here's Why](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-cyber-security-training-is-better-than-onsite-training/): Through virtual cyber security training, businesses could provide deeper, more engaging, and more personalized experiences.
- [How B2B Software Companies Leveraged Virtual Experiences for Sales & Customer Training in 2021](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/proprietary-data-report-2022/): This report uncovers the important changes we are seeing for sales and customer training teams today based on proprietary data.
- [Virtual Training Platforms Are Now Just as Important as CRM and ERP: Here’s Why](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-training-platforms-are-now-just-as-important-as-crm-and-erp/): 9 out of 10 companies are now using virtual training. Are you investing in great customer experiences as a competitive advantage?
- [CloudShare's Annual User Trends Report](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/cloudshare-research-report-2022): 
- [The Benefits of Using a Test Environment as a Service for IT Testing ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-benefits-of-using-a-test-environment-as-a-service-for-it-testing/): Using a test environment as a service is a great way to assess a product and make necessary adjustments before it goes to market. Here's why.
- [How Do Virtual Customer Experiences Support Personalization?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-do-virtual-customer-experiences-support-personalization/): Build a virtual personalized customer experience for your buyers and end-users. Learn how CloudShare supports personalized customer training.
- [6 Steps to Creating a Cyber Security Training Program for Your Organization ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/6-steps-to-creating-a-cyber-security-training-program-for-your-organization/): Here's how to implement a cyber security training program for your organization and these are the benefits.
- [Sisense Leverages CloudShare to Provide Hands-On VILT](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/sisense-case-study): 
- [Post-Pandemic Virtual Customer Training Best Practices for Better Onboarding, Retention and Expansion](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/post-pandemic-virtual-customer-training-best-practices/): Customer relationships and training have changed. Keep these best practices in mind as you make your training a competitive advantage. 
- [Sisense Deploys CloudShare to Simplify and Enhance Virtual Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sisense-deploys-cloudshare-to-simplify-and-enhance-virtual-training/): Student engagement and accessibility are imperative. Here’s how Sisense used CloudShare to provide effective training to its global user base.
- [7 Best Practices for Delivering Exceptional EMR Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-for-delivering-exceptional-emr-training/): A new generation of software training technology is helping MedTech EMR training. Here's how to incorporate these new training technologies.
- [Thinking of Launching a Customer Education Program? Start Here.](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/thinking-of-launching-a-customer-education-program-start-here/): Companies usually create a customer education program to show users how to properly use their product. But what goes into a solid program?
- [5 Reasons To Integrate Your Customer Training Data With Your CRM](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/reasons-to-integrate-your-customer-training-data-with-your-crm/): Here are 5 important reasons why integrating your training data with your CRM will aid in customer retention.
- [Introducing the CloudShare Integration Hub ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/introducing-the-cloudshare-integration-hub/): Learn all about the features of Cloudshare's Integration Hub. Which integrations are available and why they are so helpful.
- [9 Customer Training Trends to Watch in 2022](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-customer-training-trends-to-watch/): The training industry has shifted rapidly since 2019. There are the customer training trends most likely to define the coming year.
- [How Technology Sales Training Has Changed During COVID-19](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-technology-sales-training-has-changed-during-covid-19/): COVID continues to disrupt the traditional way that sales teams operate. We explore how B2B technology sales training is changing in the new norm. 
- [19 Top Sales Enablement Leaders on Social Media in 2022](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-sales-enablement-leaders-on-social-media/): Sales enablement is now more important than it's ever been. These are the top performers you should be connecting with and following. 
- [What’s Coming in 2022 for SaaS Training Platforms?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/whats-coming-in-2022-for-saas-training-platforms/): How will the SaaS training space evolve in 2022? Our new report highlights the six trends that will impact SaaS online training this year.
- [7 Reasons Cybersecurity Simulation Software is Crucial for Protecting Your Business](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/7-reasons-cybersecurity-simulation-software-is-crucial-for-protecting-your-business/): Cyber security training labs are the answer to rising threats — here are eight reasons your organization should already be using them
- [3 Terrible Product Demo Fails (and How to Avoid Them)](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-terrible-product-demo-fails-and-how-to-avoid-them/): A product demo can be a make or break for a brand. But what about when a demo goes horribly wrong?
- [How In-App Video Conferencing Increases Engagement for Trainees](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-in-app-video-conferencing-increases-engagement-for-trainees/): In-app communication and collaboration has a significant impact on course completion. Let's drill down into why this is the case.
- [Build a Killer Cloud Proof of Concept (POC) with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/build-a-killer-cloud-proof-of-concept-poc-with-cloudshare/): This blog will walk you through three simple steps you can use to gain that all-important visibility, and take your POC creation to the next level.
- [9 Virtual Training Trends That Are Reshaping the Industry — and the Technology You Need to Keep Up](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-virtual-training-trends-that-are-reshaping-the-industry-and-the-technology-you-need-to-keep-up/): It’s no secret virtual training is reshaping the industry. Learn everything about the latest trends and technology you need to keep up.
- [Pluralsight Acquires A Cloud Guru: Is It Time for an Effective Replacement?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/pluralsight-acquires-a-cloud-guru-is-it-time-for-an-effective-replacement/): Are you looking for A Cloud Guru alternative or replacement? Read on to learn more about potential A Cloud Guru pricing changes.
- [Why Virtual Training is Non-Negotiable for MedTech Vendors](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-virtual-training-is-non-negotiable-for-medtech-vendors/): The rise of virtual learning is impacting virtually every industry as we know it. Here’s why we think virtual training is a must-have for MedTech vendors.
- [Customer Training is More Important Than Ever - But Are You Investing in the Right Tech?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-training-is-more-important-than-ever-but-are-you-investing-in-the-right-tech/): Training tech for customer education continues to play a vital role in giving your engineers, sellers and support reps what they need to get customers up to speed quickly.
- [The What, Why, and How of Revenue Operations (RevOps)](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-what-why-and-how-of-revenue-operations-revops/): In this blog, we explain what Revenue Ops is and what it requires from your organization to get it right.
- [Product-led Vs. Sales-led: What's the Difference, and Which Is Right for You?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-led-vs-sales-led-whats-the-difference-and-which-is-right-for-you/): In this blog, we look at how to put an exceptional sales experience at the forefront of your growth strategy. Learn about Product-led vs Sales-led.
- [5 Technical Training Tips for Engaging Virtual Experiences](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-technical-training-tips-for-engaging-virtual-experiences/): The following tips explore what you can do to build more engaging and accessible environments that serve you, and your clients, better.
- [What Is Presales Enablement and How Does It Work?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-is-presales-enablement-and-how-does-it-work/): Our article looks at the role presales enablement plays in the sales process. This method is all about improving the sales capacities.
- [Explore the Benefits of 3 Essential Remote Training Software Use Cases](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/explore-the-benefits-of-3-essential-remote-training-software-use-cases/): Remote training software is as important as ever. Here’s how to convince decision-makers to invest in a remote software training platform.
- [6 Tips to Increase Learner Engagement With Better Digital Experiences](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/6-tips-to-increase-learner-engagement-with-better-digital-experiences/): How are you focusing on learner engagement in your customer training programs?
- [All You Need to Know to Measure Customer Training ROI](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/all-you-need-to-know-to-measure-customer-training-roi/): Measuring customer training ROI can be a challenge. Here’s our guide on which training ROI metrics to use to get it right.
- [Why Virtual Training and Digital Transformation Go Hand-in-Hand](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-virtual-training-and-digital-transformation-go-hand-in-hand/): Ten years in three months. That's how far the digital transformation timeline advanced because of COVID-19.
- [How to Build a Great B2B Sales Experience for Your Prospects, Customers, and Reps](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-build-a-great-b2b-sales-experience-for-your-prospects-customers-and-reps/): Building a great sales experience for your prospects is key to improving your win rate and shortening your sales cycle.
- [The State of SaaS Virtual Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/2021-saas-virtual-training-report): This report uncovers the biggest challenges, budget priorities, and trends behind 2022’s training plans, and how these resonate with 2021. Wondering what the benchmark is for student dropout or how other training leaders are managing to measure their impact in the organization? Download the full report.
- [How Venafi Increased Partner Activity and Efficiency with CloudShare](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/venafi-case-study-2021): 
- [5 Steps to Increase Profits with Virtual Software Experiences](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/5-steps-to-increase-profits-with-virtual-software-experiences/): 
- [Venafi Leverages CloudShare to Make Their Channel Partner Training More Effective](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/venafi-leverages-cloudshare-to-make-their-channel-partner-training-more-effective/): Getting integration partners set up and running has always been a difficult-to-manage project for software companies. See how Venafi brought efficiency and visibility to their process with CloudShare.
- [The crucial role of customer experiences in boosting retention](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-crucial-role-of-customer-experiences-in-boosting-retention/): We investigate how to improve retention by delivering exceptional customer experiences at every touchpoint of the customer journey.
- [Cloud Proof of Concept (PoC) Solution: 4 Reasons Your Company Needs One](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloud-proof-of-concept-poc-solutions-4-reasons-your-company-needs-one/): Find out why your organization should transition PoC solutions to the cloud.
- [The Importance of Planning Your 2025 Training Budget](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-planning-your-2022-training-budget/): Plan your 2025 training budget to align with business goals, leverage GenAI, and future-proof your customer education and L&D programs.
- [The One Mistake to Avoid When Building Training for SaaS Applications](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/one-mistake-to-avoid-when-building-training-for-saas-apps/): With CloudShare’s training solution for SaaS applications, you can also deliver an hands-on learning experience for your SaaS applications.
- [CloudShare, Sales Hacker &amp; Walnut: Closing the Gap Between B2B and B2C Sales Experiences](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sales-hacker-webinar): Watch our webinar titled: %%title%%.
- [6 Technology Must-haves to Better Implement Your Sales Enablement Strategy](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/6-technology-must-haves-to-better-implement-your-sales-enablement-strategy/): In this blog, we look at the importance of getting your sales enablement strategy right, how to implement it effectively.
- [6 Practical Tips for Pre-sales Demos in the New Virtual Norm](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/6-practical-tips-for-pre-sales-demos-in-the-new-virtual-norm/): Virtual pre-sales is the first stage in the customer journey. Here are 6 ways to help your live virtual pre-sales demos make the impact you want.
- [31 Trends, Technologies & Tactics to Maximize Software Training ROI in 2022](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/2021-2022-industry-report-the-state-of-virtual-training-technology): 
- [Understanding the Benefits of Labs as a Service for Your Business](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/understanding-the-benefits-of-labs-as-a-service-for-your-business/): What are these virtual labs, exactly? How do they work? And more importantly, how can they help your business thrive?
- [The Importance of Offering an Exceptional Demo Experience](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-offering-an-exceptional-demo-experience/): With the right technology, your business can rocket to the forefront of your industry, with better sales, faster customer acquisition, and better retention.
- [Why Personalized Learning Programs Are a MUST for Software Companies](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-personalized-learning-programs-are-a-must-for-software-companies/): By providing personalized learning programs for your software, you can really make your technology stand out from the crowd.
- [Blancco Technology Group Leverages CloudShare to Scale Up Sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/blancco-case-study-technology-group-leverages-cloudshare-to-scale-up-sales): 
- [Instructor-led IT Training Vs. Self-paced: What’s More Important?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/instructor-led-it-training-vs-self-paced-whats-more-important/): Whether for pre-sales demos or post-sales onboarding and training, software companies are shifting quickly from the passive, unidirectional, pre-packaged “presentation”...
- [Blancco Technology Group Leverages CloudShare to Scale Up Sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blancco-technology-group-leverages-cloudshare-to-scale-up-sales/): When you have a team of talented developers, it sometimes seems like there’s nothing they can’t do. But that doesn’t...
- [The 2022 Playbook - 5 Steps To Achieve The Highest Possible Software Training Results](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/the-2021-playbook-5-steps-to-achieve-the-highest-possible-software-training-results/): 
- [Going Virtual: Why Old-School Sales Demos Are No Longer Cutting It](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/going-virtual-why-old-school-sales-demos-are-no-longer-cutting-it/): Read on to learn more about why a successful technical sales strategy needs to cater to the modern user experience.
- [Still Using Webex, Zoom, or Teams for Your Customer Training? Here’s Why Hands-on Training Needs Specialist Tools](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/heres-why-hands-on-training-needs-specialist-tools/): Evermore software companies are experiencing the benefits of delivering customer education when it comes to adoption and user engagement.
- [5 Tips for Converting Remote Software Demos in the Age of COVID-19](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-tips-for-converting-remote-software-demos-in-the-age-of-covid-19/): 5 tips that will change the way you think about remote software demos, actionable advice to help your business thrive post-COVID-19.
- [The Secret to Delivering Exceptional Customer Experiences With Google Cloud](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-secret-to-delivering-exceptional-customer-experiences-with-google-cloud/): Delivering sales, training and other customer experiences over the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) has plenty of benefits.
- [Why Public Clouds Are Not the Right Fit for Virtual Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-public-clouds-are-not-the-right-fit-for-virtual-training/): We hear it again and again from our new clients: “We built our own training lab environment on a public...
- [Building Blocks for Virtual Training Solutions: How to Get Started, and Why](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/building-blocks-for-virtual-training-solutions/): How do these virtual training platforms work, and what features should software instructors expect? The ultimate guide to boosting adoption via virtual training solutions.
- [How Software Training Boosts Customer Retention](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-software-training-boosts-customer-retention/): It’s a very, very well-quoted metric: it’s much more expensive to identify, market to, and acquire a new customer than...
- [SAI Global Ensures Business As Usual & Scales Its Training Operation Following Merger](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/sai-global-ensures-business-as-usual-scales-its-training-operation-following-merger): 
- [CloudShare Solves Three Training Challenges at Once for SAI Global](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-solves-three-training-challenges-at-once-for-sai-global/): Sometimes, business pressures appear simultaneously from different directions, creating “the perfect storm. ” Such was the case when Australia-based SAI...
- [Virtual Software Experiences That Impact Your Business’s Bottom Line](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-software-experiences-that-impact-your-businesss-bottom-line/): Virtual software experiences offer a unique and powerful boost to the most critical factor in your bottom line: revenue-driving customer engagement.
- [Growing? Let Virtual Software Experiences Help You Scale Your Sales Pipeline](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/growing-let-virtual-software-experiences-help-you-scale-your-sales-pipeline/): Traditional limitations and inefficiencies in the sale process mean that scaling your pipeline isn’t about adding people - it’s about giving the current team the right platform.
- [How Are Enterprise Software Sales Different Than SMB Software Sales?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/enterprise-software-sales-vs-smb-software-sales/): Successful enterprise software sales require a rare type of personality, and a lot of patience, and the right tools to assure a prospect that you’re a perfect fit.
- [How to Measure Customer Retention?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-measure-customer-retention/): With an extensive collection of customers, teams, employees, and touchpoints, most companies have the data they need to boost customer retention.
- [Face to Face, At Last! The SENY Meet-Up in NY](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/face-to-face-at-last-the-seny-meet-up-in-ny/): It was an exciting evening with people who “speak our language” – and who now understand that with CloudShare as part of their sales enablement strategy, they can reduce the friction, wasted time, and unnecessary distraction so common in this sector.
- [How Your Software Company Can Create a Personalized Experience for Prospects](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-your-software-company-can-create-a-personalized-experience-for-prospects/): In this blog, we look at how software companies can incorporate personalization strategies into the sales process.
- [Why Cybersecurity Companies Must Provide Hands-on Training to Hospital Clients](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/hands-on-training-to-hospital-clients/): Cybersecurity firms develop software to battle hackers around the clock, with attacks from around the world. But only one part of the solution can be automated. Training people is the other.
- [How Does a Cloud Demo Work?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-does-a-cloud-demo-work/): Cloud demos let you spin up a sales environment that your prospects can access remotely.
- [How to Build a Successful Customer Experience Training Program](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-build-a-successful-customer-experience-training-program/): In a world where the customer is increasingly prioritized, how can you ensure everyone in your organization is making every customer’s experience all it can be?
- [The Top 5 Virtual Instructor-led Training Benefits](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-top-5-virtual-instructor-led-training-benefits/): The pandemic has accelerated the shift to virtual classroom training. Here are the top 5 Virtual Instructor-led Training benefits.
- [What Does the 4th of July Have to Do With Hands-on Training? You’d Be Surprised](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-you-can-learn-from-a-revolutionary-war-general-about-hands-on-training/): What does 4th of July have to do with hands-on training? Get a history lesson in the American Revolutionary war and the power of hands-on training.
- [Overcome the Five Biggest Challenges Sales Engineers Face Today](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/overcome-the-five-biggest-challenges-sales-engineers-face-today/): A sales engineer’s performance can make or break a sale. Here’s are 5 keep challenges - and how to beat them.
- [Why Experiences Matter in Customer Acquisition and Retention](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-experiences-matter-in-customer-acquisition-and-retention/): In a changing world, how do you ensure that your sales teams have everything they need to deliver real value for customers?
- [Master customer acquisition and retention in 2021](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/master-customer-acquisition-and-retention-in-2021/): 
- [Software Training Platforms: the What, Why, and How](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-platforms-the-what-why-and-how/): Software training platforms can enhance training and sales enablement at your organization. Learn more on our article.
- [9 Metrics to Help You Build a More Effective Sales Engineering Team](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-metrics-to-help-you-build-a-more-effective-sales-engineering-team-ebook/): Read this blog to learn the 9 most important metrics for you to assess and optimize your sales engineering team performance from efficieny to outcomes.
- [The 3 Key Virtual Training Software Use Cases for Business Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-3-key-virtual-training-software-use-cases-for-business-success/): use cases that will bring alive the value of VILT as well as what the best virtual training environment looks like and what it should offer.
- [How to Leap the Hurdle of Learner Engagement](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/how-to-leap-the-hurdle-of-learner-engagement/): 
- [Why Experiential Learning Is 2021’s New Business Enabler](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-experiential-learning-is-2021s-new-business-enabler/): Business landscape has evolved, learn how virtual training has played a valuable role in enabling upskilling and knowledge transfer.
- [Will They Jump in … or Drop Out? The Challenge to Engage in Online Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-challenge-to-engage-in-online-training/): Training teams saw the new online, virtual software training solutions that replace in-person training of employees, partners, prospects, or customers.
- [Remote Training: 10 Tips to Plan and Execute Remote Employee Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/remote-training-10-tips-to-plan-and-execute-remote-employee-training/): Especially when in-house training options are limited, remote employee training can be a truly effective replacement … when done right. Here are the Top 10 ways to get the job done for maximum impact.
- [Top 5 Factors in Selecting Virtual Environment Software](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-5-factors-in-selecting-virtual-environment-software/): The benefits of online training are clear, but how do you select the right virtual environment?
- [How a Virtual Training Experience Can Be Better Than on-site Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-a-virtual-training-experience-can-be-better-than-on-site-training/): If businesses haven’t yet begun investigating what virtual training can do for their future – now’s the time to start learning.
- [Selling Software? 5 Online Demo Software Best Practices](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/selling-software-5-online-demo-software-best-practices/): Delivering a successful software demo isn’t easy. So, how do you make sure you tick all the boxes? The five areas of sales demo success.
- [What Are the Benefits of Hands-on Practice?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/benefits-of-hands-on-practice/): In this post, we outline the benefits of having a prospect or customer jump in and get their “hands dirty."
- [Can you afford to run your software training program without measuring its performance and ROI?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/can-you-afford-to-run-your-software-training-program-without-measuring-its-performance-and-roi/): Can you afford to run your software training program without measuring its performance and ROI?
- [7 Technical Sales Engineer Training Topics that Drive Better Business Results](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/7-winning-technical-sales-engineer-training-topics/): Discover 7 top technical sales engineer training topics you must provide your SEs to develop their skills and boost business performance.
- [The 2021 Remote Training ROI Guide](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/2021-remote-training-roi-guide/): 
- [How Cyber Range Training Makes Your Business Safer ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-cyber-range-training-makes-your-business-safer/): As cybercrime becomes more sophisticated, our defense against it must do so too. Learn how Cyber Range Training Makes Your Business Safer 
- [Why Remote Healthcare Training Is the Future of Organizations](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-remote-healthcare-training-is-the-future-of-organizations/): Learn why remote healthcare training is the future of organizations
- [CloudShare & SAI Global - Moving from Training Fatigue to Training Experiences](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/ti-webinar-moving-from-training-fatigue-to-training-experiences): Watch our webinar titles: %%title%%.
- [The Importance of Corporate Virtual Environments for Your Development Team](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-corporate-virtual-environments-for-your-development-team-2/): Read and learn more about the importance of corporate virtual environments for your development team.
- [The Importance of Corporate Virtual Environments for Your Development Team](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-corporate-virtual-environments-for-your-development-team/): Read and learn more about the importance of corporate virtual environments for your development team.
- [9 Must-Have Features Your Virtual Demo Solution Should Include](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-must-have-features-your-virtual-demo-solution-should-include/): Virtual demo solutions are a must-have today. See what features your next virtual demo platform must include if you want to offer game-changing experiences.
- [What's Plaguing Your Trainees? 8 Reasons Your Users Are Ditching Training Halfway Through](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/8-reasons-your-users-are-ditching-training-halfway-through/): Are you losing customers to unengaging demos? Find out how you can turn your demos into an experience-driven tool that boosts sales and customer satisfaction.
- [How Virtual Experiences Support Better Customer Education, Acquisition, & Retention](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-virtual-experiences-support-better-customer-education-acquisition-retention/): Virtual experiences play a vital role in enhancing your approach to customer education training. Find out how you can turn training into a competitive advantage.
- [Sales Enablement Tech: What Are The Real Costs of Failing To Adopt It?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-enablement-tech-what-are-the-real-costs-of-failing-to-adopt-it/): Sales enablement tech is essential today for companies wanting to optimize the sales process. See what’s at stake if you don’t embrace the new approach to sales.
- [Best Practices for Customer Training Software in 2021](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-for-customer-training-software-in-2021/): Learn about our best practices for customer training software in 2021 and why it is important to invest in.
- [Software Training Must Go On! ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-must-go-on/): We know exactly what virtual training needs to include for it to succeed, learn more with our four must-haves checklists
- [Technology Integration: The weak spot of software training organizations](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/technology-integration-the-weak-spot-of-software-training-organizations/): 
- [The 2021 software training buyer’s guide](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/software-training-buyers-guide/): 
- [The 4 Main Cybersecurity Training Benefits of Hands-on Environments](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-4-main-cybersecurity-training-benefits-of-hands-on-environments/): Read and learn about what we belive are the 4 main cybersecurity training benefits of hands-on environments.
- [Why Tech Integration for Software Training Tools Matters](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-tech-integration-for-software-training-tools-matters/): According to the State of Digital Experience 2020, if your organization believes that it delivers the “ideal digital experience”, they...
- [How do Educated Customers Add to Your Bottom Line?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-do-educated-customers-add-to-your-bottom-line/): Read on for five common business goals, and how customer education can help you get there faster.
- [Be Your Own Valentine for 2021](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/be-your-own-valentine-for-2021/): This Valentine's Day, we might be stuck in our homes, either single or loved-up, but that doesn't mean you can't gift yourself this year
- [5 Lessons Learned from Training Through the Ages and Around the World ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-lessons-learned-from-training-through-the-ages-and-around-the-world/): Educational practices are as old as time, but what can we learn about transforming today’s training by looking back to the ancient ways
- [What's the Difference Between eLearning and Classroom-Based Learning?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-elearning-and-classroom-based-learning/): What exactly are the differences between eLearning and Classroom-Based Learning, and what can you do to make the transition smooth?
- [Online Vs. Blended Learning Courses: What’s the Main Differences?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/online-vs-blended-learning-courses-whats-the-main-differences/): Read how to make the decision between e-learning and blended learning and learn the best choice for your company in this new remote world?
- [Corporate E-learning vs. E-learning in the Education Sector: Definitions, Differences & Use Cases](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/corporate-e-learning-vs-e-learning-in-the-education-sector-definitions-differences-use-cases/): Read about the difference between corporate E-learning and E-learning in the Education Sector, as well as the different use cases
- [Thoughts from the CEO: The Acceleration of Technology-driven Experiences](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/thoughts-from-the-ceo-the-acceleration-of-technology-driven-experiences/): Hear from our CEO about the lessons he learned from the past year and where he sees Business Acceleration Cloud going in the year 2021.
- [The Impact of Hands-on Employee Education on the Digital Skills Gap](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-impact-of-hands-on-employee-education-on-the-digital-skills-gap/): Learn how to deliver employee training at scale and why is a technologically competent workforce so Important?
- [6 Honest New Year’s Resolutions for 2021 ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/6-honest-new-years-resolutions-for-2021/): Here are six believable resolutions for the year 2021 - and this time when we say we will do something, we mean it.
- [5 New Year's Resolutions for Customer Education in 2021](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-new-years-resolutions-for-customer-education-in-2021/): Here are five must have new years resolutions we belive will help you take your customer education to the next level this year
- [4 Key Benefits a Cloud LMS Can Offer Your Company](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-key-benefits-a-cloud-lms-can-offer-your-company/): Let’s discuss what a cloud LMS can do for your business, especially if both budget and efficiency are high priorities for you.
- [Why Is Sales Enablement Training So Important?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-is-sales-enablement-training-so-important/): Why should you care about sales enablement, why should you invest in internal training for it? and how does it impacts your bottom line.
- [5 Tips to Create Engaging Virtual Training Sessions](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-tips-to-create-engaging-virtual-training-sessions/): As more Industries move to online training, understanding how to organize a successful virtual class becomes more important than ever
- [Top 7 Cyber Monday Deals for Learning and Training Professionals in 2020](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-7-cyber-monday-deals-for-learning-and-training-professionals-in-2020/): 7 great deals that you can snap up over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend If you’re in the learning and education sector
- [How Do the Big Retailers Turn Black Friday into Serious Sales? ](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-do-the-big-retailers-turn-black-friday-into-serious-sales/): Black Friday! everyone’s favorite shopping holiday has turned into retailers most serious sales time of the year. How did they do it?
- [5 Thank You’s for this Thanksgiving Season at Cloudshare](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-thank-yous-for-this-thanksgiving-season-at-cloudshare/): Despite many challenges this year we at CloudShare are very thankful, here are our five Thank you's, What are you thankful for this year?
- [Driving Business Growth with Customer Education [Webinar]](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/driving-business-growth-with-customer-education/): Learn how to utilize virtual training for customer education to enable your business to grow even during these times of remote work.
- [Drive Business Growth With Customer Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/drive-business-growth-with-customer-training): 
- [An Interview with Daniel Quick – The Impact of Gamification on the Future of Virtual Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/an-interview-with-daniel-quick-the-impact-of-gamification-on-the-future-of-virtual-training/): Read Daniel Quick’s thoughts on the future of customer education, as well as how gamification can support growth in VILT.
- [Budgeting for 2021 – Advice from Larry Monaco at Keysight Technologies](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/budgeting-for-2021-advice-from-larry-monaco-at-keysight-technologies/): Learn from Larry Monaco, Director of Professional how he belives budgeting season should be approached and its challenges along the way.
- [[Infographic] The Need for Virtual Customer Education and Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/the-need-for-virtual-customer-education-and-training): 
- [Customer Education and Training in 2020: By the Numbers [Infographic]](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-education-and-training-in-2020-by-the-numbers-infographic/): Learn about the shift to virtual training for customer education and how to leverage virtual instructor-led training for your customers.
- [Planning your 2021 Training Budget? Here’s How to Get it Approved](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/planning-your-2021-training-budget-heres-how-to-get-it-approved/): Make data driven decisions for your company. Read about how to plan your training budget and its costs and benefits.
- [8 Essential Process Capabilities for High-Performance Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/8-essential-process-capabilities-for-high-performance-training/): Read this eBook with detailed, actionable tips for the eight process capabilities that define great training organizations.
- [Live Customer Education AMA with Debbie Smith and Daniel Quick](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/live-customer-education-ama-with-debbie-smith-and-daniel-quick): Watch our webinar on demand titled - %%title%%
- [Thoughts from CEdMA 2020 Attendees: What Does the Future of Customer Education and Virtual Training Look Like?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/thoughts-from-cedma-2020-attendees-what-does-the-future-of-customer-education-and-virtual-training-look-like/): Like so many other events in 2020, this year’s Customer Education Management Association (CEdMA) conference went virtual for the first...
- [An Interview with Danielle Campbell: The Challenges and Joys of Moving CEdMA Connect Virtual](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/an-interview-with-danielle-campbell-the-challenges-and-joys-of-moving-cedma-connect-virtual/): We spoke to Danielle Campbell, President of CEdMA, about moving the annual conference virtual and what it takes to make virtual events work.
- [The Top Virtual Sales Conferences to Attend in 2020](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-top-virtual-sales-conferences-to-attend/): Here are the best virtual sales conferences to attend in 2020 to learn about how to boost your sales performance.
- [Those Savings from your Travel Budget? Time to Splurge on Customer Engagement](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/those-savings-from-your-travel-budget-time-to-splurge-on-customer-engagement/): Virtual training labs is the perfect way to spend your unused travel budget by integrating instructor-led training with self-paced tools.
- [The Race for Business Acceleration in Cloud Technology](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-race-for-business-acceleration-in-cloud-technology/): Business Acceleration Cloud (BAC) is a new category that is defined as purpose-built virtual environments for sales and training in the cloud.
- [Make it easier for partners and resellers to sell and promote your software with next-gen partner programs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/easier-partners-resellers-sell-promote-software-next-gen-programs/): Learn what it takes to go from training resellers to simplifying your channel sales partner program with virtual training and demo labs.
- [The Top Virtual Training Conferences & Events to Attend in 2020](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-virtual-training-conferences-events-to-attend/): Here are the best virtual training, customer education, and learning & development conference you should attend, in-person or virtual.
- [An Interview with Industry Expert, Debbie Smith: Proving the Value of Customer Training to the C-Suite, and to Customer Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/an-interview-with-industry-expert-debbie-smith-proving-the-value-of-customer-training-to-the-c-suite-and-to-customer-success/): Debbie Smith from Braze gives very insightful reasons on how to demonstrate value in customer training, including
- [Next Gen Demos – Test Drive is the New POC](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/next-gen-demos-test-drive-is-the-new-poc/): Proof of Concepts are great. But using interactive, online test drives can bring the right value to a potential prospect. POV is the new POC.
- [Software Updates Don’t Wait Around - Why Should Your Sales Teams?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-updates-dont-wait-around-why-should-your-sales-teams/): Learn how Infinidat utilizes CloudShare to run all of its demos and POCs at scale, with security and visibility into customer interaction.
- [Missed our Webinar on 5 Best Practices for Remote Training? Here are Your Highlights!](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/missed-our-webinar-on-5-best-practices-for-remote-training-here-are-your-highlights/): Hear from Director of Training at Tufin on how he implemented CloudShare virtual labs for their cybersecurity self-paced training academy.
- [Must-have Tools for Every Field Salesperson Who’s Suddenly Found Themselves Benched](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/must-have-tools-for-every-field-salesperson-whos-suddenly-found-themselves-benched/): Learn about the top must have tools sales managers and salespeople should use to up your sales game from home during the pandemic.
- [5 Best Practices for Improving the Adoption of Remote, Self-paced Learning](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/5-best-practices-for-improving-the-adoption-of-remote-self-paced-learning): 
- [How Infinidat Empowers a Global Sales Force to Sell with Virtual Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/how-inifinidat-empowers-a-global-sales-force-to-sell-with-virtual-labs): 
- [COVID-19 Is Reviving the Need For Live Training Platforms](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/covid-19-is-reviving-the-need-for-live-training-platforms/): COVID-19 has businesses thinking about the future. With remote work being the norm, virtual training is needed now more than ever.
- [Sales Engineer Q&A with John Care and Chris Daly](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sales-engineer-qa-with-john-care-and-chris-daly): Watch our webinar on-demand titled: %%title%%.
- [The Big Share: A Q&A with CloudShare’s New CRO, Nadav Peleg](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-big-share-a-qa-with-cloudshares-new-cro-nadav-peleg/): Nadav Peleg, CRO at CloudShare, discusses the goals he is trying to achieve and the importance of virtual labs in this post-pandemic world.
- [The Adaptive Future: Acquiring the Technology and Talent to Survive and Thrive](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-adaptive-future-acquiring-the-technology-and-talent-to-survive-and-thrive/): Enterprises that innovate and change their business model survive and win – especially now. Here is what you need to know to adapt.
- [Cybersecurity is shifting its priorities - will your virtual training reach its potential?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-is-shifting-its-priorities-will-your-virtual-training-reach-its-potential/): Cybersecurity organization need to move budget around to deal with remote training. Learn how virtual labs can fill that gap.
- [LinkedIn State of Sales 2020: Navigating Change and Selling Virtually](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/linkedin-state-of-sales-2020-navigating-change-and-selling-virtually/): LinkedIn recently released their State of Sales 2020 report. Learn how virtual selling with CloudShare can dramatically shorten sales cycles.
- [Sales Engineers Need to Forget About ‘Business as Usual’ (And Why Boosting Performance from Home Might be Easier than you Think)](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-engineers-need-to-forget-about-business-as-usual-and-why-boosting-performance-from-home-might-be-easier-than-you-think/): Download this eBook to learn how to boost your sales engineering performance with virtual demos while working from home.
- [Learning from the Australian Department of Defence’s Use of Virtual Training Labs during COVID-19](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/learning-from-the-australian-department-of-defenses-use-of-virtual-training-labs-during-covid-19/): Learn how Atos implements CloudShare virtual training at the Australian Department of Defence rather than in-person classrooms.
- [Accelerating Software Sales: The Home Edition](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/accelerating-software-sales-the-home-edition-2/): 
- [Why Employee Experience Is Critical to the Future of Work](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-employee-experience-is-critical-to-the-future-of-work/): Employee experience is a crucial part of a company's success. With the world moving to remote work, virtual employees expereiences are even more important.
- [Insights from Pre-Sales Pros on Working from Home](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/insights-from-pre-sales-pros-on-working-from-home/): Hear from Sales Engineers of New York co-founders on how they are currently dealing with online presales, including giving sales demos and attention spans.
- [Webinar recap: Building and delivering a VILT course in under 60 minutes](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-building-and-delivering-a-vilt-course-in-under-60-minutes/): Join Sharon and Lee as they take you on a short journey through creating a virtual instructor-led training class with CloudShare virtual labs.
- [How to Build and Deliver Your First VILT Course In Under 60 Minutes](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-build-and-deliver-your-first-vilt-course-in-under-60-minutes): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.
- [Elon Musk’s Top Priority is the Starship Spacecraft – What’s Yours?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/elon-musks-top-priority-is-the-starship-spacecraft-whats-yours/): The best sales demos have the same idea behind their execution. Learn how Elon Musk's SapceX can give some insight into delivering better sales demos.
- [How Aderant Supported Their Largest Conference During COVID-19 With CloudShare Virtual Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/how-aderant-supported-their-largest-conference-during-covid-19-using-virtual-labs): 
- [If the NFL has Embraced Virtual Training – What’s Stopping You?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/if-the-nfl-has-embraced-virtual-training-whats-stopping-you/): Learn how the NFL has embraced virtual training as a key component of their off-season and how coaches are utilizing this format in different ways.
- [Recruiters weigh in: The impact of COVID and what the future may hold](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/recruiters-weigh-in-the-impact-of-covid-and-what-the-future-may-hold/): Hear from three HR experts about how they are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis and learn about the technologies they are using to make remote work better.
- [Five reads and a webinar that’ll add some sizzle to your summer](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-reads-and-a-webinar-thatll-add-some-sizzle-to-your-summer/): Read these five articles, and watch the sales enablement webinar, which will help you make the most of your summer of training and sales.
- [Screen-Sharing’s Got Nothing on a Hands-on Experience. Here’s Why.](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/screen-sharings-got-nothing-on-a-hands-on-experience-heres-why/): Zoom fatigue is real and virtual labs are the cure. Learn why hands-on training and sales demos & POCs are better than just screen sharing with Zoom.
- [How to convince management of the benefits of virtual instructor-led training [eBook]](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-convince-management-of-the-benefits-of-virtual-instructor-led-training-ebook/): In this eBook, you will learn how to create a story that captures what you need in order to pitch your management of the benefits of virtual training.
- [Why Your Learning and Development Strategy Needs Virtual Training Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-your-learning-and-development-strategy-needs-virtual-training-labs/): Your Learning & Development strategy needs to keep up with the times. Learn why virtual labs is the perfect addition to your training arsenal.
- [Finding the right touch in no-touch software sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/finding-the-right-touch-in-no-touch-software-sales/): We're moving from high-touch, face-to-face sales to a virtual, no-touch approach. This post will give you the tools and insights to do no-touch sales right.
- [Clear Skies Ahead for the Cloud, but Grounded Businesses Need to Grab Wings](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/clear-skies-ahead-for-the-cloud-but-grounded-businesses-need-to-grab-wings/): Learn how you can make sure your business is ready for the post-pandemic world and find a path to growth in the coming weeks and continue it down the line.
- [7 Best Virtual Sales Practices To Use Now, And Continue Later](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/7-best-virtual-sales-practices-to-use-now-and-continue-later): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.
- [Webinar recap: Analyst insights on changes in software sales and 7 tips for virtual success](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-analyst-insights-on-changes-in-software-sales-and-7-tips-for-virtual-success/): Watch Constellation Research's R "Ray" Wang and VP Nicole France talk with Zvi Guterman about the future of software sales and presales.
- [Ready? Set? Go! Seven articles that will help you hit the ground running in the post-pandemic world](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ready-set-go-seven-articles-that-will-help-you-hit-the-ground-running-in-the-post-pandemic-world/): Read these seven articles from top tech publications on how to come back to work during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and hit the ground running.
- [Building the Perfect Business Case for VILT to Win Over Senior Management](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/building-the-perfect-business-case-for-vilt-to-win-over-senior-management/): 
- [What came first, COVID-19 or the desire for remote working? And what comes next?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-came-first-covid-19-or-the-desire-for-remote-working-and-what-comes-next/): Virtual labs usage leapt during the month of April 2020 at CloudShare due to the Coronavirus pandemic. What does this mean for remote work in the future?
- [10 Steps to convert traditional classroom content into effective virtual instructor-led training [eBook]](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-steps-to-convert-traditional-classroom-content-into-effective-virtual-instructor-led-training-ebook/): In this eBook, you will learn how to take your traditional training and turn it into a successful online virtual training program that scales.
- [10 Steps To Convert Classroom Content Into Virtual Instructor-led Training (VILT)](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/10-steps-to-convert-classroom-content-into-virtual-instructor-led-training-vilt/): 
- [The Big Share: A Q&A with Technical Sales Leader and Remote Veteran, Nir Malik](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-big-share-a-qa-with-technical-sales-leader-and-remote-veteran-nir-malik/): In our latest Big Share, we have Nir Malik discuss with us how to run his sales team remotely and got into how COVID-19 is affecting their business.
- [Guest Blog: How to Bridge the Gap Between Classroom and Remote Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-bridge-the-gap-between-classroom-and-remote-training/): Read about how to make your virtual training more like a physical classroom environment with these tips from Metaswitch's Jimmy Murthi.
- [SE Leading Through the New Normal](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/se-leading-through-the-new-normal): 
- [9 Best Practices for Virtual Remote Training Your Students Will Love [eBook]](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-best-practices-for-virtual-remote-training-your-students-will-love-ebook/): Learn how to build and develop a virtual training program as well as deliver training using virtual instructor-led training methods in this eBook.
- [9 Best Practices for Virtual Remote Training Students Will Love](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/9-best-practices-for-virtual-remote-training-students-will-love/): 
- [[Infographic] Keys to Successful Sales Acceleration](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/infographic-keys-to-successful-sales-acceleration): 
- [The new normal: Six articles about life during and after COVID](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-new-normal-six-articles-about-life-during-and-after-covid/): Here are six articles that will help you adjust to the new normal of remote work in the times of Coronavirus with tips on how to stay effective and safe.
- [4 Things to Consider Before Implementing a Revenue Operations Approach](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-things-to-consider-before-implementing-a-revenue-operations-approach/): Learn why RevOps is a new method to understand revenue and bring all departments together to streamline pre- and post-sales processes to maximize revenue.
- [Keeping IT Training and Sales Personal in an Age of Social Distancing](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/keeping-it-training-and-sales-personal-in-an-age-of-social-distancing/): Learn how to continue your IT software training and sales demos & POCs while working remotely through the use of virtual labs.
- [CloudShare for Virtual Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-training-brochure): 
- [CloudShare for Sales Demos and POCs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/empower-your-sales-team-with-the-cloudshare-sales-enablement-solution-2): 
- [Webinar Recap: Moving Your Tech Training to the Public Cloud Without Pain](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-moving-your-tech-training-to-the-public-cloud-without-pain/): Learn how ForgeRock successfully transitioned to Google Cloud and how CloudShare ensured training continued, on-prem and on public cloud, without a hiccup.
- [Remote control: Six articles to help you work effectively from home](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/remote-control-six-articles-to-help-you-work-effectively-from-home/): Read these six articles with important info on remote working the right way with shutdowns during this Coronavirus edpidemic or any difficult time.
- [Navigating Pains When Moving Your Training Solution to the Public Cloud](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/navigating-pains-when-moving-your-training-solution-to-the-public-cloud): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.
- [Advantage Virtual: How Technology Companies Optimize Training with Virtual Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/advantage-virtual-how-technology-companies-optimize-training-with-virtual-labs/): 
- [Optimizing training with virtual labs: New ebook shows how customer education leaders successfully made the move](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/optimizing-training-with-virtual-labs-new-ebook-shows-how-customer-education-leaders-successfully-made-the-move/): With the current coronavirus epidemic disrupting in-person training options, smart training pros leverage virtual training for customers and partners.
- [Zoom is a beautiful thing; virtual labs are gorgeous. So reach out and touch someone.](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/zoom-is-a-beautiful-thing-virtual-labs-are-gorgeous-so-reach-out-and-touch-someone/): We love the Zoom platform for meetings and hangouts. But complex software requires virtual training with real IT environments. Why not use them together?
- [Five tips to get the most out of remote working and virtual training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-tips-to-get-the-most-out-of-remote-working/): While working remotely from home, or giving over virtual training classes, remember these 5 things that will keep you, and your team or students, motivated.
- [Webinar Recap: 7 Tips for Remote Training When Face to Face Isn't an Option](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-7-tips-for-remote-training-when-face-to-face-isnt-an-option/): In this webinar, Zvi Guterman, CEO of CloudShare dicsusses tips for remote training and virtual labs that you may have overlooked.
- [When Face to Face Training Isn’t an Option: 7 Tips for Remote Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/when-face-to-face-training-isnt-an-option-7-tips-for-remote-training): Watch our webinar about %%title%%.
- [The show must go on: How physical events are moving into a virtual realm](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-show-must-go-on-how-physical-events-are-moving-into-a-virtual-realm/): Coronavirus is a serious threat. After cancellations of the world's largest tech events, this post will discuss how to move from physical to virtual events.
- [Five Articles from RSA 2020 to Make You More Cyber Aware](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-articles-from-rsa-2020-to-make-you-more-cyber-aware/): Check out these five articles, plus a video, from the RSA Conference 2020 that will keep you up to date iwth cybersecurity practices.
- [A Business Acceleration Cloud Fairy Tale](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-business-acceleration-cloud-fairy-tale/): The fairy tale story of a princess locked in a tower and forced to work to set herself free. There's a frog, a mean king, and business acceleration cloud.
- [How Does Cloud-based Virtual Training Fit into Your Digital Transformation?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-does-cloud-based-virtual-training-fit-into-your-digital-transformation/): Here are the reasons why you need to consider your virtual training strategy in your organization's digital transformation and why it's key for customers.
- [RSA Conference 2020: Making Cybersecurity About Humans](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/rsa-conference-2020-making-cybersecurity-about-humans/): Meet us at RSA Conference 2020 to talk about virtual cybersecurity labs for cyber ranges, war games, and employee training.
- [The Big Share: A Q&A with Renown Israeli Cyber Expert Zohar Rozenberg](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-big-share-a-qa-with-renown-israeli-cyber-expert-zohar-rozenberg/): We caught up with Zohar Rozenberg, VP of cyber investments at Elron Ltd to discuss the cybersecurity landscape and Israel's cyber companies in particular.
- [Webinar Recap: Constellation Research, Check Point Software Technologies and CloudShare Discuss New Business Acceleration Cloud](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-constellation-research-check-point-software-and-cloudshare-discuss-new-business-acceleration-cloud/): Constellation Research along with CloudShare presented the new category Business Acceleration Cloud,
- [Sharing is Caring: Why CloudShare is a Better Option for Ravello Customers than Oracle](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sharing-is-caring-why-cloudshare-is-a-better-option-for-ravello-customers-than-oracle/): While a public cloud might offer better pricing, Ravello customers will have more complications than with a specialized, ready-to-use cloud like CloudShare.
- [How Business Acceleration Cloud is Revolutionizing Software Sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-business-acceleration-cloud-is-revolutionizing-software-sales): Watch our webinar about %%title%%. Enjoy it.
- [Cybertech Global 2020 Cybersecurity Conference - What we can expect to see in Tel Aviv](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybertech-global-cybersecurity-conference-what-we-can-expect-to-see-in-tel-aviv/): Meet us at CyberTech Global's cybersecurity conference to learn about how virtual labs and training can help keep your organization secure from attacks.
- [Five training articles (and a podcast) for generating hot ideas this winter](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-training-articles-and-a-podcast-for-generating-hot-ideas-this-winter/): Here are five great training articles you should read (and a podcast to listen to) which will help you create your own training and learning content.
- [Customer Education & Training in 2020: Are you ready?](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/customer-education-training-in-2020-are-you-ready): 
- [Webinar: Constellation Research and Check Point Software on Business Acceleration Cloud and Software Sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-constellation-research-and-check-point-software-on-business-acceleration-cloud-and-software-sales/): On January 22 at 1 p. m. ET, we’re hosting a webinar called “How Business Acceleration Cloud is Revolutionizing Software...
- [Customer Education and Training in 2020... and Beyond [WEBINAR]](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-education-and-training-today-and-beyond-webinar/): Join Sumeru Chatterjee (Gong.io) and Lee Berkman as they reveal their nine predictions for customer education and training for the next year and beyond.
- [Why GDPR Compliance in the Cloud Matters](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/gdpr-compliance-cloud-matters/): The move to support GDPR requires cloud providers & enterprises to adapt internal processes & policies, requiring a significant amount of effort & resources.
- [Thinking Beyond the Traditional LMS](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/thinking-beyond-the-traditional-lms/): Is a traditional LMS enough these days? Learn why there is more to a learning platform than you think and what technologies are available.
- [My 5 Favorite Holiday Movies and What I Learned](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/my-5-favorite-holiday-movies-and-what-i-learned/): Here are 5 holiday movies that spread happiness, cheer, and laughter and have taught me lessons related to my work at CloudShare.
- [Analyze this: 5 ways data can help build super sales engineers and teams](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/analyze-this-5-ways-data-can-help-build-super-sales-engineers-and-teams/): SEs make the complex understandable, know customer behavior and ensure value is powerfully communicated. Here are 5 tips for greater success as an SE.
- [Moving on from Ravello: Does your training look like an over-edited Tinder selfie?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/moving-on-from-ravello-does-your-training-look-like-an-over-edited-tinder-selfie/): Ravello end of life is near. Don't get stuck using public clouds for your virtual training. CloudShare's virtual IT labs are here for you.
- [Hey Zvi, what do you see? <br><span style="font-size: 20px">CloudShare’s leader takes a look at the year ahead in training and sales enablement</span>](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/hey-zvi-what-do-you-see-cloudshares-leader-takes-a-look-at-the-year-ahead-in-training-and-sales-enablement/): CloudShare's CEO, Zvi Guterman shares his thoughts on trends and predictions on virtual IT labs, training, sales enablement, and more for 2020.
- [Six great reads for training and sales leaders to inspire by the fire this holiday season](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/six-great-reads-for-training-and-sales-leaders-to-inspire-by-the-fire-this-holiday-season/): Read these 6 fantastic articles on sales and training over the holidays for some inspiration on how to grow your programs in 2020.
- [Giving Thanks, Wherever You Are!](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/giving-thanks-wherever-you-are/): CloudShare is thankful for many things this holiday season, and we would like to share this short poem with you about us and our journey.
- [Oracle Ravello End of Life: Hey You, Get Off Ravello and Onto Our Cloud!](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/oracle-ravello-end-of-life-hey-you-get-off-oracle-ravello-and-onto-our-cloud/): Oracle Ravello recently announced virtual training and sandbox end of life. CloudShare's virtual IT labs are the best alternative to replace Ravello Oracle.
- [Workforce Watch: Lowering Employee Cyber Risk During the Online Holiday Shopping Season](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/workforce-watch-lowering-employee-cyber-risk-during-the-online-holiday-shopping-season/): Cyber Monday is rapidly approaching and that means employee shopping online at work and with company devices will increase dramatically....
- [VMware ESXI Nested Virtualization](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/vmware-esxi-nested-virtualization/): View how Vmware ESXI Nested Virtualization opens the door to use cases such as development and testing, virtual training, or sales demos.
- [[Infographic] The Keys to Executing Effective Sales Enablement](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/infographic-the-keys-to-executing-effective-sales-enablement/): Learn some interesting facts and statistics about sales enablement struggles, best practices, and sales training in this infographic.
- [[Infographic] The Keys to Executing Effective Sales Enablement](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/infographic-the-keys-to-executing-effective-sales-enablement-2): Learn some interesting facts and statistics about sales enablement struggles, best practices, and sales training in this infographic.
- [A Halloween Sales Tale: The Terrifying Black Box](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-halloween-sales-tale-the-terrifying-black-box/): A scary halloween tale of sales enablement, the Terrifying Black Box tells the story of a woman and mean boss dealing with a black box of demos and POCs.
- [10 Sales Resources to Help You Close 2019 with Momentum](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-sales-resources-to-help-you-close-2019-with-momentum/): Check out these 10 pre-sales and sales resources to up your game and help you close more deals by the end of the year and into the next.
- [Thoughts from Leaders for National Business Women’s Week](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/thoughts-from-leaders-for-national-business-womens-week/): We share the inspirational stories of four women in leadership roles in the fields of sales, training, and programming for National Business Women's Week.
- [Let’s Catch Up: A Recap of Cloudshare Updates and Resources to Help You Get Ahead](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/lets-catch-up-a-recap-of-cloudshare-updates-and-resources-to-help-you-get-ahead/): We just wanted to share our latest updates in the past few months that you may have missed. Catch up on GCP, Azure, and content updates.
- [CloudShare Enables Advanced to Train More With Less Under Any Conditions](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/cloudshare-enables-advanced-to-train-more-with-less-under-any-conditions): 
- [Webinar Recap: How to Maximize your SE Salary](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-how-to-maximize-your-se-salary/): Want to know how to earn more money as an SE right now? Here are 6 solid tips to maximizing your sales engineering salary.
- [10 Sales Engineering Experts You Should Be Following on Twitter](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-sales-engineering-experts-you-should-be-following-on-twitter/): Follow these ten sales engineering influencers to learn more about what they are talking about and get tips about being a better SE.
- [How to Maximize Your SE Salary Webinar: The Inside Scoop](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-maximize-your-se-salary-webinar-the-inside-scoop): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%. Enjoy it.
- [Webinar Recap: Software Training Made Easy with Seamless Integration - The Tufin Story](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-software-training-made-easy-with-seamless-integration-the-tufin-story/): Watch this webinar to learn how Tufin integrated CloudShare virtual labs and Docebo's LMS to create an award-winning training solution.
- [Back to (Virtual) School: 5 Tips to Overcome Employee Training Challenges](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/back-to-virtual-school-5-tips-to-overcome-employee-training-challenges/): Learn five ways virtual training can help make employee training better and ensure you get the most out of your corporate training program.
- [Cybersecurity Virtual Training Benefits with Hands-On Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-virtual-training-benefits-with-hands-on-labs/): Digital technology is essential for modern businesses. Without tools like cloud software, artificial intelligence, and smartphones, you simply cannot remain...
- [5 training articles we’re falling hard for this autumn season](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-training-articles-were-falling-hard-for-this-autumn-season/): Read these articles we have been enjoying the past month all about virtual training, hands-on training, learning and developments, and more.
- [Software Training Made Easy With Seamless Integration: The Tufin Story](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/software-training-made-easy-with-seamless-integration-the-tufin-story): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%. Check it out.
- [Conventional vs. Cloud – Why Is Cloud-Based Training So Popular?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/conventional-vs-cloud-why-is-cloud-based-training-so-popular/): Why have virtual cloud training platforms become so popular? Read full comparison of classroom training platforms to cloud-based training platforms here.
- [4 Simple Ways to Cut Your Software Learning Budget in 2020](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-simple-ways-to-cut-your-software-learning-budget-in-2020/): Learn four ways to trim your software training budget including virtual training labs, aligning needs, training instructors, and customer success.
- [10 Articles to Help Sales Leaders Cure Those End-of-Summer Blues](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-articles-to-help-sales-leaders-cure-those-end-of-summer-blues/): Here are 10 sales and sales enablement articles and podcasts you may have missed that will teach you about everything from B2B sales to sales engineering.
- [The Big Share: A Q&A with CloudShare’s Lee Berkman on Virtual IT Labs and Best Practices](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-big-share-a-qa-with-cloudshares-lee-berkman-on-virtual-it-labs-and-best-practices/): Our own Lee Berkman, virtual IT labs specialist, answers various questions about virtual labs for both training and sales demos and POCs.
- [POC Environment Set-up for Sales Engineers](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/poc-environment-set-up-for-sales-engineers/): If you’re a sales engineer tasked with showing off software to potential buyers, don’t discount the merits of the Proof of Concept stage.
- [Webinar Recap: Trainers Tune In to Learn Secrets of Great Training Programs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-trainers-tune-in-to-learn-secrets-of-great-training-programs/): Advanced and CloudShare dive into the secrets for creating great training programs with virtual labs that helped Advanced scale and expand their courses
- [The Secret to Delivering Engaging Training Programs with Fewer Resources](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-secret-to-delivering-engaging-training-programs-with-fewer-resources): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.
- [Software Training Labs in the Modern Enterprise](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-labs-in-the-modern-enterprise/): Modern enterprises with complex systems need scalable software training tat doesn't affect their production enviroment. Virtual labs is the answer. See why.
- [Labor Daze: History and How Training Can Help Handle Modern Talent Shortages](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/labor-daze-history-and-how-training-can-help-handle-modern-talent-shortages/): This post discusses the history of labor day on its 125th anniversary and how it connects with modern day training and the talent shortage.
- [CloudShare Takes Gold in Training, Bronze for Hot Cloud Tech in Coveted IT Awards](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-takes-gold-in-training-bronze-for-hot-cloud-tech-in-coveted-it-awards/): We're proud to have won two awards in the Network Product Guide 14th annual IT World Awards - Gold in the Training Awareness and Education Program category!
- [Cloud Cybersecurity Training for Employees The Right Way](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/heres-the-right-approach-to-cloud-cybersecurity-training-for-your-staff/): Keeping your employees educated on cybersecurity is important. Learn how to educate your employees with cloud cybersecurity training.
- [Why You Should Be Using a Cloud LMS for Your Enterprise in 2019](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-you-should-be-using-a-cloud-lms-for-your-enterprise-in-2019/): A cloud LMS is the only way to run a training organization today. Learn why and how to implement a cloud-based LMS and integrate it with virtual labs.
- [Upcoming Webinar: Top Business Software Provider Details How its Virtual Training Soared With the Cloud](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/upcoming-webinar-top-business-software-provider-details-how-its-virtual-training-soared-with-the-cloud/): Join this webinar with training experts from Advanced to learn how using a virtual lab solution for software training enables them to scale their training.
- [Is the Demo Dead? Four Sales Engineering Experts Weigh In [eBook]](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/has-the-demo-died-four-se-experts-weigh-in-on-the-past-present-and-future-of-sales-engineering/): CloudShare interviewed four experts in pre-sales and sales engineering aboput their thoughts on the future of SEs, demos, proofs-of-concept and more.
- [Has the Demo Died? Four experts on the past, present, and future of sales engineering](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/has-the-demo-died-four-experts-on-the-past-present-and-future-of-sales-engineering/): 
- [Did You Hear the One About the Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) Training?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/did-you-hear-the-one-about-the-department-of-motor-vehicles-dmv-training/): The DMV wasted everyone's time doing live training during work hours. Here's how virtual training could have made the experience better for everyone.
- [5 Reasons Why Virtual Training Software Is So Successful](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-reasons-why-virtual-training-software-is-so-successful/): In this post we give 5 reasons to use virtual training software for your training organization including cost, convenience, and integration.
- [5 Best Ways Virtual Training Labs Enhance Workplace E-Learning](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-ways-virtual-training-labs-enhance-workplace-e-learning/): Learn how virtual training labs enhance and modernize workplace e-learning with instructor-led, self-paced, and virtual instrcutor-led training.
- [10 Training Resources You Can’t Miss in Our Virtual Training Leader’s Summer Kit](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-training-resources-you-cant-miss-in-our-virtual-training-leaders-summer-kit/): Check out these virtual training resources, communities, podcasts and technology solutions to help you better meet learner expectations.
- [Vacation Salvation: Training a Cybersecurity Team So Your Holiday Isn’t Hacked](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/vacation-salvation-training-a-cybersecurity-team-so-your-holiday-isnt-hacked/): Learn some tricks for how to properly train your cybersecurity team using virtual labs and other methods so you can spend more time on vacation.
- [Virtual Labs & LMS Integration for Enterprises](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-labs-lms-integration-for-enterprises/): Virtual labs with LMS integration is the future of training for businesses and education in general. Why? Cost, convenience, and control.
- [Tufin Customer Testimonial - Virtual Training Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/tufin-customer-testimonial-virtual-training-labs): 
- [A Virtual Training Feast for Those With A Taste for Software](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-virtual-training-feast-for-those-with-a-taste-for-software/): The Virtual Training Snack Pack offers you all the virtual training resources you need in one place, from eBooks to webinars to videos.
- [The Virtual Training Snack Pack](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/the-virtual-training-snack-pack): Read our Virtual Training Snack Pack to discover all the delicious training resources and insights in one place.
- [Revolutionizing Training: Independence, Freedom and Fireworks](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/revolutionizing-training-independence-freedom-and-fireworks/): Learn how to gain training independence this July 4th and how CloudShare believes in the freedom and unity embedded in the American tradition.
- [The Path To Training Success & Profitability: Webinar Wrap Up](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-path-to-training-success-profitability-webinar-wrap-up/): In this webinar you will learn how to successfully turn your training program into a revenue generator in four easy steps and with virtual training labs.
- [Keep your cloud-based (virtual) training cool during the dog days of summer](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/keep-your-cloud-based-virtual-training-cool-during-the-dog-days-of-summer/): Check out these four tips to help refresh your training efforts and make the most of your virtual instructor-led training and customer education programs.
- [The Blueprint for a Successful and Profitable Training Program](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-blueprint-for-a-successful-and-profitable-training-program): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.
- [The Big Share: A Q&A with CloudShare’s Sheila Aharoni on Building a Powerful Sales Team](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-big-share-a-qa-with-cloudshares-sheila-aharoni-on-building-a-powerful-sales-team/): Sheila, VP global sales, gives insight into sales leadership, corporate culture, and career advice in this interview spanning a number of topics.
- [Upcoming Webinar: Creating a Blueprint for a Successful and Profitable Training Program](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-creating-successful-profitable-training-program/): Join this webinar with Learndot and CloudShare to learn the steps to turn your training organization from a cost center to a profit center.
- [Virtual Labs Before and After: The BWise® Training Case Study Webinar Recap](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-labs-before-and-after-the-bwise-training-case-study/): In this webinar, Vincent Perquin of BWise and Lee Berkman of CloudShare discuss how to go from on-premise to cloud-based virtual IT labs for training.
- [Virtual Labs Before and After: The BWise® Training Case Study Webinar](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/virtual-labs-before-and-after-the-bwise-training-case-study-webinar): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.
- [How Do You Make the Best Cloud Training Better? Google It!](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-do-you-make-the-best-cloud-training-better-google-it/): CloudShare takes great pride in providing the most powerful, flexible and immersive virtual IT labs available. Still, you don’t stay...
- [The 2024 Sales Engineer Webinar with John Care](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-2024-sales-engineer-webinar-with-john-care): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.
- [Meet CloudShare at Training Industry Conference & Expo 2019](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/meet-cloudshare-at-training-industry-conference-expo-2019/): Come meet our team at TICE 2019 in Raleigh, NC. We are excited to be a Gold Sponsor and we look forward to speaking with you about your training needs!
- [Upcoming Webinar: Migrating Your Training to the Cloud - The BWise® Case Study](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/upcoming-webinar-migrating-your-training-to-the-cloud-the-bwise-case-study/): Join the upcoming webinar and learn how a leading GRC company grew revenues with CloudShare's specialized cloud for virtual training labs
- [The 2024 Sales Engineer Webinar: John Care on the Future of Technical Sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-2024-sales-engineer-webinar-john-care-on-the-future-of-technical-sales/): John presented a fascinating look at both the current and future states of sales engineering, and the ways you can ensure your job is not automated.
- [11 Sales Enablement Communities & Influencers to Follow](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/11-sales-enablement-communities-influencers-to-follow/): After speaking to our customers, partners and others, our team created the list of the 11 sales enablement communities & influencers to follow.
- [The ABCs of Achieving Success with LMS](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-abcs-of-achieving-success-with-lms/): The e-learning market continues to expand and evolve rapidly. Let’s take a look at the ABCs of achieving success with an LMS and a VTL.
- [Upcoming Webinar: Sales Engineers to Get a Look at their Future](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/upcoming-webinar-sales-engineers-to-get-a-look-at-their-future/): Are you an SE who wants to see the future so you can make yours even brighter? Register today for our “The 2024 Sales Engineer” webinar.
- [12 Ways to Chart a Successful Career in Sales Engineering](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/12-ways-to-chart-a-successful-career-in-sales-engineering-2/): Our new eBook, provides you with concrete tips that you can start using immediately to accelerate your SE career.
- [12 ways to chart a successful career in sales engineering](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/12-ways-to-chart-a-successful-career-in-sales-engineering/): Our new eBook, provides you with concrete tips that you can start using immediately to accelerate your SE career.
- [Webinar Recap: Delivering Effective (Virtual) Training for the Modern Learner](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-delivering-effective-virtual-training-for-the-modern-learner/): Have you ever asked yourself the following questions: What are the modern learner’s preferences? How do I deliver them the...
- [Don’t Let These 5 Leadership Issues Tax Your Sales Team’s POCs & Demos](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/dont-let-these-5-leadership-issues-tax-your-sales-teams-pocs-demos/): It’s tax season, and while most of us have finished our returns, the pain lingers for many. Some need to...
- [7 IT Training Easter Eggs You Don't Want to Miss](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/7-it-training-easter-eggs-you-dont-want-to-miss/): Have you ever seen an Alfred Hitchcock movie and thought you saw Hitchcock himself on screen? You weren’t hallucinating. Hitchcock...
- [How BWise modernized its training academy with CloudShare Virtual Training Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/how-bwise-modernized-its-training-academy-with-cloudshare-virtual-training-labs-2): 
- [How BWise® modernized its training academy with CloudShare Virtual Training Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-bwise-modernized-its-training-academy-with-cloudshare-virtual-training-labs/): “I wanted to dream up better course materials and improve training quality, not lose sleep worrying over the technical issues...
- [Learning by Doing: How to Train the Modern Learner](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/learning-by-doing-how-to-train-the-modern-learner): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%, with Learndot.
- [3-2-1 Action! Win the Cybersecurity PoC Game with Movie-Making Innovation](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-2-1-action-win-the-security-sales-game-with-movie-making-innovation/): Here are a few filmmaking tips that your security sales teams can use to make sure they fully showcase what you have to offer.
- [Why You Need Virtual IT Labs for Software Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-you-need-virtual-it-labs-for-software-training/): In this blog post, we offer 3 crucial reasons you need virtual IT labs: Isolation, Control, and Availability. Learn more in the post.
- [Don’t miss out! Join the Learning by Doing webinar](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/dont-miss-out-join-the-learning-by-doing-webinar/): Let’s start with the webinar details. When: Tuesday, April 9 at 1pm ET What: Join us and our colleagues from...
- [Make an (April) Fool of Cyber Attackers with Virtual IT Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/make-an-april-fool-of-cyber-attackers-with-virtual-it-labs/): It’s the most wonderful time of the year – if you’re a prankster at heart. That’s right, it’s April Fool’s...
- [Spring Cleaning for Training Leaders: Embrace Your Inner KonMari](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/spring-cleaning-for-training-leaders-embrace-your-inner-konmari/): Most of us today have far more possessions than we actually need. We know we should clean things up and...
- [The Training Leader’s Checklist for Choosing the Best Virtual Training Lab Solution](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-training-leaders-checklist-for-choosing-the-best-virtual-training-lab-solution/): Just like airline pilots train on flight simulators, software learners need to learn in safe, realistic environments where they are...
- [Buyer's Guide: Getting Your Training into the Cloud](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/buyers-guide-getting-your-training-into-the-cloud/): Download our %%title%%.
- [CloudShare for Support and IT](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-for-support-and-it): 
- [Better than Blarney: Capturing Sales Gold with Virtual IT Labs and POCs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/better-than-blarney-capturing-sales-gold-with-virtual-it-labs-and-pocs/): St. Patrick’s Day brings with it reminders of Irish wit, wisdom, and a hope for luck. It could be said...
- [RSA Conference 2019: A Call for Diversity, Trust & Frenemies](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/rsa-conference-2019-a-call-for-diversity-trust-frenemies/): As those in cybersecurity and related industries know, the 2019 RSA Conference just concluded. We were all there for one overarching reason: to combat cybercrime.
- [The Balancing Act: A look at the gender parity within technology](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-balancing-act-a-look-at-the-gender-parity-within-technology/): International Women’s Day - are we even need such a day anymore? Perhaps others ask themselves the same question?
- [2019 Cybertech Conference: Collaborating, Training and the Dark Side of AI](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/2019-cybertech-conference-collaborating-training-and-the-dark-side-of-ai/): Happened to miss 2019 Cybertech conference? Here are the top takeaways that resonated with me and the CloudShare team.
- [7 Tips for Virtual IT Training Success from Influencers in 2019](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/7-tips-for-virtual-it-training-success-from-influencers-in-2019/): Virtual IT Training Influencer Insights: successful executives share their most poignant pieces of advice in Cloudshare’s newest guide.
- [The Influencers Guide to Greater Training Efficiency and Profitability in 2019](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/the-influencers-guide-to-greater-training-efficiency-and-profitability-in-2019/): Read our eBook %%title%%.
- [4 Reasons for Creating a Virtual Training Culture for your Enterprise](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-reasons-for-creating-a-virtual-training-culture-for-your-enterprise/): Digital transformation is having a dramatic impact on business. According to Gartner, an overwhelming majority of executives believe if their companies...
- [Love Is in the Cloud: 5 Ways Companies Are Smitten with Virtual IT Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/love-is-in-the-cloud-5-ways-companies-are-smitten-with-virtual-it-labs/): Here are five reasons why forward-thinking companies are smitten with virtual IT labs for software training.
- [Don’t Let Poor IT Training Freeze Your Productivity](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/dont-let-poor-it-training-freeze-your-productivity/): While the business impact of these weather conditions may be temporary, it does bring to mind how the polar vortex is similar to poorly trained employees.
- [4 Ways Your Virtual Training Can Mirror Bandersnatch](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-ways-your-virtual-training-can-mirror-bandersnatch/): Here are four ways your corporate training can help students choose their own adventures as they learn.
- [How to Embrace an Omnichannel Approach to Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-embrace-an-omnichannel-approach-to-training/): It’s the beginning of a new year and 2019 prediction pieces from almost every industry are overwhelming your inbox, news...
- [Creating Command School: Training Like Ender’s Game](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/creating-command-school-training-like-enders-game/): While your organization may not be tasked with repelling alien invaders, you can create virtual training labs to help learners get acquainted with your software. Here are some of our tips – if you choose to accept this mission...learn how you can model your training programs after the International Fleet (I.F.) in a way that brings the learners true proficiency.
- [At last: CloudShare reveals Santa’s big secret…](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/at-last-cloudshare-reveals-santas-big-secret/): How can Santa deliver to so many homes, all over the world, all in just one evening? Maybe you’ve already guessed: He’s found the perfect cloud-based platform, one that works just right for his organization.
- [Channel the Holiday Spirit for Year-Round Training Magic That’ll Bring Your Team Together](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/channel-the-holiday-spirit-for-year-round-training-magic-thatll-bring-your-team-together/): CloudShare breaks down ways you can channel that holiday spirit to create training magic throughout the year that’ll bring your team closer together.
- [2019 Virtual IT Labs Predictions: Multi-cloud and multi-step to advance training industry](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/2019-virtual-it-labs-predictions-multi-cloud-and-multi-step-to-advance-training-industry/): As the year draws to a close, it’s natural to wonder what 2019 will bring. In this blog we'll reflect on changes we’ve seen and developing trends that can show how you'll want to approach your virtual IT labs in the year ahead.
- [3 considerations for training millennials on emerging technologies](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-considerations-for-training-millennials-on-emerging-technologies/): The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and an emerging millennial workforce is challenging the training practices of enterprises worldwide. While...
- [Trust is Key but SalesTech Helps](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/trust-is-key-but-salestech-helps/): LinkedIn recently released its Third Annual State of Sales Report and some of the data paints an intriguing picture of how sales...
- [Training matters: 2 Data-driven reasons for investing in corporate training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-matters-2-data-driven-reasons-for-investing-in-corporate-training/): With only 8% of companies measuring the impact of their corporate training, many training departments’ contributions go unnoticed. As holiday season kicked...
- [A Recipe for Technology Sales Success this Thanksgiving Season](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-recipe-for-technology-sales-success-this-thanksgiving-season/): Success in sales is often about making a prospect’s life easier. If you can do that significantly, you’ll not only...
- [It’s National Clean Your Refrigerator Day](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/its-national-clean-your-refrigerator-day/): 5 simple steps to toss inefficiencies and reboot your team to kick off 2019 clutter-free Are you scared to open...
- [Churn Burns - 21 Tactics to Increase Retention of Your SaaS Customers](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/churn-burns-21-tactics-to-increase-retention-of-your-saas-customers/): The secret to success in SaaS is not only acquiring customers, but holding onto them. What does it take to...
- [Avoid Getting Burned by Churn With Our New E-book](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/avoid-getting-burned-by-churn-with-our-new-e-book/): Regardless of the size of your software as a service (SaaS) solution, customer retention is top of mind for every...
- [A Halloween Tale: The Sales Demo Spell](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-halloween-tale-the-sales-demo-spell/): We hope you enjoy this Halloween (not really) spooky sales demo poem!
- [Webinar: How to get the best out of your SE team - New tools and insights](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-how-to-get-the-best-out-of-your-se-team-new-tools-and-insights/): How can you build a great sales engineering dream team? And once you’ve built it, how can you prove it’s great? We...
- [Learn by doing: Top takeaways from the Learndot, Atlassian and CloudShare webinar](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/learn-by-doing-top-takeaways-from-the-learndot-atlassian-and-cloudshare-webinar/): There are two reasons we love webinars. One, they let us respond interactively in real time to questions. Secondly, they...
- [CloudShare Wins Best Software-Defined Infrastructure Product at the Cloud Excellence Awards 2018](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-wins-best-software-defined-infrastructure-product-at-the-cloud-excellence-awards-2018/): CloudShare is honored to win Computing’s 2018 Cloud Excellence Awards in the category of Best Software Defined Infrastructure Product. The Computing awards...
- [How to Prove the True Value of a Sales Engineering Team](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-prove-the-true-value-of-a-sales-engineering-team): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.
- [Webinar: Squad goals – How to Prove the True Value of a Sales Engineering Team](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-squad-goals-how-to-prove-the-true-value-of-a-sales-engineering-team/): Updated: Oct 18, 2018 Is your sales engineering team under appreciated and under-funded? Are you worried it will be the...
- [Built for Success: How Customer Success Teams Boost Your Bottom Line](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/built-for-success-how-customer-success-teams-boost-your-bottom-line/): People often use customer service and customer success interchangeably in conversation. Remove “customer” from the phrases and you’ll see the...
- [Five tips so your demos don’t derail deals](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-tips-so-your-demos-dont-derail-deals/): You’ve been working with the prospect for months, and, finally, the prospect has set a time on her calendar to...
- [Why Virtual IT Labs Should Be in Your SalesTech Stack](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-labs-salestech-stack/): Today’s informed buyers require a new sales approach. Here are five reasons B2B sales teams should consider virtual IT labs.
- [3 Corporate Training Mistakes That Keep Your Department Sweaty, Stressed & Small](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-corporate-training-mistakes-keep-department-sweaty-stressed-small/): Discover 3 common mistakes to avoid in order to relieve some of the pressure, create more effective training and earn your team a bigger piece of the budget pie.
- [CloudShare Expands Single Sign-On (SSO) Support with OpenID Connect](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-expands-single-sign-sso-support-openid-connect/): CloudShare now supports OpenID Connect SSO, allowing enterprises to easily implement SSO while meeting their security needs and increasing convenience for users.
- [Why Spectacular Training for SaaS Applications is the Winning Recipe for Customer Stickiness](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/spectacular-training-saas-applications-winning-recipe-customer-stickiness/): One of the basic and most critical stages of customer success is software customer training. Software training is widely acknowledged today to get customers to adopt and continue to use the platform long after the initial sale.
- [3 Reasons That Keep Your SE Department Small & Undervalued (& How to Overcome Them)](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-reasons-keep-se-department-small-undervalued-overcome/): If you feel your sales engineering team is underappreciated, under-budgeted, and is quick to become the target whenever your company decides to downsize, you're not alone. We know that SE managers everywhere are dealing with the exact same situation. That's why we've decided to highlight 3 very common mistakes made by SE managers and suggest ways you can overcome them.
- [How to Overcome the 4 Key Challenges of SaaS Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/overcome-4-key-challenges-saas-training): Don’t risk losing customers to ineffective and outdated training tools. Discover the key to effective SaaS training that speeds onboarding and...
- [A Guide to Proving the True Value of Sales Engineering Teams to the C-Suite](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/guide-proving-true-value-sales-engineering-teams-c-suite/): Sales engineering departments everywhere are underappreciated and under-budgeted. It doesn’t have to be this way.  We spoke with leading SE...
- [Now Available: CloudShare Training Solution for SaaS to Ensure Immediate Customer Value](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-training-solution-saas-ensure-immediate-customer-value/): aaS applications are also easy for organizations to turn away. If users aren’t adopting the technology as expected, the pay-as-you-go model invites cancellation. Retention is why training is so critical to success for SaaS vendors, and it’s why we built CloudShare Training Solution for SaaS, which is now available.
- [CloudShare Recognized as Top Training Delivery Provider by Training Industry](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-recognized-top-training-delivery-provider-training-industry/): CloudShare was named 2018 Top Training Delivery Company! CloudShare's virtual training lab solution powers thousands of hands-on software training sessions each month, from virtual instructor-led classes, self-paced and certification courses, to onsite training at company and industry events.
- [SaaS Training: Isn’t It Time to Get Your Cloud On?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/saas-training-isnt-time-get-cloud/): Discover the ideal SaaS training solution that will enable SaaS providers to execute with processes needed to create an excellent user experience and optimize efficiency and return on investment.
- [CloudShare Announced as Finalist in Computing Cloud Excellence Awards 2018](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-announced-finalist-computing-cloud-excellence-awards-2018/): The judges have spoken! We are proud to share that we have been shortlisted for Computing’s 2018 Cloud Excellence Awards in the category of Best Software- Defined Infrastructure Product, in the good company of Box and AT&T Business Services among others.
- [Webinar On-Demand: A New Approach to Software Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-on-demand-new-approach-to-software-training/): Enter now to discover a new approach to software training in this on-demand webinar featuring Learndot, CloudShare and Atlassian.
- [How to Drive More Sales by Giving Modern IT Buyers What They Want](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/drive-sales-giving-modern-buyers-want/): Don’t lose deals because you are using outdated sales technology and methods. Discover why cloud-based sales demos help you win...
- [5 Reasons Your Traditional Sales Demo Solution Is Letting You Down](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-reasons-traditional-sales-demo-solution-letting/): Are you really going to slow the entire process down by shipping hardware and asking their local IT resources to open firewalls and reconfigure systems? Just that entire experience can put a bad taste in a prospect’s mouth before a POC even begins. Here are 5 more reasons why your current sales demo solution no longer works.
- [How to Grow Your Business with a Hands-On Training Approach](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-hands-on-training-approach-can-grow-business/): We’ve joined forces with Learndot, the leading LMS for software customer training, and software giant Atlassian to explain the 4 proven reasons why software companies must implement virtual training labs and let you hear first-hand from Atlassian’s global training delivery manager, Robert Bleeker about his success.
- [Hiring and Promoting Women in Tech: Your Company's Secret to Success in a Saturated Market](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/hiring-women-in-tech-to-improve-business-success/): Why hiring and promoting women in tech is the best way to help your software training department and your organization improve business success.
- [Why Public Cloud Providers Are Not "One Size Fits All"](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/public-cloud-providers-not-one-size-fits): Planning to migrate your complex on-premise applications, such as cybersecurity, data management, and firewalls, to one of the commodity clouds...
- [Why Hiring and Promoting Women for Technical Training Positions is Key to Your Company's Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/hiring-promoting-women-technical-training-positions-key-companys-success/): Read our eBook on %%title%%.
- [5 Technical Hurdles to Investigate Before Migrating to the Cloud](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-technical-hurdles-investigate-migrating-cloud/): Before choosing a provider, consider these five key networking capabilities to avoid delays and frustration during migration.
- [How to Escape the Glass Cliff with Cloud-Based Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/escape-glass-cliff-cloud-based-training/): Training is the best way to improve corporate performance and combat the “glass cliff” women face, ensuring that more women advance to leadership positions.
- [Training: The Secret Sauce to an Ironclad Cyber Defense](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-secret-sauce-ironclad-cyber-defense/): Our infographic uncovers the scope of the cybersecurity crisis & outlines the best ways to keep your staff in top shape to harden your cyber protection.
- [CISOs: Train Your Way to Stronger Cyber Resilience](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cisos-train-your-way-to-stronger-cyber-resilience/): The key to combatting cybersecurity threats lies with employees. CISOs must provide on-the-job training that educates teams to protect against attacks.
- [Under Attack! How Chief Information Security Officers Should Respond to the Cybersecurity Crisis](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/attack-chief-information-security-officers-respond-cybersecurity-crisis/): Securing the enterprise is a people problem that needs immediate attention. Download the free e-book Under Attack! and get a...
- [Palo Alto Networks Ignite ’18 USA Is All About Hands-On Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/palo-alto-networks-ignite-18-usa-hands-training/): Like CloudShare, Palo Alto Networks firmly believe there’s no substitute for learning by doing. That’s why they are offering thousands of opportunities for attendees to get hands-on experience with their products and services during the event to see how they work against today’s most sophisticated threats in real-life scenarios.
- [Need to Speed Time to Resolution for Enterprise Software Support?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/need-speed-time-resolution-enterprise-software-support/): With organizations highly reliant on enterprise software, your customers’ satisfaction is greatly dependent on your technical support services.
- [A Mother’s Day Tribute to Women in Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/mothers-day-tribute-women-training/): The women who put their energies, skills, and love into educating others and helping them succeed in life, and their jobs, provide more than just an important service to the students, they provide a great value to businesses and the community as well as.
- [Virtual Training and LMS Integration:  A Partner Success Story](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/virtual-training-lms-integration-partner-success-story): Administrate wanted a partner who could not only provide their customers with a robust, full-featured training lab platform but who...
- [On a Groundhog, a Mole and a Cyber Range](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/groundhog-mole-cyber-range/): CloudShare visited the team at the New England Cyber Range (NECYR) – an independent cyber range and security training facility with deep expertise in cyber warfare training, threat modeling and courseware development and participated in a live cyber-range training exercise.
- [The Most Up-to-Date Guide to Fast & Effective Technical Support in the Cloud](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/date-guide-fast-effective-technical-support-cloud): 
- [The 5 Stages of Spring Cleaning for IT Training Pros](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-stages-of-spring-cleaning-for-it-training-pros/): Discover the 5 stages of IT training optimization & dive into some key tactics that can help IT training pros develop an effective training machine.
- [What Do AWS, Microsoft, Google and…Easter Bunnies Have in Common?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/aws-microsoft-google-andeaster-bunnies-common/): As lavish and masterful as they are, cloud kingpins, AWS, Microsoft and Google, should stick with laying eggs instead of...
- [How to Prevent Your Cyber Range Training from Becoming a Caboodle](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/prevent-cyber-range-training-becoming-caboodle/): While you might not be able to solve the global cybersecurity crisis on your own, you can take responsibility for skilling up your organization.
- [How Software Vendors Can Get a Leg Up in Customer Success](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-vendors-can-get-leg-customer-success/): Uncover the secret your customer success team needs to know in order to improve productivity and time to resolution and overall customer experience.
- [CloudShare 2017: A Knockout Year in a Trending Business](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-2017-knockout-year-trending-business/): In 2017, CloudShare established relationships with 200+ new customers and partners and delivered continuous innovation and uncompromising customer support.
- [5 Signs to Know When the Right Training Lab Solution Comes Along](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-signs-know-right-training-lab-solution-comes-along/): Did You Meet Your True Love Training Lab Solution Yet? Upgrading or searching for the right cloud-based platform for your...
- [How Multilingual Capabilities Deliver Smooth Virtual Training Experiences](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-goes-multilingual-deliver-smooth-virtual-training-experiences/): German and Japanese Added to CloudShare’s Growing List of Languages In today’s globalized world, many training professionals and organizations know...
- [2018, The Year of Cloud and AI: Predictions from CloudShare’s CEO](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/2018-year-cloud-ai-predictions-cloudshares-ceo/): The cloud has been a major force in reshaping enterprise IT. In 2018, however, cloud will truly demonstrate just how...
- [CloudShare to Showcase Leading Virtual Training Labs at Learning Technologies 2018](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-showcase-leading-virtual-training-labs-learning-technologies-2018/): We’re pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at Learning Technologies 2018 (Twitter handle #LT18uk) – Europe’s leading showcase...
- [Top 7 CloudShare Training Features That Boost Your ROI](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/top-7-cloudshare-training-features-boost-roi): With commodity clouds offering complex pricing models, missing specialized training features, and sometimes even lacking the necessary network feature to...
- [InnoTech College Provides Hands-On Software Training Using Virtual Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/innotech-college-provides-hands-software-training-using-virtual-labs): By using CloudShare’s virtual training labs solution, InnoTech College has achieved concrete benefits including, quick class setup, custom-tailored solution, better...
- [The Atlassian Success Story: How to Drive Revenue & Reduce Costs with Virtual Training Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/atlassian-success-story-drive-revenue-reduce-costs-virtual-training-labs): Learn how Atlassian has grown its training program with a combination of live virtual classes and recorded training – both...
- [The Economics of IT Training Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/economics-training-labs): When it comes to fulfilling your need for software training labs, you have options. The new report is concise but...
- [Virtual IT Training Labs Report](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/virtual-it-training-labs-report): 
- [MuleSoft's Support Team Increases Productivity & Speeds Time to Resolution by Leveraging CloudShare's Specialized Virtual IT Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/mulesofts-support-team-increases-productivity-speeds-time-resolution-leveraging-cloudshares-specialized-virtual-labs): MuleSoft has achieved multiple benefits by using CloudShare’s virtual IT labs solution, including increased speed of support resolutions, cost control,...
- [15 Tips to Deliver More Effective Software Training](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/15-tips-deliver-effective-software-training/): LMS company, Administrate, and virtual training labs company, CloudShare, join forces to help you improve your software training. Get access...
- [The Forgerock Success Story: How to Boost Software Training with LMS & Virtual Training Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/forgerock-success-story-boost-software-training-lms-virtual-training-labs): 70% of companies don’t integrate their training systems – leaving a lot of room for improvement. Kevin Streater, VP ForgeRock University, created a fully integrated cloud-based training solution that grew their training business from zero to over $1 million in one year, without increasing staff.
- [LMS & Virtual Training Labs: Good Alone, Spectacular Together](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/lms-virtual-training-labs-good-alone-better-together): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%. Enjoy it.
- [Kevin Streater, VP ForgeRock University, Grows Business 10x with Virtual Training Labs](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/kevin-streater-vp-forgerock-university-grows-business-10x-with-virtual-training-labs): 
- [[Infographic] Training: The Secret Sauce to an Ironclad Cyber Defense](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/training-secret-sauce-ironclad-cyber-defense-2): The threat from cyberattacks is very real and can endanger your business continuation. Nearly half (46%) of UK businesses and...
- [Identity Management Company Cuts Lab Creation Time by 94% with CloudShare's Training Lab Solution](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/identity-management-company-cuts-lab-creation-time-94-cloudshares-training-lab-solution): How does a top-end digital identity management solution, which manages billions of digital identities worldwide, scale up their training abilities...
- [35 Best Practices to Wow Your Audience and Close More Sales](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/35-best-practices-wow-audience-close-sales/): How to Optimize Your Software Demos: 35 Best Practices to Wow Your Audience and Close More Sales is packed with...
- [Webinar - How to Create the Winning Recipe for Software Demos](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/webinar-how-to-create-the-winning-recipe-for-software-demos): Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.
- [Docker 1.13 – What’s New Including Docker Prune Features](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blogdev-testwhats-new-docker-1-13/): Docker-engine 1.13 latest updates. Read about Docker system prune, learn about Docker container & images prune, plus what’s new about the rest of the features.
- [The 2017 3-Part Cloud-Based Training Lab Checklist](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/2017-3-part-cloud-based-training-lab-checklist): Cloud-based IT labs offer potentially dramatic benefits to training teams: instant worldwide scalability, cost control, the ability to directly connect...
- [How to Resolve the Cyber Security Professional Shortage](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/resolving-training-challenge-cybersecurity-staff): The shortage of cybersecurity professionals is getting worse – by 2020, 15% of cybersecurity positions will be unfilled! Download this...
- [Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT)](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-instructor-led-training-vilt-cloudshare/): VILT - Virtual Instructor-Led Training - offers a virtual training environment guided by the expert hands of a professional educator or veteran in the field
- [The End of the Travelling IT Salesperson](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/the-end-of-the-travelling-it-salesperson): Stop wasting precious IT sales time & start adapting to IT-as-a-Service (ITaS) to cut costs, boost sales demos & make...
- [How to Give a Killer Sales Demo and Knock Your Audience Off their feet](https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/how-to-give-a-killer-sales-demo-and-knock-your-audience-off-their-feet): Read our whitepaper about %%title%%.
- [When is The Right Time to Offer a Sales Demo?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/when-is-the-right-time-to-offer-a-sales-demo/): Do you often find yourself swinging and missing? CloudShare compiled a list of 4 tips to identify that perfect moment for a sales demo presentation.
- [[Tip]: Can I use Visual Studio 2013 Community Edition to develop for SharePoint and Office 365?](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/tip-can-i-use-visual-studio-2013-community-edition-to-develop-for-sharepoint-and-office-365/): Well, this was the question I made myself when I was creating a new virtual machine template for CloudShare’s pre-configured...
- [Installing Visual Studio 2015 Preview Step by Step in a CloudShare Environment!](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blogcloudshareinstalling-visual-studio-2015-preview-step-by-step-in-a-cloudshare-environment/): Learn about the installation process for Visual Studio 2015 Preview from CloudShare with straightforward and easy-to-follow steps
- [SharePoint 2013 Disaster Recovery- Creating, Testing and Maintaining the DR Plan- Part 3](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sharepoint-2013-disaster-recovery-creating-testing-and-maintaining-the-dr-plan-part-3/): This article is 3 of 4 articles that cover creating, testing and maintaining a SharePoint DR plan. These articles are...
- [Update VMware Tools on CentOs Linux](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/update-vmware-tools-on-centos-linux/): Upgrade VMWare Tools on CentOS 6.3 Using GUI: Update VMware Tools on CentOs Linux
- [HTTP 500 Internal Server Error Explanation & How to fix](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/http-500-internal-server-error-explanation-how-to-fix/): Once in a while I encounter an error that doesn’t provide any helpful information. This is exactly what happened the...
- [SharePoint Templates: Site Templates for SharePoint 2013](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sharepoint-templates-site-templates-for-sharepoint-2013/): SharePoint 2013 site templates - get the biggest variety of SharePoint templates. Choose the right template for your business needs on CloudShare
- [How to Install and Configure Exchange 2013 Server](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-install-and-configure-exchange-2013-server/): To complete the trend, and build on the growing collection of new Microsoft 2013 templates, I started working on an...
- [Integrating SharePoint & Azure with CloudShare (Part II)](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/integrating-sharepoint-azure-with-cloudshare-part-ii/): Last week, I explained how to integrate SharePoint & Windows Azure with CloudShare (read the full post here). Today, I...
- [How to integrate Team Foundation Server with SharePoint](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-integrate-team-foundation-server-with-sharepoint/): Team Foundation Server 2010 is a product that manages the software development process throughout the IT lifecycle. You can use...
- [How to Setup SSRS in SharePoint Integrated Mode](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blogcloudsharehow-to-setup-ssrs-in-sharepoint-integrated-mode/): Here is a short guide to explain how to configure SSRS to be in a SharePoint Integrated mode. Start using SharePoint’s features now!
- [How to share files between your local PC and a CloudShare Environment!](https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blogcloudsharehow-to-share-files-between-your-local-pc-and-a-cloudshare-environment/): Here are the options for sharing and copying files between a CloudShare SharePoint environment and a PC - Learn how to Transfer Files from Cloud to Computer.
---

#
# Detailed Content


## Pages

### Testimonials

> See how CloudShare empowers businesses with innovative solutions. Read real customer testimonials and success stories.

- Published: 2024-12-19
- Modified: 2025-01-02
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/testimonials



---

### Partner With Us

- Published: 2024-10-10
- Modified: 2024-11-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/partners



---

### community

> If you’re a Customer Education or Sales expert, congratulations – you’ve just found your people. Welcome to your tribe.

- Published: 2024-02-09
- Modified: 2024-05-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/community



---

### Events

> Discover top sales and training events in one place! Stay updated on industry insights, conferences, and workshops.

- Published: 2023-09-27
- Modified: 2024-08-01
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/events



---

### Free Software Training Budget Calculator by CloudShare

> Running a software training program isn’t cheap but it can really pay off. Well-run training leads to greater retention, improved customer satisfaction, and fewer support tickets. So how do you measure if your training program is delivering the ROI that makes your business grow? CloudShare's training budget calculator helps you put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and see what you can do to optimize your training costs.

- Published: 2023-06-20
- Modified: 2023-10-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/software_training_budget_calculator_free



---

### Software Training Budget Calculator by CloudShare

> Running a software training program isn’t cheap but it can really pay off. Well-run training leads to greater retention, improved customer satisfaction, and fewer support tickets. So how do you measure if your training program is delivering the ROI that makes your business grow? CloudShare's training budget calculator helps you put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and see what you can do to optimize your training costs.

- Published: 2023-06-20
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/software_training_budget_calculator



---

### Thank You Blog Subscribe

- Published: 2023-06-14
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-blog-subscribe



---

### CloudShare Agreements

- Published: 2023-05-19
- Modified: 2025-01-01
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/cloudshare-agreements

Software-as-a-Service Terms Data Processing Addendum with SCCs – United Kingdom Version Service Level, Support, & Security Exhibit Metrics

---

### Thank You Contact Us Request Unsuccessful

- Published: 2023-05-15
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-contact-unsuccessful



---

### Thank You Quote Request Unsuccessful

- Published: 2023-05-15
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-quote-unsuccessful



---

### Thank You Contact Us Request Successful

- Published: 2023-05-15
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-contact-successful



---

### Thank You Quote Request Successful

- Published: 2023-05-15
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-quote-successful



---

### Thank You Demo Request Unsuccessful

- Published: 2023-03-20
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-demo-unsuccessful



---

### Thank You Demo Request Successful

- Published: 2023-03-20
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you-demo-successful



---

### Sandboxing

> Sandbox with speed, scale and savings around the corner or around the globe. It’s easy to share environments with CloudShare.

- Published: 2023-02-06
- Modified: 2025-02-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/sandboxing



---

### Cybersecurity

> Learn how cloud-based cybersecurity labs can help your organization with customer and employee training as well as secure environments for product testing.

- Published: 2023-02-06
- Modified: 2025-02-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/cyber-security



---

### Demos

> CloudShare enables sales teams to organize demos, while focusing on moving the client through the funnel, with virtual labs in the cloud.

- Published: 2023-02-06
- Modified: 2025-02-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/sales-enablement/demos



---

### POCs

> Build, invite, and view intelligent metrics for every virtual and cloud POC, using virtual labs, to know which users are most active and close the sale.

- Published: 2023-02-06
- Modified: 2025-02-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/sales-enablement/pocs



---

### Channel sales

> Provide channel partners with an always-accurate, hands-on version of your software. They can sell, train, or demo with ease, dramatically shortening time.

- Published: 2023-02-06
- Modified: 2025-02-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/sales-enablement/channel-sales



---

### Sales Enablement

> Win more sales with CloudShare’s cloud-based virtual POC and sales demo solution. No hardware to ship, software to install.

- Published: 2023-02-06
- Modified: 2025-02-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/sales-enablement



---

### Onboarding

> Put hands-on education at the heart of your onboarding, so customers can play with your product, break stuff (safely), rinse and repeat.

- Published: 2023-02-03
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/virtual-training/onboarding



---

### Self-paced training

> Self-paced training provides students with flexible hands-on learning to fit their schedules, while saving you time and money.

- Published: 2023-02-03
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/virtual-training/self-paced-training



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### News & Events

> CloudShare's upcoming and latest events and conferences. As well as latest news, partnerships and new customers.

- Published: 2023-02-01
- Modified: 2024-12-09
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/company/media-news



---

### Work with us

> Join our team and become part of a fast-growing company that’s creating some of the most exciting virtual experiences in the world right now.

- Published: 2023-01-21
- Modified: 2023-10-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/work-with-us



---

### Thank you

- Published: 2023-01-20
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/thank-you



---

### Meet the team

> CloudShare enables businesses to deliver engaging hands-on experiences to drive better customer acquisition and retention. Meet our executives.

- Published: 2023-01-20
- Modified: 2024-06-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/meet-the-team



---

### Questions

> -2819

- Published: 2023-01-19
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/question



---

### Glossary

> Virtual IT Labs are an important component for a broad range of use cases, verticals, and markets. This glossary will cover key terms related to virtual training.

- Published: 2023-01-17
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/virtual-it-labs-glossary



---

### Contact us

> Talk to one of our Cloud Labs experts. Get in touch with us and discover how easy it is to create your Cloud environment – in minutes!

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2024-03-31
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/company/contact-us



---

### Careers

> We are looking for people who want to influence, build, learn, and deliver exceptional customer experience. Send your CV and join us.

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/company/careers-at-cloudshare



---

### Book a Demo

> See how simple it is to create awesome experiences to your students, prospects, and partners with our cutting-edge platform.

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2024-05-26
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/request-a-demo



---

### Pricing

> CloudShare offers flexible pricing options to fit your team and company needs to demo, teach, and learn. Get a demo now!

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/pricing



---

### About Us

> Meet the team behind CloudShare's ready-made specialized cloud environments for virtual training, sales, sandboxing, and support.

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2023-10-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/company/about-us



---

### Product

> CloudShare's virtual labs technology is built for performance and enables self-service provisioning, automation for cost control, and more.

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/product



---

### Resources

> Top Virtual Training Resources: Boost Your Skills Anywhere! Explore Interactive Courses, Workshops, and Tools for Remote Learning.

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2024-12-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources



---

### VILT

> CloudShare means more time teaching and less time fighting technology, with eye-catching environments that are simple to manage and scale to handle any class size.

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/virtual-training/instructor-led-training



---

### Virtual Training

> Provide learning experiences that stick with the most powerful virtual training labs - with minimal IT support.

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2025-02-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions/virtual-training



---

### Solutions

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2023-08-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/solutions



---

### Home

> CloudShare's ready to use solutions provide secure, specialized virtual IT labs for software training, sales demos & POCs sandboxing.

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2025-04-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/



---

### Privacy Policy

- Published: 2022-12-23
- Modified: 2024-08-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/privacy-policy

Last update on August 2024 This Privacy Policy (the “Policy”)describes Our policies and processes on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Company’s Services and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You. We use Your Personal Data to provide and improve the Company’s Services. By using the Company’s Services or by confirming you understand and agree to the Policy and to specific terms and conditions, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Policy. Note that this Policy adheres to the EU-US DPF Principles with regard to Personal Data transferred from the European Union, the United Kingdom and the Swiss-US DPF Principles with regard to personal data transferred from Switzerland. 1. Interpretation; Definitions. 1. 1. Interpretation. The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have the meaning defined below. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural. 1. 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this Policy: “Business”for the purpose of the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), refers to the Company as the legal entity that collects Consumers' personal information and determines the purposes and means of the processing of Consumers' personal information, or on behalf of which such information is collected and that alone, or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of Consumers' personal information, that does business in the State of California. “Company”(also referred to as “We”, “Us”...

---


## 


## Resources

### 20 Employee Training Statistics You Should Use

> Check out the 20 essential metrics to measure and improve your employee training program's effectiveness and ROI.

- Published: 2025-04-07
- Modified: 2025-04-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/employee-training-statistics/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure. ” It’s one of the most famous pieces of business advice of all time. Sure, it’s a generalization. But defining success — and identifying opportunities to improve — depends on assessment. Employee training, like customer and partner education, is a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">They may include:  Helpdesk resolutions Project completion rate  Sales numbers Average deal size Software utilization Productivity Internal Mobility Metrics These metrics assess how employees move to new roles within your company. Ideally, after implementing an employee training program, you'll want to see an increase in:  Employee promotions Lateral hires  Filled job vacancies Overall employee satisfaction Results The last set of metrics assesses how well your training achieved its objective based on spending.   Cost  This one's straightforward but can be broken down in a few different ways:  Cost per employee Cost per learning hour Cost vs. revenue Training Budget Utilization How much of your training budget was directed toward this specific training program? Measuring this metric can help you determine where and how to direct your spending moving forward.   Employee Retention You can calculate your employee retention rate by dividing the number of employees at the end of a specific timeframe by the number of employees at the beginning. Ideally, you'll want your training to increase your retention rate. Customer Satisfaction Metrics As the name suggests, these metrics assess customers' satisfaction with your company's products or services. Examples include: Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Net Promoter Score (NPS) Customer Effort Score (CES)...

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### Why Continuous Learning Should Be Your Organization's Top Priority

> Discover how continuous learning drives employee retention, productivity, and business growth in today's competitive market.

- Published: 2025-04-02
- Modified: 2025-04-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/continuous-learning-in-the-workplace/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Our world is more connected than ever before — and that's a double-edged sword.   On the one hand, businesses have the potential to connect with more prospective customers than ever. On the other hand, the same is true for their competitors.   As a result, the software industry has become hyper-competitive. A solid product is no longer enough for a provider that wants to stand out. Differentiation requires embracing a new culture and mindset, one focused on constant improvement. Here's how to embrace continuous learning and development across your organization (and why you should).   What is Continuous Learning? Continuous learning is the ongoing process of helping employees develop new knowledge and skills. It goes beyond traditional onboarding, giving people access to the resources they need for long-term growth.   Continuous learning in the workplace can take many different forms. In addition to courses and workshops, it may include mentorship programs, conferences, podcasts, written guidance, and social interaction.   Key Benefits of Continuous Learning According to LinkedIn's 2025 Workplace Learning Report, companies prioritizing career development tend to be more profitable, find it easier to attract and retain talent, and are more likely to be early adopters of technology such as artificial intelligence.   The survey also found that 91% of learning and development professionals rank the importance of continuous learning as higher than ever. Given how ongoing professional development can benefit an organization, it's not difficult to see why.   Engagement and Retention No one wants to feel stuck...

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### Spring Has Sprung with Our Biggest-ever G2 Badge Haul: 39 Beautiful Reasons to Celebrate!

> Spring is in the air, and at CloudShare business is… blooming! We're absolutely thrilled to announce that we've received 39 G2 badges.

- Published: 2025-03-31
- Modified: 2025-03-31
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/spring-has-sprung-with-our-biggest-ever-g2-badge/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Spring is in the air, and at CloudShare business is... blooming! We're absolutely thrilled to announce that we've received a record-breaking 39 G2 badges in the Spring 2025 reports - our biggest bouquet ever!   It's put a genuine spring in our step and given us even more energy to keep delivering exceptional virtual experiences to our customers worldwide. Here's just a small sample of our sensational spring collection: This incredible achievement surpasses our previous record of 31 badges in winter, following 25 in fall, and 29 in summer. Our badge collection grows more impressive every season!   What These Awards Mean These badges represent our continued market leadership in virtual IT labs, customer education, and demo automation. They showcase how we're providing mission-critical technology that powers the training and sales demonstration environments for many of the world's biggest and most innovative companies. But even more importantly, these badges reflect the trust, satisfaction, and loyalty of our amazing customers. Their feedback has always been our most valuable resource, and we're deeply grateful that they continue to share all those positive experiences with the world through G2. Why G2 Badges Matter As one of the world's most respected software review platforms, millions of companies rely on G2 to guide their purchasing decisions, making these badges powerful indicators of user satisfaction, product excellence, and industry leadership. Let's dig down into how we blossomed in each category this spring: Customer Education: A Spectacular Growth Spurt with 17 Badges CEd is one area where...

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### AI in Cybersecurity: Building Effective Certification Programs in the Era of Machine-Speed Threats

> Discover how Darktrace revolutionized cybersecurity training with AI-driven certification programs to combat machine-speed threats.

- Published: 2025-03-31
- Modified: 2025-03-31
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ai-in-cybersecurity/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security

In March 2025, we hosted an eye-opening webinar featuring cybersecurity experts from Darktrace, one of the pioneers in AI-driven security solutions. Our Head of Product Marketing Jeremy Davis led a no-holds-barred discussion with Gabrial Hartnett and Jonathan Pereira from Darktrace's Customer Education team, exploring the vital importance of effective certification programs in cybersecurity training, as organizations race to keep pace with the evolution of AI-powered threats. Like other top cyber providers, Darktrace faces a critical challenge: ensuring their customers can leverage complex tools to defend against increasingly sophisticated, automated attacks. With threat actors now deploying AI to execute attacks at machine speed, traditional security approaches and training methodologies are simply no longer sufficient. The AI Arms Race in Cybersecurity Gabrial set the stage by describing the current battlefield: "We've seen the proliferation of generative AI tools. It's naive to think that only the good guys are using these. " This new reality has created what Jeremy accurately described as an "AI arms race" in cybersecurity. According to Jonathan Pereira, threat actors are using AI not just for scaling attacks but for "adding finesse and more technical factors. " The result? More connections, advanced techniques flying under the radar, and malicious action that can hit entire infrastructures simultaneously. The solution, as Darktrace sees it, is fighting fire with fire. Their AI-driven defense platform operates 24/7, taking proactive actions against threats at machine speed without requiring human intervention. This approach gives security teams the breathing room they need to catch up when...

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### The 8 Best Virtual Cybersecurity Practice Labs

> Learn about the top virtual cybersecurity practice labs that deliver hands-on training through simulated environments.

- Published: 2025-03-26
- Modified: 2025-03-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-practice-labs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security

Basic cybersecurity training isn't going to cut it today, with threat actors getting more organized and sophisticated every day.   To protect themselves and their customers, companies need to level up their training. And hands-on virtual cybersecurity labs are the best way to do it. This blog covers the basics of cybersecurity labs and recommends seven of the very best cybersecurity labs online. What is a Cybersecurity Lab? A cybersecurity lab is a virtual environment that provides hands-on training through simulated challenges or scenarios. They're typically used for knowledge and skills development.   Benefits of Running a Cyber Security Simulation Lab A cybersecurity lab offers all the same benefits as any hands-on software training. Rather than forcing reliance on passive memorization, they give your team an opportunity to develop and test practical skills.   A cybersecurity lab can deliver engaging security awareness training across your organization, providing additional protection against social engineering attacks.   If the cybersecurity lab you're using can support a cyber range, you can also use it to test new tools, technology, and strategies without putting your network at risk. After all, it’s better to identify a weakness in your ransomware response process through a simulation rather than during an actual attack, right?   You can even use data collected from your training to identify potential weak points in your infrastructure that may otherwise go unnoticed.   What to Look for in a Cybersecurity Lab When evaluating a cybersecurity lab solution, ask yourself the following questions:  What...

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### Just-in-Time Training: Benefits, Tips, and Use Cases

> Learn how just-in-time training delivers on-demand, bite-sized learning to boost engagement while reducing costs and training time.

- Published: 2025-03-24
- Modified: 2025-03-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/just-in-time-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

These days almost everything is available on-demand, from news and streaming media to groceries and meal delivery.   Training is following this trend, and for good reason. Just-in-time training is a modern approach many companies have embraced to improve employees’ knowledge and skills, while reducing costs, decreasing training time, and boosting accessibility.   This blog discusses the basics of just-in-time training, along with its benefits and some best practices to leverage it successfully in your organization. What Is Just-In-Time Training? Traditionally, training and onboarding packs everything into a single session or module that's intended to be completed in one sitting.   Just-in-time, also known as on-demand training, turns this paradigm on its head, breaking materials down into on-demand, bite-sized segments. Rather than sitting through a frontloaded course, people only receive hyper-specific training when they need it. This type of training comes in several different flavors, including: Knowledge bases or reference guides Virtual tutorials Hands-on walkthroughs Visuals such as diagrams or infographics Dynamic guidance from an AI assistant The Core Principles of Just-In-Time Education On-demand learning sets itself apart from other training methods in various ways.   Because participants can access training materials at any time and from anywhere, just-in-time training is usually self-paced. On-demand training is also personalized, as people can pick and choose the modules with which they interact. Some businesses may even take this a step further and employ artificial intelligence for adaptive learning.   On-demand training relies heavily on microlearning, breaking down training content into units that...

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### How to Build a Cybersecurity Certification Program That Works

> In our latest webinar we learned the best practices for a successful VM-based training and certification program.

- Published: 2025-03-20
- Modified: 2025-03-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/blog/how-to-build-a-cybersecurity-certification-program-that-works
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security



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### The 7 Best Cyber Security Conferences in Israel for 2025

> Discover Israel's top cybersecurity 2025 conferences where global experts gather to share innovations in the world's cybersecurity capital.

- Published: 2025-03-19
- Modified: 2025-03-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-cyber-security-conferences-israel/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security

Collaboration is the key to cybersecurity success, and it's only by working together that security practitioners can stand against today's increasingly sophisticated threat actors. Security conferences are a great place for industry professionals to network and collaborate and with their unique experience of handling daily challenges from multiple adversaries, Israeli cybersecurity providers are rightly seen as some of the best in the world.   So which Israeli cybersecurity conferences should you attend in 2025? This blog covers some of the top upcoming cyber security conferences in Israel that should be on your radar this year.   Why Attend a Cyber Security Conference in Israel? Israel has been recognized as a global cybersecurity leader for decades for several reasons. First, Israel's government is a pioneer in digital security. In 2002, it was one of the first nations to develop a comprehensive cyber defense strategy. In 2015, it established the Israel National Cyber Directorate, an agency that manages cyber policy, security, and capacity for both the public and private sectors.   Another major contributor to Israel's cybersecurity dominance is Unit 8200—an elite intelligence unit in the Israel Defense Forces. This specialized unit is composed almost entirely of people aged 18-21. Many of the unit's members have gone on to become some of the world's top technology leaders and entrepreneurs.   Israel's government also invests heavily in cybersecurity research and development and provides considerable support to cybersecurity companies. Multiple leading organizations are headquartered in Tel Aviv, which has come to be known as...

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### How to Measure and Improve Your SaaS CSAT

> Learn how to measure, benchmark, and boost your SaaS CSAT scores to reduce churn and improve customer satisfaction.

- Published: 2025-03-12
- Modified: 2025-03-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/improve-saas-csat/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Every software provider needs to be able to answer a series of key questions:  Is your software meeting customer expectations? How happy are your users? And if they’re unhappy, how likely are they to make the jump to a competitor at the first opportunity?   What can you do to provide a better user experience?   These are just a few questions you can answer using the Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) metric — often considered the gold standard customer success evaluation.   This blog explains what CSAT is, how it works, and how it differs from other customer success metrics. You’ll also learn several best practices to help you improve your CSAT score.   What is CSAT in SaaS? CSAT measures how satisfied users are with your software and how many are at risk of churning.   A SaaS company will generally measure CSAT through surveys that ask recipients to rate their satisfaction with the product on a numeric scale, typically 1-5 or 1-10. It then analyzes those surveys to determine what percentage of them are positive.   That percentage is the business's CSAT score. How to Calculate Your CSAT The formula for CSAT is quite simple: (Positive Survey Responses/Total Survey Responses) x 100 To calculate your CSAT, first define what constitutes a positive response. For instance, you may send a CSAT survey asking 200 customers to rate their satisfaction on a scale from one to five. In this case, four and five are positive responses, and everything else is either...

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### Software Training Masterclass: Knowledge Retention Science, Strategies, and Solutions

> Master software training with knowledge retention strategies and solutions to boost learning and performance effectively.

- Published: 2025-03-10
- Modified: 2025-03-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-masterclass-knowledge-retention-science-strategies-and-solutions/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

“Tell Me and I Forget; Teach Me and I May Remember; Involve Me and I Learn. ” Who first said that? Benjamin Franklin? Confucius? We may never know for sure. What we do know is that in the software industry, customer education faces a growing challenge: making sure that product knowledge sticks. Increasingly complex workplace software is making massive demands on workers' cognitive 🤯capacity. Information overload causes them to forget how to use programs and platforms. What’s more, 71% of U. S. executives believe that the pace of technological change exceeds employees’ ability to master new solutions. For software providers this poses serious problems: slower adoption, longer time to first value, increased support costs, low satisfaction, and higher churn. It’s a perfect storm of customer 😰failure. That’s why training managers need to understand the science – not just the art – of teaching. Understanding the Knowledge Retention Challenge Hermann Ebbinghaus's seminal work on the "forgetting curve" showed that most people forget around 75% of new information within 48 hours of learning it. That’s a sobering statistic for any training manager. But Ebbinghaus didn’t stop there. He also investigated ways to improve memory, and countless modern researchers have built on his early research.   Memory formation involves creating and strengthening connections between neurons in the brain's 🧠temporal lobe. Key factors that influence how well these connections form and endure include: Active, emotional engagement with the material: for memories to stick, there must be strong emotions during “encoding” to activate the hippocampus,...

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### 8 Crucial Partner Onboarding Best Practices

> Eight essential best practices for effective B2B partner onboarding to build successful partnerships and accelerate your sales cycle.

- Published: 2025-03-05
- Modified: 2025-03-09
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/partner-onboarding-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Success isn't just about what you know — it's about who you know.   The right partnerships make a world of difference in the B2B space. With the necessary knowledge and tools, channel partners have the potential to shorten sales cycles by nearly 30%. Just as customer onboarding lays the groundwork for a successful customer engagement, partner onboarding is the foundation of every successful partnership. But what does effective B2B partner onboarding look like, exactly? This blog examines eight best practices every company should use in their new partner onboarding process.   What is Partner Onboarding?   Partner onboarding is the process where a business introduces new partners to its brand, products, and services before integrating them into its ecosystem. It comprises the following:  Using the company's offering Brand guidelines and sales playbooks Legal requirements and compliance Establishing communication channels Defining expectations and success metrics Deal management and registration Why is a Robust Partner Onboarding Process Important?   Onboarding is the bedrock of your partnership.   It establishes your working relationship with each partner and helps you determine the best path to success, equipping your partners with the knowledge and tools they need to sell your products and services successfully. Partner Onboarding Best Practices Your company is going all-in on a channel partner strategy. So, what can you do to ensure this strategy is successful? Here are a few best practices you’ll want to follow. Understand Your Partners You can’t build a successful channel partner strategy without knowing what your...

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### WBT Training vs. CBT Training vs. eLearning

> Discover the differences between WBT, CBT, and eLearning to select the ideal online training method for your organization.

- Published: 2025-03-03
- Modified: 2025-03-09
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/wbt-cbt-elearning-modern-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Whether you're dealing with customer education or employee training, acronyms and jargon can be major roadblocks for instructors and designers.   This article aims to clear the way for you by deconstructing two of the most common abbreviations associated with virtual learning: Web-Based Training (WBT) and Computer-Based Training (CBT).   You’ll learn the key differences and how each approach compares to eLearning, enabling you to make the right choice for your training needs. 3 Categories of Online Learning You’re ready to deliver online training to your employees or customers, but first, you must decide on a learning approach. WBT, CBT, and eLearning can all be delivered in one of three modalities. Synchronous Training Synchronous training sees students and instructors connect to the learning environment simultaneously.   The idea is to create a classroom-like environment in a virtual setting. Examples of synchronous training include webinars, videoconferencing sessions, guided walkthroughs, and live cyber range exercises.   Asynchronous Training Asynchronous training — sometimes called self-paced learning — allows a participant to complete training at their own pace and on their own schedule.   This provides more flexibility than synchronous training but at the cost of inevitably being a less collaborative learning environment. Examples include discussion boards, pre-recorded lectures, and virtual sandboxes. Hybrid & Blended Training Hybrid training combines elements of synchronous and asynchronous learning, and may include in-person instruction.   Blended training is similar to hybrid training, except that it requires a set amount of in-person instruction, augmented by online content. Both approaches...

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### Why Technical Training is Essential to Software Sales Success

> Boost customer satisfaction and drive retention with effective technical training at every stage of the customer journey.

- Published: 2025-02-26
- Modified: 2025-02-09
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-technical-training-is-essessnetial-to-software-sales-success/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Do you provide technical training to your customers?   If you don't, you should. By incorporating technical training techniques at various stages of the customer journey, you can inspire unprecedented satisfaction and loyalty in both customers and genuine excitement in prospects.   According to Thought Industries' State of Customer Education 2024, organizations that invest in training experience a 56% improvement in customer onboarding processes and a 21% increase in customer lifetime value. The benefits of technical training are many and varied, and this article explains how you can unlock them for your organization.   How Technical Training Enhances Onboarding and Implementation You want onboarding to be as swift, smooth, and streamlined as possible. After all, the faster new users learn how your software works, the faster they can become satisfied, recurring customers. Offering technical training at multiple milestones along the customer journey goes a long way toward accomplishing this.   Ideally, by the time a prospect is ready to become a customer, they already have a good idea of how to use your software. Onboarding becomes less about teaching them the basics and more about helping them seamlessly deploy,implement, and become proficient in using your software. That means both higher product adoption and reduced time to value across the board.   How Technical Training Reduces Customer Support Costs Approximately 69% of customers attempt to resolve their issues independently before contacting customer service. Imagine if those customers already had the necessary knowledge to troubleshoot successfully. That's exactly what technical training enables....

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### How Hands-On Learning Accelerates Time-to-Value: Strategies for Rapid ROI

> Accelerate time to value with hands-on training that boosts product adoption, engagement, and customer success.

- Published: 2025-02-24
- Modified: 2025-02-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-hands-on-learning-accelerates-time-to-value/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Hands-on training is inarguably better than passive learning, especially for software companies.   Learning by doing will always be more compelling than learning through rote memorization.   What’s more, hands-on training allows participants to develop and apply practical knowledge and skills.   When applied to customer education, there's something else hands-on training achieves: shorter time to value.   What is Time to Value?   Time to value in software is a metric that reveals how long it takes for a customer to benefit from your software's full potential. Also known as time to first value, it's closely related to — and has an inverse relationship with — two other concepts: product adoption and product utilization:  Product adoption, expressed as a percentage, measures how many new users start using your software to meet their business objectives over a given period of time.   Product utilization is a collection of metrics that assess how users engage with and use a product. Common metrics include usage frequency, session length, and feature usage.   Why is Time to Value Important in Software?   The faster customers realize the true worth of your software, the more likely they are to become recurring customers. Moreover, a low time to value means your customers will also be more amenable to upselling opportunities and more willing to advocate for your software among their peers. How Hands-On Training Can Accelerate Time to Value Hands-on training improves both time to value and product adoption in several key ways related to...

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### The State of Customer Education in 2025: Maximizing Revenue &amp; Organizational Value

> Discover key insights from landmark surveys on the evolving role of Customer Education, its revenue impact, and strategic value within organizations.

- Published: 2025-02-19
- Modified: 2025-02-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/the-state-of-customer-education-in-2025-maximizing-revenue-organizational-value
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### The Best Strategies to Combat Learning Fatigue in Virtual Training

> Reduce learning fatigue in virtual training with engaging content, hands-on learning, and smart scheduling strategies.

- Published: 2025-02-18
- Modified: 2025-02-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/learning-fatigue-in-virtual-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

While everyone (well, most office workers) worked from home during the pandemic, virtual meeting platforms like Zoom exploded in popularity.   Digital video calls became a regular part of the day: a virtual touch-base to replace in-person stand-ups. It was a great way to stay productive while collaborating with colleagues and keeping everyone in the loop. Until the downsides began to surface, anyway. Exhaustion and blurred vision. Lack of motivation and enthusiasm coupled with difficulty focusing.   As it turns out, staring at a screen for hours at a time, especially if you're on video calls, is exhausting. It wasn't long before the media coined a phrase to describe this phenomenon: Zoom fatigue.   That struck a chord with learning and development professionals. They’d been struggling with a closely related concept for years: virtual learning fatigue and information overload! The human brain has limited capacity to absorb and parse new data. When it's bombarded with too much information or stimulation, it basically shuts down. Emotional and mental exhaustion immediately sets in, sometimes coupled with physical fatigue.   What are the Mechanisms of Virtual Learning Fatigue? In virtual training, there are various physical, mental, and psychological triggers for cerebral overload:  Eyestrain from spending too much time in front of a computer, also known as screen fatigue  A lack of face-to-face interaction, contributing to a sense of loneliness  Interruptions by notifications from multiple apps  Sensory overload due to distraction-heavy digital environments  All this is in addition to the cognitive load created by...

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### 7 Top Tips to Effectively Use AI in Corporate Training

> Discover how AI transforms corporate training with adaptive learning and personalized education to close skills gaps and boost efficiency.

- Published: 2025-02-17
- Modified: 2025-02-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/using-ai-in-corporate-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

When ChatGPT launched in November 2022, most people didn't see it coming, and few expected it to be so impactful.   Flash-forward to 2025, and artificial intelligence has completely revolutionized how we live, work, and learn. Accessing information and generating content for almost any purpose has never been easier, thanks to generative AI and large language models. Even now, AI technology is evolving at a breakneck pace.   Riding this wave is the key to success both in expected to hit $6 billion as more and more businesses adopt it. This is also the year that adaptive learning will likely become non-negotiable, driven by a combination of employee expectations and rapid market growth.   There's a problem, however. Although around two-thirds of companies are looking for ways to use AI, most lack the training and skills to implement it effectively.   This article covers tips, best practices, and use cases for using generative AI (genAI) in corporate training — including overcoming implementation challenges. 1. Understand the Limitations of AI To understand what GenAI can do for corporate training, you need to understand what it can't do. Although disruptive, powerful, and incredibly promising, it isn't a silver bullet. Using the technology without knowing its limitations can be a recipe for disaster. So what can't AI do?   AI Can't Replace Humans AI tools can do everything from generating hyper-personalized learning paths and creating dynamic training content to assessing learner performance. But they also lack intuition and the capacity for abstract thought....

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### Turning Data into Action: Headlines &amp; Highlights from the CEdMA-CloudShare Webinar

> Our latest webinar navigated the ever-shifting landscape of customer education covering performance tracking and technological enablement.

- Published: 2025-02-13
- Modified: 2025-02-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/turning-data-into-action-headlines-highlights-from-the-cedma-cloudshare-webinar/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

What happens when you combine CEdMA's deep industry knowledge with CloudShare's freshest data on training trends? Pure gold! 🌟 Our latest webinar, featuring CEdMA's erudite expert Dirk Braune and CloudShare’s superstar CMO Annie Reiss, navigated the ever-shifting landscape of customer education and training, covering monetization, performance tracking, and technological enablement.    Here's just a quick overview of the ground we covered. Training's Not Only About Training Anymore 🤹 Let's start with a mind-blowing stat: 98% of organizations now charge for customer training in some form - that's a massive jump from 78% four years ago!   But here's the twist: education teams aren’t just about revving up revenues and pumping up profits (though those two are right at the top of their lists of objectives and incentives). Today's training teams are also juggling multiple mandates from across their organizations, from boosting product adoption to reducing support tickets and enabling partners. It’s good to be in demand. But are education teams being stretched too thin? The Customer Journey: It's All Connected 🔄 The latest data tells a fascinating story about priorities. While 32% of experts focus on customer onboarding, 34. 5% prioritize retention, and 29. 5% emphasize product adoption. It's like a well-choreographed dance, with customer satisfaction (33%) as the rhythm keeping everything in sync. Show Me the Metrics! 📊 Here's where it gets really intriguing. Despite the industry-wide focus on revenue, there's a huge untapped opportunity to better measure training's impact. For example, only 14% of organizations compare revenue from...

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### Accessible vs. Inclusive Learning Content: What You Need to Know

> Learn the key differences between accessible and inclusive learning content and how to design training that supports all learners.

- Published: 2025-02-10
- Modified: 2025-02-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/accessible-and-inclusive-learning-content/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

When it comes to educational content, many people use the terms accessible and inclusive interchangeably.   But while there’s plenty of overlap between the two terms, they're still distinct from one another.   It's important to understand how they differ and, more importantly, what to consider when designing learning content for each approach.   What is Accessible Learning? A blind student has different learning needs than a deaf student, and the needs of both are distinct from a student with a learning disability. The core idea behind accessible learning is that each of these students should be able to access the same content as easily as possible. This is primarily achieved by anticipating and removing functional barriers. Common accessible learning practices may include:  Providing accurate, error-free closed captions for video content  Creating audio descriptions of visual content  Ensuring physical classrooms are wheelchair-friendly  Making learning materials and equipment available free of charge to disadvantaged or low-income learners  Offering learning material in multiple formats and modalities, such as audio, video, and digital content  Ensuring all learning content and tools are compatible with the relevant technologies, including screen readers and speech recognition software Allowing flexible schedules and assessment options To be considered accessible, online content must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. In some regions and industries, compliance may even be required by law, with considerable fines for any company found to be non-compliant. It’s vital to familiarize yourself with any regulations you might need to follow.   Now, here's where things...

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### How Customer Education Drives Success and Retention

> See how customer education boosts retention, reduces churn, and drives revenue by empowering users.

- Published: 2025-02-06
- Modified: 2025-02-09
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-education-drives-retention/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Does your software company have a customer education program? If not, it should.   This article discusses why, starting with a general overview, followed by a drilldown into specific benefits.   Understanding the Importance of Customer Education for Software Companies There’s no denying the software market is booming, but with phenomenal success comes fierce competition. To grow market share, software providers must stand out by offering both excellent products and exceptional customer experience.   Customer education plays a crucial role in CX.   For one, it's a cornerstone of customer success, equipping users with the knowledge and skills they need to make the most of your software. It can also double as an incredibly powerful marketing tool, establishing your company as a thought leader while getting more eyes than ever on your offering.   Together, this translates to increased sales, enhanced customer satisfaction, higher customer retention, reduced churn, and better overall revenue.   The Benefits of Customer Education Customer education is an effective tool for both outreach and customer success. And that effectiveness can be assessed with a range of business metrics.   Faster Time to Value and Better ROI  Imagine two customers using the same software. The first customer has gone through a comprehensive customer education program that's taught them everything they need to know about the software's functions and features. They understand exactly what it can do for their company, and they know how to get started. The second customer is going in blind. They know your brand...

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### The Importance of Customer Education: 15 Experts Spill the Tea! ☕

> Today, customer education is stealing the spotlight and proving itself to be an absolute game-changer in the software world.

- Published: 2025-02-03
- Modified: 2025-02-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-customer-education-15-experts-spill-the-tea/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Hey there, CEd enthusiasts! Remember when customer education was that quiet department churning out user manuals and training docs? Well, those days are long gone! Today, customer education is stealing the spotlight and proving itself to be an absolute game-changer in the software world. Don't believe us? We've got the receipts! We just wrapped up interviews with fifteen(! ) of the industry's brightest minds for our shiny new ebook, Well CEd II. Trust us – what they had to say about the state of customer education will knock your socks off! 🧦 Customer Education Takes Center Stage (For Good! ) "Over the past year, there's been a growing recognition that customer education isn't just about delivering content—it's about driving tangible business outcomes," says Roberto Aiello, Senior Learning Experience Designer at Personio. Customer education isn't just playing in the minor leagues anymore – it's gone pro! And get this: Ran Barzilai, Director of Technical Support and Training at Thales, puts it perfectly: "Customer education is now an acknowledged profit center. The currency of customer education is rising. " That's right – we're not a cost center anymore, folks. We're making it rain! 💸 When Business Goals Meet Education Magic Here's where things get really intriguing. Customer education teams are crushing it when it comes to driving real business impact. As Debbie Smith, President of the Customer Education Management Association, puts it (and we love how she doesn't mince words): "If you don't align everything you do with business objectives, you have...

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### Turning Data into Action: Strategies for Better Customer Education Results

> In this webinar, we discuss how you can turn the latest data into an action plan for you, your team, and your company.

- Published: 2025-01-30
- Modified: 2025-02-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/turning-data-into-action-strategies-for-better-customer-education-results
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### SaaS Sales Velocity: 8 Proven Strategies to Accelerate Your Time to Close

> Optimize SaaS sales velocity with targeted strategies, personalized outreach, and engaging product demos to close deals faster.

- Published: 2025-01-29
- Modified: 2025-02-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-velocity-strategies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies live and die by the effectiveness of their sales teams.   In the start-up phase, success is largely a matter of product knowledge, basic pipeline management, and personal connections. Scaling past that initial phase requires a refined, target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sales velocity, also known as pipeline velocity, measures how quickly the average lead converts and begins generating revenue for your company. It's a measure of both your sales team's productivity and the overall health of your sales funnel. Sales velocity is usually expressed as a dollar value, representing the amount of revenue your team can reliably and predictably generate in a day.   In addition to calculating sales velocity on an organization-wide basis, you can also narrow the metric down to a specific rep, department, or team.   How to Calculate Sales Velocity This is surprisingly simple, provided you have access to the following sales velocity metrics:  Average deal value/size (A): calculated by dividing the total value of deals in a specified period by the number of deals in that period Total number of opportunities (O): the number of qualified opps in a specified period  Win rate (W): A percentage value calculated by dividing closed deals by total opportunities Average length of your sales cycle (L): calculated by adding together the number of days it took to close each sale in a specified period, then dividing by the total number of deals closed in that period  All you need to do is multiply your total number of opportunities...

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### The Growing Intersection between Learning Management Systems and Learning Experience Platforms

> Discover the top learning experience platforms of 2025 to enhance personalization, learner engagement, and self-directed professional growth.

- Published: 2025-01-27
- Modified: 2025-02-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-learning-experience-platforms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

A learning experience platform (LXP) enhances an organization's training with features designed to improve personalization and learner engagement.   These platforms typically index and aggregate content into individual user portals, providing trainees with maximum autonomy over their learning. Many LXPs also leverage AI-driven personalization. Originally, there was a clear delineation between an LXP and a learning management system (LMS).   However, as the learner experience has become increasingly central to education, this gap has started to close. Many LMS vendors have incorporated the benefits of a learning experience platform into their solutions.  In this blog, we're going to go over not only some of the best learning experience platforms of 2025, but also several top LMS solutions with LXP functionality. Thinkific Plus Thinkific Plus is a cloud-based learning experience platform designed to support both customer onboarding and commercial training. Scalable and intuitive, the solution includes a fully SCORM-compliant learning management system (LMS) and integrates seamlessly with other learning platforms and tools. Best of all, Thinkific Plus is codeless — meaning you can easily design and deploy white-label experiences without extensive technical knowledge.   360Learning 360Learning takes a kitchen sink approach to corporate training and development, with an impressively comprehensive feature set that includes an LMS and a training management system (TMS). Even more impressive is the fact that in spite of its extensive functionality, the platform is completely intuitive. Between an AI authoring tool, automated scheduling, custom dashboards and smart enrollment, 360Learning makes it easy to create, manage, and scale...

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### Well CEd II: Insights from today’s Customer Education Experts

> How far has our field come over the past year? Where are we headed in 2025? And how will you leverage the rich experience of some of the world’s foremost Customer Education experts?

- Published: 2025-01-23
- Modified: 2025-01-23
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/well-ced-ii-insights-from-todays-customer-education-experts/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Virtual Lab Software for Remote Training: Best Practices 

> How virtual lab software transforms remote training with immersive, hands-on experiences and strategies to optimize learner engagement.

- Published: 2025-01-22
- Modified: 2025-01-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-lab-software-for-remote-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Remote training software has come a long way in recent years, largely by necessity. We'll spare you the details. We've spent enough time discussing the pandemic and its impact on the workplace. Instead, let's talk about remote training — specifically, how you can use virtual IT labs to get the most out of your remote and hybrid training initiatives.   What is Virtual Lab Software? A virtual training lab is a cloud-based environment that facilitates hands-on education rather than passive learning. The lab software creates a simulated non-production version of a digital workspace. This virtual environment is immersive and fully interactive, allowing trainees to experiment and practice without impacting real-world systems.   You can also use a virtual lab to run training simulations, giving participants vital experience of  scenarios that can't be safely replicated in production environments. In the cybersecurity field, where virtual labs are widely used, these scenarios include everything from ransomware attacks to catastrophic hardware failure.   The best virtual lab software typically includes:  Well-designed UX/UI Virtual sandboxes Over-the-shoulder access for instructors Automatic AI-powered grading, real-time feedback, and workflow automation  Content authoring software or the capacity for such integrations Comprehensive reporting and analytics  Security features include Single Sign-On (SSO), multi-factor authentication, and strong encryption  Flexible, scalable, and reliable cloud infrastructure Benefits of a Cloud Virtual Lab Virtual labs are ideal for building confidence. Think of them like a foam pit for budding gymnasts. The freedom to fall  — to fail  — encourages them to push themselves to the...

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### Transforming Tech Training: Virtual Labs, AI, and the Future of Certification

> CloudShare and Kinaxis are transforming tech training with virtual labs and AI, enabling scalable, hands-on learning and certification.

- Published: 2025-01-20
- Modified: 2025-01-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/transforming-tech-training-virtual-labs-ai-and-the-future-of-certification/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

In January 2025, we hosted a fascinating webinar that brought together some of the brightest minds in tech training and enablement. Our own Lee Berkman led a discussion with Faez Ahmed from Kinaxis, alongside CloudShare VP of Product Carmit Pelleg and Chad Fletcher from our identity verification partners at Kryterion. As the global leader in supply chain planning, Kinaxis faced a unique challenge: scaling their customer software education and partner training to meet rapidly growing demand. With thousands of new consultants from Accenture, Deloitte, and EY needing comprehensive training on their platform, they needed a tech stack that could deliver both quality and scale. That's where the combination of CloudShare's virtual IT labs and Kryterion's identity verification came in. Despite already having an impressive 20,000 certified professionals, Kinaxis knew they needed something more robust to support their hypergrowth plans. Faez, who runs their training and enablement program, shared his vision for transforming their entire approach to technical training and certification. "In a world where skills become redundant in days," Faez noted, "continuous assessment isn't just an option - it's professional survival. " This resonated deeply with us, as it's exactly the challenge our virtual IT labs were designed to address. Carmit Pelleg demonstrated how Kinaxis is using CloudShare's virtual labs to transform theoretical learning into practical experience. Through our solution, learners get hands-on access to real software environments, with visual AI-powered checkpoints providing instant feedback on their progress. This real-time validation helps ensure that learners aren't just following instructions –...

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### Introducing CloudShare’s New Visual AI Checks: The Virtual Lab That AI-Fives Your Students

> Discover CloudShare’s new Visual AI Checks—enhancing virtual labs with smarter, faster student support and seamless hands-on training!

- Published: 2025-01-16
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshares-new-ai-teaching-assistant/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Thought Leadership

Remember that amazing feeling when your teacher said "Perfect! " after you solved a tricky problem? Well, that’s the ingredient we've baked into CloudShare's innovative suite of virtual training tools. Meet Guided Journey with Visual AI Checks – it's like having a virtual teaching assistant who's always ready to give your learners an enthusiastic high-five when they nail it. Why Did We Build This? Let's be honest – "Wait while I check your work" is probably the least exciting phrase in virtual training. It's that buzz-killing, momentum-derailing pause that makes everyone fidget in their seats. Whether you're teaching the latest cybersecurity protocols or walking through complex software implementations, manually checking every single learner's progress is virtually guaranteed to turn your virtual lab into a virtual waiting room. That's why we turned "waiting for verification" into "moving forward with confidence. " How Does This Virtual High-Five Work? It's beautifully simple: guiding and verifying. Inside your virtual lab, the innovative Visual AI Checks acts like that super-attentive teaching assistant who can simultaneously watch over everyone's shoulder – except way less creepy and way more helpful. Here's what you do... Instructors simply: Drop into our user-friendly editor Break down their course into bite-sized victories (we call this the Guided Journey) Snap screenshots of what "nailing it" looks like Highlight the key unique elements that show success Hit launch and watch the learning flow The two highlighted areas indicate whether the learner completed the task successfully. Your learners get to: Race ahead at their...

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### Fusing AI with Certification and Labs

> Kinaxis and Kryterion scaled training with AI-driven labs and proctoring, boosting efficiency and CSAT scores.

- Published: 2025-01-16
- Modified: 2025-01-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/fusing-ai-with-certification-and-labs
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### 7 Steps to Creating a Learning Culture that Supports Employee Growth and Development

> Build a workplace learning culture to enhance employee engagement and retention and future-proof your organization.

- Published: 2025-01-13
- Modified: 2025-01-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/creating-learning-culture-strategies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Thought Leadership

Is your business doing enough to empower its people? Most aren't.   According to the most  recent Gallup data from August 2024, only 31% of U. S. employees are engaged at work, with 18% saying they’re actively disengaged. That paints a disturbing picture of the American economy - and one that has changed little over the past quarter-century. Why is that? Some organizations fail to live up to their claimed values or lack effective communication channels. Others don't prioritize employee well-being or offer flexible work arrangements. Last but by no means least, many businesses offer insufficient support for professional development. A survey of full-time workers by INTOO and Workplace Intelligence revealed the following findings:  46% of respondents say their managers don't know how to help them advance their careers.    59% complained that their company either rarely or never helps them explore growth opportunities outside their current department.   74% view learning and development as equivalent to or greater in value than a promotion. In short: every company needs a 75% likelihood of remaining with their employer, versus just 56% for those who haven’t advanced.   Employees who lack opportunities for career growth or professional development within a company are far more likely to look for new jobs. Employers seem to recognize this.   LinkedIn Learning revealed that 83% of organizations now seek to build more people-centric cultures and that 81% of learning and development departments are helping make that possible.   Engagement and retention aren't the only reasons to...

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### How to Design a Dynamite Demo Agenda

> Create winning software demos with structured agendas that address prospects' pain points, showcase solutions, and drive next steps.

- Published: 2025-01-08
- Modified: 2025-02-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/designing-effective-demo-agenda/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

“Tell ’em what you’re going to tell ’em; next, tell ’em; next, tell ’em what you told ’em. ” The origins of the quote are obscure, but you’ve probably heard it, or a variation, at some point in your career. It applies to pretty much any form of communication, from education to entertainment — and especially to sales.   Picture this: You've just scheduled a crunch call with a major prospect. You've got a sales demo environment ready to go. All that's left is to show up and do what you do right?   Not exactly.   Demo preparation requires more than a loose plan and a product demo platform to show a prospect how your software solves their problems. Better yet, after the demo, you can hand over the keys and kick off a POC that offers a crystal-clear idea of what the prospect will be getting. Just make sure you avoid the following pitfalls during the demo:  Getting too technical: this demonstration is about the prospect. They don't need to know how your software works, only that it does. Not leaving any room for a Q&A: most prospects have questions after a demonstration. Make sure you have time to answer them — and more importantly, that you know how to answer them.   Moving too fast: proceed at the pace the prospect seems most comfortable with, and be willing to stop and explore or explain a feature in greater depth if it catches their attention.   Not mentioning...

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### How Online Technical Training Drives Customer Success

> Boost customer success with hands-on online technical training that enhances onboarding, accelerates sales, and improves retention.

- Published: 2025-01-02
- Modified: 2025-01-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/technical-training-customer-success-strategies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Top-quality technical training is a no-brainer.    In fact, investing in customer education improves customer onboarding by up to 56% and customer lifetime value by up to 21%.   That shouldn't come as a surprise. Customer training and customer success have always gone hand-in-hand. The more effectively you teach customers to use your software, the more value they get from it and the more revenue you’ll earn from them. Delivered through the right platform, the benefits of technical training extend far beyond onboarding and adoption.   Training is also a powerful marketing tool, raising awareness and generating demand by giving prospects a firsthand look at your software. Nobody wants to simply roll the dice. They want to know exactly what they’re getting and to be able to hit the ground running.    For your sales team, technical training is an invaluable element of hands-on demos and POCs.   What’s more, customer success teams can count on technical training to accelerate time to value and deliver a wealth of upsell opportunities.   This article covers the key benefits of hands-on technical training as part of a seamless, end-to-end customer journey.   Why Technical Training Trumps Marketing Basics: what does your software do and why should the prospect care?   Slack is obviously a messaging app. SalesForce is a customer relationship management platform. Google Workspace is for content creation and collaboration. You get the point. These apps have a clear purpose, a straightforward feature set, and relatively focused use cases. That's not...

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### The Critical Role of Hands-On Learning in Engineering Onboarding

> Discover how hands-on learning transforms engineering onboarding, boosts retention, and accelerates skill development for new hires.

- Published: 2024-12-31
- Modified: 2025-01-01
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/hands-on-learning-in-engineering-onboarding/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Engineering is a pretty hands-on profession. Especially in smaller organizations where an engineer will often wear multiple hats, shifting between roles and responsibilities as required. A computer engineer, for instance, might start by designing a board before building and programming it. It should go without saying that hands-on learning needs to be a part of the onboarding experience for an engineer. But let's unpack the concept and take a close look at all the nuts and bolts. What is Hands-On Learning? Hands-on learning, also known as hands-on training, is an approach built around the practical application of knowledge and skills. Hands-on training tends to be both interactive and immersive, often replicating real-world scenarios in a controlled environment. It essentially provides trainees with the opportunity to 'learn by doing' rather than expecting them to learn through theory and rote memorization. What Are the Benefits of Hands-On Learning? Hands-on-training outshines passive learning in several ways. Experiential Learning is More Engaging Here's a quick thought exercise: which of these two scenarios sounds more compelling? An electrical engineer is learning what he'll be doing in his new role. He's given a stack of manuals to read about the different equipment he'll be using. His employer also provides him with a short tutorial video explaining their design software. Another electrical engineer is being onboarded by a different employer. Rather than a stack of books, she's given an interactive simulation that lets her take apart and examine the various components. The simulation provides instruction where necessary,...

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### 7 Key Benefits of Training Software for Employee Development

> Boost employee development with training software. Discover 7 key benefits, from skill enhancement to engagement and productivity gains.

- Published: 2024-12-27
- Modified: 2024-12-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/benefits-of-training-software-for-employee-development/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Compare today's workplace to the office of five years ago, and you’re looking at the products of two different worlds. Over the past few years, companies have increasingly shifted their focus away from job-based hiring — emphasizing relevant experience — to skills-based hiring. Leadership, meanwhile, has realized the importance of upskilling and re-skilling in the face of emerging technology like generative AI. The right software is essential in supporting such initiatives for many reasons. 1. Lower Learning and Development Costs First and foremost, using employee training and development software means you can start transitioning away from in-person training. That means no more travel expenses or venue bookings. Instead, you can start handling everything online. For a smaller business with a minimal headcount, these savings might seem negligible. But larger organizations could easily end up saving several thousand dollars or more per virtual session. That kind of money adds up fast. 2. Improved Accessibility Cost isn't the only thing online training has going for it. A virtual classroom is also a whole lot more accessible than a physical setting. People who might otherwise be unable to attend a session due to distance can simply access the course from the comfort of their own homes. This benefit really shines when distributed workforces are in play. Companies can expand and expedite onboarding processes since everyone can attend training sessions no matter where they’re based. Continual professional development can also be offered to employees anywhere in the world. 3. Access to Training Analytics Like...

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### Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Learning: Key Advantages and Best Practices

> Explore the differences between asynchronous and synchronous learning to choose the best approach for effective training and collaboration!

- Published: 2024-12-25
- Modified: 2025-01-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/asynchronous-vs-synchronous-learning/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Whether you're designing an employee onboarding program or creating material for a customer education initiative, one of the first things you'll need to decide is your approach. Will you choose synchronous learning, asynchronous learning, or something in between? This article will review the differences between synchronous and asynchronous learning, their respective benefits and drawbacks, and a few best practices for choosing between them. What is Synchronous Learning? Synchronous learning happens on a set schedule and in real-time. In either a physical or a Asynchronous learning is a training model in which participants engage with content on their own schedules and at their own speeds. Apart from completion deadlines and submission dates, asynchronous education doesn't follow a set schedule. Participants may also have the option to join discussion boards or reach out to an instructor for assistance. Advantages of Asynchronous Learning The biggest advantage of asynchronous learning by far is its flexibility. Participants don't have to worry about falling behind their classmates, because everyone is going at their own pace. This also means that a participant can skip over a particular chapter or module they already understand or dedicate extra time to one they're struggling with. Asynchronous learning content is also easy to personalize via artificial intelligence, a key consideration since the materials are delivered to individuals rather than an entire class. Personalizing content according to different learning styles and knowledge levels makes training content more accessible, engaging, and ultimately effective. Finally, asynchronous learning tends to be more cost-effective than synchronous...

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### Rocking around the Christmas Tree with a Record-Breaking 31 G2 Badges

> We’re happy to announce that we once again got everything we wanted for Christmas! from Santa (actually the global community of G2 reviewers)

- Published: 2024-12-24
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/rocking-around-the-christmas-tree-with-a-record-breaking-31-g2-badges/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

We’re happy to announce that we once again got everything we wanted for Christmas! Santa (actually the global community of G2 reviewers) decided that we’ve been good kids all year long, and delivered a sackful of 31 G2 badges in the Winter 2025 reports.   Here are just a few: It’s our biggest haul ever! We just love these shiny little guys and they look fantastic alongside the 25 we got in the fall, the 29 we picked up back in the summer, and the 19 we won in spring. What a collection. What a year! 🥳 So what do these awards mean? Well, they highlight our ongoing market leadership in virtual IT labs, customer education and demo automation spaces, where we provide mission-critical technology to many of the world’s biggest names in cybersecurity and software development.   Just as importantly, they reflect the hard-earned trust and exceptional satisfaction of our customers and partners worldwide. And there’s hard data to back up those fancy words. Our new industry survey (watch this space! ) revealed that 78% of companies see a significant or moderate increase in revenue from training programs. That’s a big part of the reason why our total number of classes is up by 34% over the past two years and our end user base has grown by 44% over the same period. Why G2 Badges Matter G2 is one of the world’s most highly respected software review platforms, relied upon by millions of businesses looking to make the...

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### The 5 Best DevOps Training Platforms of 2025

> Discover the best DevOps training platforms to enhance skills, boost collaboration, and streamline your development and operations teams.

- Published: 2024-12-22
- Modified: 2024-12-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-devops-training-platforms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sandboxing

DevOps — and its counterpart, agile development — are crucial to staying competitive in today's software landscape. However, the challenge for many organizations is getting all their techies on the same page, up to speed on this transformational way of working, and otherwise ready to rock. That’s why we’ve put together a handy list of the top DevOps training platforms of 2025. But first, let’s make sure we’re all aligned.   What is DevOps? Traditionally, software developers work separately from a company's IT operations department. DevOps tosses that tradition out the window and brings the two disciplines together to facilitate a faster, more efficient software development cycle. According to Gitlab, it's founded on four core principles. 1. AutomationA DevOps methodology automates as much of the software development lifecycle as possible. This includes — but isn't limited to — testing, software updates, and provisioning development environments. By eliminating unnecessary manual work, a SW provider simultaneously speeds up the development process and reduces the likelihood of human error. 2. Communication and CollaborationOne of the chief goals of DevOps is to create a culture of shared responsibility between operations and development teams. A key stage of that process is eliminating communication silos to ensure that everyone involved in a software project can connect freely with one another, discuss challenges, and find solutions. A good DevOps team should be able to work together like a well-oiled machine. 3. Continuous Improvement and DeliveryUnlike a traditional software project, a DevOps project is never really done. Instead,...

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### How To Keep Your Virtual Training Lab Content Up To Date

> In this blog, we'll share a few best practices for keeping your corporate training content fresh and relevant. Read more here.

- Published: 2024-12-15
- Modified: 2024-12-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-training-lab-content-up-to-date/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Imagine you're being onboarded into a new position. Everything looks promising so far. Your manager is even using a very cool virtual training lab to give you hands-on practice. Soon after logging in, however, you realize there's something wrong. The problem isn't with the tools you've been given — those are working as they should. No, the issue lies with the fact that the training content you've been given was created in 2015. Suddenly, things seem a whole lot less shiny. And that’s the reality for too many new employees. Even if the material is still factually accurate, failure to keep it fresh suggests that it’s a low business priority. Those vital lessons are less likely to stick. And right from the get-go, that new employee will be disengaged, demotivated, and less inclined to stick around. First impressions count. As a training manager or head of training and development, curating internal training content for employees is just as important as creating a customer education initiative for a strategic account. You’d never provide decade-old content to a customer without a thorough review and a serious facelift. By the same token, effective employee learning and development materials need to be engaging, compelling, and memorable. That’s especially true in the fast-moving software sector. Fluid and dynamic are the watchwords here. You simply can't afford to stand still or rest on your laurels. So let's run through a few best practices for keeping your corporate training content fresh and relevant. Schedule Regular Reviews Training...

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### The Top On-Demand Training Tools

> On-demand training, also known as self-paced learning, lets participants learn at their own speed and on their schedule.

- Published: 2024-12-05
- Modified: 2024-12-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/on-demand-training-tools/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Whether virtual or physical, instructor-led training happens on a set schedule. That's sort of a necessity. You can't expect an instructor to be available at all hours of the day. While instructor-led training works well for employee training, it tends to be less suitable for customer onboarding. A company can easily require every staff member to participate in mandatory training such as health and safety or AML. It also doesn’t have that level of control over its customers. Training a key account’s staff may be a top priority for a software provider. However, that key account has its own priorities, and blocking out a two-hour window for a team of 50 sales executives and engineers may be a bridge too far. That’s where on-demand training (or training on demand, if you prefer) has the edge. With on-demand learning, the participant has total control over when, where, and often how they engage. They learn at their own speed and on their own schedule. That’s why the other common name for this approach is self-paced learning. Developing content for this training style differs slightly from traditional instructor-led learning. Self-paced training is more modular since employees generally slot their sessions between their daily tasks. That means each module should be largely self-contained. Delivering that content, maximizing engagement, and maintaining oversight also requires robust on-demand training software. 7 Best On Demand Training Tools So, without further ado, let’s run through the magnificent seven recommendations for some of the best on-demand training solutions. 1. CloudShare...

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### Virtual Labs & LMS Integration: The Good, the Bad, and the Why

> Explore the pros and cons of virtual labs LMS integration and learn why it’s key to enhancing learning experiences and outcomes.

- Published: 2024-11-15
- Modified: 2025-01-01
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-labs-lms-integration-the-good-the-bad-and-the-why/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Training is a vital part of the work experience and something many companies still struggle with it. However, the widespread adoption of cloud technology has helped companies realize the advantages of training partners, customers, and employees through virtual labs. Companies are now embracing learning management system (LMS) integration, combining the rigor and engagement of traditional training,  with the convenience and accessibility you can only find in virtual instructor-led training (VILT). Virtual labs with LMS integration are a potent way to educate anyone, from existing clients to new employees. For example, imagine your business needs to train employees to use new software or wants to show potential clients the benefits of a new product in a specific instance. The LMS component can impart new knowledge, while virtual labs provide a contained environment to practice what they’ve learned. A recent study found that including virtual labs for engineering students improved the median grade of participants by roughly 20%, with students who leveraged the virtual environments achieving a final grade of 83-39% as compared to a median final grade of 67% for students that ignored virtual labs. Virtual IT labs offer several notable advantages that make them an attractive option. Read on to learn the significant pros and cons that virtual labs with LMS integration can offer your organization. What is a Learning Management System? A learning management system (LMS) is an administrative tool designed to make life easier for instructors and training managers. Used for e-learning by educational institutions as well as...

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### 3 Reasons Why Hands-on Training is Hands-down Better Than Passive Learning

> Discover 3 compelling reasons why hands-on training outshines passive learning in engagement, retention, and practical skill-building.

- Published: 2024-11-07
- Modified: 2025-01-01
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-reasons-why-hands-on-training-is-hands-down-better-than-passive-learning/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The one and only way to learn how to ride a bike is to get on it and go. That’s not the case for learning how to operate software. There are a number of ways to conduct software training, but let’s be clear: hands-on training has proven to be the most effective. Hands-on training is a form of “experiential learning” that helps learners: Develop real-world skills Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills Become more engaged and motivated Build relationships and collaborate with others Let’s unpack these ideas in the context of software training. Customers will better understand your product’s value The B2B software market has never been more competitive. We live in an age of subscription-based services where dozens — perhaps even hundreds — of vendors are vying for each customer's attention at any given time. In this market, retention is everything. Unfortunately, this is also a market in which customers can afford to be fickle. If there's something they dislike about your software or if it doesn't start generating value for them right away, many will think nothing of dropping you for another vendor. To ensure that doesn't happen, you need to prove your software's value to them right off the bat. Hands-on training is the best way to accomplish that. If you sit down and try to describe all the things your software can do, customers aren't likely to listen, and they’re even less likely to rememberBut if you can show them value or, better yet, if they...

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### The Role of Virtual Environments in Red Team vs Blue Team Exercises

> Explore how virtual environments enhance Red Team vs. Blue Team exercises, boosting security readiness and team collaboration.

- Published: 2024-10-31
- Modified: 2024-11-18
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-environments-in-red-team-vs-blue-team-exercises/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

You don't really know how good your security is until you see how it performs under fire. But that doesn't mean you need to wait for a cyber-incident. It's better that you iron out the wrinkles with a simulated crisis.   That way, when your business faces a real emergency, you'll be prepared. There's a few ways you can go about this. One of the most effective, however, involves bringing in a third party to work in collaboration with your security team. This is often referred to as as red team vs. blue team exercises. In this post, we’ll cover the basics of red team vs. blue team exercises, what’s involved with them, and why a virtual environment is a must for these exercises.   What is a Red vs. Blue Team Exercise?   The best way to explain red and blue team exercises is to define the two teams — and their respective roles.   Red Team: The Attackers  A red team attempts to break into your business's network by using the same tactics as real-world threat actors. It's usually external to your organization, made up of ethical hackers working for a specialized vendor. The end goal of a red team exercise is to identify and patch holes in your security before someone with more nefarious motives can exploit them.   Blue Team: The Defense The blue team consists of your own internal personnel. This could be your security team, your IT department, or both. In a traditional red team...

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### 5 Benefits of Gamification in Employee Training

> Discover how gamification transforms training, boosting engagement, retention, and skill-building for effective learning outcomes.

- Published: 2024-10-29
- Modified: 2024-11-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/benefits-of-gamification-in-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Anyone who says education can't be all fun and games clearly hasn't been paying attention. Whether for customer onboarding or employee training, gamification has many benefits. We're going to go over a few of them today, then discuss why gamification and virtual labs are a great match. Let's start by exploring what gamification is and why it matters.   What is Gamification in Training? Gamification incorporates design elements from video games and other forms of interactive media to create a more engaging and interesting learning experience. Some common gamification techniques include leaderboards, unlocks, progress points, and achievement badges. Some gamified training even takes things a step further, allowing participants to create customizable avatars and interact with a digital worldspace.   Why is Gamification Important?   Boredom simply isn't conducive to education. If your This is especially true where customer education is concerned.   Learning and Retention Gamified training has been shown on more than one occasion to improve learning and retention. You don't need to simply take our word for it, though. A survey by recruitment platform Zippia found that gamification can increase employee skill retention by as much as 40%. Moreover, companies that use gamification are found to be up to seven times more profitable than those that don't.   Interactivity 7 Effective Methods for Increasing Engagement in Online Learning.

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### Best Practices for Simulating Cyber Attacks in Safe Environments

> Learn how safe environments enable teams to simulate cyber attacks, enhancing skills and resilience without real-world risks.

- Published: 2024-10-24
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cyber-attacks-in-safe-environments/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

In today's business landscape, it's not a question of if you'll be targeted by a cyberattack — it's more a matter of when. That's why it's more important than ever to make sure you're prepared. Having the right defenses in place is only part of the equation in that regard. Your employees also need to understand how to use those tools, and more importantly, how to respond during a cyber incident.   Cybersecurity simulation training is an excellent way for people to develop that understanding. Rather than having to hope they remember processes and policies during live events, they can practice in realistic attack simulations that replicate the actions of a real-world cyber threat without putting any of your infrastructure at risk. Here's what you need to know in order to effectively deliver these simulations.   Know Your Ecosystem In order to create an technical due diligence process.   The deeper your understanding of your ecosystem and its threats, the more effective your simulations will be.   Understand the Different Techniques There are a few different approaches you can take to running a simulated cyber attack: Bringing in a group of professionals known as a cyber range training.   Employing artificial intelligence and machine learning for sophisticated, AI-driven security training.   None of these techniques are mutually exclusive, and you could easily blend two or more of them in the same simulation. Set Clear Objectives and Limitations It's incredibly rare for a business to suffer multiple attacks from different threat...

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### How to Run Successful Cyber Range Simulations: Key Steps &amp; More

> Explore how cyber range simulations prepare teams for real threats, building hands-on skills in a risk-free environment.

- Published: 2024-10-22
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cyber-range-simulations/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

One of the biggest mistakes you can make with your cybersecurity is to treat it like a project with a clear endpoint. It's not. In today's threat landscape, security is an ongoing commitment — you and your team need to constantly be evolving.   Fail to do that, and you might as well just paint a target on your back for threat actors.   Aside from working with modern, agile security vendors, the best way to make sure you're keeping pace is through regular testing and training. That way, you'll know whether your defenses can protect you against the latest threats. More importantly, you'll know if your people are ready to respond to those threats.   Trouble is, you can't exactly release malware into your ecosystem or crash your network with a DDOS attack. The point of cyber range platform. That way, you'll be able to run live-fire simulations that actually test your defenses. And if those defenses aren't up to snuff, you can figure out why without having to worry about your ecosystem collapsing in on itself.   Let's go over the best way to use a cyber range for testing and training, starting with a quick overview of the technology. What is a Cyber Range Simulation?   A cyber range is a complex virtual environment that can be used to simulate any number of different real-world scenarios. Live-fire simulations are just one of several use cases for the technology, which include training and onboarding, professional development, compliance management,...

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### The Power of Contextualized Labs for Simulating Large-Scale Cyber Attacks

> Discover how contextualized labs offer immersive, real-world learning experiences that enhance skill application and knowledge retention.

- Published: 2024-10-17
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/contextualized-labs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

Let's say, for argument's sake, that you feel pretty good about your security posture. You're working with several excellent vendors, you have a strong cybersecurity awareness training initiative in place, and you've done the necessary legwork to encourage a culture of cybersecurity. All in all, you're pretty confident in your defenses, but you haven't actually tested them yet.   There's an old saying that comes to mind: "No plan survives first contact with the enemy. "  It's all well and good to have security processes and tools in place, but that's only half of what you need to do. You also need to see if everything holds together under fire. That includes your employees. How do you know if they've everything they need to respond to a large-scale cyberattack? It's not like you can just have them experience one, right? Actually, you can — all you need is a contextualized learning program.   What is Contextualized Training? Also known as contextualized learning, contextualized training is an approach to learning and development that reinforces training content with hands-on tasks. Contextualized learning materials are usually delivered via a specialized virtual platform known as a contextualized lab. Where cybersecurity is concerned, this could take the form of any number of simulated cyberattacks or incidents. What Are Contextualized Labs?   A contextual lab is a specialized virtual space where learners can get hands-on experience with a concept or topic. Contextual labs in cybersecurity usually take the form of cyber ranges, complex platforms designed to...

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### 10 Cybersecurity Awareness Topics Your Training Should Cover in 2024

> Explore essential cybersecurity awareness topics that equip teams to recognize threats, prevent breaches, and protect data effectively.

- Published: 2024-10-15
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-awareness-topics/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

What's your business's biggest security vulnerability? No, it's not the fact that your Active Directory is held together with virtual duct tape and prayers — though you should probably do something about that. It's your people.   This is a tale as old as time. Just look at what happened to Constantinople. While the Turkish army was well-organized and well-equipped, do you know what ultimately secured their victory? Someone forgot to lock one of the city's gates. What does that have to do with cybersecurity, though? More than you might think, actually. If your business doesn't provide education on 49% of all data breaches involve stolen credentials? There's a reason for that. 85% of respondents to Bitwarden's Third Annual World Password Day Survey indicated that they reuse passwords across multiple sites, while 58% rely entirely on memory for their passwords.   It's a safe bet that most of those passwords aren't really what you would consider "strong. " In fact, the world's most common passwords include 123456, admin, and password. No, you didn't misread that.   Aside from providing your employees with a password manager, you also need to include the following guidance on password hygiene and authentication in your security awareness training:  The characteristics of a strong password. The importance of multi-factor authentication. Why SMS authentication is insecure.   How to use a password manager. Why it's important to occasionally change your passwords.   Safe Browsing Hollywood loves thinking of cybercriminals as erudite hackers who take apart advanced security...

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### Sneak Peek into Self-Paced Training

> Learn how self-paced training can boost engagement, increase course completion, and deliver faster ROI in this insightful webinar recording.

- Published: 2024-10-09
- Modified: 2024-11-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sneak-peak-into-self-paced-training
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### CloudShare G2 Badges Video - Fall 2024

> This Fall, CloudShare continues to shine as a market leader, together with 25 new badges. We’re making an impact from pre-sales to post-sales.

- Published: 2024-10-08
- Modified: 2024-10-14
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshare-g2-badges-video-fall-2024
- Formats: Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement, Cyber security, Sandboxing, Thought Leadership



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### Why Scaling Training Solutions for Global Teams is Mission Critical

> Learn why scalable training solutions are vital for global teams, ensuring consistent skills, security, and compliance across regions.

- Published: 2024-10-03
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-scaling-training-solutions-for-global-teams-is-mission-critical/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Thought Leadership

We’ve passed the inflection point of remote workers being a small segment of the workforce to the majority of it — 64% of all workers are fully remote, up from 49% in 2022. Developing and scaling training programs that accommodate remote workers, rather than treating them as an afterthought, is no longer optional. Organizations must build programs that effectively increase productivity, cohesion, and security. It’s clear the training paradigm of the past needs to be updated. So, let’s explore why scaling training solutions is critical and what best practices you can follow to get the best results. Key Challenges with Global Workforces Several challenges need to be addressed as the modern workforce continues to evolve into a geographically dispersed tapestry of remote teams. Some of the most urgent challenges to solve are: Time zones and scheduling: When one person wakes up and gets ready for work, another person on the same team might be clocking out for the day. This makes planning live, instructor-led training sessions. Language and cultural barriers: You might not be primarily hiring employees from the same country as your headquarters; instead, you might have a multilingual workforce in need of training. Technology infrastructure variations: Remote workers are dependent on their own local infrastructure to ensure power and an Internet connection. Having training that’s available on-demand is crucial for organization-wide training. Consistency in training quality: Providing the same quality of training ensures that the organization receives the same benefits from these programs, regardless of the instructor, training...

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### The Top 7 Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) Software Solutions for 2024

> Discover the top 7 virtual instructor-led training (VILT) software solutions for 2024 to enhance remote learning experiences.

- Published: 2024-09-30
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-vilt-software/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Your training is only as good as the technology you use to support it. That applies just as much to virtual instructor-led training (VILT) as it does to any other training format. But how do you choose the right platform from all the different VILT solutions on the market?   We can help with that. Today, we're going to go over some of the best VILT software of the year — with any luck, you'll find a solution that fits your business on this list.   The 7 Best VILT Software Platforms Adobe Connect Top Features: Pods: Supercharge training by adding pods to deliver mini experiences within a broader environment. Layouts: Create virtual storyboards, complete with images, muilti-media, interactive courses, polls, chats, quizzes, and notes. Custom Branding: Use images, logos, and custom colors to add your branding to any room. Adobe Connect focuses on creating a virtual learning environment that's as close to a physical classroom experience as possible. Instructors can access a ton of interactive features including Q&A's, polls, chats, and whiteboards. The platform also features a crisp and modern interface with the ability to apply custom layouts and branding. The big wing of Adobe Connect, however, is in how it tracks learner participation. Rather than rely solely on how participants interact with training materials, the solution features an engagement dashboard that aggregates a ton of different parameters into a digital body language score. Your instructors can see a full...

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### Five Best Practices for Mastering Software Sales Training

> Master software sales training with these best practices for building effective, personalized, and data-driven programs.

- Published: 2024-09-23
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-best-practices-for-mastering-software-sales-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

In a perfect world, you wouldn't need to train your salespeople. They'd know how to do everything right out the gate. But we don't live in a perfect world — while new additions to your sales team might understand the basics of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) sales, they'll still need coaching on the specifics of your business, product, and market.   Let's talk about what that involves by going over a few best practices for developing a winning sales training program.   Pay Attention to Your Sales Training Technology Even the most impactful and insightful training materials are ineffective if they're not delivered properly. The right sales training platform therefore makes a huge difference to your training program's effectiveness. We recommend looking for a solution that is:  Cost-effective, with transparent, usage-based pricing.   Customizable, allowing you to create content tailored to different responsibilities, roles, and areas of expertise.   Flexible, with support for multiple training methods and modalities, including virtual instructor led training (VILT) and self-paced training.   target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">digital fluency, and product knowledge are only part of the equation in enterprise software sales. Your training should also focus on teaching the right soft skills to your salespeople, as well. By the time onboarding is complete, each salesperson should:  Understand how to build trust and cultivate a lasting relationship with a prospect.   Be able to keep track of deadlines, conversations, appointments, and follow-ups. Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.   Know how to engage in active listening.   Develop...

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### The Customer Education Elevator - with Strategic Marketing

> CloudShare’s latest eBook that will help you unlock the secrets of top-performing customer education programs. 

- Published: 2024-09-19
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/the-customer-education-elevator/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### 5 Top Channel Sales Tools You Need in 2024

> Read about the top 5 channel sales tools of 2024 to boost partner management and sales success.

- Published: 2024-09-18
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-channel-sales-tools/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Your sales team can only handle so many prospects in a day. Sometimes that means turning to outside help to keep your pipeline stocked with qualified leads. Don't worry, we're not talking about contracting a third-party agency — at that point, you might as well just hire more salespeople. What we're talking about is a completely different sales model, one that relies on partnerships and ecosystems to help your business grow and thrive.   Today, we're going to briefly touch on what a channel sales model involves, then list a few valuable tools to make establishing and managing your partnership program a great deal easier.   Channel Partner Sales: A Brief Overview Put simply, a channel partner sales program establishes partnerships with other vendors to sell and market your software on your behalf. There are a few different types of channel sales partners. They include, but are not limited to:  Distributors. Middlemen between manufacturers and partners. Original Equipment Manufacturers. Manufacture products that other companies can brand, modify, and resell.   Systems Integrators. Integrates components from multiple manufacturers into a saleable product.   Value-Added Reseller. Enriches a product with its own features or offerings before selling.   IT Consultants. Provide expert guidance related to information technology and help companies integrate new solutions.   Managed Service Providers. Deploy, manage, and maintain a software solution for customers on another company's behalf.   5 of the Best Channel Sales Software Solutions 1. CloudShare Effortless, High-Impact Virtual Training Management is only one half of channel...

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### Education-Qualified Leads Deliver Golden Marketing Opportunities 

> Learn how education-qualified leads (EQLs) from customer education and marketing collaboration can drive growth and retention.

- Published: 2024-09-17
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/education-qualified-leads-deliver-golden-marketing-opportunities/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Thought Leadership

When customer education and marketing departments put their heads together, they can significantly impact many vital KPIs that fuel corporate growth and longevity. This came through in the recent series of interviews I conducted with industry experts. While the conversations largely explored ideas for elevating customer education with the help of marketing resources, it also became clear the strategic alignment of the two departments has the potential to create an exciting type of lead: the education-qualified lead.   The education-qualified lead, or EQL, is a golden addition to the marketing and sales pipeline. An educated prospect may be more likely to come aboard, and an educated customer is more likely to stay on board. EQLs are gold across the entire customer lifecycle “Aligning KPIs helps you build solid relationships across functions, which is huge for getting anything done,” says Debbie Smith, senior director of Visier University and president of the Customer Education Management Association (CEdMA). Courtney Sembler, who runs the HubSpot Academy, told us, “When discussing KPIs, the customer education team should introduce a new one that’s connected to marketing or content marketing. We call them ‘academy leads. ’”  You might describe them as academy leads (as HubSpot does), university leads (as Visier does), or simply, EQLs. In all cases, the idea centers on executing a knowledge-led strategy that will impact the business as measured by KPIs including lead conversion, customer retention, and overall revenue growth, to name a few.   Courtney pointed out that the HubSpot Academy is a...

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### The Benefits of Active Learning in Product Training

> Learn how active learning can enhance SaaS product training by improving engagement, comprehension, retention, and learner autonomy.

- Published: 2024-09-16
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-benefits-of-active-learning-in-product-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The importance of product training for a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company can’t be overstated. If people don't understand how your software works, they won't use it. It’s as simple as that. That's why you need a product training strategy. But you shouldn't settle for any old product training program. No, if you're truly interested in fulfilling your product training objectives, your best option is to create a program based on active learning. Let's talk about why.   What is Active Learning? Also known as hands-on training or experiential learning, active learning is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Instead of passively reading a product manual or watching a demonstration, active learning has participants "learn by doing. " In the context of SaaS, it can involve any or all of the following:  A virtual environment that participants can freely explore.   Guided product walkthroughs.   Exercises and simulations that highlight your product's key features. Quizzes and polls.    Collaborative projects.   Problem-solving challenges.   How Can Active Learning Enhance SaaS Product Training? Remember when you first learned to drive? Many of you probably started with a written exam, memorizing the various traffic signals and laws. Did that exam prepare you in any way, shape, or form to actually operate a motor vehicle?   Probably not. You needed time behind the wheel. You needed to experience the road for yourself so that you could develop the necessary skills. That's the basic idea behind active learning as it applies to the SaaS space....

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### Seven Validated Habits for Stunningly Successful Demos

> Discover seven proven habits from Peter Cohan that turn demos into deal-closing successes.

- Published: 2024-09-12
- Modified: 2024-09-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/seven-validated-habits-for-stunningly-successful-demos
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Marketing the Spirit and Soul of Your Product—with Dave Derington

> Discover how marketing strategies elevate customer education with insights from industry expert Dave Derington.

- Published: 2024-09-12
- Modified: 2024-12-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/marketing-the-spirit-and-soul-of-your-product-with-dave-derington/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Thought Leadership

Many customer education folks know of Dave Derington, educator of corporate education professionals. Dave’s done nearly everything related to training and customer success. He co-hosts the CELab podcast and is a go-to-market strategist for LMS providers and companies with customer education initiatives. When I asked him to sit for an interview about growing customer education with marketing strategies, he jumped out of his seat and onto my screen.   Fact check: There was no actual jumping involved, but Dave was eager to share his expertise with me and for you. You’ll enjoy this... I began by asking about the keys to making relationships work with the marketing department.   Dave: Every time I come to a new company or engage as a consultant, I reach out to the marketing team and say, “Hey, let's get connected. ” I want to understand what's on their plate, how they operate, their structure, and who I can engage with. More tips came flying forth... Dave: Have an open mind and attitude. Have a growth mindset. You're going to have to learn things. Be present, available, and proactive. There are so many things you can learn from marketing, and so many things marketing can learn from you. I was curious to know if marketing ever told him to “Hit the road, Jack. ”Dave: I've never had that happen. And if I did, I'd quit, because if you don't have support from different stakeholders, you’re bound to fail. In a CloudShare webinar, Dave and I...

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### How HubSpot Uses Education to Attract, Engage and Delight Customers - with Courtney Sembler

> Discover how HubSpot Academy, led by Courtney Sembler, uses education to attract, engage, and delight customers, driving growth through strategic initiatives.

- Published: 2024-09-10
- Modified: 2024-09-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-hubspot-uses-education-to-attract-engage-and-delight-customers-with-courtney-sembler/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Thought Leadership

If you’ve been around customer education for any length of time, you’ve undoubtedly heard a thing or two about the HubSpot Academy. It’s achieved legendary status as a pioneer in what many call “knowledge-led growth. ” Courtney Sembler is the director and long-time manager of the HubSpot Academy. We asked her to share some knowledge with us and are delighted that she agreed. First, she offered a little HubSpot Academy history (and philosophy)...   Courtney: When I first started with the academy, I was developing educational content as an inbound professor (that’s HubSpot for “curriculum developer”). The academy once sat in marketing, and we focused on using educational content to support marketing goals. Today, we’re a part of the customer success department but maintain a very close relationship with the HubSpot marketing team and focus on how we use education to spin HubSpot's flywheel. Instead of a funnel designed to shuffle customers amongst departments, in the flywheel model, every team in the company works together to attract, engage, and delight customers. I asked Courtney, “What would you tell customer education leaders that need to get more eyeballs on their programs? ” Courtney: I’d say relationship building can't be overlooked. I think oftentimes we fall short because we go to the marketing team and say, “I need this, I need more eyeballs, I need blah, blah, blah. ” And it becomes very transactional. If you start with building a relationship and understanding their KPIs and what campaigns they're running, you can...

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### SAI 360 Streamlines Hands-On Training with CloudShare

> Vincent Perkins, Academy Manager at S60, shares how CloudShare has transformed their customer training processes.

- Published: 2024-09-08
- Modified: 2024-09-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/sai-360-streamlines-hands-on-training-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Case Studies, Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Transforming Training with CloudShare: Insights from Ping Identity Experts

> Leone Schwede, Director of Training, and Niah Johnson, Manager of Global Training Delivery Operation at Ping Identity, share their experience with CloudShare.

- Published: 2024-09-08
- Modified: 2024-09-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/transforming-training-with-cloudshare-insights-from-ping-identity-experts
- Formats: Case Studies, Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Customers Who Learn Don’t Churn—with Debbie Smith

> Discover how Debbie Smith leverages customer education to reduce churn and drive business success with data-driven insights.

- Published: 2024-09-04
- Modified: 2024-09-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customers-who-learn-dont-churn-with-debbie-smith/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

When you talk about customer education with Debbie Smith, you go away wiser—and inspired. Debbie is the Senior Director of Visier University and president of the Customer Education Management Association (CEdMA). In her usual fearless style, she’s quick to share her point of view. I present to you now some of the highlights from a one-on-one we had about marketing customer education. Debbie works for a SaaS company that specializes in analytics—people analytics—and she likes to back up her assertions with numbers. For customer success now, churn is the big thing. Customers who learn don't churn. How does training affect churn? Well, I did a churn analysis at Visier and showed that people who had churned had not been involved with training in the last year. I've shown this at other companies too. In my first customer education role, I set up a dashboard. I showed companies who took eLearning had an 11% increase in ARR. Those who took instructor-led had about a 25% increase. Those who went through a certification program had a 69% increase in ARR, and with those who got certified, we had zero churn. Those were some pretty impressive numbers, and I'm looking to duplicate that here. So, one of the things we want to do is get CSMs to have customers take training because they are less likely to churn. It's the biggest thing because it's much more expensive to go find new customers than to keep the ones you have. Though she’s quick to...

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### Bridging Skills Gaps with Hands-On Collaborative Learning

> Discover how collaborative learning can bridge skills gaps and drive impactful growth with insights from 360Learning and CloudShare experts.

- Published: 2024-09-02
- Modified: 2024-09-02
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/bridging-skills-gaps-with-hands-on-collaborative-learning
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Everything You Need to Know About the Software Sales Process

> Learn the essential stages of the software sales process to optimize your strategy and stand out in the competitive SaaS market.

- Published: 2024-09-02
- Modified: 2024-09-01
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-sales-process/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

According to Statista, there are approximately 30,800 software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies in the world as of this year. That number is expected to rise to roughly 72,000 by 2025. And if you count artificial intelligence (AI) companies as part of the SaaS market, that figure rises to around 175,000.   Basically, SaaS is more competitive than ever. With so many companies competing for everyone's time and attention, it's crucial that you know how to make yourself stand out. That starts with a strong understanding of the SaaS sales process.   Why Understanding the Software Sales Cycle is Important SaaS is all about data and relationships — or more accurately, using data to cultivate relationships with your customers. You need to know who you're selling to, but you also need to know how you're selling to them. That means understanding your sales funnel, including your channels, tactics, and, most importantly, how long it usually takes someone to go from prospect to customer.   Armed with that understanding, you'll be able to refine your sales process to be more efficient and effective while also gaining a deeper understanding of your audience. The 7 Stages of Software Sales Even though every SaaS company's sales cycle is unique, they all follow the same basic process, with the same general objectives at each stage:  Lead Generation. Figure out who's interested in your software and why.   Engagement. Find the best way for your sales team to connect with prospective customers.   Qualification. Differentiate between leads who...

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### CloudShare's Virtual IT Labs for Sales

> CloudShare’s virtual IT labs solution lets you quickly spin up cloud-based environments for POCs and demos, that are wonderfully collaborative and totally hands-on.

- Published: 2024-09-01
- Modified: 2025-01-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-virtual-it-labs-for-sales
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### CloudShare's Virtual IT Labs for Training

> CloudShare’s virtual IT labs solution lets you quickly spin up cloud-based environments for training programs and courses, that are wonderfully collaborative and totally hands-on.

- Published: 2024-09-01
- Modified: 2025-01-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-virtual-labs-for-hands-on-training
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Critical Training KPIs Every Training Manager Should Track

> As a training manager, learning and development metrics help you both optimize your training and convey that training's value to leadership.

- Published: 2024-08-31
- Modified: 2024-10-31
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-kpis-to-track/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

One of the first steps in creating an effective virtual training program is to define your key performance indicators (KPIs). This holds true regardless of whether your training is customer-focused or internal. As a training manager, learning and development metrics help you both optimize your training and convey that training's value to leadership. https://youtu. be/0y9NArxgBvc What is a Training KPI? A key performance indicator (KPI) is any metric used to assess the effectiveness of a strategy, program, or initiative. In the context of software training, this typically involves measuring the knowledge and performance of users who have completed a course. In addition to results, training KPIs also assess the training process itself, with the goal of identifying potential weaknesses or bottlenecks. The Importance of Measuring Training Metrics Corporate training, no matter its target audience, is a target="_blank" rel="noopener" crossorigin="anonymous"> Keep Track of Your Core Training KPIs with CloudShare Whether you're onboarding new customers, training new employees, or offering professional development to existing staff, learning and development metrics are crucial to your success. They not only help you identify shortcomings and weaknesses in your training, but also allow you to convey the value of your training to other departments. Moreover, the right KPIs also provide insight into your best trainees. For customer training, that means more up-sell and cross-sell opportunities. For employee training, that means finding and recognizing potential leaders and mentors. In either case, it's not an opportunity you can afford to overlook. And with CloudShare, you won't have to...

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### Level Up: Marketing Customer Education Like a Pro - with Shannon Howard

> Join Annie Reiss as she interviews Intellum's Shannon Howard on elevating customer education through strategic marketing and internal collaboration.

- Published: 2024-08-28
- Modified: 2024-09-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/level-up-marketing-customer-education-like-a-pro-with-shannon-howard/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Thought Leadership

Bouncing ideas around for elevating customer education with Intellum’s marketing mastermind Shannon Howard was crazy fun. She pulls out all the stops when it comes to discussing the mark customer education is now making on the company at large.    “I want every person in the company to know we have an amazing customer education team,” she said. “I call it communicating confidence. ” She believes customer education leaders must spread the gospel loud and proud.   Now, pause your notifications for a few minutes and absorb Shannon’s ideas about how to do that—and why it’s vital.   We began by talking about the mindset of the company’s marketers.   Shannon: Most marketing teams are focused on new customer acquisition. Retention tends to be a customer success goal. But even if someone is focused on acquisition, I think it's important to remember that current customers are a primary driver of new customer acquisition.   Almost every new customer touches an existing customer. And if you have not set them up to be successful, then it doesn't matter how much great marketing you do, you can't close a sale. To quote HubSpot: “Our success depends on our customers’ success. ” Most marketers will want to help once they understand how it impacts not just customer retention and customer success, but also new customer acquisition. You have to sell them—and everyone—on the vision of successful customers. We talked about how customer education should approach marketing to give as well as get. Shannon:...

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### Top 6 Blended Learning Tools for 2024

> Discover the top 6 digital tools for effective blended learning to enhance your corporate training initiatives.

- Published: 2024-08-26
- Modified: 2024-09-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blended-learning-tools/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

1. CloudShare Designed to deliver stunning virtual product and training experiences, CloudShare's virtual IT labs are scalable, intuitive, and cost-effective. Instructors can spin up complex training environments in just a few clicks, tailoring them to virtually any training modality your business might require. On top of this, CloudShare comes with built-in analytics and custom reporting for both learner performance and ROI.   Lastly, CloudShare is easy to integrate with other training solutions such as learning management systems (LMS).   2. Scribe Scribe is a powerful knowledge sharing tool with a unique angle — it develops process documentation through observation. Using artificial intelligence, Scribe is able to generate training manuals, process overviews, and standard operating procedure documents for just about any software-based task. These documents are fully customizable and can include screenshots, photos, and video.   Documentation can be shared with both internal and external contacts with a single click, and can also be either exported to PDF or embedded in an online knowledge base.   3. TalentLMS TalentLMS is built to support seamless onboarding, compliance training and professional development. With a mobile-friendly layout, personalized branding, and drag-and-drop content creation, the platform makes it easy to create tailored courses for both blended and hybrid learning. TalentLMS also incorporates AI for both content generation and to support personalized learning paths.   Last but certainly not least, the platform specifically supports, with the capacity to evaluate, track, and manage learning across a combination of virtual and instructor-led training sessions.   4. Apty According...

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### How Sales Engineers Can Close Deals Faster with Modern Sales Enablement

> Your technical expertise is your superpower. Now let's add rocket fuel to your sales process.

- Published: 2024-08-26
- Modified: 2024-08-26
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-sales-engineers-can-close-deals-faster-with-modern-sales-enablement-with-leighton-nelson
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### The Rise of the Community in Customer Education: What You Need to Know

> Explore the rise of community-based learning in customer education and how it can enhance customer engagement, support, and loyalty.

- Published: 2024-08-21
- Modified: 2024-08-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/rise-of-the-community-in-customer-education/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Thought Leadership

It's been said that the more things change, the more they stay the same.   Centuries before we had modern amenities like electricity and the Internet, most learning happened within the community. People worked together, learned together, and grew together. Now, as we near the last quarter of 2024, we're seeing history repeat itself — sort of.   Instead of relying on businesses, customers are increasingly turning toward each other for everything from product recommendations and reviews to technical support. Granted, this has always been somewhat of a thing, with websites like Reddit and Stackoverflow acting as hubs for collaboration and communication. But over the past few months, we've seen the trend picking up steam. Community learning: by the numbers According to a recent report by Forrester, published documentation in online communities is now one of the most common types of education. As it turns out, customers want to learn not just from companies, but from one another. They want to ask questions, share their experiences with a product, and collaborate on everything from onboarding education and troubleshooting to advanced use cases.   This really isn't all that surprising. Communicating and collaborating are more or less the basis of our entire civilization, after all. Not only that, we've known for a while that around 20% of learning happens through social interaction and that social learning improves both comprehension and retention.   Collaborative learning isn't the only reason more and more people are embracing community-based learning, though — as it turns...

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### How to Create Effective Sales Demo Environments

> Learn how to create effective, personalized sales demo environments that engage prospects and showcase your software's capabilities.

- Published: 2024-08-12
- Modified: 2024-08-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/effective-sales-demo-environments/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

For software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, traditional demos are ineffective. Modern prospects demand something more compelling. They're looking for a sales demo that not only shows them what your software can do, but also lets them experience it for themselves. The best way to deliver that experience is through a personalized sales demo environment. Basically, that means building a tailored virtual simulation that lets the prospect experiment with and explore how your software might interact with their real-world ecosystem. Let's talk a bit about what that involves.     Key components of a sales demo environment Sales demo environments generally take one of two forms. You can either have a collection of software solutions that integrate with one another to provide an environment, or a dedicated sales demo environment platform. Whichever option you choose, some key features and functions to look for include:  Integration with other sales enablement and business tools, such as your customer relationship management (CRM) platform and your learning management system (LMS).   The ability to quickly spin up custom virtual environments without requiring support from IT.    Interactive elements such as surveys, quizzes, interactive infographics, and guided walkthroughs.   Communication and collaboration tools such as chat and video messaging. Analytics and reporting.   Best practices for building your sales demo environment Know your prospect It's basically the golden rule of sales, but it still bears mentioning: Know who you're selling to. What does your prospect want, and why is your software the best option for them? Do they have...

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### Hi, We Are CloudShare

> CloudShare’s virtual IT labs solution lets you spin up cloud-based labs, super fast, that are wonderfully collaborative and totally hands-on

- Published: 2024-08-07
- Modified: 2025-01-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-virtual-it-labs-brochure-2025
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement, Cyber security, Sandboxing



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### 5 Blended Learning Strategies for Engagement

> Discover five effective blended learning strategies to enhance engagement and improve outcomes in your corporate training programs.

- Published: 2024-08-07
- Modified: 2024-07-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blended-learning-strategies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Applying blended learning to your corporate training can have a ton of benefits. Not only does it have the potential to reduce corporate training costs, it can also improve learner comprehension and retention while also helping your instructors do their jobs more effectively. Not only that, blended learning provides greater autonomy to students and allows your business to offer better, timelier feedback. But how do you successfully implement blended learning into your training program? That starts with knowing a few of the different methods. Today, we'll be going over some of the top blended learning strategies — but first, we'll briefly touch on what most types of blended learning strategies share in common.   The Anatomy of an Effective Blended Learning Strategy The best blended learning strategies incorporate a mix of different instructional styles and modalities. This diversity helps to ensure that your training caters to multiple learning styles. Moreover, it's easier to support multimodal learning, something that's been shown to improve both retention and comprehension.   Another thing the top blended learning strategies have in common is their focus on personalization. Blended learning basically combines the best of both worlds, providing collaborative learning in the classroom and personalized learning paths online. With this in mind, we recommend making sure that whatever blended learning strategy you ultimately choose, personalization is a major focus.   Blended learning is, above all, about learner engagement. Focus on finding ways to make participants want to learn more, such as through achievements, leaderboards, or simulations....

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### Understanding the Different LMS Modules

> Explore the essential LMS modules to enhance your corporate training, including assessments, course management, and user management.

- Published: 2024-08-05
- Modified: 2024-08-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/lms-modules/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

A learning management system (LMS) is the foundation of every successful corporate learning and development (L&D) program. But how can you make sure you've chosen the right LMS? After all, no two training initiatives are totally alike — meaning that there's really no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution.   The good news is that most LMS vendors understand this. Instead of providing their software as a monolithic package, they've started breaking it into modules. Let's go over some of the most important training modules. What is an LMS Module?   An LMS module, as the name suggests, is a feature or component of an LMS platform. In some cases, a module might be available directly out of the box. Other times, it might be sold as an optional add-on for the platform or even available as an integration with a third-party vendor or partner. What are the Different Types of LMS Modules?   Assessments Assessment modules help you evaluate the performance and comprehension of your trainees. They usually provide you with a few different options, including quizzes, hands-on simulations, and games. Depending on whether or not your LMS supports automation, you might also be able to have the tool recommend follow-up training or provide instant, real-time feedback to learners.   Most assessment modules also integrate with their LMS solution's reporting and analytics module so that instructors can generate assessment reports and gain deeper insights into both learner performance and the effectiveness of their training.   Course and Content Management...

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### Discover Your New Superpower: RDP Booster

> Imagine a technological breakthrough that completely revolutionizes how companies deliver training and sales experiences.

- Published: 2024-07-31
- Modified: 2024-07-31
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/discover-your-new-superpower-rdp-booster/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement

Imagine a technological breakthrough that completely revolutionizes how companies deliver training and sales experiences. Before we get into the how, let’s start at the beginning. What is RDP? RDP stands for Remote Desktop Protocol, which lets you control your Windows-based Virtual Machines (VMs) from afar. However, the usual RDP experience is often less than stellar, especially when a lot of data passes through this remote connection, such as videos, graphics-heavy applications, and high-interaction experiences. This can result in lags, latency, and screen “tearing”.   CAD, MedTech, Analytics, and many other intensive graphic or heavy-data software companies struggle to deliver virtual customer software training or POCs because the user experience is terrible. They can’t show their product's true value or improve product adoption and knowledge without more expensive, patchwork systems. That’s where our newest superstar, RDP Booster, comes in.   RDP Booster uses the RDP 10 protocol to turbocharge your remote connections. By reducing interaction latency and acting as a load balancer to streamline data transfer, RDP Booster means a vastly improved end-user experience. And now, in English Here’s how this new feature will improves product experiences: Enhanced user experience: Users get a seamless “my own desktop” feel, even during target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Schedule a demo with us, and we will show you how our RDP Booster means you can deliver incredible product experiences no matter what kind of software you have.

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### Webinar Recap: Seven Levels of Stunningly Successful Discovery

> Discover the seven levels of effective discovery calls for software sales, as explained by Peter Cohan in our latest webinar recap.

- Published: 2024-07-31
- Modified: 2024-07-31
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-seven-levels-of-stunningly-successful-discovery/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

During a recent webinar, Lee Berkman of CloudShare and guest Peter Cohan, author of Doing Discovery, took attendees on a deep dive into the art and science of mastering discovery calls for software sales. This blog post provides a summary of the subjects covered and you can view the full webinar here. Also, check out "Better Discovery, Better Conversion” – an ebook that we co-authored together with Peter, which provides a concise and informative guide to catapulting software sales with masterful discovery.   The Power of Effective Discovery Experienced salespeople know that inadequate discovery leads to a bunch of problems, including delayed decisions, unwarranted discounts, and demos that go nowhere. Gartner reports that nearly 45% of forecasted opportunities in B2B software companies end in a big fat "no decision. " But if you’re able to nail your discovery, you'll have a good chance of gaining competitive advantages, most notably positive differentiation, referencing customers, and realizing customer lifetime value (CLV).   Think of effective discovery as rainfall on a mountain range: the more thorough and wide-ranging the discovery, the better the results downstream in your sales process. Without it, you'll end up with a dry riverbed at the bottom.   The Seven Levels of Discovery Skills According to Peter, sales professionals should master seven levels of discovery skills. Level 1: Uncovers statements of pain Level 1 in the discovery process focuses on identifying and understanding the prospect's initial pain points. This involves asking open-ended questions like,  "What kind of pain are...

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### The Top E-Learning Tools of 2024

> Learn about what's involved in finding e-learning software for your online training program and what you should look for.

- Published: 2024-07-31
- Modified: 2024-07-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-e-learning-tools/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

So, you've dreamed up a winning strategy for your training program. You know exactly what you need to teach and who you're looking to teach. But there's still one thing missing — your toolkit.   Without the right e-learning software, even the best-laid training plans might go to waste. With that in mind, let's talk about what's involved in finding e-learning software for your online training program, starting with the kinds of tools you should look for.   Types of Corporate E-Learning Tools Corporate learning and development tools usually fall under one of the following umbrellas, though there are plenty that cover multiple areas.   Authoring Authoring software lets you create the materials for your training courses. Authoring tools often come with a wide range of features, including artificial intelligence (AI) integration, pre-built templates, and support for interactive learning. Most modern solutions are designed for ease of use as well, allowing instructors to design — and occasionally even deploy — content without assistance from IT.   Learning Management System (LMS) A learning management system (LMS) helps you organize and deliver training content. This usually includes managing participants, scheduling courses, and handling busywork such as grading and feedback. As online learning has continued to evolve, many LMS vendors have also incorporated functionality from other types of e-learning systems. These include learning experience platforms (LXP), training management systems (TMS), and content authoring tools. Learning Experience Platform (LXP) As the name suggests, a learning experience platform (LXP) makes your training program more engaging...

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### How to Evaluate and Compare Virtual IT Labs

> Learn how to evaluate and compare virtual IT labs to find the best solution for your training and development needs.

- Published: 2024-07-24
- Modified: 2024-07-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-it-lab-providers-buyer-guide/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

So, you're looking for a hands-on training platform? We can help with that. Your best bet is probably going to be a cloud-based virtual training lab — better known as a virtual training platform.   Not only are cloud-based virtual IT labs more flexible and cost-effective than traditional virtual labs, they can also do a lot more, too. Instead of being restricted to a few predefined environments, most Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) virtual labs let you configure and spin up whatever simulations you need. The best virtual IT labs are also intuitive enough that you can use them without needing help from your IT department.   But how do you know what to look for? What are the must-have features and functions for virtual lab software? How can you tell if a vendor will be a good fit for your needs? We'll walk you through everything you need to know — starting with the feature-set. What Are The Most Important Features in a Virtual Lab? Let's break this down into two sections, starting with must-haves. These are features that every virtual IT lab solution should include. If a virtual lab is missing any of them, you might want to think about looking at a different vendor. After that, we'll list a few nice-to-have features; value-adds which, while neither deal-breakers nor deal-makers, can add a lot to a virtual lab solution.   Must-Have Features for Virtual IT Labs Support for Hands-on Training Since virtual labs are all about hands-on learning, any solution worth...

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### Say Goodbye to HTML Hassles: Meet Our WYSIWYG Editor 🥳

> Let’s face it - creating unique and dynamic content with HTML is about as easy as trying to whip up a gourmet meal with a microwave and instant noodles.

- Published: 2024-07-23
- Modified: 2024-07-23
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/say-goodbye-to-html-hassles-meet-our-wysiwyg-editor/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement

Let’s face it - creating unique and dynamic content with HTML is about as easy as trying to whip up a gourmet meal with a microwave and instant noodles. While it’s not impossible, it’s time-consuming, complex, and downright frustrating, especially if you aren’t a tech wizard 🧙 (or a chef).   Say hello to our newest feature: CloudShare’s new WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor. No more struggling with HTML markup and copy-pasting generic content - the new editor gives you all the tools you need to craft experiences as unique as your users.   And there’s more... . Using the new WYSIWYG Editor, you can also customize your login page. Instead of a bland, generic starting point, your users can immediately land on a branded page that sets the stage for an awesome learning experience. Now let’s dig a bit deeper into the new features and how you can make the most of them.    Cut the Coding The new WYSIWYG Editor makes creating content intuitive and straightforward.   Here’s how simple it is to use: When creating any training or sales experience - whether it’s courseware, workshops, seminars, instructor-led or self-paced training , POCs, demos, or channel partner sales - all you need to do is write your content and then design it however you like: Format text with fonts, layout, and more Add images, links, and other media Customize your colors It really is that easy. Don’t believe us? Check it out: And to...

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### Cheat Sheet: 11 Must-Ask Questions for Software Sales Discovery Calls

> This cheat sheet will help you uncover key insights and drive the sales process forward effectively.

- Published: 2024-07-23
- Modified: 2024-07-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/cheat-sheet-11-must-ask-questions-for-software-discovery-calls/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Virtual Training Labs vs. Simulations: Key Differences &amp; More

> Discover the key differences between virtual training labs and simulations to choose the best method for your training needs.

- Published: 2024-07-22
- Modified: 2024-11-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-training-labs-vs-simulations/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We've made no secret of our belief that hands-on training. is the way to go. It's just better than traditional learning — it's not only more engaging but also helps participants learn and retain things more effectively.   But we're not here today to talk about the merits of first-hand learning experience.  We're here to talk about the best way to deliver that experience. It really boils down to choosing between virtual training labs and simulations. Since the two options are confused with one another pretty frequently, let's start by differentiating them. What Are Virtual Training Labs?   A virtual training lab is a cloud-based environment that provides learners with a hands-on, interactive digital learning experience. Also known as a hands-on lab or virtual IT lab, virtual lab is not a simulation; it's an exact replica of a real environment such as your business's network or content management system. It's essentially a non-production duplicate of whatever system or software you're training people to use.   Virtual labs are intended to be highly immersive and nearly indistinguishable from real-world systems, making them an incredibly powerful tool for hands-on training. What Are Training Simulations? A simulation replicates a digital environment not by creating a non-production version of it, but rather through algorithms or snapshots. Rather than interacting directly with real-world software, participants in a training simulation usually interact with one or more scenarios designed by the instructor. Some examples might include managing a service outage or navigating a customer support interaction.  ...

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### A Framework for ROI: How Customer Education Pays for Itself - with Vicky Kennedy

> Stop guessing your ROI: master the metrics of customer education today!

- Published: 2024-07-18
- Modified: 2024-07-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/a-framework-for-roi-how-customer-education-pays-for-itself-with-vicky-kennedy
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### 7 Best LMS Platforms for Product Training

> Explore the 7 best LMS platforms for effective product training, enhancing learning experiences for your team and customers.

- Published: 2024-07-17
- Modified: 2024-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-lms-for-product-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Your choice of learning management system (LMS) can have a big impact on your training outcomes. Using an LMS for product training, for instance, not only reduces the overhead of your customer training initiatives but also improves training visibility, makes scaling more efficient, and improves training delivery and design. But how do you know if you've chosen the right product training software? Let's discuss — starting with a quick overview of the most important features in a product-oriented LMS. What are the Elements of a Great Product Training Platform?   When choosing an LMS solution for product education, look for one with the following features and characteristics:  Support for a variety of different content types, including video, live assessments, and interactive sessions.   Tools for easy content creation, management, and upload.   Robust user management features with comprehensive analytics to track behavior and engagement.   The ability to quickly generate easy-to-read reports.   Flexible options for deployment and integration.   Support for mobile learning through either a native app or responsive design.   Support for multiple learning types, such as instructor-led training, iSpring Learn supports everything from virtual onboarding and compliance to product education. The platform makes things easier on the administrative side with automated workflows, supervisor dashboards, and integration with tools such as Salesforce and Microsoft Teams. There's also a corporate portal and newsfeed, the capacity to create specified learning tracks, and an extensive course library. The platform is primarily geared toward employee onboarding, upskilling, and certification. Features like...

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### Customer Testimonial: Fiery Scales Educational Portfolio with CloudShare

> Pedro da Silva, Global Educational Services at Fiery, shares his success story using CloudShare solution.

- Published: 2024-07-16
- Modified: 2024-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/customer-testimonial-fiery-scales-educational-portfolio-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Case Studies, Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Revolutionizing Apprenticeship Assessments: City & Guilds' Success with CloudShare

> David Wacket, Industry Manager at City & Guilds, explains how CloudShare revolutionized apprenticeship assessments.

- Published: 2024-07-16
- Modified: 2024-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/revolutionizing-apprenticeship-assessments-city-guilds-success-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Case Studies, Videos
- Use Cases: Cyber security



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### CloudShare G2 Badges Video - Summer 2024

> Meet Ted, employee 57 at CloudShare. Ted struggles with love. We don’t.This summer, CloudShare earned 30 G2 badges 🔥

- Published: 2024-07-15
- Modified: 2024-09-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshare-g2-badges-summer-2024
- Formats: Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement, Cyber security, Sandboxing, Thought Leadership



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### Essential Cybersecurity Training Topics for Modern Organizations

> Discover essential cybersecurity training topics to keep modern organizations safe from evolving digital threats and vulnerabilities.

- Published: 2024-07-15
- Modified: 2024-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-training-topics/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

What's the most powerful weapon in a cybercriminal's arsenal? It's not malicious software or botnets. It's you — or more accurately, your ignorance.   And they'll gladly exploit it. Remember that close to 88 percent of data breaches are the result of human error. You want to do everything you can to make sure you don't become part of that statistic.   That's why cybersecurity training is so important, and why, in a world increasingly defined by remote work and digital technology, it's no longer optional. But what should your training focus on? What are the most important security topics for your business?   We'll go over them below.   Crucial Topics in Cybersecurity Training for Employees Social Engineering Humans will always be the weakest link in any system — and hackers know it. Unless there's a vulnerability that they can exploit, criminals will almost always try to target your employees first. Why would a criminal spend hours or days trying to break through a firewall when they can just fool Jim from accounting into giving up his passwords?   Social engineering attacks work through psychological manipulation. They might create a sense of urgency or excitement to make a target act without thinking or pretend to be someone a user trusts. They also tend to occur during times of the day when users are more likely to be tired or distracted. Phishing Phishing is the most common form of cyber crime, and also one of the oldest. How it works...

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### 5 Best Demo Automation Software Solutions in 2024

> Explore the 5 best demo automation software solutions of 2024 to boost your sales team's efficiency and success.

- Published: 2024-07-11
- Modified: 2024-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/demo-automation-software/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

There's an old saying: Talk is cheap. If your sales team really wants to impress potential customers, they need to be able to put their money where their mouth is. This means showing showing people what your software can do instead of just talking about it.   They need product demos. And they need something that makes those demos easy to create and deliver at scale. That's where Adaptive learning so that demos are both personalized and aligned with different touchpoints in the buyer's journey.   Support for on-demand, self-paced delivery.    Cloud-based and scalable.   Ability to deliver interactive, hands-on demonstrations.   Benefits of Demo Automation Software The biggest benefit of demo automation is the amount of time it saves for your sales team. Because they're spending less time delivering live demos, salespeople can focus on more impactful tasks. Demo automation also helps to reduce the number of unqualified demos, meaning less time wasted on demos that won't convert.   All of this together means a shorter sales cycle in which your customers have more control over their journey and are more engaged as a result.   Our Top Demo Automation Platforms at a Glance CloudShare — Spin up complex, interactive environments in moments TestBox — Live demos and sandboxes directly within your software Navattic — Intuitive, affordable self-guided walkthroughs Demostack — An in-browser clone of your product's backend and frontend Saleo — Streamlined, personalized live demos The Top Demo Automation Tools for Your Business CloudShare CloudShare makes it...

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### Sizzling Success: 30 G2 Summer Badges Thanks to Our Customers' Hot Reviews

> CloudShare is definitely turning up the heat this summer. After a fantastic spring harvest of 19 badges, we rode that wave into summer with a blazing 30 G2 badges! We’ve never been hotter, and it’s all thanks to you, our amazing customers. 🥳

- Published: 2024-07-09
- Modified: 2024-07-09
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-g2-reviews-badges-summer-2024/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

CloudShare is definitely turning up the heat this summer. After a fantastic spring harvest of 19 badges, we rode that wave into summer with a blazing 30 G2 badges! We’ve never been hotter, and it’s all thanks to you, our amazing customers. 🥳 Summer is usually associated with happiness, optimism, joy, warmth, great health, outdoor activities, brightness, great food, enjoyable rides in the car, motorcycling, bicycling, jogging, excitement... and now, for us at CloudShare, it's also associated with 30 sizzling G2 badges. It’s not just about breaking records and strengthening our market position; it’s about the ongoing value that our customers get from CloudShare and we could not be more proud. 😀 Out of all the badges, we’re most excited about winning the “Users Love Us” badge. Since this award is a true reflection of our commitment to meeting our customers' needs, it’s the one we collectively hold our breath for every season, because it means so much to us. 😍 Our 29 other scorching summer badges are spread across three main categories - Customer Education, Virtual IT Labs, and Demo Automation. Let’s dive in! Customer Education Thanks to your incredible feedback, we received a whopping 16 badges in Customer Education (! ! ! ! ), including Leader, High Performer in Enterprise, Leader in Small Business, Most Implementable, Higher User Adoption, Best Estimated ROI, and many more. With customer education becoming such a powerful driver of business growth and customer success, we’re proud to be at the forefront of technologies...

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### 8 Best Training Management Systems for 2024

> Explore the top Training Management Systems (TMS) of 2024 to enhance and commercialize your corporate training programs.

- Published: 2024-07-08
- Modified: 2024-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-training-management-systems/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Your learning management system(LMS) helps you manage the front-end of your corporate training program. It helps you create and manage better, more engaging training for both customers and employees. But what if you want to commercialize your learning program? For that, you'll need a training management system (TMS). Designed for the commercial side of learning, a TMS helps your business manage administration, scheduling, logistics, invoicing and reporting. But what makes a TMS effective, and how do you know if an LMS includes the necessary features to support a commercial training program?   We're going to go over some of the best training management solutions of the year.   Our Top TMS Solutions at a Glance: CloudShare — Best for virtual labs and hands-on training. SkyPrep — Best for process and systems training.   Thinkific Plus — Best for no-code flexibility and scalability.   Trainual — Best onboarding experience.   Deel Engage — Best for adaptive learning.   Looop — Best for automating learning pathways.    GyrusAim — Best for corporate HR teams. 360Learning — Best for end-to-end collaborative learning. Key Features of Training Management Software The features of a good TMS include:  Workflow automation Scheduling Reporting and analytics CRM integration LMS integration Course management The Best Training Management Tools of 2024 CloudShare CloudShare is a virtual product experience platform that lets you quickly spin up complex hands-on training environments without any support from developers of IT. Scalable, secure, and intuitive, CloudShare also equips you with powerful built-in analytics and custom...

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### Knockout! Customer Education Boosts Revenue and Cuts Costs

> Customer education, when implemented strategically and correctly using vendors, will boost your top and bottom lines and positively impact KPIs...

- Published: 2024-07-01
- Modified: 2024-07-01
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/knockout-customer-education-boosts-revenue-and-cuts-costs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If we were to sum up Forrester’s latest report (commissioned by Intellum) on customer education in one sentence, it would be this:  Customer education, when implemented strategically and correctly using vendors, will boost your top and bottom lines and positively impact KPIs in all business areas - from increased adoption, retention, and lifetime value to lower support costs - and the numbers are here to prove it.   Honestly, that’s pretty much all you need to know, but if you’re the kind of person who needs proof (which is totally understandable), let’s dig in :-) The Rise (and Rise! and Rise! ) of Customer Education Spending Lately, there's been a major plot twist in how companies think about customer education.   In the past, many even questioned if it was worth the investment. In fact, whenever the software industry would hit a rough patch, training budgets were often the first to get the axe. It was almost like customer education was the unwanted guest at the budget party, always in danger of being shown the door. But now?   Customer education has gone from being the wallflower at the dance to the star of the show, becoming a key part of business strategy. And the numbers? They tell quite the story.   Back in 2017, the average annual spend on customer education was $401K.   Jump to 2024, and that number has shot up to $1. 1 million.   And by 2026? It's projected to hit $2. 2 million! So...

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### Better Discovery, Better Conversion - How to Master the Most Important Element of Software Sales

> With a big assist from Cohan’s book, insight from industry insiders, and recent research, we’ve created a concise and informative guide to catapulting software sales with masterful discovery.

- Published: 2024-06-30
- Modified: 2024-07-01
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/better-discovery-better-conversion-how-to-master-the-most-important-element-of-software-sales/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### How to Make Automated Sales Demos Work for You

> Everything is becoming automated, so why not sales demos? Learn why sales demos should be automated and how virtual labs can help.

- Published: 2024-06-23
- Modified: 2024-06-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-make-automated-sales-demos-work-for-you/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Sales demos are a time-honored way to educate potential buyers about your product and move them further along the buyer’s journey. In a perfect world, they close the sale on the spot. Demos are especially important for SaaS platforms and other applications where the lead has specific requirements and must be sure that your product meets their needs. Additionally, it can often be challenging for leads to understand the differences between your product and your competitors. Sales demos help them gain a deeper understanding of what you’re selling. The second most important thing buyers want to discuss on the first sales call is understanding how the product works, with 54% of B2B buyers indicating its importance. That comes in narrowly after product pricing at 58%. Automated sales demos are a valuable tool to help educate prospective buyers about your product by offering hands-on experience. Depending on your use, they can be available on-demand on your website or quickly spun up by salespeople before the sales call.   It’s time to explore how automated sales demos can be put to work for your business to increase your close rate, help qualify leads, and ultimately boost your revenue. Read on to learn more about this leading-edge improvement on the age-old sales demo process. What Are Automated Product Demos? An automated sales demo improves the conventional demo process by automating important aspects of SaaS and application demos while conducting them in a virtual environment. The virtual environment creates a genuinely interactive product demo...

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### Seven Levels of Stunningly Successful Discovery - with Peter Cohan

> Done effectively, discovery is the key to delivering compelling software demos and proposals that accelerate the sales process and reduce “no decision” outcomes. Watch our webinar with Peter Cohan to master sales discovery.

- Published: 2024-06-20
- Modified: 2024-06-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/seven-levels-of-stunningly-successful-discovery-with-peter-cohan
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### The Best Ways to Do Cyber Resilience Training

> All organizations are vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks and must focus on cyber resilience and training. Learn best practices in this post.

- Published: 2024-06-20
- Modified: 2024-06-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-best-ways-to-do-cyber-resilience-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security, Thought Leadership

Modern businesses have a lot to juggle when it comes to cybersecurity. There are threats everywhere you look today. But it isn’t enough to implement lackluster cybersecurity systems. A successful business must stay on top of digital security and often spend large amounts of resources improving protection and security for their digital infrastructures. Companies in every industry are staying on their toes to avoid the costly consequences of a data breach by installing firewalls, encryption methods, and anti-malware measures. And even the most secure companies can fall victim to cyber-attacks. That’s why your organization must focus on cyber resiliency training. Because when attacks take place, your company needs the right systems in place to bounce back quickly. Cyber resilience vs. cybersecurity Cyber resilience and cybersecurity are often conflated with one another. Although the two conceptsarevery closely related, they aren't the same thing. Fortunately, the difference between the two is relatively easy to understand. Cybersecurityencompasses everything you do to protect your systems, people, and data from active cyber threats. It includes security technology as well as best practices, access policies, and education. The core objective of cybersecurity is topreventa cyber incident from occurring in the first place — if only by making a business such an inconvenient target that threat actors look elsewhere.   Cyber resilience, on the other hand, involves what you do during and after a cyber incident. It focuses on your business's ability to respond to, remediate, and ultimately withstand disruptive events and attacks. The core objective of...

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### 6 Key Benefits of Customer Education You Should Know

> Empower your customers with top-notch education and unlock business growth! Discover the benefits of customer education today.

- Published: 2024-06-18
- Modified: 2024-06-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/benefits-of-customer-education/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

A good customer education program can be a huge competitive advantage for your business. Provided you have the right customer education platform to support your overarching strategy, providing educational content to both existing and prospective customers can have a huge impact on engagement, loyalty, and retention. And that, in turn, has some major long-term benefits for any business — especially one operating in a vertical as competitive as SaaS. Let's go over a few of the most significant benefits. 1. Lower customer support costs The better a customer understands your software, the less likely they are to need product or technical support. That translates to some pretty big time and cost savings for your customer support, especially combined with resources such as a knowledge base and self-service portal. What's more, because your team will be spending less time dealing with minor helpdesk tickets, they'll have more time to assist with more significant problems — or simply to provide information that may not be readily and immediately available.   2. Increased product adoption Product adoption is basically the golden metric for SaaS companies, representing the moment when a customer has fully engaged with your software's key features. Your customer education program is how you make them aware that those features exist and show them how everything works. Consequently, lacking an effective onboarding process is one of the most surefire ways to sabotage trust recommendations from people they know personally over other forms of advertising, having more brand advocates in your corner...

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### 7 Best Customer Engagement Platforms for 2024

> Boost your business with the best 7 customer engagement platforms. Discover how to increase interaction and satisfaction effectively.

- Published: 2024-06-13
- Modified: 2024-06-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-engagement-platforms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Customer engagement is a major contributor to the success of a software-as-a-service company — and not just during the sales and onboarding process. Engaged customers are not only more loyal to your business but they're also willing to spend more and likelier to promote you to friends and colleagues.   According to a survey by Wyzowl, 86 percent of people feel greater loyalty to a business with a customer engagement program that combines onboarding, enablement, and education. Engagement also improves retention, making customers significantly less likely to abandon their relationship with your business. Given that an increase in retention of just five percent can increase revenue by up to 95 percent, that's a pretty big deal.   So, with all that in mind, here's what you can do to increase customer engagement in your training, marketing, and customer support: Collect and listen to customer feedback Consider using blended learning in your customer education or at least offer multiple modalities Connect and communicate with your customers in real-time  Use analytics to continually look for ways to improve your engagement efforts Equip your team with the right customer engagement tools. Let's talk about that last one. There's no shortage of customer engagement platforms on the market, but they definitely aren't all created equal. With that in mind, we've put together a few of our top picks — the solutions we regard as best-in-class. Our top 7 digital customer engagement platforms 1. Pendo. io Pendo bills itself as an all-in-one, AI-driven product experience...

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### Top 10 Pre-Sales Software Tools in 2024

> Discover the best pre-sales software to streamline your sales process and boost conversions. Enhance efficiency and close more deals.

- Published: 2024-06-11
- Modified: 2024-06-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-pre-sales-software/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

You already understand the importance of sales enablement. But what about what comes before that? Have you stopped to think about the pre-sales process and its impact on your sales cycle? If not, you should.   The pre-sales workflow is an essential part of any sales enablement strategy, allowing you to lay the groundwork for your other sales processes. The research you gather during this stage will serve to guide your entire sales journey. By giving you a better understanding of your customers and through the development of processes and best practices, you'll also improve your sales capacity. Common pre-sales activities include: Customer discovery and prospecting Lead qualification Product, market, and competitor research Preparation for proposals, CloudShare Our own platform offers a powerful and simple virtual IT lab that almost anyone can use to spin up high-impact virtual environments in just a few clicks. Designed to support training, onboarding, and sales enablement in equal measure, CloudShare is easy to integrate with a range of different platforms and solutions, including Google, Docebo, and multiple learning management systems.   We also provide businesses with a comprehensive analytics dashboard that gives them complete insight into how users are engaging with demos and training content. 2. Storylane Storylane is a no-code software platform for developing and deploying interactive, personalized product demos. Fast, flexible, and intuitive, the platform is usable entirely through a browser extension. The software also includes analytics functionality to help your team gain a better understanding of how people are engaging with...

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### How to Maximize the ROI on Your LMS Investment

> Maximize ROI on your LMS investment with our expert tips. Learn strategies to enhance efficiency & value from your LMS.

- Published: 2024-06-06
- Modified: 2024-06-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-maximize-the-roi-on-your-lms-investment/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Thought Leadership

The learning management system (LMS) is the cornerstone of any corporate training initiative. That’s why it’s crucial that you choose the right LMS and use it effectively. But doing this requires calculating and optimizing the return on investment (ROI) of your LMS, so you can quantify the positive impact of your LMS on your business while also demonstrating that impact to leadership. Let's talk about how you can achieve that — starting with a thorough understanding of key LMS metrics you need to know. Key Metrics to Measure LMS ROI Calculating the return on an LMS tends to be somewhat more complex than with other investments. This is primarily because the we need to untangle that web. Direct LMS Costs are recurring expenses such as software licenses, infrastructure investments, and the acquisition of training materials. These are the easiest to quantify, as you need only examine your invoices. Indirect LMS Costs are a bit more challenging to understand. They include how much time your employees spend on training, support, and system maintenance, as well as any resources dedicated to those areas. LMS Returns may include improved governance and compliance, increased operational efficiency, greater user satisfaction, more effective professional development programs, better retention, reduced training and onboarding time, and streamlined administration. Now that we know what we're measuring, let's talk about how we can measure it. Here's where it gets a bit complicated. There isn't any singular metric to effectively calculate your LMS ROI. Instead, depending on your business's training objectives...

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### 7 Essential Types of Instructional Design to Use in 2024

> Explore different types of instructional design to enhance learning experiences. Discover methods that optimize educational outcomes.

- Published: 2024-06-04
- Modified: 2024-06-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/types-of-instructional-design/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The instructional design process is the foundation of all corporate training, from employee onboarding to customer education. Whether you employ them internally or hire a third party, instructional designers play a crucial role in any training strategy. Their responsibilities typically include: Designing and maintaining content within a learning management system. Adjusting coursework based on feedback from participants. Understanding and applying new corporate training principles and trends. Developing learning materials such as tutorial videos, guided walkthroughs, online knowledge bases, etc. As you've probably guessed, instructional design can be a fairly complex field — but the right instructional design model can make it considerably less challenging by providing a structured framework that guides the development of effective training programs. So which model should you choose for your corporate training program? We've summarized a few of the most popular design models below. Understanding the Different Instructional Design Models (IDS) An instructional design model is a framework or process that provides a systematic approach to designing and developing more effective instructional materials. It typically guides instructors via a series of steps, from analyzing learner needs and goals to designing, developing, and evaluating materials that meet those needs. By following an instructional design model, learning designers benefit from: A structured approach to developing training content. A repeatable design process that saves both time and money. The peace of mind that comes with knowing they are working with proven research and best practices. A framework that can be adapted to a wide range of instructional contexts...

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### Cheat Sheet For Beginners: Generative AI for Software Sales

> Generative AI can be a serious game changer in B2B SaaS sales. However, most sales professionals still don’t know how to reap its enormous value. Here's a cheat sheet crammed with the tips you need to fuel your sales engine with generative AI.

- Published: 2024-05-31
- Modified: 2024-05-31
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/cheat-sheet-for-beginners-generative-ai-for-software-sales/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### 5 Strategies to Design Impactful Software Product Training - with Jordan Hopkins, Intellum

> Take your training to the next level with time-tested strategies from Jordan Hopkins, Education Program Manager at Intellum.

- Published: 2024-05-22
- Modified: 2024-05-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/5-strategies-to-design-impactful-product-software-training-with-jordan-hopkins-intellum
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### 7 Effective Methods for Increasing Engagement in Online Learning

> In this article we explore seven of the most effective methods for increasing engagement in online learning.

- Published: 2024-05-22
- Modified: 2024-05-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/increasing-engagement-in-online-learning/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

What's the most important characteristic of a successful virtual training program? It's not the training platform or instructors. It's not even the training content. It's the experience. To put it another way, it doesn't matter if you have the best training materials and the most knowledgeable instructors in the world. If your training fails to engage learners, most of them will simply abandon it. Obviously, you want to make sure that doesn't happen. That's why today, we're going to explore seven of the most effective methods for increasing engagement in online learning. Embrace a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Potential KPIs and metrics to track include, but are not limited to: Usage details and trends related to your training platform Retention Churn Completion rate Average time to completion User behavior User satisfaction Encourage Collaborative Learning Roughly 20% of learning occurs through social interaction. Additionally, per Cambridge University, people who engage in social learning tend to display improved comprehension and retention. This isn't terribly surprising — humans have always been social animals, after all. But this inherent drive for social interaction can also make virtual engagement uniquely challenging. In addition to developing training materials that directly incorporate collaborative activities, you might also consider running Personalize the Experience Everyone has slightly different knowledge, needs, and preferences. Ideally, you'll want to account for those differences with your virtual training. Offer multiple training options to account for different learning styles and consider incorporating generative AI to support personalized learning paths. You may also want to consider integrating...

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### 10 Essential Tools for Modern Sales Engineers

> 10 sales engineer tools that can be used by all kinds of sales professionals who are working on complex technical sales with savvy clients.

- Published: 2024-05-21
- Modified: 2024-05-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-essential-tools-for-sales-engineers-in-a-remote-working-world/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Between digital transformation, the Internet of Things, hybrid work, and artificial intelligence, enterprise software is more complex than it's ever been, and businesses are adjusting their technology investments accordingly. In an increasingly saturated market, SaaS companies need sales engineers who can properly explain the value of their technology. Those sales engineers need the right toolkit if they are to thrive. However, unlike more traditional B2B and B2C sales, there are relatively few tools designed for the specific roles and responsibilities of this profession. Instead, sales engineers must often use whatever is available, even if it's ill-suited for the job. The good news is that sales tools are also growing more sophisticated — and better suited for use by sales engineers. We're going to go over a few of the most crucial. Sales Engineering vs. Sales Enablement Tools Sales engineering and sales enablement are very closely connected to one another. Sales enablement professionals are meant to equip sales engineers with the tools they need in order to make sales. It should come as little surprise that there's a lot of overlap between the two roles as well, particularly with regard to the tools they use. The Right Tools for the Job As any sales engineer knows, when you're thinking about investing in technology you first need to identify the problems that need fixing. So, before listing tools for sales engineers, let's consider some of the key tasks that sales engineers perform: Presenting products over the internet and in person Analyzing data...

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### Top 5 Benefits of Developing Hands-On Methods for Employee Training Programs

> While in-class hands-on training is becoming widespread, virtual instructor-led training takes it up a notch.

- Published: 2024-05-20
- Modified: 2024-05-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-5-benefits-of-developing-hands-on-methods-for-employee-training-programs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Employee development methods continue to evolve at breakneck speed, thanks to a perfect storm of demographic shifts and technological advancements. Consider that by 2030, Millennials and Generation Z will make up nearly 60% of the workforce. What's more, per research by Cloud Assess, they are prioritizing learning and development more than any other generation — over a quarter of workers aged 16-34 believe training to be the most important factor where employee engagement is concerned. Given that it's been well-established for some time that both demographics prefer hands-on, practical learning experiences, it follows that this is what your organization needs to provide. More importantly, in order to ensure job satisfaction and reduce turnover, you need to offer hands-on training to employees on a continuous basis. Case in point: in a study of Millennial and Gen Z workers by Amazon, 74% of respondents expressed the belief that they could build better skills at a new job. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has only further amplified this desire to learn — according to LinkedIn Learning, four in five people want to learn more about how to use AI in their careers, while a staggering 90% of organizations regard learning opportunities as their top retention strategy. Suffice it to say that if your organization has not yet embraced experiential education, particularly if it provides hands-on technical training, you need to do so as soon as possible. You already have all the perfect building blocks to create more interactive virtual instructor-led training and...

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### The 7 Best Cyber Range Training Solutions in 2025

> We've listed a few of the top cyber range providers for various industries and needs — including our own powerful virtual labs.

- Published: 2024-05-15
- Modified: 2025-03-26
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-cyber-range-training-solutions/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

There are few industries where 'learn by doing' is quite as important as cybersecurity. When you're faced with the prospect of a ransomware-infested network or an ongoing data breach, knowledge from textbooks and slide decks will only get you so far. You need an opportunity to put those skills to the test under pressure. You need a cyber range. Originally developed by (and for) the public sector, cyber ranges are simulated IT environments that can be used for cyber resilience training, cybersecurity training, and sandboxed software development. They typically consist of a learning management system with an integrated virtual lab, with most modern cyber ranges having enough sophistication to virtualize entire ecosystems and can typically be delivered entirely via the cloud.   The Benefits of Using a Virtual Cyber Range The most significant advantage of virtual cyber range solutions is that they give security teams the opportunity to simulate real-world cyber threats without putting any of their organization's actual systems at risk. This allows them to gain firsthand experience with how prevailing threats, techniques, and procedures might impact their ecosystem. Other benefits of cyber range training include: Considerably more cost-effective than physical IT labs and with a greater capacity to scale. Support for continuous learning and skill development. The capacity to provide real-time feedback to participants as they continue to learn. An easily accessible sandbox that supports continuous learning and development. Flexible and simple to maintain and keep up-to-date. Easy to configure and deploy. Top Cyber Range Solutions to Consider...

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### Delivering Interactive Workshops on a Grand Scale - with Damon Shratter, Deltek University

> Discover how to effectively scale your workshops for large audiences without losing engagement.

- Published: 2024-05-10
- Modified: 2024-05-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/delivering-interactive-workshops-on-a-grandscale
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Drive Learner Engagement with Conversion Rate Optimization - with Brian Childs

> Learn how to use conversion rate optimization (CRO) practices to increase discoverability of your training program.

- Published: 2024-05-09
- Modified: 2024-05-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/drive-learner-engagement-with-conversion-rate-optimization-with-brian-childs
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Understanding Customer Delight And Why It Matters

> Discover why customer delight matters and how it goes beyond satisfaction to ensure your SaaS company excels by exceeding expectations.

- Published: 2024-05-08
- Modified: 2024-05-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-delight/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

What do all the most successful SaaS companies have in common? A compelling and unique product? Sure, but what company doesn't? That's the bare minimum required to compete in today's B2B SaaS landscape. A strong sales process? Again, that's incredibly important, but it's also necessary for a company to succeed. There's something else — something that links together all the best SaaS businesses regardless of audience or niche. The best SaaS companies don't simply invest in meeting customer expectations but exceeding them. For these market leaders, customer satisfaction isn't enough. They aim to go a step further — their goal is customer delight. What is Customer Delight? Remember Tidying Up with Marie Kondo? While the Netflix series feels very much like it was released in a different reality from the world today, there's something from the show that's particularly relevant to our discussion of customer delight. It's the titular cleanliness guru's favorite phrase: Does this spark joy? Ask that same question about your company from the perspective of your customers. Does working with you make them consistently happy or excited? Do they enjoy their experience with your software to such an extent that they advocate for it to their colleagues? That's customer delight — it's what you get when your business and its software spark joy in customers. Customer Delight vs. Customer Satisfaction Customer delight and customer satisfaction have a great deal in common, as they should. Both require that your business demonstrate an understanding of its customer's needs, pain...

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### Deliver Exceptional Demos with This Complete Product Demo Checklist

> Use this complete demo checklist to deliver exceptional product demos, impress prospects, and drive SaaS sales success.

- Published: 2024-05-06
- Modified: 2024-05-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/demo-checklist/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Your SaaS company needs a few things to stand out from its competitors. A strong product with a unique selling point is a must. Excellent customer service is also essential. But above all, you need to make a positive first impression. Now more than ever, that means delivering exceptional demo experiences. Today's business customers are tired of sales jargon and passive marketing materials. They want to see what your software can actually do and, more importantly, how it can solve their problems. This comprehensive demo checklist will walk you through everything you need to know in order to host demos that deliver exactly what your prospects want to see. Before We Begin: Sales Demos vs. Product Demos There are actually two distinct kinds of demos in B2B SaaS: sales demos and product demos. Although the two terms are frequently used interchangeably, there are a few key differences between them. Sales demos attempt to persuade a lead to commit to a sale. Their focus is largely on convincing decision-makers about the merits and unique value proposition of your software. Product demos focus more on educating a qualified lead or existing customer about your software's features and capabilities. Because product demos are typically delivered to existing customers or prospects that are close to converting, they tend to be much less sales-focused. Other than what we described above, the two types of demos are similar enough to one another that the steps in this demo checklist can be applied to both. CloudShare's Virtual...

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### How to Apply Learning Insights to Virtual Training

> Unlock the power of learning insights to enhance virtual training. Discover how data-driven strategies can improve training quality.

- Published: 2024-05-01
- Modified: 2024-05-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/learning-insights/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We've said on more than one occasion that whether you're talking about corporate sales training, customer education, employee onboarding, or professional development, all training is target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">knowledge acquired via training analytics. Said knowledge can relate to virtually anything about your training program, including content, instructor performance, learner success, and even your learning ecosystem. Insights you can potentially glean from training analytics include: Overall training quality. Metrics to measure progress and completion Content or usability bottlenecks in your training program. Gaps in your curriculum. The cost-effectiveness of your training program. Utilization of training resources. What Makes Learning Insights So Beneficial? As you've probably guessed, the real value of learning insights lies in how you use them. Instructors, for instance, can significantly improve the quality of their training by examining behavioral analytics and collecting learner feedback. Training insights can also help your instructors identify participants who are struggling to understand the material and proactively reach out to prevent those individuals from abandoning the training. Did you know: CloudShare experiences have 4 times more course completions when compared to market benchmarks. At the business level, insights about instructor performance could be used to identify what works. For instance, you could look at your top-performing instructor and develop best practices based on their most successful tactics. This allows your business to improve the overall virtual training experience, potentially increasing both learner satisfaction and success rates. Unlocking Value from Your Training Data The most valuable thing to remember about analytics is that every piece...

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### 8 Essential Features for Virtual Training Technology

> We discuss how to select the right virtual training platform that provide an interactive, intuitive, and accessible experience that's also highly scalable and cost-effective.

- Published: 2024-04-29
- Modified: 2024-05-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-training-technology/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

There are many factors that determine the success of a virtual training initiative. You need a good training strategy with clear objectives and milestones. You need solid educational materials and an effective means of delivering them to trainees. And above all, you need the right virtual training platform. In a modern context, this will generally take the form of a virtual training lab. These cloud-based training environments provide learners with an interactive, intuitive, and accessible experience that's also highly scalable and cost-effective. Bear in mind, however, that not all virtual labs are created equal. And not all of them will provide the necessary functionality for your training program. While your specific needs and requirements may vary, the solution you select should, at minimum, provide the following essential features. Reporting and Analytics Self-paced and virtual instructor-led training share one common characteristic. At their core, both are target="_blank" rel="noopener" crossorigin="anonymous"> Instructor Engagement and Enablement Your virtual training platform should be just as easy for instructors to use as it is for learners. Instructors should be able to quickly spin up custom training instances without requiring IT intervention. You may also want to find a solution that provides access to easy course creation and management or one that integrates easily with an existing learning management system or browser. Artificial intelligence is also a huge selling point where virtual training technology is concerned. In addition to helping with content creation, AI integration can offer guidance on how to improve training materials and support personalized...

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### Differences Between Sales Training Vs Sales Enablement

> Learn about the differences between sales training and sales enablement! it is time we answer some questions.

- Published: 2024-04-22
- Modified: 2024-04-14
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/differences-between-sales-training-vs-sales-enablement/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

What a sales department does is simple: it aims to boost revenue by improving sales performance and building client loyalty. However, exactly how it achieves these goals is a more complicated matter. There are several business terms to explain ways to empower the sales department in your organization. Each method has a different intent and process. There are times when you have to talk about the distinction between sales enablement vs. sales engagement or sales readiness vs. sales enablement. What do all these terms mean? What’s the difference exactly? Which ones are most fitting for you? It’s time to answer these questions, starting with sales training and enablement. Sales Terms to Consider Some other useful terms to know are sales engagement and sales readiness. Sales engagement is a field that’s heavily influenced by data. How likely is a customer going to buy from your brand? Now that sales software has become more efficient at collecting relevant metrics like this, we can use this data to optimize the engagement between the buyer and the seller. Sales teams can communicate well with buyers using these actionable insights throughout the sales process. Sales readiness provides salespeople with the tools they need to interact directly with customers. While enablement training programs help these employees get the right mindset, putting the knowledge into practice is what sales readiness aims to achieve. The content taught in a readiness course is a reflection of sales enablement but on a much less formal scale. Sales Training Sales training...

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### The 5 Best Product Demo Platforms for 2024

> We'll talk about how such a product demo platform might look, then go over a few excellent options you might consider exploring.

- Published: 2024-04-17
- Modified: 2024-04-14
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-product-demo-platforms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Anyone who's spent time selling SaaS solutions will likely tell you that being able to talk up a product is only half the battle. You also need to be able to put your money where your mouth is and show prospective customers that your software works. That's where product demos come into the picture. Also known as software demos or sales demos, product demos are arguably the most important tool in any B2B sales team's arsenal. They can take a few different forms, from hands-on interactive virtual demos to simple video walkthroughs. There's one thing every demo has in common, though — it's only as effective as the platform used to deliver it.   To put that another way, you need a good product demo platform to ensure your demos are effective. We'll talk about how such a platform might look, then go over a few excellent options you might consider exploring. Features to Look for in Product Demo Software While you may want to prioritize certain features based on your business's needs and the type of demo you want to deliver, you'll generally want to look for a platform with the following features: Built-in support for interactivity and hands-on experiences. The ability to personalize and tweak demos based on a range of different categories. Easy integration with existing tools such as your CRM platform.   Scalability and flexibility.   Built-in workflow automation. Usage and behavioral analytics.   No-code or low-code functionality. Transparent pricing. Five Tools to Enhance Your Product...

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### 7 Best Customer Education Software Tools for 2024

> Effective customer education programs are key to software companies' success, relying on robust tools for content development and delivery.

- Published: 2024-04-15
- Modified: 2024-04-14
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-customer-education-software/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Customer education is the lifeblood of every successful software company — and if a customer education program isn't already an integral part of your customer success and growth strategies, it should be.   Of course, a program is only as good as the systems and tools that support it. Without the right customer education tools, it doesn't really matter how much effort you put into your initial strategy. You'll lack an effective means of developing, optimizing, and delivering your training.   We'll go over what you should look for in your customer education software, then conclude with an overview of some of our top picks. Types of Customer Education Software Generally speaking, the tools your business will use to enable customer education fall into a few broad categories. Learning Management System The bread-and-butter of customer education, LMS solutions help an organization develop, deliver, and maintain educational content. They frequently include features such as native content authorship and the capacity to integrate with other types of educational tools. Most LMS tools are designed to be SCORM-compliant. A learning management system might be used in a complimentary manner with a knowledge management system, a tool for managing and distributing essential information such as best practices, frequently asked questions, guidance on product features, and product roadmaps. Digital Adoption Platform Digital adoption platforms (DAPs) represent a slightly different approach to customer education. Whereas a learning management system typically focuses on comprehensive deep dives into a topic, DAPs are more concerned with providing in-app guidance...

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### The Future of AI Videos for Customer Education - with Kevin Alster, Head of Synthesia Academy

> Discover how AI-generated video can crank up the velocity and effectiveness of your customer education programs.

- Published: 2024-04-11
- Modified: 2024-04-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-future-of-ai-videos-for-customer-education-with-kevin-alster-head-of-synthesia-academy
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Six Ways to Excite, Inspire &amp; Engage Your Software Customers

> This eBook is your playbook for crafting training experiences that are fabulously engaging. You’ll learn about 6 effective techniques to keep your customers switched on

- Published: 2024-04-10
- Modified: 2024-04-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/six-ways-to-engage-your-software-customers/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Why Training is the Key to Overcoming Customer Churn

> Churn is among the most significant hurdles your software company must overcome; a low churn rate is one of your biggest KPIs.

- Published: 2024-04-08
- Modified: 2024-04-14
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-training-is-the-key-to-overcoming-customer-churn/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Churn is among the most significant hurdles your software company must overcome — and a low churn rate is one of your biggest indicators of success. But what can you do to reduce customer churn? Is it simply a matter of building a superior product with an excellent user experience?   Yes and no.   While the quality of your software does play an important role in churn and retention, customer education is just as essential. The faster you can get prospects through onboarding to product adoption, the more satisfied those prospects will be as customers. And the more satisfied your customers are, the lower your company's churn rate.  Let's talk about some specific ways you can use customer education to tackle the challenges of customer churn — starting with a brief explanation of what churn is and how it works. What is Customer Churn?   Customer churn occurs whenever a customer decides to terminate their relationship with your business. It's basically a fancy way to say you've lost a customer. It exists as a direct contrast to customer retention, which refers to any instance where a customer decides to renew or maintain their relationship with your company.   Churn rate, meanwhile, is a direct measurement of how many customers you've lost over a given timeframe, expressed as a percentage of your total subscribers. Calculating Your Customer Churn Rate The process for calculating your churn rate is relatively simple.   First, define the timeframe you want to measure. Typically, software...

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### 10 Ways You Can Increase Customer Engagement in Your Training

> We discuss why most successful customer engagement programs include a customer education strategy. Read more here and discover everything.

- Published: 2024-04-03
- Modified: 2024-04-14
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/increase-customer-engagement-in-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

In our experience, most successful customer engagement programs include a customer education strategy. It isn't difficult to see why. Customer enablement is best achieved through training, and a formalized customer education program can improve key performance indicators across all stages of the customer journey by between 10 and 16 percent.   Yet what some businesses overlook is that while education is crucial to engagement, the inverse is also true. You need to know how to engage customers with your training materials. Otherwise, customers are likely to either ignore your training program altogether or tune out while they go through it.   We'll discuss why — and what you can do to prevent that from happening. Why It’s Important to Ensure Customer Engagement for Training? It’s safe to say customer engagement is an essential part of customer education. Engaged prospects are more connected with your business and tend to be more satisfied with your software. Consequently, an engaged customer is much likelier to remain a customer.  According to Wyzowl, 86 percent of people are more loyal to a business that invests in onboarding, enablement, and education. Remember also that it costs between five and 25 times more to acquire a new customer than it costs to retain an existing customer. There's also the fact that even a five percent increase in customer retention can result in a revenue increase of up to 95 percent. The Best Ways to Engage Customers with Education Now that we've hammered home the importance of customer...

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### Measuring Customer Education Results: Key Metrics &amp; Best Practices to Know

> We discuss how you know if your customer education program is working and the KPI's you should measure. Read more here.

- Published: 2024-04-01
- Modified: 2024-04-14
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/measure-customer-education-results/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

How do you know if your customer education program is working? How can you assess the effectiveness of your customer training strategy? Lastly, how do you demonstrate to leadership that your program is successful? It's all a matter of choosing the right metrics. But in customer education, that's often easier said than done. A single training program can generate an overwhelming volume of data. We'll discuss how you can identify and extract the most important insights and information from that data — starting with an overview of the top key performance indicators (KPIs) for customer education. Key Customer Education Metrics You Should Measure When creating any virtual training program, defining your KPIs is one of the most important steps. It's critical to choose metrics that not only help you measure the effectiveness of your training but also align your program with your go-to-market strategy, assess product adoption, and measure success across the customer lifecycle. Below, you'll find a list of some KPIs you might consider leveraging. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score uses a scale that asks customers to rate how satisfied they are with your company and software on a scale from 1-5.   Net Promoter Score asks customers how likely they are to recommend your software to a friend or colleague on a scale of 0-10.   Employee Satisfaction asks employees to rate the effectiveness of your training and/or enablement tools on a scale determined by your business.   Learner retention uses post-training quizzes or assessments to determine how effectively...

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### How Do You Develop a Sales Enablement Strategy?

> How do you define your sales enablement strategy? Where do you even begin?

- Published: 2024-03-25
- Modified: 2024-03-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-do-you-develop-a-sales-enablement-strategy/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

How do you define your sales enablement strategy? Where do you even begin? These are questions we frequently hear our customers ask and with good reason. It's been a challenging few years for sales teams. Some days, it feels like the world is dancing from one global crisis or economic catastrophe to the next.    And customers feel it too — which is why, for the past few years, we've seen buyers grow progressively more risk-averse. In this landscape, sales enablement has never been more important. We'll walk you through how your business can lay the necessary groundwork for a big-picture, strategic approach that leaves your team free to do what they do best: close deals. What is sales enablement? But first things first. Let’s first define “what is sales enablement? ” In essence, it means providing a salesperson with the right resources (such as information), processes, and tools they need to work effectively and close a sale. Today, many of the communication channels, tools, and resources sales teams rely on are digital – which is why so many managed to overcome the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there’s a difference between technology being a sales enabler to maintain basic business continuity, versus using technology to reach another level of sales enablement. More on that later. Now it’s time to look at creating a sales enablement strategy. Step One: Assess Your Current Outlook First, look at the tools your sales team uses and how they communicate internally, with...

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### Elevating Customer Education Through Gamification

> We discuss why customer training is the best way to cultivate customer enablement — and the role gamification plays in achieving both.

- Published: 2024-03-20
- Modified: 2024-03-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-education-through-gamification/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We've said it before, and we'll say it again — onboarding is only the first step in customer education. To keep customers satisfied and ensure they continue getting the most out of your software, your business needs an ongoing customer training program. Yet many software companies choose to leave post-sales customer relationships entirely to their support team. Revenue growth and customer enablement go hand-in-hand. Today, we're going to discuss why customer training is the best way to cultivate customer enablement — and the role gamification plays in achieving both. The Benefits of Customer Education An effective customer education program is beneficial for your business in a few ways: Improves product adoption and faster time-to-value during onboarding. Provides insight into underused or underutilized software features. Reduces workload for your customer support team. Increases customer satisfaction, reduces churn, and increases renewal rate. Facilitates easier identification of upsell opportunities. Cultivates trust in both your software and your brand. Collects feedback from customers for feature improvements, optimizations, and additions. Customers with a deeper understanding of your software are less likely to be poached by a competitor. What is Gamification? Also known as gamified learning, gamification is a training strategy that applies video game principles and design elements to education. Rather than allowing knowledge to be "its own reward," gamification instead seeks to make the learning experience more entertaining and enjoyable. The idea is that by incorporating game-like elements such as quests and rewards, people will be more motivated and engaged. Gamification is a strategy...

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### Knowledge without Application is Meaningless

> Kevin Streater draws on the framework provided by an often overlooked ISO standard for technical skills development as a guide for developing effective technical training.

- Published: 2024-03-19
- Modified: 2024-03-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/knowledge-without-application-is-meaningless/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The goal of technical training is to get software users to the point that they can confidently use the product in order to do their job. But what is the best way to achieve this? Ask any techie what the most effective way is for them to learn how to use software, and they will tell you that they learn most by using the software. While they may gain some understanding of how to use the software through a trainer demo, training videos, or written material, it will never match up to them getting hands-on experience with the product. It is through this hands-on experience that software users consolidate their theoretical knowledge and become competent in using a product. And yet, not all technical training programs include a hands-on component. As someone with extensive experience in technical training and development, I've witnessed first-hand the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical competence. In this blog, I argue that technical training that does not include a practical, hands-on component is ineffective at best, and can have serious consequences for companies at worst. I will draw on the framework provided by an often overlooked ISO standard for technical skills development as a guide for developing effective technical training. The Path to Becoming Competent In the realm of technical education, the ISO-24773 standard for skills development is often overlooked. It offers a structured approach to training, focusing on three critical components: knowledge, skills, and competence. According to this standard, candidates must prove their competency...

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### 5 Best Remote Training Tools for 2024

> We're going to go over some of this year's best tools for remote training, from communication and collaboration to virtual reality.

- Published: 2024-03-18
- Modified: 2024-03-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-remote-training-tools/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Remote employee training and blended learning are the new normal. While there's still very much a place for in-person learning and development, people are increasingly embracing virtual learning. It's not difficult to see why, either. Not only are remote training methods more accessible than traditional in-person learning, but they also tend to be more cost-effective, particularly for businesses with widely distributed teams. Virtual training also tends to be much easier to scale than in-person training. Unlike a physical classroom, remote training environments have no hard limit on the number of participants they can support. With the right tools, it's also easier to support hands-on learning, ensure consistency between instructors and sessions, and track usage and progress. But what exactly constitutes an effective remote training solution? How do you know which platforms your business should evaluate and which it should overlook? We've got you covered. We're going to go over some of this year's best tools for remote training, from communication and collaboration to virtual reality. Our Top Remote Training Tools for 2024 Slack As one of the most popular business messaging and workplace collaboration apps on the market, Slack also provides an excellent way to support collaborative learning. Businesses can assign roles to training participants that grant access to exclusive channels where they can connect both with one another and with instructors. This not only allows them to discuss training between sessions but also to connect with one another during training. After all, training participants can communicate with one another...

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### Integrating Generative AI Into Your Virtual Sales Strategies

> Today, we're going to focus on how generative AI can revolutionize your business's virtual sales strategy.

- Published: 2024-03-13
- Modified: 2024-03-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/integrating-generative-ai-into-your-virtual-sales-strategies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

It's been a little over a year since OpenAI first launched ChatGPT. It's almost mind-bending to think about how much has changed in the short time since. Today, generative AI is widely regarded as one of the most disruptive technologies of the current millennium — perhaps one of the most disruptive technologies in human history.   As of today, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have all launched their own generative AI tools. According to the EY CEO Outlook Pulse 2023, 84% of CEOs are accelerating generative AI investments in order to maintain a competitive advantage. And McKinsey predicts that generative AI could add as much as $4. 4 trillion per year to the global economy. It's difficult to name even a single industry or niche that the technology hasn't impacted in one way or another. That includes our own. Thus far, we've talked about how generative AI aligns with customer training, how it can enrich customer training, and the role it plays in corporate learning and development.  Today, we're going to focus on how generative AI can revolutionize your business's virtual sales strategy. What is Generative AI, Exactly? There's plenty of misinformed hype surrounding generative AI. As such, before we discuss the technology's role in your virtual sales program, we need to define it. We need to nail down both what it does and what it cannot do.   As the name suggests, generative AI (GenAI) is a new class of artificial intelligence that generates content such as images, text, and...

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### Essential Sales Enablement KPIs Every Sales Professional Should Know

> Key performance indicators (KPIs) are a cornerstone of sales enablement... But what KPIs should you monitor? How can you ensure you're contextualizing everything properly? And what is a KPI, exactly?

- Published: 2024-03-11
- Modified: 2024-03-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/essential-sales-enablement-kpis-every-sales-professional-should-know/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are a cornerstone of sales enablement. For one, they support continuous improvement, empowering your team with the knowledge and insights required to consistently find new ways to optimize the sales process. They also make it far easier to track and measure the overall effectiveness of your program — something which is crucial for demonstrating a return on investment. But what KPIs should you monitor? How can you ensure you're contextualizing everything properly? And what is a KPI, exactly? Sales Enablement Metrics vs. KPIs Metrics are frequently treated as being interchangeable with KPIs. But while every KPI is a metric, not every metric can be a KPI. The difference is a matter of context.   A metric is a general measurement of some aspect of a business over a specific timeframe, such as customer purchase habits, market trends, or revenue. They may provide insights about anything from marketing to internal productivity. Typically, they focus on a single business process or project.   KPIs are a bit higher level. They're intended to measure progress towards long-term business goals. A KPI may also encompass more than one metric. Why KPIs are Essential in Sales Enablement Imagine you're driving to an important meeting, but you aren't familiar with the venue. Instead of relying on a GPS to get there, you decide to play things by ear. You have a general idea of the venue's location in the city, so that should be enough, right?  Trying to maintain a sales enablement...

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### Cheat Sheet For Beginners: Generative AI for Customer Education

> Using the right GenAI tools in the right way can help you drive results in your customer education programs, speed up your program development processes, and deliver top-notch educational content.

- Published: 2024-03-06
- Modified: 2024-03-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/generative-ai-for-customer-education-cheat-sheet/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How to Develop an Efficient, Scalable Customer Education Team

> We'll discuss what's involved in putting together a top-notch team to serve as a foundation for a successful education strategy.

- Published: 2024-03-04
- Modified: 2024-03-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-develop-an-efficient-scalable-customer-education-team/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Building a customer education team is one of the first — and arguably most important – steps in establishing a customer education program. People, after all, are the lifeblood of every successful business initiative.   We'll discuss what's involved in putting together a top-notch team to serve as a foundation for a successful education strategy.   Understanding Your Objective Before you start planning and structuring your team, you need a clear idea of what you want to achieve. While you may eventually expand your customer education strategy to pursue multiple objectives, it's better to stay focused at the start. That way, you can avoid spreading yourself too thin and potentially torpedoing your customer education initiative before it gets off the ground.   Some common starting goals include: Improving the customer onboarding process to increase satisfaction and product adoption.   Building educational marketing content to expand your reach and establish your brand as a thought leader.   Generating upsell and cross-sell opportunities by educating customers on new features and releases. Reducing the workload of your support team. Key Customer Education Roles The following roles are central to the development of a customer education team regardless of objective. Leadership Leadership generally falls into two segments. First, you have a senior leader who understands the disciplines of the various departments involved in the program. They will be responsible for developing the program's strategy, defining key objectives, and guiding its development. Directly below the senior leader will be managers — one for each unit...

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### How to Make Accessible Video Content for Customer Training - with Elly Henriksen, Synthesia

> With 1 in 6 people in the world experiencing a significant disability, it’s super important to make sure that your online training attends.

- Published: 2024-02-29
- Modified: 2024-03-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-make-accessible-video-content-for-customer-training
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### The Importance of Bringing Together Customer Success and Customer Education

> We'll discuss what customer success actually entails before examining why a customer education program is the best way to pursue it.

- Published: 2024-02-26
- Modified: 2024-03-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-bringing-together-customer-success-and-customer-education/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Presumably, you want your customers to succeed — and you want your software to be a part of that success. That means doing everything in your power to ensure that you proactively address any problems and answer any questions they might have where your software is concerned.   It means going beyond customer support and embracing customer success. We'll discuss what customer success actually entails before examining why a customer education program is the best way to pursue it. What is Customer Success? Customer success is a business strategy that builds relationships with your customers by ensuring they have the best experience possible. This means not only ensuring they gain the maximum value from using your software but also ensuring that using said software is entirely frictionless. It also means anticipating potential problems and challenges so that they can be addressed before they impede a customer's progress.   When executed effectively, a customer success program can: Reduce customer churn by building loyalty and trust.   Improve customer satisfaction.   Potentially draw in new customers through word of mouth.   Help a business learn more about its people and products through candid feedback. Fulfilling Customer Success Goals Through Education One of the core objectives of customer success involves maximizing the value customers get out of a product or service. Customer success also seeks to improve customer satisfaction, cultivate trust, and reduce churn. It just so happens that customer education helps to achieve all of these objectives.   First, we've known for...

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### The Ultimate Guide to Customer Training in 2024

> A comprehensive guide walks you through everything you need to know about customer education, from best practices to key metrics & strategies.

- Published: 2024-02-21
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-training-guide/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

From a business perspective, it's easy to recognize the importance of customer education. An effective customer training program not only attracts and retains more prospects but can also establish your business as a thought leader. You've every reason to embrace customer training — and comparatively few reasons not to. What's less easy, however, is figuring out how to create and maintain an effective training program. That's where we come in. This comprehensive guide walks you through everything you need to know about customer education, from best practices to key metrics and strategies. But just in case you aren't already convinced training is important, let's start with why we wrote this guide. Why you should already be developing a customer training program Effective customer education is an essential element of a positive customer experience. Your onboarding process is also the first impression most customers will have with your software outside of product demos and marketing collateral. If that first impression is a poor one, it doesn't matter how well your software fulfills a customer's needs. Most people will give up before they reach the product adoption stage, often quitting before your team has even finalized a sale. According to a Wyzowl survey, more than 90% of customers feel that companies could do a better job with their onboarding. The survey also found that 80% of people have deleted an application because they didn't know how to use it – the developer did not effectively onboard them. Finally, more than 60% of...

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### Checklist: Build A Winning Customer Software Training Plan In 6 Steps

> This handy checklist guides you through every step of planning, delivering, and measuring ROI of your training program.

- Published: 2024-02-19
- Modified: 2024-03-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/customer-software-training-plan-checklist/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Why On-Demand Training is the Key to Successful Customer Onboarding

> Discover how personalization turns good onboarding into exceptional experiences, making prospects more likely to become loyal customers.

- Published: 2024-02-14
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/on-demand-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Onboarding can make or break a SaaS company. Customer training that focuses on reaching product adoption as quickly as possible will almost always result in improved retention, reduced churn, and greater overall customer satisfaction. Training that fails to sufficiently teach people how to use your software tends to have the opposite effect.   You don't need to simply take our word for it. Research indicates that 86% of people stay loyal to a business that invests in onboarding and post-purchase education. Customers who experience a positive onboarding process are also 21% more willing to make a purchase.   In other words, offering an exceptional onboarding experience makes prospects considerably more likely to become loyal customers. But what is it that makes onboarding exceptional? What's the difference between an incredible experience and one that's simply passable?  Personalization. Meeting Prospects Where They Are Personalized experiences are everything for SaaS companies. Regardless of whether you're targeting B2B or B2C, 71% of customers now expect you to deliver personalized interactions. And if you fail to do so, it can cost you up to 38% of your customer base. That's a lot of lost revenue — here's how to avoid it: Create a single source of truth for customer data. Everything your team needs to know about a particular customer or prospect should be accessible in real time from your CRM, including demographic details and past interactions. This data will allow them to better understand each customer and contextualize messaging.   Engage based on identity...

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### How to Scale Your Sales Enablement Program: A Step-By-Step Guide

> You have a sales enablement program in place. But have you given any thought as to how that roadmap will evolve as your SaaS company grows?

- Published: 2024-02-12
- Modified: 2024-03-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/scale-sales-enablement/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

You already have a sales enablement program in place. But have you given any thought as to how that roadmap will evolve as your SaaS company grows? Will your systems and processes scale effortlessly with you? If you don't know the answer to that question, then it's probably no. But we can help. Today, we're going to discuss how to develop and scale an effective sales enablement strategy. Step One: Lay Out Your Full Go-To-Market Strategy Your sales enablement process is just one component of your overall GTM strategy. Essentially, this is a high-level roadmap detailing both how your company handles new product launches and how it manages and delivers existing products. Alongside sales enablement, it includes: Product development Positioning Marketing and promotion Sales execution Customer support A clear GTM roadmap is crucial to scaling sales enablement for a few reasons. First, it defines your target markets, customers, distribution model, price, and messaging, all of which directly inform your sales enablement process. Second, the different GTM components need to be viewed alongside one another for context. It's nearly impossible to operate an effective sales enablement program without a clear idea of your product's positioning and market, for example. Lastly, your roadmap also helps you identify which metrics and KPIs are most relevant to ensuring product growth — but more on that in a moment. Step Two: Engage Leadership As is the case with any strategic initiative, executive buy-in is a must. You need to ensure that your leadership teams not...

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### How to Choose the Best Sales Enablement Platform in 2024

> Effective sales enablement demands that you provide your team not only with the necessary training, but also with the content, data, and more.

- Published: 2024-02-07
- Modified: 2024-03-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-sales-enablement-platform/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Sales enablement has one overarching goal: empowering your sales team to find the best ways to engage with the customer. It's arguably one of the most important initiatives for your organization. After all, if your salespeople can't connect with their audience, they cannot properly do their job. Effective sales enablement demands that you provide your team not only with the necessary training, but also with the content, data, and tools they require to succeed — typically via a sales enablement platform. What Is a Sales Enablement Platform? A sales enablement platform is a software-based collection of sales tools and technology geared towards optimizing the sales cycle. This consolidated toolkit allows salespeople to work smarter when promoting a business's products instead of requiring them to work harder. It's arguably the cornerstone of every sales strategy, as well. One might even go so far as to argue that without a sales enablement solution, a company cannot feasibly remain competitive. Types of Sales Enablement Tools Because sales enablement encompasses the entire sales process, it shouldn't be surprising that there are many different types of sales enablement tools. The majority of tools fall into one or more of the categories listed below. Many vendors offer a sales enablement solution that encompasses all the characteristics below with several additional features — we'll discuss that more later in the piece. Engagement This is exactly what's written on the tin — engagement tools connect your sales team with customers and prospects. This category encompasses both the tools...

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### Why Marketing and Customer Education Go Hand in Hand

> How you can leverage customer education and training to inspire deeper loyalty, engagement, and satisfaction in your audience.

- Published: 2024-02-05
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cooperation-between-marketing-and-customer-education/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Looking for a way to refine your SaaS company's growth strategy? Consider ramping up your customer education program. According to research by marketing and customer experience expert Conductor, consumers are 131% likelier to buy from a brand immediately after consuming early-stage educational content. What's more, when given a lineup of four brands, 83. 6% of customers chose the brand that educated them, while customers also found brands that provided educational material to be more trustworthy. Let's talk about how you can leverage customer education and training to inspire deeper loyalty, engagement, and satisfaction in your audience. Educational Marketing vs. Customer Education Before we go any further, there's one thing we need to establish — the difference between onboarding and educational marketing. While both are forms of customer education, they each serve a different purpose. Customer onboarding focuses on teaching customers and prospects how to get the most out of your software. It's critical for both conversions and long-term retention. Recall, for instance, that roughly 80% of users have deleted an app because they couldn't understand how to use it. The focus of educational marketing is considerably more broad. Rather than focusing solely on software training, an educational marketing program is more about professional development. Educational marketing content empowers your audience with practical knowledge and expertise rather than teaching them about your software. The goal of blending marketing with education is twofold. Establishing yourself as a thought leader; someone your audience can trust to understand and address their challenges and pain...

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### Invest in Success: A Guide to the Top Customer Education Events in 2024

> The more you educate your customer about your product, the higher the chances of retention. Attend leading industry conferences of the year. 

- Published: 2024-02-01
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-education-events-coming-up/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The more you educate your customer about your product, the higher the chances of retention. But today’s customer is technologically-savvy and doesn’t have the time to participate in such programs. So, how do you overcome this? Attend leading industry conferences to network with folks who have been there and done that. Customer education conferences are an excellent way to find out what's working in the industry and build strong relationships with your customers. You'll also walk away with a solid strategy for surviving tough times. Whether you're new to the field or an experienced veteran, there's always something to learn and implement within your customer training strategy. We've listed the eight best customer education events to ensure you can plan your L&D budget and cash in on the best networking opportunities in this industry. Let’s dive in. Training 2024 Conference & Expo: February 26-28, Orlando, Florida The Training Conference & Expo is the premier event for anyone looking to sharpen their training and development skills. It's been going strong for more than 45 years, and in that time, has hosted hundreds of professionals for learning, networking, and collaboration. The conference offers attendees various information on topics such as train-the-trainer essentials, eLearning, behavioral analytics, and more. An excellent benefit of this expo is that you can take up Certificate programs and attend the Learning Leaders Summit to stay on top of what will be discussed. Almost like a pre-game experience—which you shouldn't miss out on. You can expect sessions such as:...

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### 21 Critical Tools for Sales Enablement Success

> Here we explore some of the most useful and feature-packed tools for sales enablement available.

- Published: 2024-01-31
- Modified: 2024-03-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/12-critical-tools-for-sales-enablement-success/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

In the digital world, customer expectations are more demanding than ever. The modern business user expects modern sales experiences built on the latest digital technology. As a sales enablement leader, you are faced with a lot of choices in what tools to invest in, as well as more demand from customers and employees to modernize and digitize how sales work at your organization. We've talked before about how to get enablement right; but which tools can help you do that? In this blog, we’ll look at the best tools for sales enablement and how they can become a part of your strategy. Why use digital tools for sales enablement? Due to the broad array of tasks that sales enablement encompasses, you’ll likely need a number of software programs to deal with different areas. Some software may help to analyze contact data from emails, while others might be focused on product demos or team training—and some all-in-one solutions promise capabilities in every area of sales enablement. If you think of sales enablement as a kind of jigsaw, each of these tools makes up a piece. They are your arsenal for getting leads, closing deals and building revenue, so prioritizing them is important. They also have to integrate and work cohesively with one another to help drive your sales team forward. We’ve picked out 20 of the most useful, feature-packed tools from seven key areas of sales enablement and taken a closer look at each. This should help you to identify where...

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### How to Build a Strong Virtual Sales Enablement Process 

> The world is moving online more each day, and virtual sales enablement is becoming necessary to stay in business. Here's how to do it right.

- Published: 2024-01-29
- Modified: 2025-01-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-build-a-strong-virtual-sales-enablement-process/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

The stereotypical fast-talking, freewheeling salesperson is now a relic of the past. Today's rapidly evolving digital landscape demands a different approach - a more methodical and strategic mindset that leverages technology to maximize one's chance of success. Consequently, Gartner has predicted that by 2025, 60% of B2B sales organizations will have embraced a target="_blank" rel="noopener">customer experience is more important than it's ever been both during and after the sales process, effective customer care is also more challenging than ever. Modern audiences are adrift in an ocean of competitors, all flooding them with noise about their products. Coupled with an ongoing talent shortage, the proliferation of digital solutions and high turnover, this has created a perfect storm alongside shifting expectations. Let's talk about how you can avoid getting caught in that storm – starting with the right sales enablement tools. What is Virtual Sales Enablement? Before we explain virtual sales enablement, we need to define what sales enablement actually involves. Chances are, you've heard it described in a number of different ways. Our definition is simple – sales enablement encompasses the information and tools that help a salesperson do their job at an optimal level. Typically, this takes one of two forms: Customer-Facing  As the name suggests, the tools and content in this category help your sales team more effectively engage with prospects at each touchpoint in their customer journey. Examples include virtual demo platforms, PDF guides, training videos, and virtual sandboxes. Internal Use Internal sales enablement is focused on empowering...

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### What’s In Store for CEdMA In 2024?

> We interviewed Debbie Smith and asked her about her outlook on customer education and the association she aims to re-invigorate.

- Published: 2024-01-25
- Modified: 2024-01-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/whats-in-store-for-cedma/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Most industry insiders believe 2024 will be a big year for customer education. Fittingly, the Customer Education Management Association (CEdMA) has some big plans. To begin with, a structural change is in the works. What was previously CEdMA Europe will go by the name CEdMA Enterprise, a trade organization. Moving forward, CEdMA will become a global, individual organization focused on fostering the professional development of its members. Debbie Smith is the president of CEdMA and senior director of Visier University. We had the opportunity to ask her about her outlook on customer education and the association she aims to re-invigorate. It’s time to get tactical Debbie told us that CEdMA, which has existed since 1993, has solidified what it is and will now recommit to its original intentions while still modernizing. They’re in the process of updating all their systems and developing new programs to give members a better customer experience. A new website is in the works. A new YouTube channel is too. And the association's annual conference, planned for April, in Atlanta, has a new name. “It will be known as ‘EmpowerEd,’ because we’re trying to empower our membership,” Debbie said. “I expect to see some similar topics to last year, but what I expect to be different is our ‘show me’ approach. ” “We’re going to get more tactical with the content we deliver and focus on how to execute customer education with a customer-first voice, how to put together strategies,and how to prioritize projects. ” Debbie...

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### 5 Key Benefits of LMS Integration

> If you're using a LMS in your corporate training, then you've probably already integrated it with other training tools such as virtual labs.

- Published: 2024-01-24
- Modified: 2024-01-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/key-benefits-of-lms-integration/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If you're using a Learning Management System (LMS) in your corporate training, then you've probably already integrated it with other training tools such as virtual labs. Seems like a pretty obvious step, right? But have you considered taking things a step further? Instead of focusing exclusively on training software, why not extend your LMS to other systems and platforms within your ecosystem? A standalone LMS is relatively limited in scope. You can use it to create and manage a wide range of training content, but that's about it. An integrated LMS, on the other hand? That's a great deal more versatile. Rather than creating and developing training content in isolation, you can draw on its connections with everything from your

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### 43 Best Practices to Master Software Training - a 2024 Guide

> We’ve updated our most popular eBook to guide you through creating your best software training yet. This eBook is loaded with best practices to apply to every step of your software training process, including the most effective ways to use AI.

- Published: 2024-01-23
- Modified: 2024-01-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/43-best-practices-to-master-software-training-a-2024-guide/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Why You Need to Craft a Winning Product Adoption Strategy

> By understanding how to drive product adoption, you can significantly improve your chance of success, winning new product adoption strategy.

- Published: 2024-01-22
- Modified: 2024-01-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-adoption-strategy/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

How do people engage with your product? At what point does a new user become a dedicated customer? What can you do to maximize each customer's return on investment? Not sure how to answer? You're not alone. It's part of why the failure rate for new products ranges from 40-90%. Your SaaS application need not be part of that grim statistic. By understanding how to drive product adoption, you can significantly improve your chance of success. We'll explain why, and then walk you through what's involved in creating a winning new product adoption strategy. Why is a Product Adoption Strategy Important? No matter how good an idea seems on paper, there's no guarantee it will translate into a successful app. There's a lot that can go wrong both during development and post-release. Maybe your marketing didn't reach the right people, the market underwent a major shift, or you were blindsided by a competitor. Or maybe your business hasn't done enough to increase product adoption, something which goes hand-in-hand with effective customer education. Per Wyzowl, 86% of people will stay with a company that offers a positive software onboarding experience, and 80% of people have deleted an app with poor onboarding. By knowing how product adoption looks for your software, you can identify the best way to get users to that point. You can accelerate product adoption, reducing time to value for new customers and greatly enhancing your onboarding in the process. The Building Blocks of a Product Adoption Strategy Developing...

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### 5 LMS Activities to Drive Learner Engagement

> An LMS is a powerful tool for learner engagement, how you can leverage one to make both employee and customer training more effective.

- Published: 2024-01-17
- Modified: 2024-01-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/lms-activities-to-drive-learner-engagement/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The workplace is evolving, as is the knowledge and skill set required to thrive. Per LinkedIn's 2023 Workplace Learning Report, 89% of Learning and Development (L&D) professionals agree that businesses should work proactively to help employees build new skills. In light of this, the report notes, L&D professionals have acknowledged that their role is becoming progressively more cross-functional. Consequently, training has grown both deeper and more complex, even as training demands greater agility. Leveraging a corporate Learning Management System (LMS) for employee training empowers L&D professionals to meet this demand. In addition to reducing overhead and enabling greater scalability, an LMS also provides a centralized, streamlined platform to share information, track performance and manage multiple training initiatives. An LMS is also a powerful tool for learner engagement — we've detailed a few ways you can leverage one to make both employee and customer training more effective. Social Learning Per the 70:20:10 Institute, 20% of learning happens through social interaction. Though that number may seem small at first glance, research suggests that collaborative learning can improve both retention and comprehension. People who work together to learn something new also tend to form deeper, more supportive relationships with one another. It follows, then, that you should adopt some form of collaborative learning in your training. Fortunately, modern learning management systems are built to enable this approach in several ways: Groups, roles, and virtual workspaces for participants Discussion boards Instant messaging Collaborative document editing Group projects and assignments with built-in performance reviews Together,...

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### Why Product Training Should Be Part of Your Product Launch Strategy

> Effective product training enhances SaaS launch success, boosts adoption, and reduces churn, engaging educational strategies.

- Published: 2024-01-15
- Modified: 2024-01-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-training-support-new-launches/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Imagine, if you would, that your SaaS company has launched its next killer app. You know for a fact that this software is something everyone needs and something your target demographic will love. Market research tells you that your idea is revolutionary. Unfortunately, your customers appear to have missed the memo. Although plenty of people are downloading your app, no one appears to be using it. Even your own sales team seems disengaged and confused. This is what can happen when you launch without a product training strategy. Rather than helping people figure out how to use your software, you basically throw it in their faces and hope for the best. In doing so, you leave to chance one of the most important SaaS metrics – product adoption. The Importance of a Positive First Impression One of the most common mistakes we see with SaaS product launches involves focusing too much on customer acquisition and not enough on customer retention. While it is important to pursue a rigorous acquisition strategy when releasing a new product, you also need to think about what happens after. What are you doing to keep customers engaged once your sales team closes a deal? Very few companies experience perpetually high customer growth. Eventually, your acquisition rate will taper off. If, at that point, you haven't done enough to reduce customer churn, your software will very likely begin to fail. But what does any of this have to do with customer education? A lot, actually. According...

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### Well CEd! Insights from Today's Customer Education Experts

> What’s in store for customer education in 2024 and beyond? What’s the secret to creating effective CEd programs? Read customer education experts answers to five questions.

- Published: 2024-01-12
- Modified: 2024-01-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/customer-education-experts-insights-2024/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Teaching Smarter: How to Provide Winning Technical Training for Generative AI

> A few technical training tips to help you get started. establish a training program to help your people upskill, reskill, and learn everything.

- Published: 2024-01-10
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/technical-training-in-gen-ai-era/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

According to Salesforce, roughly two-thirds of companies are looking for ways to leverage generative AI. Yet nearly the same number are unprepared to actually implement the technology. They are, as the old adage goes, putting the cart before the horse. Can you blame them, though? In spite of how overhyped the technology has become, the majority of business leaders believe it will not only have a huge impact on their organizations but also disrupt their entire industry. Small wonder, then, that even amidst an ongoing skill gap and concerns about the technology's lack of governance, so many businesses are still scrambling to find a way to leverage generative AI in their workforce. Part of the problem is that few people understand generative AI. They don't really know how it works, so they have no idea how to apply it or how it may evolve in the immediate future. Luckily, there's a solution – establish a training program to help your people upskill, reskill, and learn everything they need to know about artificial intelligence. Here are a few technical training tips to help you get started. First, Ensure Your Training Team Understands Generative AI As we've mentioned before, there are a ton of benefits to incorporating artificial intelligence into any form of corporate training. While tools like ChatGPT are no replacement for human instructors, they do make it easier to personalize both learning pathways and training materials. People can practice AI upskilling at their own pace and in whatever style best...

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### 8 Best Practices for Using Generative AI in Customer Training

> Explore key practices for integrating generative AI into customer education, including prompt engineering, fact-checking, data privacy, and more.

- Published: 2024-01-08
- Modified: 2024-01-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/generative-ai-for-customer-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Generative AI is here to stay – and it won't be long before tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard are part of every customer education program. The good news is that there's still time to get ahead of the pack and enjoy the benefits of being an early adopter. You might recall that in advance of the 2023 CedMA Europe Conference, CloudShare and the association jointly conducted a survey of its members on key technologies in customer education. Only 28 percent of respondents had identified potentially helpful use cases for artificial intelligence, while 3 percent identified themselves as power users. The majority were still kicking the tires and trying to figure out where to start. We can help with that – let's go over a few best practices for incorporating generative AI into your customer training program. #1: Learn How to Engineer Prompts There's one critical skill you must develop before you start working with generative AI – prompt engineering. Although ChatGPT and its counterparts can respond to most questions in a reasonably humanlike fashion, that doesn't mean you can speak to it like it's human. There's a science to working with the software, and it starts with knowing exactly what you want it to do. From there, it's a matter of describing that task with concise, straightforward language while providing the AI with the necessary context. This could include information about your business, details about your training participants, or an explanation of your specific use case. For example, let's...

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### G2 Winter Awards Have Landed - and CloudShare's Sleighing It!

> CloudShare's G2 Winter 2024 awards arrived and we’ve been voted again as market leaders in virtual IT labs, and more.

- Published: 2024-01-03
- Modified: 2024-01-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-g2-winter-2024-awards/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement, Thought Leadership

‘Tis the season to be jolly - and at CloudShare, we’ve got lots to be merry about! Our G2 Winter 2024 awards arrived just in time for the holidays, and we’ve been voted again as market leaders in virtual IT labs, customer education software, and demo automation software categories. With 97% of our user reviews on G2 being 4 and 5 stars, we’re really feeling the love from our users. But for us, this isn’t just a one-season thing. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, we make it our mission to help companies deliver awesome training and sales experiences using hands-on learning. In 2023, our customers used CloudShare to run 45,200 classes for 145,600 students from 188 countries, with course completion rates 4x higher than industry benchmarks. Software company leaders are realizing that customer education is a must for achieving their business goals. As one training expert put it, customer education turns a client's question at contract renewal time from "Why are we using this product? " into "We can't do without this product. " Not surprisingly, Forrester reports that 90% of companies saw a positive return on their customer education investments. From improved product adoption to reduced support tickets and increased customer retention, customer education has become the golden goose of software businesses. Research shows that

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### The Top 10 Sales Engineer Communities to Join in 2024

> Here are some of the best sales engineering communities to help you gain new knowledge, discover new tools, and develop your career.

- Published: 2024-01-01
- Modified: 2024-04-02
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-top-10-sales-engineer-communities-to-join/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

As a sales engineer, people are the lifeblood of your profession. We're not just talking about your customers, either. There's also your colleagues — professional contacts that can connect you with everything from new opportunities to continued learning to up your game With that in mind, here are some of the best sales engineering communities to help you gain new knowledge, discover new tools, and develop your career. The Benefits of Joining a Sales Engineering Community The most significant benefit of joining a community by far is the access you gain to a wealth of collective knowledge. Connecting with sales engineers both new and old — including some of the top minds in your profession — means learning things about your profession you may otherwise have never considered. This includes: Details on the best sales engineer training programs. Information about new and emerging tools for sales engineers. The value of connecting and collaborating with others in your field. Discussions on emerging opportunities in your market. Learning about the most common mistakes made by new sales engineers — and how to avoid them. More compelling than any of that, however, is the feeling of being a part of something. Humans, after all, are social creatures. The ability to communicate, collaborate, and share experiences with like-minded professionals is incredibly important not just for your career, but for your well-being. The Top 10 Sales Engineering Communities to Join 1. National Sales Network With over 50,000 members nationwide, the National Sales Network (NSN) maintains...

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### The Importance of Sales Enablement Solutions in 2024

> Why do sales enablement solutions matter in 2024? Find out the benefits and key components of a sales enablement solution, in this blog.

- Published: 2023-12-25
- Modified: 2024-01-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-enablement-solutions/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Sales enablement has a simple objective that's not quite so simple to achieve — finding the best way to engage with prospects at each touchpoint in your sales funnel. This demands an understanding of your customers and their journey. It requires oversight from a dedicated team to maximize efficiency and performance. Finally, it involves data management, content creation, and consistent reporting. We'll go over the critical role sales enablement technology plays in helping your organization fulfill these responsibilities, and what you should look for in a sales enablement tool. Why Are Sales Enablement Solutions Important? Sales enablement software provides your business with a consolidated dashboard through which it can manage, monitor, and control the entire sales funnel and onboarding process. In addition to addressing the process and management challenges of sales enablement, an enterprise sales enablement solution empowers sales teams with tools that allow them to connect with potential customers on a far deeper level. The Benefits of a Sales Enablement Solution Combined with a proper strategy, an effective sales enablement platform is instrumental in helping your organization align sales, marketing, and customer success. It breaks down communication silos, enabling greater collaboration across your company. Ultimately, this results in better, stronger customer relationships for several reasons. >customer education. The right sales enablement tool makes it far easier to achieve this, providing you with insights into sales calls, training metrics, and more. Stronger Pitches "But what can your product do for me? "  That's the number one question sales teams need...

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### The 12 best LMSs to look out for in 2024: a starter's guide

> Learning management systems are platforms where you can create and share educational content with students. Find the best options here.

- Published: 2023-12-18
- Modified: 2024-04-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-lms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Introduction Learning management systems (LMS) are platforms where you can create and share educational content with students. They're designed to make the individual steps in training and education easier. Using them has many advantages, such as the ability to offer classes virtually, robust performance analytics, and intuitive grading systems. Also, an LMS cuts costs associated with in-person training like travel, accommodation, etc. For this reason, the LMS market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19. 1% to $37. 9 billion in 2026. However, one of the biggest challenges in training is finding the right tools and resources to facilitate an engaging learning experience. Most learner sessions are passive—with no scope for actual interactions. Students spend too much time staring at a screen but not absorbing the information—leading to a waste of their time and your resources. Moreover, nobody wants to use buggy software that just replays sessions or “loses” progress they worked so hard on. That’s not the case anymore. There are many LMS platforms to choose from in the market, so to simplify this process, we've created a list of 12 tools to help you deliver software training successfully. We've organized this list based on customer satisfaction scores across third-party review websites. The pros and cons of each tool and its deployment are listed below. We've also included customer reviews in the recommendations. If there's an LMS that helps you deliver student, employee, or customer training, you can find it in this list. Let's dive in. Best...

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### How to Market Your Training Program Like a Pro! - with Dave Derington

> Collaborate with the marketing team to build a Go-To-Market strategy for your training. Watch our inspiring webinar with Dave Deington.

- Published: 2023-12-14
- Modified: 2023-12-14
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-market-your-training-program-with-dave-derington
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How to Develop a Highly Effective Software Training Plan

> Most businesses struggle to align software training with business goals; a strategic approach with KPIs and executive support is essential.

- Published: 2023-12-12
- Modified: 2023-12-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-plan/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Does your business have a corporate software training program? How well does that program align with your long-term business objectives? If your organization is anything like most, the answer is probably not well. Alignment between training key performance indicators (KPIs) and business goals is more important than ever in the face of tightening budgets and increased competition. However, this appears to be something that very few businesses have managed to achieve. In a recent survey of our users, for instance, only 20 percent of respondents viewed their training program as very well aligned with their business goals. The majority of respondents (66 percent) had KPIs that were only somewhat aligned, while 14 percent reported little to no business alignment. That's a problem, and not just from a budgeting perspective. Software training programs that fail to mesh with organizational objectives likely aren't teaching participants everything they need to know. So let's say you're one of the 66 percent (or worse, one of the 14 percent). What exactly can you do about it? The answer is simple – develop a plan. Our Chief Marketing Officer, Annie Reiss, recently co-hosted a webinar with L&D champion Brenna Strickland on what that involves. Below, you'll find a recap of some of the major points. Determine Your Obstacles and Priorities There are two questions you need to answer when laying the groundwork for your training plan. First, what do you want to accomplish? And second, what factors might impact your efforts? Let's say, for instance, that...

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### The Best Israeli Startup Innovation Programs in 2024

> Explore the leading Israeli startup innovation programs in 2024. Uncover the secrets to their success and stay ahead in the tech world!

- Published: 2023-12-11
- Modified: 2024-04-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/startup-innovation-programs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Got a great startup idea but lack the funds to bring it from concept to completion? Start looking at startup innovation programs, startup accelerator programs and startup incubation programs. For a tech startup, these programs not only help find investors, but also represent an invaluable networking opportunity. In addition to connecting you with other people from your industry, they can also provide your startup with product development, sales, and marketing support. The only problem is that there are so many different options, it can be difficult to choose. We can help — here are 9 of the best accelerator programs for startups in Israel. ESIL As its name suggests, the Environmental Sustainability Innovation Lab (ESIL) works with technology startups that focus on sustainable technology. Born out of a partnership between EDF Renewables, Bazan Group and JM, the partnership provides not only funding but also technology, laboratories and equipment, mentorship and consulting, and networking. Startups that successfully apply for the IAA Innovation Lab Track receive an initial investment of one million NIS with the potential for additional follow-up investments. Apply. NTT Innovation Laboratory Israel Created by the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Company, NTT Innovation Laboratory Israel was created to help the Japanese corporation build and strengthen its relationship with Israel's innovation ecosystem. The team at the Innovation Laboratory works closely with NTT Business Units across multiple industries, all with the goal of supporting the growth and development of cutting-edge technology startups. Learn More. FinSec Innovation Lab Focused on innovation within the...

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### Why Leadership Training is Invaluable for Your Business

> Is poor leadership dragging down your organization? There's a big chance that the answer to that question is yes. Read here.

- Published: 2023-12-07
- Modified: 2023-12-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-for-executives/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Is poor leadership dragging down your organization? There's a big chance that the answer to that question is yes. According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, 57 percent of American workers say managers in their workplace could benefit from leadership training. Half of the respondents also feel their performance would improve if their direct supervisor received additional people management training. And 84 percent of people say that poorly trained people managers create unnecessary stress and work. If those numbers aren't enough to drive home the importance of leadership training, a recent report from GoodHire also found that 82 percent of people would consider quitting their job because of a bad manager. Here's how to develop effective leadership training for executives and employees alike. Creating A Winning Executive Training Program Identify Your Leadership Needs While there will be some overlap, a manager in a software development company will naturally require a different skill set than a manager working in a retail environment. Similarly, every participant in a leadership training program will be starting from a slightly different place with their own distinct learning preferences. You'll need to account for both of these details when designing your leadership training program. That means designing a program that's geared towards your business's unique leadership requirements but also flexible enough to adapt to different learners and learning styles. Define Your Desired Outcomes Once you've determined your leadership training needs, the next step is to clearly define the goals of your program....

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### 4 SaaS Demo Best Practices for Better Conversions

> Sales demos can make or break your sales process. Here we explore why sales demos are about more than just closing a deal.

- Published: 2023-12-06
- Modified: 2024-04-02
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-saas-demo-best-practices-for-better-conversions/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

(Last updated in December 2023) Sales demos can make or break your sales process. It’s your chance to convert an interested prospect into a customer. So, what kind of experiences are you providing for prospects at this crucial stage of a sale? Here we explore why sales demos are about more than just closing a deal. They’re an opportunity to deliver exceptional learning experiences that shape the beginning of a healthy ongoing customer relationship from onboarding to training. The Age of the Virtual Product Demo Modern business users expect seamless digital experiences. The sales demo is an opportunity to fully engage prospects in your software, showcasing exactly how your technology is uniquely suited to overcoming their pain points and helping them achieve their business goals. To do this effectively, you need to provide interactive, personalized, and realistic experiences. Slideshows and video demonstrations do not go far enough in providing the levels of engagement required. That’s where virtual product demo technology comes in. This technology allows you to spin up online environments where you can guide prospects through a hands-on remote simulation of using your software. It removes the need for long-winded how-to's and videos that consist of amateur footage and a voiceover by Dan from Product. Hands-on SaaS product demos are changing the game for sales departments. Gartner’s research into B2B buying journeys found that the sales process is no longer necessarily the main route to purchasing. Prospects don’t want a traditional sales pitch; they want something more. Yes, they...

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### Training New Hires: How to Create Engaging Employee Onboarding

> Boost engagement and retention by implementing comprehensive onboarding and training programs. Learn how in our blog.

- Published: 2023-12-05
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/engaging-new-hires-through-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Want to improve engagement at work? Start with better training. According to Forbes Advisor, companies with structured onboarding programs retain 58 percent of employees for three or more years. Official training programs for new employees also help 77 percent of new hires hit their first performance milestone. A positive onboarding experience also makes a new hire up to 33 percent more engaged at work. Creating a training program for your new hires seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it? Unfortunately, 58 percent of organizations have an onboarding program without much depth. Worse, 88 percent of employees feel they're not given a good onboarding program. Here's how you can make sure your employees don't feel the same way. The Foundational Link Between Training and Engagement When employees feel confident in their knowledge and abilities, they're happier, more motivated and more engaged. You're probably the same way. Would you want to do a job where you constantly felt unprepared, lost, or untrained? Probably not. This isn't a new concept, either. It's one of the ideas at the core of self-determination theory. Developed by Professors Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci in the 1970s and refined by other psychologists in the decades that followed, the theory says that people are motivated by three basic psychological needs: Autonomy: Ownership over your goals and behavior and the ability to act in a way that has a noticeable impact. Competence: The feeling that you have the skills, abilities and knowledge to overcome a challenge or accomplish...

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### 9 Tips for Sales Engineers to Master the Art of Presentations

> Want to know what makes a brilliant sales engineer? Probably a good combination of sales skills and technical knowledge of your product.

- Published: 2023-12-01
- Modified: 2023-12-18
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-tips-for-sales-engineers-to-master-the-art-of-presentations/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

(Last updated in December 2023) What’s the million-dollar question? Well, there are a couple, but for now let’s focus on one that we can ask a lot: How to be a successful sales engineer. The simple answer is a combination of sales skills and technical sales techniques, including knowledge of your product. But in fact, there’s a lot more to this delicate balance than meets the eye, and a brilliant sales engineer is one who knows how to play both chords simultaneously, along with one more, often overlooked, requirement: presentation soft skills. The presentation, be it a sales demo, POC, or otherwise, is at the very core of the SE’s job, where knowledge meets the audience and all the magic begins to happen. Only we know all too well that in too many presentations this is not the case. And whether this is the result of a burnt-out SE giving more than 20 presentations a week or a lack of expertise in one of the required skill sets, the fact is: bad presentations cost us money. On more than one occasion, the SE’s presentation might just be a deal-breaker – or maker. So indeed, what makes a brilliant SE? It isn’t just having technical expertise or amazing sales capabilities, but rather it’s mastering the art of giving an awesome presentation to a crowd that is made up of humans, not blank screens. Let’s look at 9 technical sales tips that can help you make all the difference for sales engineers...

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### Pow! How to Develop Knockout Software Training Plans - with Brenna Strickland

> Watch our inspiring webinar with Kristine Kukich from Thought Industries, brings a refreshingly practical approach and informative how-to lesson on getting started using AI technology in customer education.

- Published: 2023-11-30
- Modified: 2023-11-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-develop-knockout-software-training-plans-with-brenna-strickland
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### The Critical Role of Cybersecurity Awareness Training in Cyber Risk Management

> Guard your organization against cyber threats by empowering employees with effective cybersecurity awareness training.

- Published: 2023-11-28
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/employee-training-in-workplace-cyber-risk-management/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

People will always be the weakest link in an organization's defenses. That’s why workplace cybersecurity and employee training go hand in hand in the modern workplace. Don't believe us? Just look at the data. According to researchers from Stanford University, roughly 88 percent of all data breaches are the result of human error. For comparison, Verizon's 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report puts that number at 74 percent. Research by cybersecurity company Trend Micro, meanwhile, found that nearly 91 percent of cyberattacks begin with a spearphishing email – a tactic that uses information about a target in an attempt to trick them into either downloading malicious software or giving up account credentials. This remains as true today as it did twenty years ago. And it will be just as true twenty years from now as it is today. In order to protect your organization and manage cyber risk, you need to keep your employees educated, aware, and informed. Bypassing the Walls: Why Cybercriminals Target Humans Modern companies, particularly large ones, now have access to an impressive array of cybersecurity tools, from AI-driven threat detection to sophisticated authentication. The time and effort required to break through these defenses would very nearly eclipse the return on a successful attack. What many of these organizations forget is that network and infrastructure security are only part of the equation. Cybercriminals are well aware of this. They know that the easiest way to gain access to a business's network and assets isn't by drilling through the...

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### AI Upskilling: Training in the Time of ChatGPT

> AI's disruptive force reshapes industries. Embrace AI upskilling for future success – adapt, grow, and thrive in the age of artificial intelligence.

- Published: 2023-11-23
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ai-upskilling/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Artificial intelligence may well be the most disruptive technology since the invention of the Internet. Tools like ChatGPT have fundamentally upset the foundations of multiple industries. Building on that, machine learning-backed AI models have proved invaluable for use cases ranging from predictive maintenance to price optimization. The possibilities really are endless. And what we've seen so far may only be the tip of the iceberg. Amidst considerable exploration and innovation, AI has evolved considerably in just the past year, and it will likely continue to evolve at an unprecedented pace moving forward. According to Our World in Data, 90 percent of AI experts believe that we could have human-level AI within the next hundred years. What does this mean for human workers, especially when you consider the World Economic Forum’s claim that 80% of new jobs by 2031 will require AI-literacy. The answer is clear: AI upskilling is a must-have for organizations today. If you haven't already started looking into AI training, you need to – and soon. Otherwise, you risk being left behind by not only your customers but also your employees. Reskilling in the Age of AI: Why Are Businesses Dragging Their Feet? Per a recent survey by 5Mins AI, 84 percent of people believe that AI and ML will have the biggest impact on the evolution of the workplace. Upskilling and reskilling were regarded as important to career development by 98 percent of respondents. Unfortunately, only 75 percent of employees felt they could prioritize reskilling and upskilling....

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### Bite-Sized Learning vs. Microlearning: What's the Difference?

> Escape information overload with microlearning and bite-sized learning. Boost productivity, retention, and engagement in your corporate training.

- Published: 2023-11-21
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/bite-sized-learning-vs-microlearning/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We live in an era of information overload. From crowded search results and non-stop marketing emails to sponsored ad placements in all forms of media — it seems everything is competing for our attention span today. And it’s not just us saying this either. In Microsoft's 2023 Work Trend Index, 68 percent of survey participants indicated that they lack uninterrupted focus time during the workday. Another 62 percent feel they spend too much time searching for information. Why does this matter? According to The Morris Psychological Group, information overload is taking a heavy toll on our memory. In other words, we not only work less effectively but also struggle more with knowledge retention. Not surprisingly, this has led to changes in how companies approach training. In fact, organizations are increasingly setting aside traditional corporate training in favor of something more lightweight and digestible, such as microlearning and bite-sized learning. In 2018, microlearning accounted for over 60 percent of all e-learning. Adding to that, microlearning adoption increased by 40 percent in 2020, while the global microlearning market is expected to reach roughly $4. 2 billion by 2030. As it turns out, microlearning isn't the only way to make training content more concise. Bite-sized learning is another option. Although frequently confused with microlearning, bite-sized learning is distinct in a few key ways. Don’t worry, we’ll dive into this more later. But first, let’s define these two learning methods, explore how they differ, and help you decide which one is right for your...

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### Customer Training Professionals are Feeling the Pressure

> The results of the survey we conducted with CEdMA of its members regarding the state of customer education and the use of key technologies.

- Published: 2023-11-16
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-training-professionals-are-feeling-the-pressure-cedma-2023-survey/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

In advance of this year’s CEdMA Europe Conference, the association and CloudShare jointly conducted a survey of its members regarding the state of customer education and the use of key technologies. The results were presented at the conference. Let’s have a look at some of the highlights here. The “yeses” have it. The pressure is on. As you see, a third of the respondents say it always is. "Access to technologies that enhance the learning experience has never been greater, but the need to justify training spend is also at an all-time high. Over the past 16 years I've spent as software industry training leader, I've found that rising to that challenge requires careful assessment and alignment to ensure your efforts match your organization’s priorities. With the pressure mounting, we all need ways to ensure that alignment and strategic focus. " Brenna Strickland, L&D leader What else did we learn? Budgets are an issue Given the pressure to step up customer training performance, you would probably take some comfort in knowing you’ll be able to secure more budget for the coming year. But chances are, you won’t. The least popular response, coming in at only 13%, is “the budget will increase. ” More respondents report it will decrease, while 72% don’t yet know or anticipate a budget freeze. Our The State of Virtual Software Training 2023 Report included a question about budget changes specifically for virtual training from 2022 to 2023. As you can see, the results differed slightly by...

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### How to Create an Exceptional Interactive Online Training Program

> Static, passive training content is functionally obsolete. If you want your online training to truly resonate with learners, it needs to be interactive.

- Published: 2023-11-14
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/interactive-online-training-program/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Static training content is no longer effective. Modern learners demand something more compelling than explainer videos and PowerPoint presentations. They want to learn by doing through hands-on training, and in the case of SaaS, they want these interactive training programs to take place online. You should give them what they want. For one, an effective, personalized interactive training program makes your business

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### Key Product Adoption Metrics You Should Already Be Tracking

> If you don’t understand how to measure product adoption, you’ll have no real way of knowing whether or not your software is a success.

- Published: 2023-11-07
- Modified: 2023-11-14
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-adoption-metrics/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Data is integral to the product adoption process. If you don't understand how to measure product adoption, you'll have no real way of knowing whether or not your software is a success. You also won't be able to prove the ROI on any of your sales, marketing, or customer education initiatives. You'll be flying blind. No insights into how customers are using your software, no knowledge of what your customers want, and no idea what needs improvement. That isn't a sustainable way to operate. You need to track how people engage with your software, especially during onboarding. With that in mind, here, in our opinion, are the fifteen most important SaaS product adoption metrics. Product Adoption Rate Product adoption rate gives you direct insight into your product's stickiness and general level of engagement. It measures how many people become regular, active users of your software rather than only using it once or twice. It's typically calculated over a set period of time – typically a month at minimum. Calculating Product Adoption Rate(New Active Users/Signups or Downloads)*100 Sales Metrics These product adoption KPIs are more focused on what happens prior to onboarding. Leveraging them will help you identify how effectively the customer journey progresses from prospect to onboarding to regular usage. Acquisition Rate Customer acquisition rate assesses the effectiveness of your company's marketing and advertising efforts. It tallies the total number of prospects gained from a particular channel or campaign against the total reach of that channel or campaign. It's frequently...

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### How to Implement an Effective Product Education Strategy

> If your software is technically complex, customer product education must be a priority for your SaaS company. An onboarding process is crucial.

- Published: 2023-11-02
- Modified: 2023-11-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-education/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

There are few experiences more frustrating than not understanding how to use an app – particularly if said app was supposed to make your life easier. It's enough to make you want to quit using the software altogether. And that's likely what many of your customers are doing if your company lacks a product education strategy. It's also why product education is such a critical stage in the onboarding process. Consider, for instance, that according to a survey by Gitnux: 76 percent of customers will continue using a product after a welcoming onboarding experience. Up to 60 percent of customers will abandon software with a poor onboarding experience post sign-up. Companies that invest in onboarding and product education may see 5-10 percent increased revenue. All this is to say that particularly if your software is technically complex, user education must be a priority for your SaaS company. A strong onboarding process plays a key role in both attracting and retaining customers. Similarly, ongoing SaaS product training keeps customers satisfied by providing them with both a refresher on existing functionality and an introduction to new features. This blog post will explain why customer education is important and then dive into how your business can implement an effective strategy. Understanding the Value of Product Education for SaaS Companies Providing customers with software training benefits a business in a few ways. Faster Product Adoption is, in many ways, the golden metric of SaaS. It's the point at which a prospective customer becomes truly...

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### The ROI of Bridging the Cybersecurity Skills Gap

> As the world continues to move towards digital transformation and hyperconnectivity, cybersecurity training will only grow more critical.

- Published: 2023-10-31
- Modified: 2023-11-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-skills-gap/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

"As we peer into the future and set our sights on 2024, it's unmistakable that the security landscape is growing increasingly complex. the news may not be as sunny as we'd like it to be. " Dr. Zvi Guterman, Founder & CEO, CloudShare We live in what some have called a golden era for cybercriminals. Cyberattacks are both more frequent and more sophisticated, increasingly leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the cloud. Digital crime, meanwhile, operates at virtually every scale, with targets ranging from small businesses to entire supply chains. This surge in cybercrime would be challenging even if everyone had a fully-staffed security team. However, we live in a world defined by an ongoing cybersecurity shortage. A world where hackers from a single country outnumber the Federal Bureau of Investigation's cyber staff fifty to one. To say that the situation is less than ideal would be putting it lightly. But it's also not insurmountable. Provided you understand the reasons behind the talent shortage and use that understanding to develop an effective cybersecurity training program, you can protect both yourself and your business. The Current State of Cybersecurity "The threat environment is constantly changing, but how businesses have responded to those threats remain largely the same. That's not going to work anymore. " — McKinsey & Company, Perspectives on Transforming Cybersecurity Modern threat actors are not only more numerous, they're also considerably more organized. In CompTIA's State of Cybersecurity 2024 report, the vendor found that not only had...

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### The Biggest Product Adoption Challenges You Need to Know About

> Product adoption is simultaneously one of your most important metrics and one of your greatest challenges as a SaaS company.

- Published: 2023-10-26
- Modified: 2023-11-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-adoption-challenges/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

For a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, product adoption is everything. A high adoption rate impacts not only revenue but also reputation and customer satisfaction. A low adoption rate may mean something is wrong with your customer onboarding process — or worse, your product. In order to increase product adoption, it's important to understand not only the strategies you should use but also how they apply to some of the major user adoption roadblocks. For instance, what can you do about a steep learning curve? How can you address customer concerns about budget or issues with usability? Before we get into answering those questions, let's start with the basics of product adoption. How to Drive Product Adoption as a Software Company The Market Stages of Product Adoption Who you should target with your product adoption strategies depends on where you are in your software's lifecycle. Recently launched products tend to attract innovators. These individuals tend to be incredibly tech-savvy and attuned to market trends. Give them a chance to be part of a community and guide early development through customer feedback. Early adopters pick up a product shortly after innovators. They tend to be influencers, making them critical to shaping early perception of your software. Advocacy marketing and customer outreach are crucial to getting them on board. After early adopters comes the early majority. This is your largest and arguably most important market segment. They're usually heavily influenced by the opinions of early adopters, but it's also important to create a positive...

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### How Does Generative AI Align with Customer Software Training?

> Understand the implications of AI in customer education and put initiatives in place to ensure realizing the productivity benefits this technology can deliver.

- Published: 2023-10-24
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/generative-ai-in-customer-software-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

“Generative AI has become a must-have tool for customer education departments to keep up with agile development processes and growing customer expectations,” says Sarah Sedgman CEO of LearnExperts. Sarah’s firm has developed an AI-based tool that enables software companies to drastically accelerate the development of training courses. LearnExperts is hardly alone. The age of generative has arrived in force. While the rapid ascent of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and Microsoft’s Bing, exposed the power and potential of AI to the masses, companies developing solutions specifically for customer education are also off to the races introducing AI into their platforms. Approximately two-thirds of workers have generative AI on their radar, according to research by Salesforce. 61% currently use or plan to use generative AI. 68% say generative AI will help them better serve their customers. 67% say generative AI will help them get more out of other technology investments, like other AI and machine-learning models. But questions abound. They commonly include: What are practical use cases in which AI tools can propel productivity in customer education? How do you feed generative AI tools what they need to produce quality output? Which tools should software training organizations try and/or buy? Does the use of AI introduce safety, security, and disinformation risks? How do you get started? We dug into answering these questions and did so in an eBook, Harnessing Generative AI for Effective Customer Software Training. Are you ready to fuel your customer training engine with AI? Yes, no, or maybe, it’s...

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### Harnessing Generative AI For Effective Customer Software Training

> Understand the implications of AI in customer education and put initiatives in place to ensure realizing the productivity benefits this technology can and will deliver.

- Published: 2023-10-23
- Modified: 2023-10-23
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/harnessing-generative-ai-for-effective-customer-software-training-2/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Unleashing the Power of Self-Paced Training for Personalized Learning

> Self-paced training allows a learner to progress through a course on their own time and at their own rate, with complete autonomy.

- Published: 2023-10-19
- Modified: 2024-07-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/self-paced-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Expectations have changed in we wouldn't see blended learning becoming the industry norm. Instead, you should accept self-paced training for what it is — another option for providing people with personalized, compelling hands-on learning experiences. FAQs 1. How Can Learners Maximize Their Success in Self-Paced Training Programs? Learners can maximize their success in self-paced training programs by establishing a structured routine and setting clear, achievable goals. Creating a dedicated study schedule helps maintain consistency and ensures steady progress. Leveraging available resources, such as interactive content, quizzes, and supplementary materials, can deepen understanding and reinforce learning. Actively seeking feedback and utilizing on-demand support can address any challenges or uncertainties that arise. Additionally, breaking down the material into manageable chunks and using techniques like microlearning can enhance retention and prevent overwhelm. By staying disciplined, motivated, and proactive, learners can effectively navigate and excel in self-paced training environments. 2. How Effective Is Self-Paced Learning Compared to Traditional Classroom Learning? Self-paced learning can be more effective than traditional classroom learning in several key ways. It allows learners to progress at their own pace, providing the flexibility to spend more time on challenging topics and quickly move through familiar material, which can enhance retention and comprehension. This personalized approach caters to individual learning styles and schedules, often resulting in higher engagement and satisfaction. Additionally, self-paced learning leverages technology to offer interactive and immersive experiences that can be more compelling than passive classroom lectures. However, the effectiveness of self-paced learning largely depends on the learner's self-discipline...

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### Harnessing Generative AI For Effective Customer Software Training

> Understand the implications of AI in customer education and put safe strategies and new initiatives in place to ensure you realize the undeniable productivity benefits the technology can and will deliver.

- Published: 2023-10-16
- Modified: 2023-10-26
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/harnessing-generative-ai-for-effective-customer-software-training/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How to Set Up an Online Virtual Classroom in 3 Easy Steps

> Create a virtual training environment that is identical to the best local classroom experience with the benefits of giving instructions remotely.

- Published: 2023-10-16
- Modified: 2024-04-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/setting-up-an-online-virtual-classroom/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

As useful as Zoom is, it’s not your ticket to effective virtual software training. CloudShare is. CloudShare enables your company to train customers via a virtual classroom. Instructors enjoy most of the same benefits they’d have in physical classrooms and can create personalized labs for each student, view their screens, and interact individually. Perhaps you like the idea of delivering live, interactive, hands-on training but dread the thought of setting up such a whizbang environment. You’re going to love this: CloudShare makes rolling out virtual classroom setup a simple 1, 2, or 3 series of steps (and it takes about three minutes). Step 1: Setup the environment Prior to a training session, the instructor logs into the CloudShare platform and can tap into a gallery of pre-configured virtual machine templates to build a master virtual environment. Alternatively, they can create the virtual training environment from scratch by: Uploading customized virtual machines to a new or existing CloudShare environment, or... Selecting a standalone server and virtual machines available within the template library The master environment—and each student environment—reside on their own private network. The instructor can always adjust the RAM, disk storage, and CPU for each machine within an active environment. Instructors have full control over the hardware and networking configuration and can define any network topology, as needed. Either way, the instructor can run any instance of the environment, install any additional software, and scale classroom resources without depending on external infrastructure support personnel. CloudShare also offers instructors the option...

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### The Benefits of Employee Engagement Training

> Employee engagement training is a management-focused program that focuses on how to improve engagement in an organization.

- Published: 2023-10-12
- Modified: 2023-11-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/employee-engagement-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Poor employee engagement could seriously cost your business — so what is your company doing to prioritize it? According to a report by The Engagement Institute, disengaged employees cost U. S. companies roughly $550 billion a year. Another study by TechJury found that companies with a high level of employee engagement are 21 percent more profitable. Engaged employees are also more productive, healthier, and less likely to miss work. Unfortunately, not every engagement initiative resonates with an organization's staff. Too many businesses simply pay lip service to employee engagement, falling back on ineffective methods like open door policies. They fail to understand that engagement isn't something you can cultivate overnight. It requires a considerable shift in organizational culture and a specific management approach, both of which begin with an employee engagement training program. What Is Employee Engagement Training? Employee engagement training is a management-focused program that focuses on how to improve engagement in an organization. It provides managers with the knowledge, guidance, and strategies necessary to build deeper relationships with their people and enhance wellness, happiness and job satisfaction. Through this training, organizational leadership becomes better equipped to create a culture of learning, innovation and support. The Benefits of Employee Engagement Training In addition to strengthening relationships between employees and managers, an effective training program can help managers: Improve their employees' quality of work Increase workplace productivity Reduce employee attrition and burnout Encourage healthier behaviors and improve employee wellness Support professional development and growth Increase their organization's overall profitability Employee...

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### The Power of AI in Learning and Development

> AI can improve your training in many ways, regardless of whether your focus is onboarding new customers, certifying partners or helping employees.

- Published: 2023-10-10
- Modified: 2025-01-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ai-in-learning-and-development/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Artificial intelligence is arguably the most disruptive technology to emerge since the invention of the first smartphone. Already, it's revolutionized multiple industries, automating repetitive manual work and providing invaluable insights to decision-makers. That's not even the most exciting thing about the technology, either. What's most exhilarating about AI is the fact that as many have pointed out, this is the worst AI will ever be — it will continue growing exponentially more helpful and effective for the foreseeable future. But what does this mean for learning and development? After all, it's no secret that education in 2023 is completely different from what it was even as far back as 2021. While the global shift to hybrid learning certainly played a part in that change, artificial intelligence has proved equally influential. Let's see if we can answer that question, starting with an examination of the current AI-driven learning, development and training landscape. How AI Training and Development Changes the Game We've already talked a great deal about how SaaS organizations can use artificial intelligence to improve their training processes, advance customer education, and enhance both customer success and sales enablement. Even with all that, we've barely scratched the surface. The simple truth is that artificial intelligence has completely changed the business landscape, and even now continues to do so in ways that few can predict. Unfortunately, as is the case with any new technology, there's no shortage of decision-makers that don't know how artificial intelligence actually works. Rather than develop a...

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### The Top Product-Led Growth Tools of 2023

> Product-led growth (PLG) makes your software the focal point of your company's go-to-market efforts. Find here our list of the best tools.

- Published: 2023-10-05
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-led-growth-tools/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement

At some point, every SaaS company needs to consider its growth strategy. How will you attract and retain new prospects? Who should have ownership of your lead generation, sales enablement and customer success efforts? Perhaps most importantly of all, what is your core selling point, and how do you intend to communicate that to prospective customers? Product-led growth represents arguably the most compelling answer to all three of these questions. What is Product-Led Growth? Also known as product-driven growth, product-led growth (PLG) makes your software the focal point of your company's go-to-market efforts. While your sales and marketing team may still play a role in identifying and attracting leads, it's your product that ultimately drives customer acquisition and retention. A product-led sales strategy differs from the traditional sales-led approach in a few key ways: In PLG, experience and engagement are prioritized above all else. PLG sales funnels are characterized by having more self-service touchpoints and less direct interaction between prospects and the sales team. PLG strategies are generally built on continuous improvement and hands-on experiences. Some examples of companies that have successfully executed a product-led growth strategy include: Slack, which spent several months after launch asking companies in its network to try its software and provide feedback, then used that feedback to zero in on exactly what its audience needed. From there, it largely relied on word-of-mouth to eventually grow to over 10 million daily active users. HubSpot, which focused on providing a range of free options and trials to...

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### How to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Customer Training Strategy

> Measure, monitor, optimize. Let's talk about what's involved in customer training analytics — starting with a brief deep dive on why they're important.

- Published: 2023-10-03
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-measure-the-effectiveness-of-your-customer-training-strategy/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Customer training should be a cornerstone of your company's go-to-market strategy. You need to make certain that prospects understand not only how to use your software, but also how to gain value from it. Your software's adoption and renewal rates both depend on it — as does long-term revenue. But strategy alone is only part of a successful customer training plan. You also need a way to measure and monitor your training efforts. Let's talk about what's involved in customer training analytics — starting with a brief deep dive on why they're important. The Value of Analytics for Customer Training Programs Measure, monitor, optimize. You'll often see this advice topping any list of customer training best practices, and with very good reason. SaaS customer training is entirely >scores of different metrics and KPIs your organization can potentially track as part of its customer training efforts. Which ones you track depend largely on your industry and use case. With that said, there are some metrics which are valuable no matter what your software does. Customer Satisfaction lets you determine if there are significant usability or design issues with your customer training. Net Promoter Score serves a similar purpose. Retention and Churn can help demonstrate the impact of your customer training strategy alongside customer acquisition cost. Usage Details and Trends gives you a clear idea of how people engage with your training, including bottlenecks and quit points. Completion rate shows you how many people go through your full onboarding process from beginning...

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### Customers Reward CloudShare with 21 G2 Badges

> CloudShare's 21 G2 awarded badges for Fall 2023 in 3 categories: customer education, virtual IT labs, and demo automation.

- Published: 2023-09-29
- Modified: 2024-01-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-g2-reviews-badges-fall-2023/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement, Thought Leadership

Helping software companies achieve their sales and customer education goals is rewarding for everyone at CloudShare. It feels extra good when it comes in the form of feedback. We get plenty of that—and from different sources. One of those sources is G2, the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace. Data presented on the G2 site is based on user reviews and a variety of online sources. Every season of every year, top products are awarded badges based on approved reviews during the evaluation period. So, when 21 honors across three categories come your way, you know who to thank. We thank you for... Our most robust bundle of badges to date Here’s what our 2023 Fall haul includes: Customer Education Best Est. ROI — Enterprise Best Meets Requirements Best Meets Requirements — Enterprise Best Meets Requirements — Mid-market High Performer — Enterprise Fastest Implementation — Mid-market Leader Leader — Small business Leader — Americas Leader — EMEA Leader — Europe Users Most Likely to Recommend — Mid-Market Virtual IT Labs High Performer — Americas High Performer — EMEA High Performer — Europe Leader Leader — Mid-Market Demo Automation Best Meets Requirements — Mid-market Easiest to Use — Mid-market Leader — Enterprise High Performer — Enterprise “Rankings and awards on G2 reports are based on data provided by real users,” said Annie Reiss, CloudShare’s chief marketing officer. “We value getting feedback from the market and appreciate the fact that users delight in using our products to achieve their customer education...

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### 10 Best Practices for Building a Winning Self-Paced Customer Training Program

> In recent years, self-paced customer training has grown rapidly in popularity. In 2023 alone, self-paced course offerings increased by 20%.

- Published: 2023-09-28
- Modified: 2023-09-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/10-best-practices-for-building-self-paced-training-program/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How to Create a Killer Self-Paced Customer Software Training Program

> Everything you need to know and understand in order to successfully incorporate self-paced learning into both onboarding and customer support.

- Published: 2023-09-27
- Modified: 2023-10-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-create-a-killer-self-paced-customer-software-training-program/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Roughly 76% of customers who report a welcoming onboarding experience will continue using a product or service. In an industry like B2B SaaS, that's huge. We're talking about a massive potential reduction in churn and a huge increase in satisfaction, retention and brand advocacy. But what exactly goes into developing an effective onboarding process? How can you ensure your new customers remain customers? Self-paced training is an excellent starting point. Not only does it provide unmatched flexibility and autonomy, it gives your organization the ability to control both the learning and sales environment. Better yet, because there's no time pressure, new customers can learn how to use your software at their leisure, reaching out to your team if they run into any trouble. Of course, all this is assuming you're actually able to develop an effective self-paced training program. Bear in mind, however, that it's not simply a matter of adapting your existing training materials and technology. We're talking about a completely different training modality. Not to worry, though. As long as you know what to focus on ahead of time, developing and implementing self-directed learning for your customers is easier than you'd think. That's where CloudShare comes in. Our new eBook, 10 Best Practices for Building a Winning Self-Paced Training Program, tells you everything you need to know and understand in order to successfully incorporate self-paced learning into both onboarding and customer support. 📖 Download the eBook now, and start providing outstanding self-paced customer training experiences.

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### How to Increase Product Adoption with Customer Training

> Particularly in SaaS, product adoption is indicative of not only a product's market fit but also the strength of its sales and onboarding processes.

- Published: 2023-09-26
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-increase-product-adoption-with-customer-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Curious about how you can drive product adoption for your SaaS business? Product adoption, also known as user adoption, is what occurs when a customer integrates a product or service into their workflows, using its key features to address their needs. It typically means that the customer has recognized the software's value enough to start using it on a consistent, ongoing basis. So, what makes product adoption a must-have? And how can you leverage customer training to improve product adoption? Read on to find out. Why Product Adoption is Important Particularly in SaaS, product adoption is indicative of not only a product's market fit but also the strength of its sales and onboarding processes. High product adoption correlates with reduced churn, improved revenue growth and increased customer satisfaction. Customers who have fully adopted a product are often more amenable to cross-selling and upselling, as well. These factors arguably make product adoption the most crucial stage not just in the sales process, but in the entire customer journey. Measuring Product Adoption There are a few different metrics and KPIs your company can use to keep track of product activations. The most straightforward of these is product adoption rate, which compares the number of new active users for a time period against the total sign-ups in that same period. To calculate product adoption rate, you can use the following formula: (New Active Users/Total Sign-ups)/100 Other product adoption KPIs include: User engagement metrics: such as daily or monthly active users, total usage time,...

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### SaaS LMS vs. Hosted LMS: Pros and Cons Analyzed

> Every organization has unique L&D needs. In some use cases a SaaS LMS simply doesn't stack up while hosted LMS may indeed be the better option.

- Published: 2023-09-21
- Modified: 2023-10-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/saas-lms-vs-hosted-lms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Learning management systems have long played a pivotal role in both customer training and employee education. Unsurprisingly, they've also evolved a great deal over the years. Modern learning management platforms now exist largely in the cloud, pairing seamlessly with SaaS training software to improve everything from learner satisfaction to instructor productivity. But is a cloud-based LMS always the right choice? After all, every organization has unique learning and development needs. It's not inconceivable to think that there are some use cases for which a SaaS LMS simply doesn't stack up. Sometimes, a hosted LMS may indeed be the better option. SaaS Learning Management Systems A SaaS LMS is entirely cloud-based. The LMS vendor takes care of all the physical infrastructure requirements, delivering their software via the cloud as a subscription-based service. This delivery model also means that customers typically won't have to install any specialized hardware or software in order to use a cloud LMS — once the platform is properly integrated with their other software, they're good to go. ProsEasy Setup and Installation Generally speaking, a SaaS LMS is far easier to install and configure than a traditional hosted platform. It doesn't generally require complex configuration, nor do you need to install and test specialized hardware. In most cases, the solution is entirely plug-and-play. Flexibility With a cloud LMS, there's no need for remote access tools like virtual private networks or secure gateways. Your users can access the platform from anywhere and at any time, whether they're at home,...

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### 12 Ways to Propel Productivity in Customer Education with AI

> CloudShare's CMO looks at the 12 ways Customer Education pros can tap the power of generative AI. Read more here.

- Published: 2023-09-20
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/12-ways-to-propel-productivity-in-customer-education-with-ai/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

I must start with this; I just asked Bard if I had a good headline here. Thank you kindly, Bard. Here we go... Keyboard-tapping professionals across all walks of business now call on robots to help pump up productivity for an ever-expanding array of tasks. Are learning and development specialists joining the party? (The cork pops. ) Oh... yeah. In years past, AI began to make some ripples in customer education. But now,with multi-purpose generative AI solutions like ChatGPT and Bard becoming mainstream and artificial intelligence tools created specifically for L&D pouring forth, it looks to be making waves in the field of customer education. Still, the power of AI still scares the willies out of some enterprises. And its potential to automate and accelerate workflows with a crafty little prompt here and there has invoked a deafening chorus of “it’s coming to take my job” outcries and a host of potentially critical legal and infosec concerns. Our advice: fear not. Just as computers, the internet, and search engines accelerated your ability to gather, process, and produce information, so too will AI tools. When you learn where, when, and how to use them, they shall become your virtual best buddies and perhaps, the most effective propellers of productivity you’ll ever deploy. So, let’s look at 12 ways we CE pros can tap the power of generative AI. 1. Plan course content You might begin to unleash the power of generative AI by giving it a seat, so to speak, at...

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### The 2023 Cram Kit for Online Software Training

> Help yourself to this year’s most informative collection of customer education resources. %%title%% is packed with up-to-date data.

- Published: 2023-09-19
- Modified: 2023-09-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/the-2023-cram-kit-for-online-software-training/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Get Up to Speed with the 2023 Cram Kit for Online Software Training

> The 2023 Cram Kit for Online Software Training," brings you CloudShare's best-performing content - industry research reports.

- Published: 2023-09-19
- Modified: 2023-10-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/get-up-to-speed-with-the-2023-cram-kit-for-online-software-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The first half of 2023 has been an interesting period for software training professionals. While layoffs have increased in the tech industry, most organizations are increasing their training budgets. The majority of training managers and directors report they view virtual labs as indispensable. Compared to 2022, for training organizations, investments in analytics tools have more than doubled. As an increasing percentage of companies must cope with understaffing, self-paced training remains the dominant software training model. Additional challenges include scheduling, business alignment, and user engagement. All of these, and many more valuable insights, are included in a new CloudShare report, The State of Virtual Software Training in 2023. We’ve compiled another set of facts and figures in a study on industry benchmarks. In addition to the software training research we’ve published, we’ve created webinars and blog posts regarding trends and best practices, lessons about applying AI in training, and practical advice for optimizing ROI from VILT tools. To make it easy for you to get up to speed on the various wheels that continue spinning in the industry, we’ve rounded-up nine topical and timely content assets in The 2023 Cram Kit for Online Software Training. The free content kit features summaries of and links to: Industry report: The State of Virtual Software Training in 2023 White paper: Just Beat It! Can Your Online Training Program Beat 2023 Industry Benchmarks? Blog post: What to Expect in 2023—A Look into the Future of the Training Industry Webinar: Measuring Success—Create Effective Customer Education Across...

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### AI: The New Imperative for Advancing Customer Education - with Kristine Kukich

> Watch our inspiring webinar with Kristine Kukich from Thought Industries, brings a refreshingly practical approach and informative how-to lesson on getting started using AI technology in customer education.

- Published: 2023-09-14
- Modified: 2023-10-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/ai-the-new-imperative-for-advancing-customer-education-with-kristine-kukich
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Level Up Your SaaS Business with a Proof of Concept Template

> Proof-of-concept demos are a key part of any successful SaaS vendor’s sales process. They demonstrate how to solve a potential customer’s problem.

- Published: 2023-09-12
- Modified: 2024-04-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/level-up-your-saas-business-with-a-proof-of-concept-template/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Proof of concept demonstrations are a key part of any successful SaaS vendor's sales process. They not only allow you to showcase your software's key features, but also demonstrate how those features solve a prospective client's problems. Better yet, with the right POC environment, you can provide a compelling, hands-on demo experience that simultaneously onboards and converts. As with most things in sales enablement, creating a killer POC doesn't start with tools or technology. It begins with planning and documentation. Whether you're looking to drive sales or validate a project that's still in its conceptual stages, you need to start with a POC template. What is a Proof of Concept Template? Proof of concept templates are strategic documents that define the purpose, scope, and core criteria of a proof of concept. They're particularly helpful for early-stage products or services that still need to secure leadership support and stakeholder buy-in. They're equally valuable, however, as part of the sales process. Key Benefits of Using Proof of Concept Templates for Projects The benefits of using a proof of concept document include: Making it easier to secure management support for new products and ideas. Validate technical details of a project concept. De-risk a product to secure investor buy-in. Identify issues in usability, feasibility, or value ahead of launch. Determine pain points and associated features for a client ahead of a POC demo. Enable a more strategic approach to POC development and execution. How to Create a Winning SaaS Proof of Concept Template An...

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### 10 Best Practices for Building a Winning Self-Paced Customer Training Program

> Self-paced training is the on-demand option of the customer training world. Forget meeting in a conference room with an instructor who’s traveled miles for a scheduled session. Self-paced training is available when customers want it, on their device, with no need to worry about keeping up with other learners.

- Published: 2023-09-10
- Modified: 2023-10-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/10-best-practices-for-building-a-winning-self-paced-customer-training-program/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Best Practices for Choosing a Cloud Training Service Provider in 2023

> Our guide to help you find your way through the jungle of options when choosing a cloud training vendor: best practices and success criteria.

- Published: 2023-09-07
- Modified: 2023-10-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-for-choosing-a-cloud-training-service-provider/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The world has changed — have your training programs changed with it? According to 77 percent of B2B clients, technology has dramatically transformed their expectations of how companies should interact with them. For 70 percent of customers, a seamless sales, purchase and onboarding experience inspires them to purchase more. Finally, profit margins for companies with comprehensive and modernized training programs are up to 24 percent higher. With hybrid and blended learning on the rise and in the face of an ongoing talent shortage and skill shift — it's now more important than ever for your organization to evolve. Cloud training is an important foundation of that evolution. But what does that involve? What is Cloud Training? Cloud training (or cloud-based learning) is a virtual solution for traditional learning. This solution allows learners to engage with training virtually without the need to install software. The only requirement is an active internet connection. While different vendors offer different features, cloud-based solutions typically offer a device-agnostic learning platform coupled with voice and video chat. They may also include collaborative features such as over-the-shoulder view and robust analytics to measure student performance, engagement and ROI. Finally, some cloud vendors provide customers with a sandbox environment through which participants can directly engage with lessons. The Hidden Costs of Patchwork Solutions You might think you can meet all the necessary requirements for supporting cloud training by deploying a video conferencing application. And maybe if your needs aren't particularly complex, you can. Most modern video platforms and...

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### AI in Sales and Pre-Sales: Unlocking Opportunities and Overcoming Challenges

> AI sales automation is not only unlocking new opportunities for sales teams but also freeing them up to focus on making better pitches and closing more deals.

- Published: 2023-09-05
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ai-in-sales-and-presales/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Artificial intelligence is transforming sales, training, and customer success alike. AI sales automation is not only unlocking new opportunities for sales teams, but also freeing them up to focus on making better pitches and closing bigger deals. But as is the case with any new technology, there's no shortage of misinformation and hype. That’s why it’s critical to understand how to use AI in the sales and pre-sales process. In case you missed it, this is a topic we've touched on in the past, when we discussed some of the ways sales teams can use ChatGPT to improve conversions. We'd recommend checking out that blog post when you get the chance — in the meantime, let's dive right into a few more ways artificial intelligence can get your SaaS company one step closer to sales enablement success. Automate Your Market Research If there's one thing that artificial intelligence truly excels at, it's organizing and analyzing data. Modern algorithms are capable of parsing a positively staggering volume of information, finding insights and patterns with a level of speed and efficiency that would be impossible for flesh-and-blood humans. As you may have already guessed, this ranks AI among the most powerful and versatile presales tools for one simple reason — market research. With artificial intelligence, your team can gain a big-picture view of each product's competitive landscape, with details including: Feature gaps. Reviews and testimonials User sentiment. Marketing and advertising materials. Technological differences. Case studies and white papers. The specific needs each...

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### Save the Date for the Ultimate Overview on Advancing Customer Education with AI [Webinar]

> While we’ve published some introductory lessons regarding ChatGPT on our blog, we’re now gearing up to present a comprehensive webinar about it..

- Published: 2023-09-04
- Modified: 2023-10-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ultimate-overview-on-advancing-customer-education-with-ai-webinar/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

AI is making some serious noise in the media. The deluge includes news, product announcements, warnings, and much more. But try as you might to understand how artificial intelligence will enable you to deliver superior CE programs, as we stand at the cusp of the revolution, it’s been quite a challenge to find a reliable and clear source. We intend to change that. While we’ve published some introductory lessons regarding ChatGPT on the CloudShare blog, we’re now gearing up to present a comprehensive webinar about AI’s inevitable place in customer education. You don’t want to miss: Artificial Intelligence: The New Imperative for Advancing Customer Education September 13, 202310:00 a. m ET The webinar features Kristine Kukich, director of customer marketing at Thought Industries. Kristine is committed to helping L&D professionals unravel the mysteries surrounding AI and presenting practical pathways for achieving ambitious new objectives. The webinar will feature: How AI can immediately impact learning experiences Platforms and technologies to consider for learning management, content creation and management, trainee assessments, and data analytics Specific prompts you can use to successfully complete your tasks Best practices to benefit from the power of AI The legal and infosec issues you must be wary of Answers to your questions

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### NTT Innovation Laboratory Israel Creates "Magic" Product Evaluation Environments with CloudShare

> Read NTT Innovation Lab Israel case study to learn how they were able to repurpose the CloudShare platform to create a sandbox for evaluating new technologies for their clients.

- Published: 2023-08-31
- Modified: 2025-01-02
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/ntt-innovation-laboratory-israel-creates-magic-product-evaluation-environments-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Sales enablement, Sandboxing

Challenge This isn’t a case study of how CloudShare gave a software company the virtual IT lab it needs to deliver training and/or product demos. Rather, it’s the story of how a customer was able to repurpose the CloudShare platform to create a sandbox in which they’d evaluate new technologies for their clients. The NTT Innovation Laboratory Israel (NTT IL) determined it would need a more efficient and cost-effective way to evaluate technology products—in realistic environments—from companies aiming to become part of the NTT ecosystem. Essential parts of the evaluation include running proof of concepts (PoCs), proof of value (PoV) environments, and demos. Prior to coming on board with CloudShare, NTT IL could not evaluate new technology in a safe, self-contained environment that replicated reality. Instead, they would create mocked environments with randomly generated data. Showing the solution in action was also not an option. So, after evaluations were complete, they collected screenshots and provided decision-makers with static reports. In their quest to find a more efficient solution, they began by defining their goals. “What we built is an environment with multiple vendors integrated together. My team, the business unit team, or even customers that want to evaluate the new technologies, can then access the environment—and it can include solutions being compared side-by-side. ” Moshe Karako, CTO Solution NTT IL evaluated three virtual IT platforms and chose CloudShare based on numerous criteria and requirements. With CloudShare at the core, they created what they now call the “Virtual Smart Lab” or...

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### Embracing Cloud Diversity with Open Arms and a Dash of Humor

> Dive into CloudShare's humorous take on cloud service devotion. Embrace cloud diversity, avoid migration headaches, and more.

- Published: 2023-08-30
- Modified: 2023-08-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/embracing-cloud-diversity-with-open-arms-and-a-dash-of-humor/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

In the world of technology, there's a religious fervor that rivals even the most passionate debates about pineapple on pizza. Yes, we're talking about the heated devotion some companies have to their chosen cloud service provider. You've heard of the Big Three: AWS, GCP, and Azure, right? It's almost as if they're worshiped like ancient deities, with IT teams and training departments chanting their names in hopes of gaining favor and blessings for their projects. But what if we told you we could break all the rules? That we can be the agnostic outlier in a world of zealous believers? Well, welcome to our quirky universe, where we take a rather lighthearted approach to mixing religion and software. We Have an Agnostic Confession to Make CloudShare's philosophy is simple: We're agnostics, but not in the spiritual sense. When it comes to cloud services, we don't care too much if you're team AWS, GCP or Azure. We embrace them all, and we're not here to convert anyone. You see, while some companies require you to forsake your cloud service of choice and pledge allegiance to their proprietary systems, we're like the cool friend who invites everyone to the party, no matter what color of cloud you're wearing. A Holy Shift in Perspective Think about it: In a world where migrating from one cloud to another is like crossing the Red Sea, we part the waters. We understand that IT departments and training teams have put blood, sweat, and countless cups of...

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### Qlik Scales Up Self-Paced Training and Onboarding with CloudShare

> Read our case study on how Qlik enables scalable, self-paced training with CloudShare.

- Published: 2023-08-28
- Modified: 2023-09-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/qlik-scales-up-self-paced-training-and-onboarding-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Challenge Scale up customer and partner training One of Qlik's primary selling points is how they allow anyone at any skill level to get value from business data. The company needed to ensure that its external training continued to reflect this, even at scale. Offering personalized training at scaleIn keeping with its mission to help everyone generate insights from business data, Qlik needed to train both customers and partners in data integration and data analytics. Qlik's existing tools could not support training at scale, particularly in cases where products were on-premises. Maintaining unique training environmentsEach of Qlik's partners has a different specialization, requiring a unique training environment. Because the company updates its products every quarter, maintaining these environments proved both challenging and time consuming. Contending with rapid growth Originally, when Qlik rolled out a new product, it would send instructors to deliver on-premises training to its partners. The rapid expansion of Qlik's product portfolio and partner ecosystem soon rendered this approach unsustainable. Hosting large global eventsQlik regularly hosts major conferences like QlikWorld. The workshop training sessions at these events were highly successful but since only a portion of the potential training audience are in attendance at these events it meant the most current training isn’t easily scaled to Qlik’s entire customer and partner base. Also the time and resources required for preparing and delivering sessions to participants at the events was becoming prohibitive, since there was more interest and demand for the live training than time or resources available. "Our...

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### ControlUp Improves ROI and Customer Satisfaction with CloudShare

> Sivan Kroitoru, Senior Training Specialist at ControlUp, shares her success story using CloudShare - %%title%%.

- Published: 2023-08-25
- Modified: 2023-09-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/controlup-improves-roi-and-customer-satisfaction-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Case Studies, Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### CloudShare Alternatives: What Should You Use for Virtual Training?

> CloudShare Alternatives for virtual training. CloudShare's training platform is flexible, scalable, intuitive, most importantly affordable.

- Published: 2023-08-24
- Modified: 2023-09-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-alternatives-for-virtual-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Virtual training is fast becoming the bread-and-butter of SaaS. Training technologies are crucial to effective customer onboarding, while virtual training platforms can help you create significantly more compelling proof of concept demos. And that's not even getting into all the ways these tools can be applied internally, from introductory training to professional development. Strategy aside, software is the foundation of any effective virtual training program. But how do you decide what solution to use? How do you know what's right for your organization and its needs? Understanding Virtual Training Labs A virtual training lab is a cloud-based training environment designed for hands-on learning. It replaces the passive style of education delivery common in traditional classrooms and training environments with a more immersive, interactive experience. There are several benefits to this approach: Lower overhead. With virtual training, an organization doesn't need to worry about travel expenses. Laboratory maintenance and IT resource costs are also lower. Convenience. Virtual training tends to be more accessible for both students and instructors. Virtual environments can also be delivered anywhere in the world. Scalability. A virtual training session is considerably easier to scale to large groups of students than a physical classroom, since there are no scheduling or venue costs. Hands-on learning. Virtual labs allow participants to 'learn by doing' rather than through passive knowledge acquisition. How Does CloudShare's Virtual Training Platform Work? CloudShare provides a flexible and scalable virtual training solution designed to help software companies provide compelling hands-on experiences. It allows training managers to...

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### 5 Best Practices for Technical Training

> Technical training is generally used to teach core technical skills and competencies, either as part of employee onboarding or for upskilling/reskilling purposes.

- Published: 2023-08-22
- Modified: 2024-04-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/technical-training-best-practices/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

These days, technology seems to change and evolve at a breakneck pace. Look at everything that's changed in just the past decade. Today, we exist in a world defined by hybrid work, artificial intelligence, big data and digital transformation. In this landscape, more and more employees require advanced technical skills, particularly in the SaaS sector. Hands-on technical training is arguably the best way to teach them. Let's talk about what it involves, and what your business needs to know in order to get it right. What is technical training? Technical training refers to any training program or process that deals with job-specific technical content. It's generally used to teach core technical skills and competencies, either as part of employee onboarding or for upskilling/reskilling purposes. In addition to skills, content covered by a technical training program might include: Proficiency with specific platforms or tools. Regulatory standards. Troubleshooting. Cybersecurity. Incident response. For instance, IT technical training might cover management of a company's databases, software architecture, and hardware architecture as well as development tools and processes. Why are technical training programs important? In addition to being crucial to professional development, technical training ensures employees are fully capable of fulfilling their responsibilities. Because those employees are more confident and competent, the organization itself makes more progress towards its goals. Other benefits of technical training include: Employee satisfaction and retention. Improved security posture. More effective regulatory compliance. Increased quality and efficiency within the workplace. Reduction in skills shortages and talent gaps. Better resource utilization. A...

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### Effective Product Onboarding: Maximizing User Engagement and Satisfaction

> Effective product onboarding goes well beyond a product demo or a few tutorial videos, after all. Let's talk about what you can do to improve your own process.

- Published: 2023-08-17
- Modified: 2023-09-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/effective-product-onboarding/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The product onboarding process — also known as customer onboarding — is the final step between acquisition and retention. It's how you introduce new customers to your software. More importantly, it's how you show them how they can get the most value from your product. Unfortunately, that seems to be something many companies struggle with. Effective product onboarding goes well beyond a product demo or a few tutorial videos, after all. Let's talk about what you can do to improve your own process. Why is product onboarding important? In many ways, your onboarding process represents the first experience many users will have with your software. And first impressions, as they say, are everything. If your onboarding process is well-designed, it will have a significant impact on: Time to activation. Engagement. Satisfaction. Customer retention and renewals. Consequently, a poorly designed onboarding process may have the opposite effect, potentially contributing to churn and harming engagement. Product onboarding best practices In order to craft an engaging product onboarding process, you'll want to keep the following advice in mind. Define your objective It's not enough to say that you want customers to learn how to use your software during onboarding. You need to think about what you want them to be able to do with your software. Rather than looking at your product as a monolith, consider breaking your onboarding process down along following lines: Priority features. Use cases. Format and medium. Training style. Create the right team Just as any successful sales process...

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### The Engagement Spiral - Key Strategies for Keeping Trainees Engaged with Jan Keck

> Watch our inspiring webinar with Josh Cavalier, who discussed AI's secret power to unlock the mysteries of customer education.

- Published: 2023-08-15
- Modified: 2023-08-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-engagement-spiral-key-strategies-for-keeping-trainees-engaged
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How to Maximize Success in MVP Development

> MVP development is an approach to software development that focuses on creating a minimum viable product at the outset.

- Published: 2023-08-10
- Modified: 2023-09-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/mvp-development-mistakes/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Who is the target audience for your software, and what do they want to get out of it? When developing a new SaaS product, this is the first question your company needs to answer. Releasing a minimum viable product is arguably one of the best ways to do so. It's basically a proof of concept for your target market, containing only the most essential and fundamental features. But developing a minimum viable product isn't simply a matter of releasing an early build of your software — there's a lot of planning that goes into it, and a few things you need to understand in order to maximize your success. Understanding the MVP development process MVP development is an approach to software development that focuses on creating a minimum viable product at the outset. It's a cornerstone of most agile development strategies, cutting out any services and features extraneous to a project's main concept. First popularized by Eric Ries's book The Lean Startup, MVP development has a few core goals: Allowing developers to better understand the needs of their users. Identifying potential feature gaps in an application prior to release. Accelerating an application's time to market. Minimizing the time and resources required to release an early-stage software product. Iteratively improving software based on user feedback. The most common mistakes in MVP software development Many of the most significant MVP development mistakes can be traced back to a fundamental misunderstanding of what it actually entails. Awareness of these mistakes is the first...

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### Technical Due Diligence: Key Components and How to Get it Right

> As you might expect, technical due diligence can be incredibly complex. It's very easy to go about performing an assessment the wrong way.

- Published: 2023-08-08
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/technical-due-diligence/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Regardless of whether you're a large corporation or a small startup, technical due diligence is crucial. It not only helps you identify risks and threats, but also provides a more accurate picture of a company's actual value and potential. Although it's more commonly used to assess potential acquisition and investment targets, technical due diligence can also be applied internally in advance of a major event like an initial public offering. As you might expect, technical due diligence can be incredibly complex. It's very easy to go about performing an assessment the wrong way. Let's discuss how you can avoid doing so. Understanding Technical Due Diligence During the technical due diligence process, your goal is to perform a thorough assessment of a company's technology. In addition to software and hardware infrastructure, this includes its products, product roadmap, internal practices and policies, key differentiators, and supply chain. Typically, technical due diligence is associated with acquisitions, mergers, and initial public offerings. Depending on the size and nature of a company, technical due diligence can be incredibly time- and resource-intensive, particularly when performed in conjunction with other processes such as legal due diligence. Key Components of Technical Due Diligence Even a mid-sized organization may have several hundred items to review. In light of this, we're going to break the process down into a few specific categories. Ecosystem This category encompasses both hardware and software, including a thorough scan of a company's code base. It includes, but is not limited to: First-party software. Third-party software....

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### NTT Innovation Lab Creates "Magic" POCs with CloudShare

> Moshe Karako, CTO of NTT Innovation Lab Israel,, shares their success story using CloudShare for evaluating technologies.

- Published: 2023-08-04
- Modified: 2023-09-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/ntt-innovation-lab-creates-magic-pocs-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Case Studies, Videos
- Use Cases: Sales enablement, Sandboxing



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### Tap These Tips to Keep Every Trainee Engaged

> Read our expert's blog post about %%title%%.

- Published: 2023-08-03
- Modified: 2023-08-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/tips-to-keep-every-trainee-engaged/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Do some of your students multitask while you’re trying to train them? Are many reluctant to speak up? Do you actually have the ability to read the room and respond accordingly? There’s no doubt, disengagement is a pesky problem for those that lead customer and employee software training in virtual environments. So, in an effort to help our customers overcome training challenges, we hosted an interactive online workshop for our user community featuring renowned engagement leader Jan Keck. Jan called his workshop, The Engagement Spiral. Throughout the workshop, Jan not only taught the group several principles and tactics he uses to enhance engagement, he applied every one of them. The interaction began immediately Everyone who participates in online meetings, trainings, courses, and such knows they often begin with the host telling those who arrived on time they’ll need to sit tight for the others who will soon straggle in. Such was not the case for this event. Jan advocates for instant interaction. In the span of the workshop’s first minute, Jan interacted with participants who had voluntarily turned their cameras on and asked attendees to submit answers to the question, “What are your biggest challenges with online training. ” Seconds later the responses were presented in the form of a word cloud (thanks to some magic from the interactive presentation tool Mentimeter). While a good variety of challenges came forth, a common thread was clear: keeping trainees engaged. FYI: Jan employs many tools to help make his workshops engaging. Check...

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### Understanding Software Training Pricing: What You Need to Know

> Whether you're offering premium training to customers, or working on employee onboarding, you need to know how to calculate your software training costs.

- Published: 2023-08-01
- Modified: 2024-04-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-pricing/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Whether you're offering premium training to customers, planning a series of workshops, or working on employee onboarding, you need to know how to calculate your software training costs. Unfortunately, that's often easier said than done. Confusing cloud pricing models and complex contracts tend to make corporate training costs nearly impossible to estimate. There's also enough jargon floating around the SaaS industry to fill a whole encyclopedia, and that's not even touching on how challenging it can be to plan a virtual training program in the first place. How do you know where to focus costs? How do you predict the impact a pricing model will have on your training? Most importantly, how can you ensure you achieve your training objectives? Understanding (and Establishing) the Value of Software Training There are three questions that lie at the core of every successful training program: What value does your training provide? What KPIs will you use to measure success? How will you communicate your training program's ROI to leadership? The first two questions trace back to the core objective of your training. Examples include: Increasing revenue Reducing employee turnover Improving customer service Professional development Eliminating internal skill gaps Improving customer retention Team building Employee onboarding Customer onboarding Easy enough, right? The last one is where things start to get complicated. You need to calculate both the value and the cost of your training goals in concrete numbers. There's a lot more to consider here than just your objective, as well: Are you able...

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### The Five Key Elements of an Effective Training Environment

- Published: 2023-07-27
- Modified: 2024-09-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/effective-training-environment/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The effectiveness of any training program ultimately comes down to two things. First is the guiding strategy under which the program and its content were developed. Second, there's the environment in which the training takes place.   Today, we’re going to talk about the second of these key elements in training and development. What constitutes an effective training environment? More importantly, how can you create one for both your customers and your employees? What Is a Training Environment, Exactly? A training environment is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It's a catch-all term for any setting or platform where individuals work to develop new skills, knowledge, or competencies. Training environments come in many different forms including, but not limited to:  A traditional physical classroom where an instructor interacts directly with trainees in person.   Cloud-based training environments that emphasize interactive, hands-on virtual training in lieu of passive learning. This is commonly called a virtual labs.   Simulated sandbox environments that provide developers with a safe place to experiment with and test software, as well as a learning environment where they can explore everything from a product's technical features to bugs and security risks.    Blended learning environments that combine offline and online instruction into a cohesive, interactive learning experience.    Many businesses are increasingly embracing that last one, realizing it can give them the best of both worlds — the social interaction and collaboration of in-person training with the flexibility and accessibility of online training.   The Importance of...

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### ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Training Managers

- Published: 2023-07-24
- Modified: 2024-04-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/prompt-engineering-for-training-managers/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If you want to truly harness the potential of ChatGPT for your training program, there's one critical skill you'll need to develop — prompt engineering. Working with ChatGPT isn't as simple as asking a question or giving a command. There's a technique to it. In this short prompt engineering guide, we'll tell you everything you need to know in order to get started. The Basics of Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT ChatGPT is basically a complex language model wearing a chatbot suit. What that means is that while it's reasonably skilled at responding to conversation in a convincingly human fashion, it doesn't have much in the way of practical knowledge or skills. It also doesn't understand context or nuance. What this means is that the way you phrase your prompt can make an enormous amount of difference in both the quality and accuracy of its responses — see for yourself. How Prompt Quality Influences Response Quality Prompt One Prompt Two With only a few extra words, we went from a vague and generic response to one that's more focused, more relevant, and ultimately more valuable. ChatGPT Prompt Categories Just as an effective training program begins with a clear objective in mind, a successful ChatGPT prompt begins with an understanding of what you want to accomplish — and more importantly, how ChatGPT will understand your goal. When creating a prompt, you should try to ensure it fits into one of the following categories: Informational ("What are the benefits of using ChatGPT for...

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### How to Use ChatGPT for Training Content Creation

- Published: 2023-07-20
- Modified: 2023-08-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/chatgpt-for-training-content-creation/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We recently discussed how training professionals can use ChatGPT. Today, we're going to revisit that topic. Specifically, we'll examine what is arguably one of the most compelling training use cases for ChatGPT. As it turns out, the chatbot is surprisingly robust when it comes to generating training content. With that said, it's also a tool that you should use with caution, and only with full knowledge of its weaknesses and limitations. Let's start with why you'd want to use ChatGPT to begin with, though. The Benefits of Using ChatGPT to Generate Training Content The most significant benefit of using ChatGPT for your training content is that it has the potential to save you a great deal of time. You can easily offload things like summaries and descriptions to the chatbot, leaving you free to focus on creating the meat of the training program. ChatGPT is also pretty handy for topic ideation — if you're struggling with how to convey something or concerned about possible gaps in your training, for instance. It can also help you: Address frequently-asked questions. Develop existing topics and ideas. Offer personalized feedback and training advice. Translate between programming languages. Best Practices for Creating Training Content with ChatGPT Always Start With Context ChatGPT doesn't know your business from a hole in the ground. It has no idea what your training entails or who it's for. Before you start using ChatGPT, you need to prime it. Make sure you provide it with the following details: Your industry. The...

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### How to Reduce Your Training's Dropout Rates

- Published: 2023-07-17
- Modified: 2023-08-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-dropout-rates/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

One of the most effective ways to reduce churn is with onboarding. Customers that understand how to use your software to its full potential are far more likely to remain subscribed and satisfied. Consequently, customers who don't know how your software works may eventually become so frustrated that they cancel. If people aren't making it through your training, that's a problem. A high dropout rate during onboarding is usually inversely related to customer retention. Let's discuss what you can do about it. Why Users Abandon Onboarding Customer training follows many of the same basic principles as education. It follows, then, that we can gain some insight into why a customer might drop out from SaaS onboarding by examining the reasons students abandon e-learning. Per a report published by SAGE Group, online learning has a dropout rate between 40-80 percent. The personal circumstances of students aside, some common reasons for high attrition in online courses included: Courses designed based on incorrect assumptions about the learner. Poor content delivery. Technical issues. Content is too complex or overwhelming. Lack of guidance from instructors. Insufficiently-trained instructors. Inadequate feedback. Extrapolating based on the above, we can estimate that customers abandon your onboarding for one or more of the following reasons: The process is either too complicated or takes too long to complete. Onboarding does a poor job of explaining how your application works. There are bugs, glitches, or bottlenecks in your onboarding experience. The training isn't relevant or aligned with the customer's needs. The content...

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### 5 Strategies to Boost Customer Renewal Rate and Drive Revenue

- Published: 2023-07-13
- Modified: 2023-08-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-renewal-rate-strategies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

You've likely heard a dozen times by now that it costs roughly five times more to acquire new customers than it does to retain existing ones. This means that, particularly for SaaS companies, customer retention is arguably the most important metric of all. It's a direct measure of how effective the company's software is at solving its customers' problems. Renewal rate is a metric closely associated with retention, measuring the number of customers who renew at the end of each subscription period. Today, we're going to talk about why that matters, and how you can build a better customer renewal strategy. Why Customer Renewals Matter Customer renewals provide an excellent barometer for a SaaS business's overall health. A high customer renewal rate means the business is profitable, with generally satisfied customers and a stable revenue stream. A low customer renewal rate, on the other hand, indicates an issue with either the company's software or its business operations. Tracking your customer renewal rate allows you to keep a finger on the pulse of your business, so to speak. It allows you to identify potential problems with your service delivery and also clues you in on potential weaknesses in your software. Reaching out to customers who renew or cancel can also give you insight into why. How to Calculate Your Customer Renewal Rate If you want to determine your customer renewal rate, the calculation is relatively straightforward: Determine what period of time you want to assess. Typically, you'll want to look at...

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### The Power of Customer Training Analytics: Unveiling Valuable Insights

- Published: 2023-07-10
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-training-analytics/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Software-as-a-service is, for all intents and purposes, a buyer's market. Unless you're fortunate enough to operate in an incredibly focused niche, your customers have the luxury of nearly infinite choice where vendors are concerned. That’s why your business must do everything in its power to retain them. And for many companies, this begins with effective customer training — the art of optimizing your customer onboarding process while ensuring you have access to both the right customer training platform and the right data. So, how can you use the data you have to make better decisions when it comes to customer training? It starts with having access to the right analytics. Why Are Customer Training Analytics Important? Like it or not, SaaS customer training is a >see the depth and breadth of what customer training programs can measure increase by leagues. For the immediate future, however, there still exists a number of metrics and key performance indicators with a great deal of relevance where training is concerned: Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Measured through direct customer feedback, most commonly by asking customers to rate their overall satisfaction with their training on a scale from 1-5. Net Promoter Score (NPS): In a similar vein to CSAT, NPS asks a customer how likely they'd be to recommend your software to a friend on a scale of 1-10. Retention/Churn: Although not directly tied to customer training, these closely-related metrics can prove invaluable in demonstrating your program's ROI. Customer Acquisition Cost: How much it costs to acquire...

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### The Power of ChatGPT for Customer Success: A Revolutionary Approach

- Published: 2023-07-06
- Modified: 2023-08-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/chatgpt-for-customer-success/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement

Let's get one thing out of the way first. Don't buy into the hype about ChatGPT. It's not replacing human customer success teams anytime soon. Nor is it intended to do so. Artificial intelligence has always worked best when paired with human intelligence, and ChatGPT is no different. Savvy businesses already understand this. That's why they're using ChatGPT for customer service and customer success in tandem with human expertise — and why you should, too. Unleashing the Magic of ChatGPT Okay, maybe magic is a bit of a strong word. But you can't deny that ChatGPT has enormous potential if you know how to use it properly. We've already discussed the many ways ChatGPT can augment the SaaS sales cycle. Turns out it's even more valuable here. When we asked ChatGPT how it can help customer success teams, here's what it had to say: These benefits also came with one very important caveat: So, there you have it. ChatGPT can basically function as a secret weapon for customer success professionals. But those professionals are still very much required, not in the least because ChatGPT is not effective without the proper context and prompts. In other words, it needs to be trained. Training ChatGPT for Your Organization ChatGPT is, at its core, a highly sophisticated chatbot. It's not an experienced customer success professional, nor does it know anything about your target audience and objectives. This is all information you need to provide. But before that, you need to know how to...

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### 5 Benefits of Blended Learning for Corporate Training

- Published: 2023-07-03
- Modified: 2023-08-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blended-learning-for-corporate-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Remember when some people thought in-person instruction would be completely replaced by virtual training? Granted, the idea wasn't completely crazy. There are some serious benefits to online instruction, particularly when it comes to cost and flexibility. But not everyone wants to be remote 100 percent of the time. There's a reason hybrid work has become so popular. It's very similar to why blended learning has started to take off. So, what makes blended learning so popular for corporate training? And what are the biggest benefits of this training model? What is Blended Learning? Blended learning — also known as blended training — operates on the same general principle as hybrid work. It offers the best of both worlds, augmenting in-person learning with online self-paced training and independent study sessions. There are three primary models of blended learning: Open classrooms have participants use their own machines to study material with the instructor standing by to assist. Station-based learning divides learners into three groups and then cycles them between stations — one group works with the instructor, another group works together, and a third group works online. Flipped classrooms have students learn the material via self-paced training, then dedicated classroom time to hands-on training and exercise-based learning. It's important to note that blended training is different from hybrid training, even though the two terms are frequently used interchangeably. The blended approach incorporates a set amount of offline and online learning. Hybrid training is much more flexible, and the balance between virtual and...

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### How Procentia Successfully Transformed Customer Training with CloudShare

> Hands-on experiences are vital for effective software training, enabling learners to engage in immersive, unforgettable experiences.

- Published: 2023-06-29
- Modified: 2023-07-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/procentia-cloudshare-customer-training-case-study/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

To call the modern business world fast-paced would be an understatement. These days, it seems like everything moves at lightspeed. As though each day comes with some new challenge — a new technology, an emerging trend, or some sort of foundational market disruption. In order to stay ahead of the competition, organizations must develop the capacity to adjust. They must constantly seek out innovative new ways to optimize their operations. Most importantly, they must ensure that their customer onboarding process is completely seamless. Procentia recognized that these three objectives all begin with one thing: training. A renowned global leader in pensions software, Procentia has always prioritized delivering flexible, reliable, high-value solutions to their clients. Training has always been a part of this process — but Procentia's existing tools left much to be desired in terms of efficiency. "When I came to work at Procentia, we had just one system for training," explains Procentia's Group Head of Training Rebecca Forster. "We spent a great deal of time preparing, and struggled with limited delivery time. " "We could only do one set of training at a time," adds Stewart Colgrave, Technical Software Training Expert at Procentia. "We would then have to pause, reset the environment, set it up for a new client then start over again. " Recognizing the need to streamline and optimize their operations, Forster and Colgrave embarked on a quest for a better training platform, a search that eventually led them to CloudShare. Efficient, Effective Hands-on Training Hands-on experiences...

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### Unlock the Power of Multi-Region VILT with CloudShare

- Published: 2023-06-27
- Modified: 2023-07-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/multi-region-vilt/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Though virtual training has given way to blended learning in recent years, its benefits are still clear to anyone who's been paying attention. Chief among these is the capacity for scale. Whereas in-person training is limited by travel time and classroom capacity, virtual instructor-led training (VILT) solutions allow participants to connect from anywhere, even if they're halfway around the world. Unfortunately, many businesses can't enjoy the full benefits of this accessibility. The problem has nothing to do with their approach — it's tied to the limitations of their VILT tools. Simply put, they lack the capacity to support multi-region VILT. What is VILT? Virtual instructor-led training (VILT) is essentially a virtual simulation of a classroom or in-person training session. Interactions between student and instructor take place entirely within this digital environment. It provides a more focused and interactive alternative to eLearning, which is essentially just the sharing of digital information. VILT is typically delivered via an Internet connection, though it may also take place over a local area network. Many VILT platforms also provide a range of interactive features, including over-the-shoulder view, integrated chat, screen sharing, and integrated video. What is Multi-Region VILT? Multi-region VILT refers to the capacity of a virtual training solution to run across multiple regions without any loss in performance. This functionality aside, it runs more or less identically to standard VILT. In addition to software training and customer onboarding, multi-region VILT can also be used for proof of concept demos, stales demos, and sandboxing. So,...

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### Semperis Achieves Faster, More Effective and Scalable POCs with CloudShare

- Published: 2023-06-25
- Modified: 2023-06-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/semperis-achieves-faster-more-effective-and-scalable-pocs-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Procentia Delivers Exceptional Customer Experiences with CloudShare

> Rebecca Forster, Training Manager, and Stewart Colgrave, Technical Software Training Expert at Procentia, share their success story using CloudShare

- Published: 2023-06-23
- Modified: 2023-09-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/procentia-delivers-exceptional-customer-experiences-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Case Studies, Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Navigating Tight Budgets: Insights from Our 2023 Virtual Software Training Industry Survey

> Insights from our 2023 virtual software training industry survey. A snapshot of our key findings and a few stats that are likely to surprise you.

- Published: 2023-06-22
- Modified: 2023-10-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/navigating-tight-budgets-insights-from-our-2023-virtual-software-training-industry-survey/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

You’re aware of widespread layoffs and tightening budgets, maybe within your own organization or at minimum across a spectrum of other organizations and industries. You’re all too familiar with how these pressures are affecting your own software training team–but do you know which challenges are specific to your department and which are facing the industry as a whole? Understanding the big picture can help training departments deliver value to their organizations. That’s why we surveyed 150+ training industry leaders about their budgets and budget priorities, which types of online training they’re emphasizing, what their top goals and greatest challenges are, and much more. The report shows how organizations are investing in virtual software training as a key business strategy in tighter economic times: to retain customers, upskill employees, and even remediate understaffing. Yet training leaders face an urgent challenge. In order to effectively show value, they must align training metrics with their organizations’ overall business goals. Our report includes a snapshot of our key findings and a few stats that are likely to surprise you. We also share the top five training program recommendations that we extrapolated from our survey results. Download the report right away or keep reading for an overview of some of our key insights. Business Goal Alignment Needs Urgent Attention We’ll start with our most shocking finding: just how poorly our respondents say their training program KPIs align with their organizations’ business goals. A whopping 80% of survey respondents reported that their training program KPIs are...

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### The State of Virtual Software Training in 2023 - CloudShare's Industry Report

> Read our industry survey about %%title%%. Organizations are taking a defensive approach to training, focusing on customer and employee retention, and leveraging self-paced training to help compensate for understaffing.

- Published: 2023-06-21
- Modified: 2023-07-26
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/the-state-of-virtual-software-training-in-2023
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### 10 Sales Enablement Influencers to Follow in 2023

- Published: 2023-06-20
- Modified: 2023-08-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-sales-enablement-influencers/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Maintaining an effective sales enablement program is a collaborative undertaking. It requires not just software, strategy, and training but also the right organizational culture. And even if you have all the right pieces, putting them all in place is a challenge all its own. The good news is that you don't need to attempt this on your own. There are many people who've walked this path before. Many people who know precisely what your organization needs in order to succeed. And nearly all of them can be found on social media. It's with this in mind that we've decided to publish a follow-up to our 2022 piece on the best sales enablement influencers. Whether you need advice on strategy, information about industry trends, or simply a few inspiring anecdotes to get you through the week, here are some of the best sales enablement leaders online. 1. Petek Hawkins VP of Revenue Enablement at Pax8 Petek Hawkins is arguably one of the most widely recognized women in sales enablement, having worked with numerous multi-million dollar SaaS companies over the course of her career. For the past three years, her skills and contributions have been recognized in the Sales Enablement Collective's annual Ones to Watch report, which showcases some of the top professionals in the field. Hawkins also serves as a Chapter Lead for Women in Sales Enablement (WiSE) and a speaker for the Sales Enablement Society. On her LinkedIn page, Hawkins regularly shares valuable insights on sales enablement for both leadership...

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### CloudShare & Qlik - How to Build an Effective and Profitable Self-Paced Training Program

> Watch our webinar with Qlik on %%title%%.

- Published: 2023-06-18
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/register-how-to-build-an-effective-and-profitable-self-paced-training-program
- Formats: Webinars, Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### The State of Virtual Software Training in 2023

> Our 2023 survey about the state of virtual software training shows that organizations are taking a defensive approach to training, focusing on customer and employee retention, and leveraging self-paced training to help compensate for understaffing. In the current context of layoffs and budget cuts, one of the most crucial issues facing training departments is to show their value by effectively aligning training KPIs with business goals.

- Published: 2023-06-17
- Modified: 2023-09-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/the-state-of-virtual-software-training-in-2023-report
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training

How Training Can Recession-Proof Your Organization

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### 5 Online Training Influencers to Follow in 2023

- Published: 2023-06-15
- Modified: 2023-07-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/online-training-influencers/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Your business needs an effective training program — not just for employees, but also to onboard new customers. That goes without saying, particularly in today's hypercompetitive SaaS landscape. The problem, of course, is actually instituting that program. Where does one even start? Fittingly enough, with education. We've collected a few of the most prominent online training leaders, each with their own guidance to offer so you can create a successful training program. 1. Debbie Smith Customer Education Leader Customer success and training go hand-in-hand. Debbie Smith is the president of the Customer Education Management Association (CEdMA), so it’s safe to say she knows a thing or two about customer education. Her experience as a Customer Education People Leader combined with deep expertise in learning strategy, instructional design, eLearning design and development, user experience, and project management make her a must-follow for anyone serious about mastering the art of training. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn as she frequently shares powerful insights into the world of customer education and training. Follow Debbie Smith on LinkedIn 2. Tyler Foster Customer Learning Strategist Tyler Foster is a firm believer that education, access to resources, and hands-on learning experiences are critical to empowering individuals, communities, and businesses to unlock their full potential. As the Director of Customer Training & Empowerment at Intuit Mailchimp — Tyler has direct experience in all areas of customer education. Even better, Tyler is active in the customer education community and was a candidate for the AWS competition. Follow...

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### Building Your Perfect Sales Tech Stack in 2023

- Published: 2023-06-13
- Modified: 2023-07-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/building-your-perfect-sales-tech-stack/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Whether for customer success or sales enablement, your tech stack is crucial. Without the right tools and technology, your sales team won't be able to keep up with their competitors. For you, that means lower revenue, fewer sales, and potentially lower overall customer satisfaction. To avoid falling down that particular rabbit hole, you need to deploy the perfect sales software stack for your needs. That starts with understanding exactly what that means. What is a Sales Tech Stack? An organization's sales tech stack encompasses all technology it uses to optimize its sales cycle, support its sales team, and improve customer outcomes. Most sales stack tools are software-based, taking the form of either standalone applications or dedicated sales platforms. The use cases of a typical sales tech stack include: Automating manual tasks. Streamlining lead management. Improving communication. Improving personalization and targeting. Tracking sales performance. Enhancing productivity. Supporting proof of concept demonstrations. Customer onboarding. The Benefits of an Effective Sales Tech Stack Failure to invest in your sales tech stack can have dire consequences. By that same vein, a tech stack purpose-built to meet your organization's needs comes hand-in-hand with many benefits. These include: Fewer communication and data silos between teams and departments. Improved customer satisfaction. Actionable insights that allow your organization to make direct improvements to your sales efforts. A consistent customer experience. More effective product demonstrations. A shorter sales cycle. More comprehensive insights about customers and their needs. Higher sales performance. Increased revenue. Improved workplace culture. Key Components of a...

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### See How Your Online Training Program Measures Up to Industry Benchmarks

> The 2023 Online Training Industry Benchmarks Leave Something to be Desired. Find out what yours are and how to exceed them, in our blog.

- Published: 2023-06-05
- Modified: 2024-04-02
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/online-training-program-and-industry-benchmarks/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

You already understand the critical role of data in your training program. Whether you're onboarding a new customer, educating your employees, or testing a partner's knowledge of your products, the right metrics are invaluable in both measuring your overall success and identifying where you might improve. Since you're here, we'll assume you already know your KPIs. But do you know how well those KPIs stack up against the industry's leading training and development benchmarks? We were curious, too. That's why we took our 2022 user data of CloudShare's 130,000 customers, and compared it to leading industry benchmarks. We then compiled what we learned into a comprehensive data report titled

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### The Six Disciplines for Using Artificial Intelligence in Customer Education - with Josh Cavalier

> Watch our inspiring webinar "%%title%%" with Josh Cavalier, a top-notch expert in the field of computer-based training, who discussed AI's secret power to unlock the mysteries of customer education.

- Published: 2023-06-05
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-six-disciplines-for-using-artificial-intelligence-in-customer-education
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### A Step-By-Step Guide to <br />Planning Your 2023 Training Budget

> Learn more about how to plan your software training budget with CloudShare Step-By-Step Guide to Planning Your Training Budget.

- Published: 2023-05-24
- Modified: 2023-10-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/guide_to_planning_your_software_training_budget/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership



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### 10 VILT Tips: How VILT Software Can Help Your Business Stay Competitive in a Changing World

> How VILT software can help your business stay competitive in a changing world. Check out the top 10 tips for VILT.

- Published: 2023-05-23
- Modified: 2023-06-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/vilt-tips/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

There is no longer a place for boring, passive slideshows in the world of employee training and customer education. Today's learners demand something more engaging, dynamic, and compelling. Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) arguably represents one of the best ways to deliver this — provided you can find the right platform to support it. Why is VILT Software Essential for Business Growth? Compared to traditional learning, VILT software tends to be more cost-effective and accessible. Rather than having to schedule a classroom session, provision equipment, and manage transportation, VILT allows both instructor and student to sign in from anywhere. Paired with self-paced training, it allows everyone to engage with an organization's training on their own terms and at their own pace. So basically, you can deliver training to more people with greater efficiency and at a lower cost. Those are pretty significant advantages, but they aren't what really makes VILT valuable — it's the software's capacity to scale. Because your classroom sessions are entirely virtual, there's no need to rely on a physical, on-premises lab to spin up new instances. This not only makes it easier to run custom demos, but also allows your organization to effortlessly provision new resources for both additional training and larger groups. Last but certainly not least, it's also worth noting that while students do enjoy the flexibility of self-paced training, VILT leads to

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### How VILT Can Save a Technical Sales Pitch Under Pressure

> VILT allows you to wrap both a technical sales pitch and a product demo into a single, highly effective package.

- Published: 2023-05-15
- Modified: 2023-06-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-vilt-can-save-a-technical-sales-pitch/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Whether a sales demo, proof of concept, or something else entirely, sales engineers must strike the perfect balance between technical expertise and dramatic performance. Too technical, and they've lost the interest of their audience right out of the gate. Too grandiose, and they may be mistaken for a shyster attempting to hawk nothing burgers. That's challenging enough for individual presentations. When a sales engineer is giving upwards of ten to twenty in a single week, it verges on impossible. And while there are plenty of techniques and tricks to help sales engineers master the art of presentation, these tactics are only half the battle. The other half is finding the right technology to drive those sales pitches home. The Importance of Landing a Technical Sales Pitch A technical sales pitch is either an exciting challenge or a living nightmare, depending on who you ask. You're typically meeting with a major decision-maker, sometimes even someone from the C-Suite. For these people, time is money — and they only have so much to spare for your presentation. In a matter of minutes, you may be expected to: Explain complex concepts within the context of the client's use case. Present difficult technical details in an engaging, informative fashion. Ensure your presentation is understandable not just by IT, but by people from multiple professional backgrounds. Differentiate yourself from your competitors. Demonstrate an understanding of the customer's organization and pain points. Address any objections the customer may have. Sticking the landing in this presentation often...

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### Best Corporate Training Models for Learning &amp; Development

- Published: 2023-05-08
- Modified: 2024-04-02
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-corporate-training-models-for-learning-development/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

No matter your industry or vertical, stagnation is not an option. You need to plan for the future — you need a roadmap and a growth strategy. More importantly, you need to set your employees up for success with an effective training program. Let's talk a bit about what that means. Why Would a Business Need Modern Learning and Development Models? By now, it should be obvious that there's no going back to the way things used to be. The shift to distributed work and the fast-paced digital transformation brought about by the pandemic fundamentally disrupted the workplace. Older methods like webinars and conferences no longer hold their own. Where corporate training is concerned, they're too passive and outdated. In today's landscape, you need hands-on virtual training. Crucial characteristics of this new approach include: The opportunity to develop and apply new skills and knowledge in real-world settings. Collaboration with other team members and departments. Real-time feedback. Personalized training sessions. Multiple training formats. To support the above, your organization will need to adapt and adopt a new training model — or several. The Benefits of Modern Corporate Training and Development Meeting employee demands and keeping pace with technology aside, there are several major benefits to adopting a more modern approach to workplace education: Access to comprehensive training data. Built-in metrics give you and your team an inside look at how people engage with your training, allowing you to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement. Easier personalization. Alongside lesson optimization, you'll also...

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### Using ChatGPT for Training: Practical Hands-On Tips for Training Professionals

- Published: 2023-05-02
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/using-chatgpt-for-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Artificial intelligence has been front of mind for virtually everyone of late, and with good reason. OpenAI's ChatGPT took the Internet by storm last year, and ever since we've seen both hobbyists and professionals come up with a host of new and exciting use cases for it. Not surprisingly, training — both employee education and customer onboarding — has quickly become a top use case. What is ChatGPT? Most media talking about ChatGPT simply refers to it as a chatbot. While that's not necessarily untrue, it also doesn't really give the tool enough credit. ChatGPT is actually a sophisticated conversational AI built on the Generative Pre-Trained Transformer language model. The data on which this language model was trained includes blog posts, wiki articles, journalistic publications, eBooks, social networks, and more. Although OpenAI continues to release new iterations of GPT, this training will conclude in 2021. Today, ChatGPT continues to learn through its interactions with users. Why Choose ChatGPT for Corporate Training? Instructor-led training, whether virtual or in-person, is invaluable, and should be a part of every organization's training strategy. At the same time, self-paced training has its own benefits, including greater flexibility and improved personalization. Most training should incorporate both approaches to some extent. But what exactly does any of this have to do with ChatGPT? Quite a bit. But before we get into the benefits of using ChatGPT in your training, there's one thing we should make clear. ChatGPT is not a replacement for human instructors, nor should your...

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### What to Accomplish in Your First 90 Days As a Director of Sales Engineering

> Are you a new Head of Sales Engineering? Read this blog to understand what to accomplish in your first 90 days on the job.

- Published: 2023-04-30
- Modified: 2024-04-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-to-accomplish-in-your-first-90-days-as-a-director-of-sales-engineering/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Before you read this blog, we'd suggest having a look at ourguide for becoming a director of sales engineering— if you're here, you've either already done so or managed to secure a spot as a director yourself.   Either way, you've got questions. What should you aim to accomplish in your first several months of work? What challenges might you encounter in the process, and what can be done to overcome them? And most importantly, how do you excel in your new role and guide your organization towards revenue growth?   We've got a plan that'll help you answer all of those questions and set yourself up for success.   Our 90-Day Head of Sales Engineering Master Plan Week One to Three Lay of the Land Your first few weeks are all about building familiarity with your new employer. As you settle into your new role, you should meet with as many people as possible to learn about the business, the culture, its people, and your team. After all, a director of sales engineering is a leadership role — and you can't lead if you know nothing aboutwhatyou're leading.   By the end of the third week, you should know:  The technical details of the organization's products and services.   All available information about the organization's culture.   The business's current core objectives, and how sales contributes to these objectives.   What the business's past sales engineering efforts looked like.   How the business identifies and communicates sales needs.  ...

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### Measuring Success Across the Customer Lifecycle: Key Metrics

> Most modern customer education programs are centered around onboarding. Find out why this is a mistake and what to measure instead.

- Published: 2023-04-27
- Modified: 2023-06-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/measuring-success-across-the-customer-lifecycle/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Most moderncustomer education programsare centered around onboarding. This is a mistake. The customer lifecycle doesn't begin at the final point of sale, so why should customer education start there?  The answer is that it shouldn't. Customer education should span every single stage of the customer journey, from initial contact through to retention. Engaging,hands-on product demosandtraining environmentsare important cornerstones of this approach, but neither can operate effectively without the most important pillar of all —data.   Why Customer Lifecycle Metrics MatterTo truly conquer the SaaS customer lifecycle, you need to start by focusing on the right metrics. These data points areeverything. In addition to providing your organization with key insights into how customers interact with your company (and why), they can also help you in a multitude of other ways:  Identifying pain points and bottlenecks in the customer lifecycle journey. Developing accurate revenue forecasts to help guide spending and budgeting.   Identifying which marketing channels have the highest rate of success. Determining the overall return on investment of your customer lifecycle management efforts.   Uncover opportunities for improvement in how your organization manages its customers.   Improve your retention efforts and reduce churn.   15 Key Customer Lifecycle Metrics Every Business Should TrackBecause the customer lifecycle's stages span from sales through to retention, it should come as little surprise that there isan incredibly diverse selection of metrics on which your company can potentially focus. While certain metrics will be more or less valuable depending on your organization — and moreover, on...

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### CloudShare, Docebo & AlgoSec - Level Up Your business With a Hybrid Learning Model

- Published: 2023-04-24
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/cloudshare-docebo-algosec-level-up-your-business-with-a-hybrid-learning-model
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Top Sales Enablement Podcasts of 2023: Our Full List

> We've collected some of the top sales leadership podcasts — valuable resources to help you grow and improve your sales skills.

- Published: 2023-04-20
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-sales-enablement-podcasts/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Sales is an industry defined by constant motion and continual growth. As asales enablement professional, you understand that better than most. After all, developing the careers of your sales team is what you do. But that requires more than just choosing asales enablement platformand collaborating with your team. What about your own career? Given how much time you spend helping other people find their footing, it's easy to neglect your own professional development.   Let this be the year you stop doing so and start focusing a bit more on yourself. To that end, we've collected some of the top sales leadership podcasts — valuable resources to help you grow and improve your sales skills.  The Adapter's Advantage New Episodes: FridaysDuration: ~30 MinutesHost: Mark Magnacca, Allego President and Co-FounderWe live in a rapidly changing world, more so than at any other point in human history. The Adapter's Advantageexists to help professionals in sales enablement, training, learning and development and academia stay on top of this new landscape. The podcast interviews thought leaders from multiple different industries on how they've overcome some of the most significant challenges of their careers.  Sales Enablement Pro New Episodes:Twice weeklyDuration: ~20 MinutesHosted by: Shawnna Sumaoang, Vice President, Sales Enablement ProTheSales Enablement Pro Podcastcovers the latest challenges, trends, and best practices in the sales enablement space, courtesy of one of the top sales enablement communities on the web. We'd also advise checking out theSales Enablement Pro Book Club, a monthly podcast that interviews award-winning authors who...

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### What to Accomplish in Your First 90 Days as a Head of Training

> Landed your first role as a Head of Training? Find out what you must accomplish in your first 90 days, in order to be successful.

- Published: 2023-04-17
- Modified: 2024-04-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-to-accomplish-in-your-first-90-days-as-a-head-of-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If you're here, it's because you've already figured out how to become a head of training and development — and if not,we've published a blog on the topic.   Now that you've landed the job, you're probably wondering what comes next. How can you ensure your first months on the job are a success? What challenges will you come across, and how can you overcome them?   Those questions might sound overwhelming, but they don't have to be. All you need is a plan.   Our 90-Day Plan for a Head of Training and Development Week One to Three Getting to Know Your New Position Spend your first few weeks settling into your new position and learning as much about the organization, its culture, and its people as you can. Don't just meet with company leadership — talk to your team and to stakeholders at every level. By the third week, you'll want to know: The business's current priorities, and any challenges on the road to those priorities.   How the business has worked with training and development in the past.   Prior training efforts and their level of success.   How the business identifies and communicates training needs.   Expectations for your new position.   How the business prefers to communicate requirements and results.   Current relationships with stakeholders.   The current state of your team.   How the business will ultimately measure success.   Week Four to Six Learn the Organization's Training Landscape Once you've familiarized yourself with...

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### How to Become a Head of Training and Development

> Learn our article and find out how to make the career transition from a training professional to a Head of Training and Development.

- Published: 2023-04-16
- Modified: 2024-04-02
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-become-a-head-of-training-and-development/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If you're a training and development professional looking to make the leap to leadership, you've come to the right place. We've put together a comprehensive action plan that will walk you through everything you need to know. Even if there are many different paths to becoming a director of training and development — together, we'll help you find yours. Step One: The Mindset: Becoming a Head of Training and Development is All About Switching Your Approach Making the Transition from Training Specialist to Head of Training As a training manager, you primarily worked on identifying skill gaps then developing and delivering the training required to address those gaps. You'll still be doing that as a head of training — the primary difference is that you'll function in more of an oversight role. You'll be overseeing the strategic roadmap and development of all your organization's training initiatives. So, you'll need excellent people skills to provide guidance to your team and communicate with leadership, and strong project management skills to coordinate training program development, delivery, and optimization. How to Think and Act Like a Head of Training and Development The most significant change you'll experience in transitioning from a training manager to a director of training and development is that you'll change your focus. This means shifting from a ground-level, education-focused approach to a high-level, strategic outlook.  You'll still need the creativity and flexibility you developed as a training specialist, of course. The main difference is that you'll need to apply them...

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### How to Become a Director of Sales Engineering

> Learn how to make the career leap from sales engineer to director of sales engineering. Find out how to secure your first role in our guide.

- Published: 2023-04-13
- Modified: 2024-01-22
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-become-a-director-of-sales-engineering/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Curious about what it takes to go from sales engineer to director of sales engineering? Then you've come to the right place.   Keep reading for a comprehensive action plan to guide you from your current role in sales to a director of engineering role. Step One: The Mindset of an Aspiring Director of Sales Engineers Making the Shift from Sales Engineer to Director of Engineering As a director of sales engineering, you'll need both asolid technical foundation andexcellent people skills. Your focus in your new role is as much on people management as it is on addressing technical challenges such as product integration, customization, and security.   That means you must be capable of speaking to other departments in their language while also maintaining a thorough understanding of your sales team's technology, but also that you'll need to developstrong project management and leadership skills. How to Think and Act Like a Future Sales Engineering Director While sales engineers explain anddemonstrate the benefits of complex products, a director of sales engineering ensures they have the tools and guidance necessary to do so. To be successful as a director of sales engineering, youmust be able to transition from customer engagement to a people- and project management-oriented mindset.   A common mistake when transitioning to a sales engineering directorship is to assume that technical competency and communication skills are all you'll need. While these are still foundational for a director of sales engineering, you'll also need to know how to strategize, optimize,...

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### Testimonials: Start Seeing ROI From Your Training Program

> Discover how thousands of leading software companies are spinning up training labs in seconds, scaling training, controlling costs, growing into new channels of business, and increasing their bottom line, with CloudShare

- Published: 2023-04-08
- Modified: 2025-01-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/testimonials-start-seeing-roi-from-your-training-program
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How to Create an Azure Sandbox Environment

> Read a detailed how-to article, to learn how to create an Azure sandbox environment. Bonus: Receive best practices from trusted experts.

- Published: 2023-03-29
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-create-an-azure-sandbox-environment/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sandboxing

Sandbox environments provide an efficient and cost-effective means of testing new features, assessing security configurations, isolating code executions, and troubleshooting technical issues. Through shared testing instances, they can also be powerful tools for collaboration, all without impacting your production environment. By leveraging Azure Virtual Machines alongside multiple storage options, Azure Sandbox allows you to experiment with application development, application testing, training and onboarding, and even proof of concept demonstrations alongside Azure capabilities, features, and services. However, you must first define both your use case and your security policies. This piece provides an overview of how to create, configure, and launch Azure Sandbox for testing and training, along with recommended best practices. Why Create an Azure Sandbox? By creating a sandbox environment in Azure, you gain all the benefits of a full IT lab at a fraction of the cost. This allows you to accelerate both software development and sales enablement without the considerable expense that normally entails. More importantly, you can do this without disrupting or exposing your production environment. How to Create a Sandbox Environment in Azure First Steps When you create your Microsoft Azure account, you'll start as a free user with the option of a trial period and $200 in credit. If you intend to leverage Azure for anything other than personal use, this is not recommended. In order to create an Azure Sandbox, you'll need a subscription. You'll also need the following: An Azure Active Directory tenant for identity and access management (IAM). This can be...

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### SaaS Customer Onboarding: 7 Best Practices to Ensure Success

> Uncover the 7 best practices to ensure a successful SaaS onboarding. Find out what successful SaaS onboarding looks like in this blog.

- Published: 2023-03-26
- Modified: 2023-10-01
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/saas-customer-onboarding-best-practices/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Never underestimate the power of a positive experience. The way clients feel about your business is every bit as important as what you do. And how they feel is directly informed by your customer onboarding process. Let's talk about why customer onboarding is so important for SaaS companies — and how you can tailor yours to succeed. Why Does Customer Onboarding Matter for Your Saas Business? In a market as competitive as SaaS, first impressions are everything. Your customer onboarding process is your chance to put your best foot forward, demonstrating to both new and prospective customers that you're interested in helping them succeed. That commitment has a knock-on effect on everything from long-term retention to referrals. According to a 2020 report published by Wyzowl, 86 percent of people are likely to stay loyal to a business that invests in onboarding and educates them post-purchase. Another 63 percent consider onboarding to be an important factor in their purchase decisions. A staggering 80 percent of users have deleted an app because they didn't understand how to use it. Another survey conducted by Profitwell found that customers who experienced a positive onboarding process had up to a 21 percent higher willingness to pay. Hubspot noted in its Ultimate Guide to Customer Onboarding that customer churn happens for two reasons: The customer doesn't understand your product The customer doesn't derive value from your product Simply put, onboarding is often the difference between retention and churn. Given that it can cost up to five...

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### From Cybersecurity Training to Cyber Resilience: 8 Major Benefits of Cyber Range Platforms

> Although cyber ranges were developed originally for the public sector, they have expanded far beyond their original roots. Learn more here.

- Published: 2023-03-22
- Modified: 2023-07-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/from-cybersecurity-training-to-cyber-resilience-8-major-benefits-of-cyber-range-platforms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security

Although cyber ranges were developed originally for the public sector, they have expanded far beyond their original roots. These simulated IT environments are invaluable for cybersecurity training and cyber resilience training. Leveraging technology like cloud computing and virtualization, modern cyber range platforms have greatly expanded their scope and effectiveness. What is a Cyber Range? Cyber ranges are simulated environments designed as much for security training as for software development. A cyber range consists of two primary components — a cybersecurity lab or virtual IT lab supported by a learning management system. Most ranges feature a virtualization layer, and may also include network and computing infrastructure. More modern and sophisticated cyber ranges are able to virtualize nearly everything, eliminating their physical footprint altogether. Along with cybersecurity training, potential use cases for cyber ranges include: Testing new cybersecurity tools. Employee onboarding. POC demos. Vulnerability testing. At least on paper, cyber ranges are intended to help security teams gain hands-on experience in cyberwarfare, so that they're better equipped to deal with emerging threats and maintain a heightened security posture. In practice, however, most ranges fall short. Some of them are too limited in scope, with generic scenarios that aren't relevant to trainees. Others are far too broad, simulating a company's operating environment perfectly but offering nothing in the way of guidance. It's when a cyber range strikes the right balance that the technology's true value becomes clear. 8 Benefits of Cyber Range Solutions It's no secret that the cybersecurity sector has been warring...

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### What is a Product Demo? A Helpful Guide for Sales Teams

> What's a product demo? And what's the difference between a product demo and a sales demo? Find out when you read CloudShare's blog.

- Published: 2023-03-22
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-is-a-product-demo-a-helpful-guide-for-sales-teams/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

What is a Product Demo? A Helpful Guide for Sales Teams Show, don't tell. That's the golden rule of SaaS sales. After all, a long-winded explanation is no substitute for firsthand experience. It's far likelier to put your audience to sleep than close deals. That's what makes customer demos such a critical part of the SaaS sales cycle. Unless part of your sales strategy is to help customers and prospects treat insomnia — if so, you can probably stick to PowerPoints. What's the Difference Between a Product Demo and a Sales Demo? The terms product demo and sales demo are often treated as interchangeable. In fairness, that's because the distinction is sort of confusing. Both demos are delivered by either a sales representative or account executive, and both demos show people how to get the most value from your software. The difference, according to Hubspot, lies in the target audience A product demo shows an existing customer what they can do with your software.   A sales demo shows a prospective customer what they can do with your software.   Except sometimes a product demo is also given to qualified leads or used to upsell a customer on a new service or subscription tier. Like we said, it's a bit confusing. Realistically, it doesn't really matter what you call your demos. Nitpicking terminology won't make them any less important to your sales cycle. Why Are Software Product Demos Important? The best way to understand why product demos are so critical...

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### The Importance of Customer Onboarding in Reducing SaaS Churn

> Find out why customer onboarding plays a crucial role in your SaaS churn rate, and effective strategies for reducing SaaS churn.

- Published: 2023-03-20
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-onboarding-in-reducing-saas-churn/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Customer acquisition is an important part of a successful SaaS company's sales strategy, but it also cannot be your only focus. High sales numbers may keep your SaaS business afloat in the short term, but eventually those numbers will plateau. If you don't have a way to reduce churn rate when that happens, you will begin to sink. That begins with an understanding of what causes churn, along with the role the customer onboarding process plays in retention. Understanding Churn Rate in SaaS When a customer terminates their relationship with your company, you lose the recurring revenue stream that customer represented. Churn rate measures those losses over a given period of time — typically a month, quarter, or fiscal year. Expressed as a percentage of total subscribers, churn rate can be an excellent barometer of your company's overall health, particularly if contextualized against its growth rate. Particularly in B2B, customer churn and revenue churn are also closely related, and should generally be measured alongside one another. What's a Good Churn Rate?   Userpilot notes that a good churn rate for smaller SaaS companies is between five and seven percent annually, and less than five percent annually for larger companies. The average churn rate in 2022 was 5. 9 percent for customers and 7. 7 percent for revenue. Note, however, that this is the average for all SaaS companies — each niche has its own average, and what constitutes a positive churn rate in one sector might be abysmal for another....

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### 9 Must-Know Metrics to Measure Sales Engineer Performance

- Published: 2023-03-20
- Modified: 2023-06-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/9-metrics-to-help-you-build-a-more-effective-sales-engineering-team/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Measuring Success: Create Effective Customer Education Across the Entire Lifecycle - with Brian Childs

- Published: 2023-03-16
- Modified: 2023-05-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/measuring-success-create-effective-customer-education-across-the-entire-lifecycle-with-brian-childs
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Sneak Peek into VILT in 2023: How to Achieve Data-Driven Success

> In our "Sneak Peek into VILT in 2023" we show you where the industry is headed, based on CloudShare's proprietary research.

- Published: 2023-03-13
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sneak-peek-into-vilt-how-to-achieve-data-driven-success/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We now live ina world of experiences. We've reached the natural endpoint of thevirtual training trendsand training technology trends that surfaced during the pandemic. As a result, the way people train has changed for good.  Customers now demand more from training and onboarding — more personalization, more flexibility, and more interactivity. And as the importance of effective customer training continues to mount, so too does the pressure for training departments to demonstrate tangible ROI. All the while, many companies are stuck using outdatedvirtual instructor led training (VILT)solutions and tactics. What must those companies do in order to find a new way forward? How can they improve their training programs to increase both course completion and student participation? What steps must they take to define, measure, and achieve not just their training objectives, but their business goals as well?  CloudShare recently hosted a live webinar that answers and contextualizes all three of those questions. We've included some of the key insights below. If you'd prefer to skip the summary, you canregister nowto viewSneak Peek into VILT in 2023: How to Achieve >are no longer effective, if they ever were. Your customers have already done their research about your company, and they expect your company to have done its research aboutthem. This means:  Personalizing your training based on their unique challenges, pain points, and use case.   Providing an engaging, hands-on experience rather than passive video tutorials and slideshows.   Giving them an authentic and realistic look at your product and how...

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### Sneak Peek into VILT in 2023 - How to Achieve Data-Driven Success

> In 2023, there’s considerably more pressure to prove your training program’s ROI, and tangible metrics of success. You can keep your training program “as is” (and achieve the exact same results), or explore a new framework to achieve data-driven success with VILT.

- Published: 2023-03-09
- Modified: 2023-05-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sneak-peek-into-vilt-in-2023-how-to-achieve-data-driven-success
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### ChatGPT for SaaS Sales: 5 Ways Your Team Can Use ChatGPT to Convert

> What are the 5 best uses for ChatGPT in SaaS sales? Find out how to turn ChatGPT into an effective SaaS sales tool in our blog post.

- Published: 2023-03-02
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/chatgpt-for-saas-sales-5-ways-your-team-can-use-chatgpt-to-convert/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

ChatGPT has attracted millions of users since entering beta in the final months of 2022,OpenAI's advanced chatbot is already capable of everything from answering questions to composing emails and writing code, making it the perfect tool for sales enablement. Don’t take our word for it though.   Have a look at what it said when we asked what it could do:We asked ChatGPT: "How Can ChatGPT Improve SaaS sales. "  This is what it replied... We'll dive into and expand on those points in just a moment — but in the meantime, let's go over a bit of background information.  What Is ChatGPT? Again, we'll let the chatbot speak for itself:  Benefits of Using ChatGPT for SaaS SalesWhen we asked about the benefits of ChatGPT in sales enablement, the bot spoke very highly of itself. However, before you get too excited there are a few important caveats to keep in mind: ChatGPT is best suited for short, simple, and straightforward SaaS sales cycles. It doesn't quite have the teeth to support longer or more complex buyer's journeys — not yet, at least.   If you intend to use ChatGPT for anything beyond internal experimentation, you'll want a premium subscription. In addition to giving you priority access to new features, a subscription ensures high availability and faster response speeds, both of which are essential for a sales-focused chatbot.    ChatGPT is by no means a replacement for human staff. While it may eventually supplant entry-level salespeople, it will still perform best as...

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### 7 Ways to Make Your SaaS Training Subscriptions Irresistible

> This blog shows you the 7 ways that you can improve your SaaS training subscription renewal rates in the long run.

- Published: 2023-02-27
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/make-your-saas-training-subscriptions-irresistible/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

During theCeDMA 2022 conference, there was one key challenge facing every company:lack of training subscription renewals. Every training team was looking for that silver bullet that'll help entice customers to continue training subscriptions—and drive product adoption.  But most customers don't see the value in investing in these subscriptions. It's due to a lack of marketing from training teams, a lack of a training champion, or an inability to see the ROI of such programs.  This is because companies aren't structuring theirtraining programsin a way that leads to renewal. While customer onboarding is the first chance to make an impression, it often leads to a missed opportunity for training and customer success teams. You can fix these issues by employing solid customer renewal strategies and improving your year-over-year training revenue growth. To help you achieve this, we've listed seven solutions to increase your training renewal rates. Introduction to Training: Where it all beginsCustomer onboarding is usually the first step to introduction to training. A Wyzowl report found that80% of usersdeleted an app because they didn't know how to use it. When you deploy a clearly defined and personalized onboarding program, you avoid this issue. This step is a critical opportunity to make anexcellent first impression.  A2020 studyfound that the aesthetics and perceived usability of the product influence a user's first experience. It's a similar experience to when you meet someone for the first time. You judge them based on how they look, speak, or other internal biases. In the same way,...

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### 10 Best Practices to Increase Your SaaS Training Renewal Rates

> We've listed 10 renewal best practices that you can use to entice customers to continue their SaaS training subscriptions year-over-year.

- Published: 2023-02-25
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-to-increase-your-saas-training-renewal-rates/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

A SaaS training subscription isn’t going to renew itself... . The same concerns were echoed in CeDMA’s 2022 conference, where every company was facing a drop in SaaS training renewal rates—which also impacted their product adoption rates. Renewal rates are the percentage of clients who continue their subscriptions after their initial signup period. But keeping this number high, especially in this economy, can be challenging. Customers either think they know your product "enough" to get by, don't have the time to take training programs, or don't see the value in spending time and money on “another subscription. ” And it's a fair concern. Customers will only invest in it if they're sure about the exact value they can receive from your training sessions. And this is a core challenge that SaaS companies face today. Many SaaS companies are unable to market their saas training because they lack the right data and customer knowledge. To help you solve this issue, we've listed renewal best practices that you can use to entice customers to continue their subscriptions year-over-year. 10 best practices to maximize SaaS renewal rates for training Here are a few sales renewal strategies that can help you increase training renewal rates: 1. Set clear expectations for the program right from onboarding Focus on making a good first impression. This means that right from the customer onboarding stage, you need to stay on top of your customer’s expectations. This step is the first of many training sessions, showing them how your...

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### The Road to Upsell and Cross-sell Your Training Bundle As Part of the Customer Retention Journey

> Looking to increase the subscription renewal rates for your training programs? Explore the value of training as a retention strategy.

- Published: 2023-02-22
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-road-to-upsell-and-cross-sell-your-training-bundle-as-part-of-the-customer-retention-journey/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Looking to increase the subscription renewal rates for your training programs? You’re in the right place! Join us as we look at how training professionals can steal some tips and tricks from Customer Success to ensure service renewals through cross-selling and upselling strategies.  Explain the Value of Training as a Retention StrategyUpselling and cross-selling your training effectively is all about successfully translating the value of your education to the customer. If they can see that the training adds value, they will be happy to engage.  You can learn a lot from Customer Success here. CS teams work with customers across the whole customer lifecycle, adding value at relevant stages, and encouraging users to see the optimum value with technology. You can do the same with training. Let’s look with greater depth at three strategies. Remember! These aren’t meant to be put into place 2 weeks prior to the renewal date. These can all be embedded as part of your training strategy from day one, helping you to show customers the value of training as a powerful product in and of itself, not just an optional add-on. 1. Successful onboardingIn ourrecent webinar with EverAfter, one of the best practices the team discussed for attracting renewals is to leverage the onboarding stage.  When your customers start working with your product, they are looking to you to make their job quicker, or their work more accurate. They aren’t interested in all of the product’s bells and whistles - they want to see the...

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### Cyber Security Sales Training: The Future of the Industry

> Every industry implements sales training. The more complex the industry, the more difficult it is to network—and the more critical sales training becomes.

- Published: 2023-02-20
- Modified: 2024-07-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cyber-security-sales-training-the-future-of-the-industry/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement, Cyber security

Every industry implements sales training. The more complex the industry, the more difficult it is to network—and the more critical sales training is. Sales training isn’t just endless slideshows and technical documents. Sales training requires a certain threshold of understanding. Sales teams need to know their service offerings, just like the individuals, groups, or organizations that create these offerings. Sales teams must take an extra step to explain these products and services to clients who do not share their in-depth knowledge. And when it comes to cybersecurity sales training, doing is almost always better than showing. That’s why virtual IT labs are a powerful tool that your cybersecurity sales teams can leverage to provide personalized demos to customers, partners, and other stakeholders. The Importance of Cybersecurity Sales Training Cybersecurity is essential and affects every employee in every department, especially in sales. Trained sales engineers create capable sales teams, especially considering how complex and confusing cybersecurity can be. While we think of cybersecurity as a separate field now, it emerged from computer science, which itself emerged from a combination of electrical engineering, mathematics, physics, and chemistry! Increase Training Outcomes with an Effective Cybersecurity Sales Strategy Sales training requires two things to be successful: effort and time. You can measure time in terms of how quickly a solution can be implemented and tweaked, or how long it takes for employees to tackle the learning curve associated with adopting new technologies. Effort can be measured by how difficult it is for employees to...

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### Beat the Benchmarks - CloudShare 2023 Users Research Report

> After analyzing the data from hundreds of thousands of CloudShare’s global users (and comparing them to industry benchmarks), we’ve developed our 2023 State of Virtual Sales and Training Experiences report.

- Published: 2023-02-16
- Modified: 2023-05-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/beat-the-benchmarks-cloudshare-2023-users-research-report
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Sales Enablement Training Software: What Is It, and How Does It Work?

> Innovative advances in technology platforms for sales enablement training mean that engaging prospects is faster and exceedingly more effective.

- Published: 2023-02-11
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-enablement-training-software-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Effective Tools Empower Effective Sales Teams Your ideal salesperson exhibits four primary traits: they are eager, personable, organized, and knowledgeable about your product. And until recently, they also had to spend extensive time traveling, setting up hardware and customizing environments for demos and POCs, and waiting months for the sales cycle to play out as their prospects moved through the sales funnel. These demos were part of the job, but not a particularly good use of time. Today, innovative advances in technology platforms for sales enablement training mean that engaging prospects is faster, cheaper, and obviously most important to the bottom line: exceedingly more effective. Let’s see how. The Golden Triangle of Sales Enablement Training Programs: Effective sales enablement solutions are designed to remove the barriers to excel at each of the many tasks throughout the sale pipeline. Put another way, the right solution keeps salespeople from ever telling management that “I’d have landed that deal, if only you’d given me... ” What are the three primary components for sales enablement training software? Content management – A well-organized, dynamic library of up-to-date brochures, one-pagers, case studies, videos, and other collateral that can be retrieved and sent to a prospect based on the specific audience and stage of the sales process. CRM – To eliminate the distraction of managing and tracking leads, this sales enablement tool contains all customer contact info, notes on interactions and collateral already provided, email tracking, and automated reminders (for both prospects and salespeople) to keep the...

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### What's the Difference Between Sales Readiness vs. Enablement?

> Learn about the the basics of sales readiness and sales enablement and how to avoid inefficient issues during workflows.

- Published: 2023-02-07
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-sales-readiness-vs-enablement/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Picking up on a tremendous amount of business jargon can be an intimidating aspect of becoming a professional. What makes it even worse is how so many terms seem so interchangeable and similar. Don’t ignore any terms you hear at a business meeting or conference; they might be exactly what your company needs to boost itself to higher places. Two of those terms you’ve probably heard of are sales readiness vs sales enablement. Working in the marketing or sales department means you need to know these two definitions as well as their vital distinctions. You don’t want departments to clash rather than work together. To avoid inefficient issues during workflows, think about the type of training you will provide to your sales teams. Is enablement or readiness your focus? Enablement and Readiness: The Basics Sales readiness, in short, represents the knowledge, skills, and tools sales staff use when interacting directly with customers. Using content from a sales readiness initiative, these employees can quickly pull up the relevant content on the spot whenever necessary to encourage the sale. Sales enablement, aims to achieve a similar goal but in a different way. It’s more broad, covering general knowledge and mindsets required to appeal to clients. It’s also formalized in most organizations, as multiple departments collaborate to generate sales enablement training content necessary for sales teams. This information helps individual staff members use the tools from sales-readiness effectively. A common analogy to help you visualize the difference is personal values vs the law....

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### CloudShare & Semperis - Scale Your POCs & Grow Sales with CloudShare

- Published: 2023-02-05
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/cloudshare-semperis-scale-your-pocs-grow-sales-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Webinars, Case Studies
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### What is SaaS Customer Onboarding and How You Can Improve It

> Whether in a demo to pitch, close, or follow a sale, here’s a plan to improve SaaS customer onboarding and optimize customer engagement.

- Published: 2023-02-03
- Modified: 2023-05-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-is-saas-customer-onboarding-and-how-you-can-improve-it/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The customer onboarding process can, without question, make or break your future engagement with the people responsible for your revenues. Keeping an existing customer is more cost-effective than finding a new one, so onboarding is critical even beyond that initial training session; it includes ongoing training on new versions and providing tips and tricks that will help cement the relationship as well. When customers are comfortable with a product from the outset – and confident in their ability to use it – adoption rates skyrocket, and the relationship becomes secure, long-term, and more profitable. While customer training platforms can be deployed through the pre-sales and post-sales stages, we will focus here on the two steps immediately preceding and following a sale: the Proof of Concept (POC) and new customer onboarding, both in an online, virtual platform. Let’s jump into some critical steps to create or improve SaaS customer onboarding: 1. Active, not Passive Perhaps the most critical starting point is the mode of presenting the content of your POC or training session. The least effective approaches by far are those relying exclusively and solely on passive presentations, painfully reminiscent of a school lecture. These include offering a library of videos to watch, with pre-recorded walk-throughs of functions and features. As tools, they are great – but not on their own. The second, fairly popular option is certainly better: a video conference or webinar combining webcams and screen share for what is essentially still a passive experience. Again, a good start,...

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### 3 Actionable Strategies for Increased Training Subscription Renewal Rates

> Shachar Avrahami, shared his insights on three renewal strategies that can help companies increase revenue through training subscriptions.

- Published: 2023-01-26
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/increased-training-subscription-renewal-rates/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

How often have you thought that your training program wasthe only reasoncustomers were succeeding with your product, only to find out a year later that they barely used the program? It’s one of the reasons why training teams struggle to maintain their revenue stream with self-renewing training subscriptions. They’re unable to monitor training usage, resulting in a lack of insight into why customers are not using their training bundles. What’s worse is that with time, if there’s no training, product adoption dwindles. And if product adoption dwindles, your customers eventually abandon usage altogether. You get the gist. There are several reasons why customers resort to this: They don’t see the ROI of a training bundle They don’t understand the value of training They don’t have thebudget for training Their training champion has left the organization You don’t know how to market the training bundle Fortunately, there are many tactics that training professionals can adopt from customer success teams to sell self-renewing on auto-pilot. In our recent webinar, Shachar Avrahami, VP of Product and Strategy at EverAfter, shared his go-to tactics to resolve this challenge. Using his experience in customer success and revenue operations, he shared his insights on three renewal strategies that can help companies increase revenue through training subscriptions. Curious? Let’s dive in.   1. Customize your onboarding program and focus on value creationWhat we call onboarding in the customer success world is actually the introductory lesson in the training world. Here, we introduce the students (your customers) to...

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### CloudShare & EverAfter - 3 Proven Renewal Tactics for Training Subscription

> Proven Renewal Tactics for Training Subscription

- Published: 2023-01-25
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/cloudshare-venafi-3-proven-renewal-tactics-for-training-subscription
- Formats: Webinars, Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### 5 Key Metrics to Align Training and GTM Teams to Boost Subscription Renewals

> We've listed five critical metrics for training that you should measure to create opportunities for cross-selling and recurring revenue.

- Published: 2023-01-21
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/key-metrics-to-align-training-and-gtm/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The key to a successful customer training program lies in strong alignment between the training and go-to-market (GTM) teams.  Why?  Because training drives product adoption, and successful adoption leads to excellent time-to-market metrics that can be used to expand your user base.  In turn, you can also increase the number of training subscriptions as more customers realize the importance of on-demand and ongoing training. But creating this alignment can be difficult if you don't measure theright training KPIs(key performance indicators). If you don't have the right data, you don't have the proof of concept you need to drive more user sign-ups and self-renewing training subscriptions.  To help you set a baseline for your customer training strategy, we've listed five critical metrics for training that you should measure to create opportunities forcross-selling and recurring revenue. 1. Customer onboarding timeIf customer education is a part of your process, onboarding is your first chance to create a solid experience for your clients.  You don’t want them signing up for your product and then scrambling to figure out how tohit the ground running. Not only does it create too much friction, but it also increases the possibility of them churning. The first 90 days after sign-up is crucial as it decides if customers see the value in your product and whether they'll churn. This is why creating an onboarding program that's fluff-free, interactive, and personalized based on the customer's goals is vital. It ensures they can explore the features they need to use—not whatyouwant...

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### Bridge the Gap: How to Align Customer Training with Company Go-To-Market Goals

> Here are three ways you can align with the GTM of the company, and ensure that you’re part of the action. 

- Published: 2023-01-17
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/align-customer-training-with-company-go-to-market-goals/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The Go-To-Market (GTM) function in any organization coordinates cross-functionally with other departments such as Sales, Marketing and Product to deliver the roadmap for the business. As Customer Training is a critical part of the organization, and delivers a direct impact on key business metrics such as revenue and renewals, don’t you think you deserve a seat at the GTM table? Here are three ways you can align with the GTM of the company, and ensure that you’re part of the action.  1. Collaborate on Messaging and PositioningIdeally, customer training materials will be well-aligned with the sales and marketing efforts, so ask yourself — what’s happening on the GTM team? For example, if you have a software product, and your Sales teams are struggling with that all-important first 90 days, Customer Training teams can add support with an onboarding course that walks the customer through their early interactions with the product.  This could include self-serve webinar content oron-demand playgroundswhere users can test the platform and try features without risk. This approach encourages stickiness with the product, and also reduces the time that Sales or Customer Success has to spend having repetitive onboarding conversations.  One great tip is to move away from “onboarding” as the goal, and consider the goal of reducing first-time-to-value. The quicker a customer can see value with your software, the more likely they are to start making it part of their everyday work. To follow this North Star, you need to be able to define what value is...

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### 7 Sales Demo Best Practices to Close Prospects

> Sales demo best practice includes both an effective content strategy and the right technology approach to presenting it. Here’s how to get them both right.

- Published: 2023-01-16
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/7-sales-demo-best-practices-to-close-prospects/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

First things first Before getting to the actual performance of your sales demo, let’s review a few core assumptions that any veteran salesperson will rely on when it comes to demo best practices: 1.    Do your homework: Perhaps the most unrefutable fact in sales demo best practice is that no two prospects are the same. So no two pitches are the same. Create a mandatory checklist before any first-time meeting where you research issues like: Is the audience experienced, perhaps with a competing product? b. What is the prospect’s technical ability? c.   Do they have a clear, existing need to solve, or are you “teaching” them about problems they may not even recognize? d. Are you looking to impress them with a feature list? An elegant user experience? Business benefits? There may be overlap, but it’s rarely all three at one time 2.   Set expectations: Send out an agenda before the meeting to make sure you’ve satisfactorily completed your “homework assignment. ” First, this will prompt their confirmation (and alert you to any issues you’ve missed). But it’s also a great way to encourage the client to include all relevant stakeholders, to minimize the number of repeat performances you’ll be asked to present. This agenda will also prompt the client to let you know that certain areas don’t interest them as much, saving everyone time. 3. Create a story script, but keep it dynamic: The most engaging pitches are those that begin with some basic structure, but...

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### CloudShare's Product Experience Platform - Transform Your Training

> CloudShare makes it simple and fast to create fully interactive hands-on experiences in the cloud.Live in-class analytics that helps you track your user engagement, optimize your user on the go, manage your resources and take immediate actions on POCs.

- Published: 2023-01-08
- Modified: 2023-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshares-product-experience-platform-transform-your-training
- Formats: Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Get The Highest ROI From Your Training With CloudShare

> Get the highest ROI from your training with CloudShare's cost-effective virtual training labs

- Published: 2023-01-08
- Modified: 2023-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/get-the-highest-roi-from-your-training-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### What To Think About When You’re Choosing A Virtual Training Experience Solution

> These are just a few of the things you’ll need to think about when you’re looking for the best virtual training platform for your business.

- Published: 2023-01-04
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/choosing-a-virtual-training-experience-solution/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

With the rise of distributed workplaces, and a growing number of employees eager to continue working from home in their sweatpants - “old-school” training methods just aren’t practical (or possible) for many companies. This has meant that virtual training solutions are no longer a nice-to-have option. They’re essential for upskilling employees, training customers, increasing retention, and shortening the sales cycle. In 2021, America’s e-learning market reached a whopping $94 billion in revenue, and it’s predicted to become a $325 billion global industry by 2025. Like any other fast-growing market, new players in the virtual training space are popping up seemingly every day in a bid to compete with established market leaders (like us! ). But can these new platforms deliver what your enterprise business needs? Do they have key features and support built in? Do they have a flexible architecture that can grow alongside you as your business evolves? And, most importantly - can you easily create classes that can grab and hold your learners’ attention? These are just a few of the things you’ll need to think about when you’re looking for the best virtual training platform for your business. The virtual training experience landscape If you’re reading this, you might have taken a few free trials of other solutions already to narrow down your options. They probably have flashy websites built around vague value propositions like “built by trainers, for trainers” – but not much else to offer your enterprise. Most solutions in the virtual training space tend...

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### Best Practices for Customer Training Software in 2023

> Learn about our best practices for customer training software in 2021 and why it is important to invest in.

- Published: 2023-01-02
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-for-customer-training-software-in-2023/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Even the best products can fail if your customers don’t understand how they work. When you’re so involved in the internal development, sales, and support of a software product, you can lose sight of showing your customers how they can use your product to succeed in their own roles. It’s important to step back and ask the important question: what happens if you don’t have an efficient customer training system in place? Here’s what we do know. American businesses lose $136. 8 billion a year due to “avoidable customer switching. ” This is referring to customer churn, where your competition does a better job of delighting your customers than you do. Ouch. Simply put, customer training isn’t optional – it needs to be a core component of your acquisition and retention strategies. Investing in customer training programs is a huge step toward long-term business success. It’s one of the most impactful ways to create game-changing experiences that go far beyond basic user manuals and generic video tutorials. Why Invest in Customer Training? Why should you bother learning the customer training software best practices? What benefits can you expect from putting effort into your customer training program? Better customer loyalty: Clients who receive first-hand knowledge from your business are more connected to your brand and have a higher understanding of your products and services. Brand champions: This personal connection results in better satisfaction rates among customers and helps indirectly drive future revenue. These customers are also more likely to recommend your...

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### How Can You Create an Effective Employee Virtual Training Program?

> Creating an employee training program requires alignment between the employee's needs and the company's overarching objectives.

- Published: 2022-12-27
- Modified: 2024-04-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-can-you-create-an-effective-employee-virtual-training-program/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Workplace training is integral to any company, regardless of industry or size. It ensures employees and business partners are always in line with the company's goals and operations, as well as increase efficiency and lower the chance of mistakes. Successful managers who know how to create a training program can reduce employee turnover and optimize the onboarding process. Many use virtual training labs to maximize their benefit from such training programs. However, creating an effective training course in business takes work. You need to think about several things before you get started. For example: Does the program fall in line with the company’s overall goals? Is the material relevant to what the participants need? What should you do after the course to continue improving it? In addition to these, there are other granular considerations you need to make. We've listed seven steps to simplify this process to create an effective virtual employee training program below. 8 Steps To Create An Effective Virtual Training Program Creating an employee training program requires alignment between the employee's needs and the company's overarching objectives. If you're wondering how to make virtual training effective while achieving alignment, here’s how:Step 1: Choose the Right Training Platform Before you can create online training for your employees, you need to make sure your infrastructure is capable of supporting said training. That means selecting the right training platform. Ideally, you'll want software that's easy to use for both instructors and participants. Your solution of choice must also be scalable,...

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### Sales Metrics vs. Customer Retention Metrics — Which Should Training Departments Focus On?

> Organizations are increasingly shifting their focus from sales performance measurement to measuring customer retention, NPS score, and expansion.

- Published: 2022-12-21
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-metrics-vs-customer-retention-metrics/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We recently had the opportunity to attendCEdMA 2022. Our time at the conference was incredibly enlightening—especially our discussion group, which included decision-makers from VMWare and MongoDB. There, we learned that there's a massive change happening in the software space.  Organizations are increasingly shifting their focus from sales performance measurement to measuring customer retention, NPS score, expansion, and renewals. This was echoed by all discussion groups, indicating a clear trend. People are moving away from pre-sales efforts and resource spending and refocusing on post-sales efforts. Training is an inseparable part of this transition. But is it too soon for training departments to fully embrace customer retention metrics? Should you leave sales metrics behind?  And moreover, how should these metrics be applied across the organization?  For Sales Teams: Training is Still About Capturing Customers  Sales enablement trainingwill always be necessary for any successful SaaS company. You need to ensure that your salespeople have a thorough understanding of your company. This includes: The benefits of your products and services.   Compelling use cases. Demographic information about customers. Technical details about your solutions. Information about competitors.   Customer training and usage data.   As you've probably guessed, the goal of this training is to drive sales and increase overall sale value. Sales teams can also leverage training platforms for proof of concept and demo purposes, giving prospects a far more interactive and engaging look at their software. From your perspective, this obviously means that the metrics by which sales teams measure their success are...

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### The Cost of Sales Engineer Training for Employees

> Sales engineer training is supremely important in any business as potential customers are shown demos and proofs-of-concept are deployed.

- Published: 2022-12-20
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-cost-of-sales-engineer-training-for-employees/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

How does your company approach sales engineer training? Employees serve as the lifeblood of your business, ensuring it can continue to run and generate revenue. But as your best-performing assets retire or switch jobs eventually, you will have to hire recruits at some point. Your veteran sales engineers often hold valuable institutional knowledge that is hard to replace. They understand your systems, the nuances of your customers, and more. How can you ensure that new recruits get up to speed with your business’s operations quickly and effectively—without sacrificing the quality of the sales process and customer experience? Understanding the Importance of Sales Engineer Training The cost of searching for the right talent for your business is time-consuming and not easy. Once you find suitable candidates, you don’t want a lack of training to result in low productivity and high turnover rates. To prevent confusion and inconvenience from unready employees, it’s wise to invest in training for sales engineers. Onboarding practices make sure that new employees understand what they do in your company and how to do it well. Almost all companies do it because the benefits far outweigh the price, but how much does it cost to train your employees? The Cost of Training On average, the cost of training a single employee is around $1,250 in funding and a little over 30 hours of instruction according to the Association for Talent Development. However, the actual cost that your company will see for onboarding varies depending on several factors. Your...

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### Customer Training Pricing and Packaging Best Practices

> Learn how customer training programs are priced and how you can determine the right virtual training pricing package for your organization.

- Published: 2022-12-13
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-training-pricing-and-packaging-best-practices/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Consumer training is a way for companies to ensure that clients get the most value out of the product as possible. Providing this service raises your reputation among the customer base and minimizes the number of support tickets you will receive. At the same time, customer training takes time, effort, and attention to develop properly. Should you charge your clients for access to the material, or is a free program more likely to benefit your organization? Answering this question goes a long way to making sure your customer training program stays in line with the company’s objectives. Reasons for Free Training Giving your users a proper “head start” with your product or service is essential to keeping them on board. For example: Users on a free trial need a reason to upgrade to the full version. You can obtain a customer’s contact information and thus generate leads in exchange for free educational materials. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) products typically must compete with many other services whenever a membership renewal is due. In these cases, charging for training just results in an unnecessary barrier to entry that may harm your sales in the end. Reasons for Paid Training Some businesses see customer training as an extra source of revenue. Other reasons for paid training are: Paying back the costs of hosting the training, which typically include instructor salaries and class equipment/materials. Providing technical certifications to the participants, essentially selling them a service. Giving customers a larger incentive to stick with the training program...

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### Increase Customer Education Revenue with 5 Subscription Renewal Strategies

- Published: 2022-12-08
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/increase-customer-education-revenue-with-5-subscription-renewal-strategies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Customer trainingis a massive factor in turning customers into product advocates and retaining them long-term. However, many organizations fail to capitalize on this opportunity due to customer reluctance to sign up for training subscriptions. Despite the potential for improved customer experience, most customers don't see the value in investing in a recurring subscription service or any return on investment (ROI). There are several reasons why this happens, and some of them include the following: Customers don’t have the budget for such a service Customers don’t understand how ongoing product education helps them Customers don’t have the time to partake in recurring training sessions They don’t see the value and expected ROI of this service If they do sign up, you’re not encouraging them to complete the training The training champion has left the company—making it harder to push for a renewal In each of these cases, there isone common theme: you’re not using the right strategies to promote yourcustomer training programs—leading to a loss of recurring revenue for your company. In this article, we'll discuss five solid strategies to transform customer education programs from a one-time professional service to an auto-renewing training subscription. #1: Offer in-platform training to integrate product educationCustomer education needs to be frictionless. But, most companies offer training programs in a different environment—making it harder for customers to invest time in product training. To remove this friction, offer in-platform training. Instead of sending long email chains with access codes and portal credentials, keep the process within your...

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### 5 Key Takeaways from CEdMA Conference 2022

> This year’s CEdMA conference EU gave us an opportunity to network with old and new friends, meet customers and partners face-to-face, and learn a lot.

- Published: 2022-12-04
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-key-takeaways-from-cedma-conference-2022/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

This year’s CEdMA conference EU gave us an opportunity to network with old and new friends, meet customers and partners face-to-face, and learn from some of the brightest minds in training and education.  Here are some of our key takeaways from our discussions at CEdMA conference!  #1: Training Entities are Looking to Align with GTM DepartmentsHow training entities within software companies can align with the Go-To-Market of the company was one of the biggest challenges we heard about at this year’s CEdMA. Time and time again, we heard participants asking: How can I measure the impact of my training content? How can I execute and create content to align with new products and features? How can I report on results effectively to the c-suite?   These three challenges,finding the right metrics, executing training context impactfully, and reporting on ROI are absolutely critical for training organizations to face head-on.  At the moment, we’re seeing that training is most often housed under Professional Services, however, there is a clear shift to Customer Success.  Getting a seat at the table for training means being able to measure the impact of your efforts via customer retention, NPS score, expansion, and renewals, not just by pre-sales metrics like initial adoption. By moving away from pre-sales efforts, training teams can become an inseparable part of the GTM strategy of the company. So, ask yourself,“Does your training focus only on adoption, or does it support customerexpansion? ” #2: Subscription Renewals are an Overwhelming ChallengeOn Day 2 of...

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### How to Improve Cyber Security Hands-on Training Experiences for Employees?

> In this blog, we look at how to improve virtual cyber security training outcomes. Learn why cyber security hands-on training is so effective.

- Published: 2022-12-01
- Modified: 2025-03-26
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-improve-cyber-security-hands-on-training-experiences-for-employees/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

Cybersecurity professionals continue to face an uphill battle when it comes to securing their organizations’ infrastructures and systems. That's the problem with today's security landscape. Threat actors are smarter, better organized, more sophisticated, and more numerous than ever before. They're leveraging advanced techniques like generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and even offering sophisticated cybercrime-as-a-service. Your security team needs to fend off every attack, whereas those same bad actors only need to succeed once. And the thing is, criminals aren't always going to target software vulnerabilities — they're going to focus on the path of least resistance: your people. After all, why try to scale the wall of a fortress when you can trick someone into opening the gate?   The Weakest Link In Your Security Chain There's no shortage of concerning threat groups in the news. Most of us have heard of Cozy Bear, Akira, Sandworm, Salt Typhoon, Scattered Spider, and Noname057(16). While it's important to be aware of these criminal enterprises, they don't actually present the greatest risk to your organization. Your own employees have the greatest capacity to disrupt business operations. And they often do, whether inadvertently or on purpose. According to Verizon's 17th Annual Data Breach Investigations Report, 68% of breaches included a non-malicious human element. In other words, over two-thirds of incidents resulted from either human error or social engineering.   Just think: all that time, energy, and money spent reducing external risks and it’s your own side letting you down.   The unfortunate reality is that...

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### What to Expect in 2023: A Look into the Future of the Training Industry

- Published: 2022-11-30
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/future-of-training-industry/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The past two years have seen a massive shift in how customer or certification training has been offered. The most prominent one has been in terms of delivery—and by that, I mean—an uptick invirtual training. The global corporate e-learning market will be valued at$44. 6 billion by 2028growing at a CAGR of 10. 5%. With this, I expect to see many new trends take over the industry in the next five years.  But what should you expect in 2023?  Let’s look at some of the biggest trends and challenges facing training professionals today. From breaking down silos to developing new skill sets, trainers must be prepared for anything in the coming years. Here are a few observations I’ve made based on my interactions with CloudShare’s customers and leaders in the industry. #1: Blended learning will become the normBlended learning took charge this year—and will soon become the norm. Byblended learning, I mean a hybrid method where you deliver in-person and virtual training.  In-person training is great and engaging, but it's not scalable. On the other hand, self-paced learning allows employees to learn when they're most comfortable. Given that work can get in the way of learning, it's an excellent option for those who prefer it. In 2021,41% of training hourswere delivered using blended learning methods, but many respondents indicated returning to classroom learning. As lockdown restrictions lifted worldwide, more people have returned to work from offices. It also meant that in-person training sessions were also becoming common.  However, with many...

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### 8 Training Budget Planning Insights from Training Leaders in CloudShare's Community

> Find out how some of our top clients are planning their budgets for 2023. We've gathered the top training budget planning insights.

- Published: 2022-11-29
- Modified: 2023-10-31
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-budget-planning-insights/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

When planning your training budget, it's now more important than ever to manage and control your resources to ensure every dollar is accounted for. You also need to optimize every facet of your training in order to maximize your returns, and a roadmap that establishes the where, how, and why of your spending. Most importantly, you need to convey clear, consistent value to leadership. Achieving all of these goals simultaneously may be challenging, but it's not impossible. Earlier this week, we held a virtual community meetup hosted by Leighton Nelson, Senior Director, Education and technical Enablement at Delphix, to find out how some of our top clients are planning their budgets for 2023. We've gathered the top training budget planning insights from that conversation below. Want to join in on the fun? Click here to join the CloudShare community of professionals in software training and sales! #1: Align Training Goals With Business Goals Budget and strategy are two sides of the same coin, and you can't create an effective training strategy if you lack an understanding of your organization's broader objectives. You also need to understand the core objective of each department that relies on your training. Both sets of goals must be aligned with your own. Defining your strategy must therefore be the first step in defining your budget. What are the goals of your training, your team, and your organization? What initiatives will you pursue to fulfill those goals? #2: Maintain Communication With Key Stakeholders Communication is ultimately...

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### Trim Training Expenses in 2023 With Virtual Training Solutions

> Learn more about Training Expenses in 2023 with Virtual Training Solutions. CloudShare will help you to minimize your Training Cost

- Published: 2022-11-27
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/trim-training-expenses-with-virtual-training-solutions/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

2023 is around the corner, which means you’re probably neck-deep in budget planning. As the new year comes in with new expectations, it’s not surprising that you’re looking formore waysto cut costs — especially when inflation is on the horizon.  After all, the more you save, the better for your team — and business. You can create an effective training agenda, optimally distribute resources, and outline critical benchmarks for your team. You can also delve into historical data and uncover nuggets of wisdom and successful strategies.  For training teams, this can mean reviewing costs associated with personnel, software, and in some cases, travel and accommodation. To help you navigate this process, we developed a system to help training managers understand how they can build high-quality training sessions while also reducing overhead.  Here’s a simple, five-step guide:  Create virtual training playgrounds Analyze your training sessions  Adapt for flexible usage  Repurpose your training sessions  Craft a budget to minimizetraining costs Create Virtual Training PlaygroundsNearly3 out of 4 employees are willing to retrainand learn how to remain employable in the future — that’s good news for companies looking to buckle down and upskill. To do this, you can employ an instructor, pay for all employees’ travel and lodging, host a few days’ worth of sessions, surveys, and studies, and put in the manual effort. Or, you can move to the cloud. Dedicated virtual labs allow your employees to create, break, and experiment in a cloud-based playground. Your training happens without botched deals, and...

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### Looking to Improve Partner Enablement? Cloud Development Environments are a Low Maintenance Approach that’s Paying Dividends

- Published: 2022-11-20
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloud-development-environments-are-a-low-maintenance-approach/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

We recently sat down with Paul Cleary, Sr Ecosystem Architect at Venafi to discuss challenges in working with technology channel partners, and how implementing a virtual test environment can make all the difference.  If you missed the live event, we’ve got you covered! You can watch the webinar here, or keep reading for the highlights.  Working with Technology Partners has its Own Unique ChallengesIntegrations are key to any software platform that utilizes partners to bring added value to the software customers use every day. An easy way to create and improve integrations is to give your technology partners access to your platform for testing.  However, this is often easier said than done. For Venafi, some of the top challenges included: High maintenance and cumbersome technology: A home-grown solution is complicated to use, and was slowing down development time for partners and developers. Each environment needed to be built from scratch, and involved a complex communication process that started with Customer Success.   A true lack of visibility into progress and activity: Venafi didn’t know who was using what environment, as there was a black box in the development environments. Teams knew that environments had been created, and could verify that they were sent to the partner, but then the information dropped off a cliff.   An expensive solution, with unnecessary added costs: Without the visibility, environments couldn’t be shut down accurately, and many environments remained open on the cloud, costing the business heavily in data usage costs. These costs took...

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### Learning Management System Vs. Training Management System: What's Right For Your Organization?

> What's Right For Your Organization? the diffrences between organization learning management system and training management system

- Published: 2022-11-12
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/learning-management-system-vs-training-management-system-whats-right-for-your-organization/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

A skilled staff lineup is an effective one, hence why corporate training is always in high demand. Companies administer training to not only onboard employees and help management but also help customers get the most value out of a product or service. Thanks to advancements in Internet-based software delivery, two new technologies known as learning management systems (LMSs) and training management systems (TMSs) have made getting the training you need more manageable and more efficient than ever. Giving your business the premium, industry-relevant content it needs is vital to its success in a competitive landscape. As an HR team member or manager, you need to know the difference between learning and content management systems. Which option works best for your organization and why? Let’s discuss the distinction and why the two concepts are essential. How Are They Similar? We first need to define what encompasses a cloud-based management system. Both TMSs and LMSs aim to help instructors virtually organize course content, ranging from PowerPoint presentations to PDF documentation and video conferencing features. It also assists in administrative tasks regarding the course, such as budgeting for materials and making sales if you’re selling the training program to clients. The integration with the cloud ensures that the materials are available from any location at any time. Users don’t have to travel either once everything is accessible from any Internet-enabled device. TMS vs. LMS Both TMS and LMS are common names to hear if you work in corporate education. Companies need them to...

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### 5 Tips for Accelerating Channel Partner Training Success

> Accelerating Channel partner training success here are the 5 top tips for getting it right, and facilitating success for channel partners.

- Published: 2022-11-05
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-tips-for-accelerating-channel-partner-training-success/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Research shows that the right channel partner training technology can shorten sales cycles by 28% while helping 13% more sales reps reach their sales quota. In short, your channel sales training partners play an essential role in your company’s growth, so anything you can do to make their lives easier is a win-win. Here are 5 top tips for getting it right and facilitating success for channel partners so they can sell your software with efficiency and ease. Our List of 5 Tips for Accelerating Channel Partner Training Success #1: Meet Today’s Remote Working Challenges Traditionally, your channel sales training would have been located around the globe, regularly selling face-to-face on their own sales turf. Field sales teams are on pause right now, and the business world is expecting a permanent change to the way we sell and train software. What’s your strategy for allowing channel partners to keep selling remotely? Technology can support an organization with business continuity, even without the ability for physical travel. While many software solutions will have nothing in place for this situation, hands-on lab environments allow your channels to showcase, promote and sell your solution anywhere, and can be made accessible with nothing more than an email address and a password. #2 Shorten Time to Competency for your Solution Your channel partners need to be able to rely on an always-accurate version of your software. The longer it takes your partners to understand your software’s value, the harder it will be for them to...

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### Best Practices for Instructor-Led Training in an Enterprise Environment

> Virtual instructor-led training, or VILT, is a popular and effective tool for scaling business operations and improving the organizational bottom line.

- Published: 2022-11-04
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-for-instructor-led-training-in-an-enterprise-environment/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Virtual instructor-led training, or VILT, is a popular and effective tool for scaling business operations and raising the bottom line. When employees and business partners have relevant knowledge and experience, they can do their jobs more productively. Sometimes, even clients need guided training to get the most out of a product or service. Why Choose VILT? In today’s environment of social distancing and working from home, getting new recruits and even current employees up to speed can be a challenge. VILT enables companies to provide training over the internet, negating the need for physical meetings and on-site server hardware. The business only needs to pay a regular fee for a virtual training lab that participants can access from any location at any time. This amount of flexibility is necessary in today’s age of remote work. Hosted online instructor-led training is also more effective than simply handing out PDF guides or PowerPoints. The “instructor” component ensures that every user stays up to date on class progress and can have questions answered at any time. Virtual Instructor-led Training Best Practices What are some considerations to make as your business switches to VILT? A significant change in your organization’s training process requires your company culture to accommodate for it. Setting Goals What do you want to accomplish with virtual training? Is it to help your clients achieve more success with your product or service? Or do you need to boost your sales department’s performance using virtual instructor-led software sales training? Have measurable goals...

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### CloudShare & Venafi - How to Use Virtual Env. to Boost Your Tech Partner Success?

- Published: 2022-10-27
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/cloudshare-venafi-how-to-use-virtual-env-to-boost-your-tech-partner-success
- Formats: Webinars, Case Studies
- Use Cases: Cyber security



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### The Art of the POC: How to Convert More Leads into Customers

> PoCs empower sales professionals and solidify the idea of a solution. Watch this exclusive meetup to learn how to convert more prospects into leads.

- Published: 2022-10-15
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-art-of-the-poc-how-to-convert-more-leads-into-customers/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

POC (Proof of Concept) is an underrated topic—but it’s not discussed enough. It should be, though, as they act as a blueprint of your product before it’s finalized.  To shine more light on POCs and its many benefits, we invited Akshat Srivastava, the founder of SENY (Sales Engineer of New York) and the solution architecture leader at AWS Solutions to discuss this as part of our community discussions.  Akshat has over 15 years of experience in this field, including roles at companies like IBM, AppDynamics, and AWS.  Despite starting his career as an app developer, everything he learned about sales engineering was through personal experience.  At SENY, he’s bringing whatever he’s learned in almost two decades—to empower the next generation of sales leaders. The insights Akshat offered will help your sales engineers and teams: Qualify a deal with a game plan Know what it takes to conduct a successful discovery meetup Create a to-do list before PoC Present the results to executives  Turning Prospects Into CustomersDiscovery is an art—and the only way to get critical answers.  Before a POC, you must qualify if the person is a valid prospect.  Once you do, identify their pain points and determine whether your technology or software will solve it. In our discussion, you’ll find examples with tips to go from having absolutelyno ideaabout your prospect’s problems to a deep understanding of their problems on a discovery call.  Some key takeaways from the session include:  Keep the compliments genuine Ask for a story—to understand...

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### 5 Metrics to Measure Your Software Training With Next-Gen Analytics

> Here are 5 metrics you can use to optimize your training performance & costs - and maybe secure that coveted budget increase for next quarter. 

- Published: 2022-10-08
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/metrics-to-measure-software-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It's budget season soon — and since we're in the middle of a recession, training costs are going under the microscope (and on the cutting board). On some level at least, that makes sense. Traditional training methods are often slow to configure, expensive to manage, and difficult to scale.  And without visibility into your training operations, budget control and cost management largely come down to educated guesswork. Previously, we discussed a fewcost control practicesyou can use to cut your software training expenses down to size. But those tactics alone might not be enough to stop your budget from falling under the all-seeing eye of the accounting department. For that, you need

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### Support, Marketing and Sales: How Hands-on Virtual Training Experiences are Making Impact Across the Business

- Published: 2022-10-07
- Modified: 2023-05-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-hands-on-virtual-training-experiences-are-making-impact-across-the-business/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

When we talk about how a remote software training platform can enable growth, Digital Experience Management platform, ControlUp, is one of the best examples we can give. In our recent webinar, we talked to Sivan Kroitoru, Senior Training Specialist at ControlUp, who talked to us about three key organizational goals across three different departments in the company.  In all three, she has seen how hands-on virtual training experiences have moved the needle for the business in 2022, or more accurately — sent that needle spinning out of control.  Improve customer and employee retentionOnboarding is an essential time, both in the customer journey and in getting new employees comfortable. But, when you have a technical product, it can be hard to get the hand-holding right.  It’s a fact of life that getting started is tough! Customers can be scared to get involved with your product, worried they will break something, or it can seem like too high a learning curve to get started.  Even those initial steps of installing the product and understanding the initial value can be a deterrent. For employees, the stakes are even higher. They want to succeed, but they may not have a technical background — and until they are ready to jump in and support customers, you’re losing out on revenue and productivity.  ControlUp had an initial innovative solution for the onboarding challenge, a point-and-click adventure! This software simulation walked new customers and new employees through the product, but the feedback was that users needed a...

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### Tech Sales Training: 6 Do’s and 3 Don’ts

> Learn the do's and don'ts of technical sales training such and the skills to teach your sales engineers in order to convert your prospects faster.

- Published: 2022-10-06
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/tech-sales-training-the-major-dos-and-donts/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Sales performance is a cornerstone of success in business. As companies release new products, features, and updates, the ability to convert interested customers into paying ones, or to upsell and cross-sell to your current install base is an essential skill for generating profits. That’s why it’s in the manager’s best interest to invest resources and time into technical sales representative training for the sales staff, especially in the technology industry that relies so heavily on innovation. Other companies are aware of this need too. The U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that sales engineer jobs will experience a growth rate of 6% from 2021 to 2031. What is Tech Sales Training, Anyway? Tech sales training is more than just giving out occasional pointers. Truly successful training programs involve changing the company’s culture to encourage sales reps to boost conversion rates. Some companies will offer bonuses or rewards for selling a certain amount of software or technical solutions. They may even use the old carrot and stick, offering incentives for great performance, and providing quotas that sales engineers need to keep up with in order to keep their jobs. The only problem is, as Forbes comments, “Quotas often serve the quota-setters, not the sales teams meeting them. ” A quota number isn’t something a salesperson can control, and can leave them stressed and less productive than they would be if they were just prepared, pre-armed with the right tools, and supported by their teams. While providing incentives...

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### Cyber Range Training And Simulation With Cloud-Based Technologies

> Cyber ranges are one way companies are leveling the playing field against cybercrime. Cyber range training is essential for CISOs and SOC managers.

- Published: 2022-10-06
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cyber-range-training-and-simulation-with-cloud-based-technologies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

With IT operations becoming increasingly complicated and cybercrime on the rise, it’s more vital than ever to keep your IT department and employees up-to-date with modern cybersecurity practices. Recent studies by Cybersecurity Ventures and Verizon have verified that cybercrime will cost $6 trillion in worldwide damages by 2021 and that, while large enterprises are always in the crosshairs, small-to-medium-sized companies are susceptible to it now as well. Protecting your business is about more than just installing antivirus programs on everyone’s computers. All employees and management must have the knowledge and experience to deal with potential data breaches, phishing attempts, viruses, and other online threats that could compromise the personal information of your clients, your sensitive internal documents, and your credibility as a business. And it’s even more critical that your IT teams receive training to handle the latest threats, so they can identify and respond to them with increased efficiency. Many software vendors now see cyber range solutions as the ideal choice for organizations wanting to increase the relevance and effectiveness of the training they provide to partners, employees, and key stakeholders. Your Current Efforts Need an Upgrade According to a study by Tripwire, many firms have struggled with obtaining practical cybersecurity training for their staff. The on-site classrooms many professionals use currently present several difficulties: It’s hard to coordinate schedules for participants and instructors. The learning environment does not provide significant hands-on training. Businesses that expect to expand in the future may need help to scale classes to accommodate...

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### How to Generate Leads At Your Next Conference With Product Experience Platforms?

> This article will discuss the benefits of using a product experience platform at conferences and how you can leverage CloudShare for this purpose.

- Published: 2022-10-04
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-generate-leads-at-your-next-conference-with-product-experience-platforms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Giving a product demo is tricky—but doing it at a conference is a whole other ballgame. In a conference, it's doubtful that potential customers know your company, what your product does and how it can benefit them. What’s worse is that you can’t give a personalized demo because you don’t know enough about the prospect—nor do you have enough time to personalize it. But withvirtual selling becoming the norm, prospects are already used to receiving a certain kind of product experience. You know, the one where theyactuallyget to play around with your product—not just sit back and listen to an hour-long lecture on how it can help them.  So, now that in-person conferences and trade shows are back, the question is: “How are you going to stand out from the crowd? ”One way to supercharge your next conference marketing strategy is by providing hands-on product demos to your prospects and encouraging them to buy from you. This article will discuss the benefits of using a product experience platform at conferences and how you can leverage CloudShare for this purpose. Benefits of using a product experience platform at conferencesThe averagefree trial to paid conversion rateis 14%; however, on average, thedemo to close rates in B2B is 20%. Basically, for every 4 to 6 demos you do, you should be able to close 1 deal. And if you improve your demo close rates, it could result in asales increase of 50%. This is why offering an excellent product demo is important. Here...

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### CloudShare Instructors, Tips & Tricks

- Published: 2022-10-02
- Modified: 2023-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-instructors-tips-tricks
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Cyber security



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### How to Deliver Virtual Channel Partner Training

> Embracing a channel partner sales strategy can help you gain credibility, enter new markets, and ultimately bring in more customers.

- Published: 2022-10-01
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-deliver-virtual-channel-partner-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Channel sales is an excellent way for businesses to break into new markets by handing off sales, marketing, and distribution responsibilities to third-party companies. These business partners can act independently of the manufacturer, but it’s always ideal to provide specialized training to ensure partnerships remain effective and in line with the overall goals of the company. If you help develop a channel partner strategy for your organization, you know how important education is to an effective partnership. Whether it’s information about the product or service or just ideas to get the branding across to the customer, investing in a learning management system (LMS) for channel sales training is a necessary step. Do You Need a Channel Partner Training Platform? Embracing a channel partner sales strategy can help you gain credibility, enter new markets, and ultimately bring in more customers. However, if you’ve decided to adopt channel partners, your partners must know your platform inside and out. Providing channel partner training allows your new partners to learn everything they need to know to sell your platform or service correctly. With the right virtual training platform, they’ll gain hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge about your product to help partners effectively make new sales. Why should you consider creating channel sales training for your new partners? Some of the top benefits of training your new partners include: Your partner’s sales teams will be equipped to answer questions about your platform. Marketing teams will better understand the pain points you solve and how to...

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### 5 Tips for Improving SaaS Retention Rates with Customer Training

> Here are some tips to improve your SaaS customer retention and save your piece of the $1.6 trillion pie. Retention starts with proper SaaS training.

- Published: 2022-10-01
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-tips-improving-saas-customer-retention-rates/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It’s far easier to retain current customers than to gain new ones – and it’s much more profitable. Acquiring a new customer can cost as much as five times more than keeping an existing customer, and that’s only the beginning. According to a study by Rosetta Consulting, engaged customers purchase 90% more frequently, spend 60% more per transaction, and deliver 23% more revenue and profitability over their lifetime. Thus, the need to focus on customer retention is a no-brainer. How do you improve your SaaS customer retention and save your piece of the $1. 6 trillion pie lost each year due to customer churn? It all starts with proper SaaS training. Keep reading to learn how SaaS training creates loyal customers and reduces churn. Why Should SaaS Platforms Prioritize Training for Customer Retention? SaaS platforms face unique struggles in retaining customers. For example, customers may mistakenly believe similar tools offer more than your platform or be unaware of new updates with additional value. Additionally, a customer may be unable to figure out how to effectively use the platform— prompting them to cancel quickly. Your initial walkthrough will help, but in-depth training ensures new customers know exactly how to use your platform. SaaS customer retention greatly benefits from keeping existing customers aware of everything your platform has to offer. Hands-on training reinforces your value proposition and teaches customers about new features. Training is a powerful tool to enhance customer retention for SaaS businesses. Using an easily accessible cloud-based platform empowers customers...

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### CloudShare & ControlUp - Better training results in higher performance

> CloudShare & ControlUp Webinar - Learn How To Use Software Training to Improve Retention, Relieve Helpdesk Bottlenecks, and Support Conferences

- Published: 2022-09-29
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/cloudshare-with-controlup-better-training-results-in-higher-performance
- Formats: Webinars, Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### 10 Steps to Convert Traditional Classroom Content into Effective Virtual Instructor-Led Training

- Published: 2022-09-27
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-steps-to-convert-traditional-classroom-content-into-effective-virtual-instructor-led-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

What’s the Biggest Mistake in Converting a Classroom Course into a Virtual Training Environment? Before planning your first virtual instructor-led training course, you might want to consider what not to do: Do not copy-paste your original classroom course! The benefits of traditional instructor-led training have long been discussed and established; there's just no match for the training outcome of face-to-face collaboration, instructor interaction, and student participation, all inherent in the traditional classroom. Well, there was no match until along came hybrid instructor-led training. Unlike e-learning and self-paced training, virtual instructor-led training (VILT) combines all the benefits of the traditional instructor-led classroom with the cost-efficiency, interactivity, and convenience of the virtual environment. Previously, we showed how research clearly indicates a right and wrong way to utilize the VILT modality, and we presented 9 vital practices to develop and conduct effective VILT. We also showed that the most successful VILT courses were specifically designed to utilize the unique characteristics of the virtual environment and implemented thoroughly across all stakeholders in the organization. But how do you go about making that happen? This post is dedicated to converting traditional training courses into effective hybrid/VILT programs that equal (and even surpass) the benefits of traditional classroom training modalities in 10 simple steps. But first... Why Not Just Copy-Paste? Think about it like posting something on social networks. If you post a professional article on Facebook, almost no one will read it. However, if you post the exact text on LinkedIn (even to the same...

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### A Quick Thank You Note To All Of Our Customers

> CloudShare has been voted as market leader by its customers. We just wanted to say a huge, heartfelt thank you for being part of the cloudshare journey so far.

- Published: 2022-09-21
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-quick-thank-you-note-to-all-of-our-customers/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

In the past few months, CloudShare has been voted as market leader by its customers for: Pre-Sales Software Customer Education Virtual IT Labs And those customers are YOU! So we just wanted to say a HUGE, HEARTFELT THANK YOU for being part of the CloudShare journey so far. We constantly get great feedback from our users about how easy our platform is to use and set up, and how awesome our support team is. Behind the scenes, it seems like our team is giving each other high fives and fist bumps every day after speaking with customers! We value all your feedback, as it helps us develop and refine CloudShare’s features, growing it into the world-class software it is today. And we love seeing your reviews on G2 Crowd too - it gives our whole team the serious warm fuzzy vibes when we see new reviews pop up. Here are some of our favorites:“Transformed our course delivery”“This seems like a one-of-a-kind service. I’ve never seen a product like this before”“Best virtual lab platform and best team” Our team works super hard behind the scenes to ensure our customers can do all the things they need to with CloudShare so they can grow their businesses faster. This is why getting positive feedback and recognition is so valuable to us, as it helps us better understand and meet our users’ expectations.  Customer feedback also reinforces our NPS score of >50 that we get month on month. This means that customers who work with...

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### 3 Solutions to Common Pre-Sales Roadblocks

> Pre-sales is all about what happens before a lead has been acquired and up until the point that a customer signs up with your business.

- Published: 2022-09-16
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-solutions-common-pre-sales-roadblocks/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

It’s hard to overstate how important pre-sales practices are to the health of your bottom line. The pre-sales team’s job is to understand the customer’s business and show how your software and technology can provide a solution to their business challenges. The sales engineer’s (SE) technical knowledge allows them to present your solution and bring it to life for the customer, as well as highlight the specific features and aspects that will resonate with the relevant stakeholders. Looking to deepen the capabilities of pre-sales teams in your business? Keep reading for the ultimate pre-sales deep dive, and the answers to 3 common pre-sales roadblocks. What are some common pre-sales activities? Let’s begin by understanding a little more about pre-sales as a function in the business. Pre-sales is all about what happens before a lead has been acquired and up until the point that a customer signs up with your business. Common pre-sales activities are: Prospecting to find the right leads, and qualifying them to determine if they are the right fit for the company. Completing product and market research, as well as using data to perform customer analysis of different segments. Understanding customer pain points and finding solutions to walk them through objections to the sale. Creating customized experiences, such as trials, demos, and proof of concepts to support a frictionless presales process. According to a Harvard Business Review report, presales professionals are “revenue multipliers” on the front line of customer engagement and business growth. “Consider that one presales professional...

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### Latest CloudShare Update Improves Entire AWS Experience

> Read about the%%title%% here with CloudShare.

- Published: 2022-09-11
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/latest-cloudshare-update-improves-entire-aws-experience/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

For complex software solutions, an AWS environment provides an excellent foundation for training, onboarding, and proof of concept demos, especially with CloudShare. Our all-in-one virtual platform for software training and sales makes it simpler than ever to create virtual labs on AWS. And we're constantly looking for new ways to enhance the user experience for our customers.  That's why we're rolling out three new features for our AWS lab environments — Single Account, Single Sign On, and Improved Cloud Infrastructure. Have a look below to see how each one improves our integration with Amazon's public cloud. One Account for EverythingPrior to this update, AWS with multiple licenses had to create a different account for each use case. With our new single account capability, users will now be able to run everything from a single source. This means they can seamlessly use a single account to run all their training, demos, and POCs in AWS through a single account. Single Sign OnUsers can now log into CloudShare using their AWS password and account information. Instead of having to remember multiple passwords, users can simply access all their CloudShare services with a single login. Coupled with our new single account feature, this improves both usability and security in several ways:  Reduced password fatigue resulting in better password hygiene and stronger passwords.   Simplified user and password management for IT. Easier implementation of two-factor authentication and multi-factor authentication.   Improved productivity and efficiency, as users will spend less time logging in and resetting...

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### CloudShare G2 Categories Leadership - Thanking All Our Customers!

> Our customers have seen such awesome results from our products that they’ve voted us market leaders in three categories on G2

- Published: 2022-09-08
- Modified: 2023-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshare-g2-categories-leadership-thanking-all-our-customers
- Formats: Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement, Thought Leadership



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### 4 Sales Demo Tips That All Enterprises Should Be Using in 2022

> Check out these 4 simple tips to make your sales demos stand out and shorten your sales funnel with virtual labs for demos and virtual POCs.

- Published: 2022-09-07
- Modified: 2024-02-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-sales-demo-tips-that-all-enterprises-should-be-using/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Your sales process is one of the crucial moving parts of your business. It can make or break your company’s growth - no matter how good your products and services are.  In today’s competitive online marketplace, thetraditional sales demonstrationisn’t as effective as it used to be. This is why many software companies rely onsales demosto showcase exactly what their product can do – and how it's better (or different) from the competition. The modern sales process is driven not by hard selling, but by providing great customer experiences. To survive and grow, companies need to adapt their business strategies and embrace technology to serve the evolving needs of their customers. If you sell software products, the difference between closing a deal and losing a prospect to the competition can come down to the success of your sales demos. Customers these days expectinteractive sales demoenvironments that are highly personalized, and speak to their specific use cases. The more you can match your product to a prospect’s specific needs so that they can realize its value - the easier it will be to get them to take the final steps to become a customer. 5 Sales Demo Tips for EnterprisesIf you’re the kind of person who needs 15 cups of coffee before going into a sales demo, these tips can help you develop a seamless, effective framework for delivering demos that are useful, engaging, and dare we say it - fun - for your potential customers. 1. Do your homeworkBefore you head...

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### The Ultimate Training Budget Kit For 2023

> Learn more about Cloudshare Training Budget Kit for 2023

- Published: 2022-09-05
- Modified: 2023-06-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/budget-kit-2023/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Working On Your Software Training Budget During an Economic Downturn? Read This First.

> Every department is vying for budget so that they don’t need to reduce headcount, abandon ongoing projects, or cut items from their roadmap. 

- Published: 2022-09-05
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/working-on-your-software-training-budget-during-an-economic-downturn/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

In the eye of what looks like a recession-shaped hurricane, there is anything but quiet. Every department is vying for budget so that they don’t need to reduce headcount, abandon ongoing projects, or cut items from their roadmap.  Training managers are in the spotlight, with budget for training initiatives on the rise. In fact,67% of managerswere given an increase when developing a training budget for this year. What does this mean for software companies who are managing customer and partner training projects for 2023? Explaining the Value of Training to the C-suiteFirst and foremost, it means that a recession is no time to hide. As tech businesses such as Apple, Meta, Google and many moreimplement hiring freezes, upskilling the existing workforce is going to be more important than ever, and training professionals are the ones to make it happen! After all, if a tech business can’t easily hire new talent to meet skills gaps, they will need to look for ways to improve the capabilities of existing staff, and software training is high up on that list.  This is a win/win for both you and your customers, asprofessional developmentand skills training is one of the most essential differentiators for employees in sticking around for the long term. While only 13% of job seekers are looking to switch their jobs because of pay, professional development opportunities are one of the top 3 reasons to look elsewhere, beat out only by the culture of an organization and the employee looking for a...

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### Mark your Calendars! 8 Corporate Training Conferences Coming up this Season

> Training is an essential component to any organization's success. Find out which training conferences are happening this season, and what they'll offer.

- Published: 2022-08-20
- Modified: 2024-07-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-corporate-training-conferences/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

IT training conferences are a great way to network with industry professionals, learn about the latest tools and tech on the market, and take lessons from the greatest on the best practices that will supercharge your own software training or sales enablement solutions. But it can be challenging to figure out which conferences to attend. Don't worry, we can help!   We've listed a few of our favorite corporate conferences below, with everything from cybersecurity training to sales networking. Which of them will you be attending this season?    Best for Training Techsperts: TechLearn – September 17-19, Austin, Texas TechLearn is a one-stop shop for training professionals, focusing on innovation and technology in training. This year’s keynotes include 10 principles for digital leadership, and the question you must have asked yourself a million times: “Does my learning have less impact than a shampoo bottle? ” Fan favorites will be back, including the Training Test Kitchen, where training professionals can get hands-on with technology demos, switching every ten minutes to try up to 40 solutions. Think of it like the speed dating of sales training conferences! Best for Cybersecurity Training: Cyber Resilience Summit, November 27, Bishopgate, London Amidst escalating threats and increasing costs, cyber resilience is more important than it's ever been. Hosted by the Financial Times, the Cyber Resilience Summit: Europe brings together leaders from all over the world to discuss the current cybersecurity landscape. This year, the summit's focus will be on cyber governance and how collaboration and emerging...

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### Introducing Our New Sales Enablement Integration - Webhooks!

> Learn more about Sales Enablement Integration - Webhooks and how to use Webhooks API and when with CloudShare.

- Published: 2022-08-17
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-enablement-integration/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Love automated workflows that make your life easier? Because if you’re into productivity hacks that streamline the way you work, you’re going to adore our new Webhooks API. Here’s how it works. Webhooks Sound like Greek to You? Keep Reading Think of a webhook like your dog when you’re trying to have a snack, they have eyes and ears everywhere. A webhook will listen out for specific events that occur inside the CloudShare product, pre-configured by you, the CloudShare customer, and then let you know automatically when they happen. Instead of making an API call when an event occurs, CloudShare sends an HTTP request directly to whichever endpoint makes sense in your business context. Information will arrive by email, internal notification, in-workflow, or via smoke signal. (Ok, that last one’s not available yet, but it’s on the roadmap. Ok, it isn’t even on the roadmap. Jeez. ) The important thing is there’s no need for requests and no manual effort. Just real-time notifications for a list of specific events in the CloudShare product that you want the 411 on. Think training milestones, POC or demo completions, unexpected suspension or deletion of environments, spikes in costs, and much more. Not Feeling Creative Today? Here’s How You Can Use the Webhooks API Visibility is awesome, but Webhooks really come into their own when you use them as a part of a larger event-driven process. For example, you can trigger internal or external processes and automated workflows using iPaaS, Zapier, or Salesforce, as...

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### The Best Formula for a Successful POC Starts with The Cloud

> Deliver successful sales POCs, empower the enterprise & provide value to every customer, while giving vendors feedback & information about their product.

- Published: 2022-08-17
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-formula-successful-poc-starts-cloud/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Producing a successful cloud proof of concept has become a matter of interpretation, with too many misunderstandings on both sides, sometimes even leading to contract break-off. It’s a universal cause of frustration for customers looking for IT solutions and vendors looking to demonstrate their solutions. More often than not, these failed POCs are the consequence of numerous colliding interests: while the vendor’s goal is validating the solution in the customer’s real-world environment, with as little time and effort as possible, the customer’s goal can be varied – from checking the usability of the product to checking its compatibility with existing databases or servers, to comparing build vs. buy investments, etc. The fact that everyone’s right from their own perspective doesn’t make it any easier. But it does, however, outline a common goal to be achieved by the POC process: allow both customer and vendor to confirm that the solution in question is in line with the customer’s expectations before a full-blown implementation. Common Reasons POC Processes Fail So, before exhausting yourselves with yet another endless POC process, let’s analyze the most common problems in failed POCs to help you avoid their iteration: Undefined objectives. What actually determines a POC’s success? Failure to meet customer requirements. The vendor does not fully understand the customer’s requirements. Not using the real data Vendors only use sample data for the POC, reluctant to spend the time and effort required to use actual data. Unable to meet changing criteria.   Unfortunately, customers usually realize what...

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### CloudShare for Sales Enablement

> Deliver unforgettable remote demos and POCs with CloudShare's most engaging hands-on solution.

- Published: 2022-08-06
- Modified: 2023-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-for-sales-enablement
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### How Cloud-Based Product Demos and POCs Increase Sales for Software Vendors

> Gerry Brown, Research Director, gives insight into why cloud-based demo and POC solutions are so important to the software sales cycle.

- Published: 2022-08-03
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-cloud-based-product-demos-and-pocs-increase-sales-for-software-vendors/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Superior sales execution requires organizations to digitally transform their traditional sales operations to support modern salespeople better and ensure their retention. As a result, conventional sales thinking regarding virtual product demonstrations (demos) and POCs (Proof of Concepts) is no longer suitable. No longer do salespeople ‘own’ sales processes from initial meeting to close. The first 60-70% of software vendor sales processes are primarily invisible to salespeople as customers check out their products and services’ efficacy online, reviewing websites and advocacy and recommendations and analyst reports before contacting Sales. In fact, a recent survey from IDC revealed that Marketing-guided information sources are now preferred over sales engagement at every stage of the tech customer’s decision journey. So, when sales teams can interact directly with buyers, they need to capitalize on the opportunity. Even then, the rep is often not invited to face-to-face meetings but rather to present a product demo or a POC online. This situation can fill sales reps in digitally ill-equipped organizations with dread. With good reason. In an IDC survey of IT buyers, over 80% were willing to switch vendors, even if they liked their solutions but were dissatisfied with the vendor’s marketing and sales. Failure at the product demo or POC stage not only loses deals but also risks losing customer value for life. Learning how embracing cloud-based product demos in virtualized environments can transform a sales team's processes and improve close rates. Click here to download the full infographic The Problem with POCs In the new...

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### Thanks to our incredible customers… CloudShare scored a G2 hat-trick!

- Published: 2022-08-03
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-scored-a-g2-hat-trick/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

It’s always great to get industry recognition, but there’s something extra special about the validation that comes directly from our customers! CloudShare has received a number of G2 awards over the past few years, but we’re delighted to announce that we have been announced leaders in all three of our listed categories for 2022, pre-sales, customer education, and virtual IT labs.   We are so grateful for the support of our customers, and committed to using this position as market leaders to continue to offer you the best virtual experiences possible. Simply put — we couldn’t have come this far without you! Why Virtual Experiences are Here to Stay When you look at all three of our listed categories, the common thread that runs through them all, and that truly brings them all together as one, is virtual experiences. Pre-sale, our customers use the CloudShare platform for immersive and customizable demo experiences that prove the value of the product earlier in the sales cycle. In Customer Education, virtual labs are used for speeding up onboarding on complex software, upsell and expansion opportunities with new features and updates, and for boosting engagement with eLearning and online courses. Finally, with virtual IT labs, software training can improve customer and partner training by providing hands-on experiences, supporting more accurate certification and assessments, and offering a truly engaging experience for any user. Welcoming in the Product Experience Category If you have Google alerts set up for “learning experiences”, (No? Just us? ) then you’ve...

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### Overcoming the IT Skills Gap: Technical Training Certification

> To build your certified virtual IT training course, you’re going to need a reliable and dynamic virtual platform.

- Published: 2022-07-31
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/overcoming-the-it-skills-gap-technical-training-certification/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Software updates are being pushed quicker than ever before. So much so that one growing challenge for today’s companies is keeping up with a seemingly ever-changing work environment. For some employees, staying on top of current trends and changes in their digital tools is second nature. This type of self-motivation is especially the case with younger ‘digital native’ employees – they probably won’t have any issues when a significant update changes the entire interface of your new software. However, the less-tech literate employees in your company – despite the added value of experience and knowledge they bring to the table – might not be as comfortable navigating a new interface and may require help.  The only way to ensure employees are keeping up to date with their technical knowledge is to run training sessions or even short tests. Regularly reviewing existing skills and training new ones ensures that there is a standardized company-wide approach to using software and that everyone is on the same page. As budgets shrink and economic uncertainty seems inevitable, companies that provide technical training will have a significant competitive advantage. In addition, technical certifications allow you to retrain your current workforce rather than hiring new employees. Keep reading to learn why technical training can maximize your budget and improve employee performance. Close the IT Skills Gap with Virtual TrainingThe most practical way to keep everyone up to date and as productive as possible is by providing your certified training course. This teaches your employees how best...

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### CloudShare & Aderant - 4 Fresh Tactics to Keep Your Students Engaged During Virtual Training

> CloudShare & Aderant | Watch On Demand. Students Are Bored Out Of Their Minds?? Check Out 4 Brilliantly Fresh Ways to Engage Learners in Virtual Training This Summer

- Published: 2022-07-29
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/cloudshare-with-aderant-4-fresh-tactics-to-keep-your-students-engaged-during-virtual-training
- Formats: Webinars, Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Sales Enablement Influencers Outlook: Challenges, Skills and Tech

> Leaders Take a Deep Dive into Top Challenges, Skills, and Tech. Discover how to assess your internal processes to build a forward-thinking sales enablement program for your organization. This Influencers Outlook features top Sales Enablement leaders sharing powerful insights.

- Published: 2022-07-29
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/sales-enablement-influencers-outlook-challenges-skills-and-tech
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### 13 Software & Technical Training Leaders You Should Follow on Social in 2022

> You've heard that the best leaders are lifelong learners. That the most successful businesses are those with effective employee training programs.

- Published: 2022-07-26
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/13-software-technical-training-leaders-you-should-follow-on-social-in-2022/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

You've heard that the best leaders are lifelong learners. That the most successful businesses are those with effective employee training programs. That the right training can make all the difference in the world. But what you may not know is how to actually implement that training. It isn't something that can be done as a half-measure. You need a measured, strategic approach informed by extensive research. And you need your training to mesh seamlessly with your organizational culture. Of course, this isn't an easy task to accomplish. The good news is that you don't need to fly blind here — you don't need to pursue corporate learning and development entirely on your own or reinvent the wheel. There are a great many thought leaders and experts to learn from! In fact, as a general rule, we believe that sharing knowledge and expertise is part of every learning and development professional’s DNA, which is also why we wanted to highlight some of the most distinguished training leaders out there. So here are some of the most compelling influencers in the learning and development space (and yeah, we absolutely love these “shout-out” posts. Check out our “19 Top Sales Enablement Leaders on Social Media in 2022” piece from earlier this year). Debbie Smith Director of Customer Education, Checkr Smith is an innovative entrepreneurial customer education leader that specializes in learning strategy, instructional design, eLearning design and development, user experience, and project management. She works to help companies build relationships that promote synergy...

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### The Essential Elements of Building a Product-led Growth Strategy

> Learn the essential elements of building a Product-led Growth Strategy with CloudShare tips and best practice.

- Published: 2022-07-22
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/building-a-product-led-growth-strategy/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Test drives at car dealerships. Free sample kiosks in supermarkets and grocery stores. ‘Try me’ buttons on games and dolls stacked up in toy stores. What do they all have in common? They are all examples of a product-led growth strategy.  The method is simple - the product itself is the primary driver of customer acquisition, conversion, expansion and upsell. Let the product do the talking, and you’ll have leads who are already bought into your product before they ever speak to their first Sales rep. Sounds great! But when your product is a complex software platform - how can you make it work? Is a Product-led Growth Strategy All or Nothing? If you’ve ever tried a freemium version of a software tool or a free trial, and then upgraded to the paid subscription - then you’re a success story of product-led growth. Just like most people wouldn’t buy a sofa based on the assurances of the sales guy that it’s great to fall asleep on while watching Netflix, most businesses want to give software a try before they sign up for an annual package.  Unfortunately, not all software tools are built to offer a free trial or a freemium version of their technology. You may be touting a technical platform that involves a complex and lengthy custom set-up for each customer, or a lot of training before the user feels confident to go it alone. In that case, is the product-led manifesto going straight in the garbage?  Absolutely not....

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### CloudShare & Google Cloud - How to Fight Market Fluctuations and Close Skills Gaps With Customer Education

- Published: 2022-07-22
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/co-hosted-with-training-industry-and-google-cloud-how-to-fight-market-fluctuations-and-close-skills-gaps-with-customer-education
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Leverage CloudShare’s Integration Hub to Reduce Churn and Improve Existing Opportunities

- Published: 2022-07-22
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/leverage-cloudshares-integration-hub-to-reduce-churn-and-improve-existing-opportunities
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Influencers Roundtable by CloudShare - Sales Enablement in a New World: Challenges, Skills, and Tech

- Published: 2022-07-22
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sales-enablement-roundtable-se-in-a-new-world-challenges-skills-and-tech
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### How to Leverage Real-Time Insights to Improve Virtual Training & Sales Results Immediately

- Published: 2022-07-22
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-leverage-real-time-insights-to-improve-virtual-training-sales-results-immediately
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### In It For The Long-Haul: User Experiences That Drive Retention - with Donna Weber

- Published: 2022-07-22
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/co-hosted-with-training-industry-in-it-for-the-long-haul-user-experiences-that-drive-retention-with-donna-weber
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Improve Conversions, Streamline Operations, and Reduce Customer Churn with Our New Hubspot Integration

- Published: 2022-07-18
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/improve-conversions-streamline-operations-and-reduce-customer-churn-with-our-new-hubspot-integration/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

What if you could draw a line between the performance of your POCs and demos, and how engaged your prospects were within those experiences? Or between customer retention and their level of competency on your product? What if you knew the level of training your customers have received so far, and found a linkage between that, and your overall customer churn/retention levels? That’s exactly why CloudShare has boosted its integration hub with the latest Salesforce and Hubspot integration.  Particularly with the Hubspot integration, marketing teams will now be able to see a connection between the level of their customers’ and prospects’ product competency and their status in the customer journey.  Why is this so important? CloudShare monitors how users interact with your software products during hands-on demos, how engaged they are in training sessions, and how they respond to proofs of concept. Though not all of this information is available through this initial stage of the integration with Hubspot, CloudShare can now provide you with the basic knowledge of what product experience your prospects and customers have had so far.  Let’s consider one scenario, to make things more tangibleIf you knew whether your customers have consistently gone through your latest feature training, you could make >step-by-step tutorialon how to set up and run your Hubspot integration with CloudShare, orcheck out our webinar>>>Until you do, let’s take a look at a few examples to show how the Hubspot integration (and the Salesforce one, since they often go hand-in-hand), can empower trainers...

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### Cost Cutting Clouds: How Cloud-Based Training Reduces Your Expenses

> Cloud based virtual training helps cut corporate training costs, eliminate travel/lodging expenses and eradicate wasted classroom space. Read more here.

- Published: 2022-07-18
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cost-cutting-clouds-reduce-expenses-with-cloud-based-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Did you know that Cisco, the world leader in networking hardware, switched from classroom training to a web-based solution for its 28,000 sales representatives and cut overall corporate training costs by 40-60%? Sounds pretty great, right? Meanwhile, Dow Chemical did the same for regulatory compliance training of its 60,000 employees and contractors. The result? Dow went from spending an average of $95 per student/per course to only $11 with overall annual savings of over $34 million. The above stories illustrate why cloud-based training has become so popular. This popularity is primarily thanks to its ability to deliver real-world training environments at a fraction of the cost of classroom corporate training methods. This cost-effectiveness of cloud-based training derives from several factors, including lower infrastructure costs, lower travel costs, scalable payment plans, and integrated learning environments. Time Is Money – Reduced Set-Up and Maintenance Costs Classroom computer labs require a significant outlay in hardware and software. This necessitates both adaptation for the multiple operating systems and hardware, as well as ongoing maintenance. In contrast, cloud-based training systems are web-based platforms that require no software installation on your hardware system. This eliminates the need to manage your servers. Instead, the software is managed by the online virtual training provider. This change results in significant savings. Home-Schooling – Eliminating Travel and Lodging CostsWith branches worldwide, training staff requires either bringing them all to a central educational facility or sending them out to them. With today’s travel costs, the travel and lodging expenses can add...

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### Students More Interested in the Sunshine than Your Software Training? Learn How Aderant Makes Virtual Training More Engaging

> Learn How Aderant Makes Virtual Training More Engaging and Engaging Learners in Online Learning Environments

- Published: 2022-07-17
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/students-more-interested-in-the-sunshine-than-your-software-training-learn-how-aderant-makes-virtual-training-more-engaging/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Let’s face it... engaging learners in online learning environments is hard! Software training is not usually top of your students’ summer bucket list, and you need to work that much harder to keep learners engaged, involved and learning.  Luckily, our recent webinar was a masterclass in student engagement with Brenna Strickland, Director of Global Training and Development at Aderant, and our own Jeremy Davis, Head of Product Marketing. If you missed the live event, you canwatch the webinar here, or if you want some quick tips on making virtual training more engaging — keep reading for some highlights!  Making the Students the TeachersWe’ve all heard ofthe forgetting curve, how information is lost over time if you don’t make the effort to practice, implement and retain it. To combat this, Brenna is a huge fan of making sure that learning is really applicable to the work that students are doing, and that they can apply it to their job right away and get hands-on quickly, or they’ll lose the knowledge and skills. We all laughed at the example of trying to remember your password after a week or two of vacation! When it comes to virtual training engagement activities, one top tip to get students more involved is to make sure you’re getting student feedback for the agenda before you begin, to make sure you don’t miss any burning questions. Serious about making the students the teachers? Try transferring screen-sharing over to the students and allowing them to take control of...

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### Worried About Growing Software Training Costs? Lean on these 5 Cost Control Practices in an Economic Downturn

> Training supports so many essential business outcomes, such as improving product adoption and adding upsell opportunities.

- Published: 2022-07-13
- Modified: 2024-02-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/worried-about-growing-software-training-costs-lean-on-these-5-cost-control-practices-in-an-economic-downturn/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If you believe that trained customers, partners, and employees equate to greater ROI, (and spoiler alert — we absolutely do, and so should you) then the signs of a recession should be no reason to pack up your curriculum and go.  Training supports so many essential business outcomes, such as improving product adoption and adding upsell opportunities, as well as enhancing LTV for the end-customer. That means an economic downturn is exactly when you need to double down on training efforts the most.  However, we’re rationalists over here, and we know that if a recessiondoeshit, your sales training cost might be forced under the microscope, alongside most other departments’ budgets. In that case, here are 5 smart cost control practices that can slash your web-based training costs and show that you’re serious about showing “we’re all in this together”.   (Do you have Zac Efron stuck in your head now? #sorrynotsorry. )1. Automate Class AvailabilityThere’s so much to love about the cloud, but one of the main benefits that gets regularly shouted from the rooftops is the idea that you “pay for what you use”. When it comes to web-based training cost, this is a serious differentiator. Here’s how it works. Spin up environments for specific classes or groups of learners, and then automate their deletion as soon as a class is done. Not sure if it’s the right time to hit that scary delete button? Try suspending an environment instead, so that you can pick up right where learners...

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### Boost Your Channel Partner Sales with CloudShare for Channels

- Published: 2022-07-11
- Modified: 2023-05-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/boost-your-channel-partner-sales-with-cloudshare-for-channels
- Formats: Videos
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



---

### CloudShare Virtual Labs for Sales Demos and Proofs of Concept

- Published: 2022-07-11
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshare-virtual-labs-for-sales-demos-and-proofs-of-concept
- Formats: Videos
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



---

### CloudShare Virtual Labs for Training

- Published: 2022-07-11
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/cloudshare-virtual-labs-for-training
- Formats: Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training



---

### Collaborate Better with Next-Gen In-App Video Conferencing

- Published: 2022-07-11
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/videos/collaborate-better-with-next-gen-in-app-video-conferencing
- Formats: Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training



---

### Download our 2022 Sales Enablement Influencers Outlook

> Download our 2022 Sales Enablement Influencers Outlook and learn more about how to measure sales enablement

- Published: 2022-07-10
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-enablement-influencers-outlook/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Every organization is looking for the best sales enablement tools and training. The hard part is knowing where to start. What we know is clear: sales enablement (SE) can give you a significant competitive advantage by preparing your sales teams with the right skills, knowledge, and tools they need to succeed. But many sales enablement initiatives are coming up short.  Recent studies show that sales repsonly have 5% of a B2B customer’s timeduring the entire sales process, and 82% of B2B decision-makers think sales reps arenot adequately preparedto make a sale. So how can your SE program properly develop your sales teams to actually make more sales? We recently gathered industry-recognized experts in sales enablement in an exclusive virtual summit to learn how the SE landscape has changed and what companies must do to adapt. Our experts did a deep dive into the present state of sales enablement, covering challenges the field needs to overcome, the impact of COVID-19 on sales enablement, and significant trends shaping the future of sales as we know it. Key topics include: The biggest prospecting and nurturing challenges What your sales enablement should look like in a post-COVID-19 world Why you need to reimagine sales enablement training if you want better results Why your sales enablement solutions must include a sales charter How to get leaders to buy into sales enablement Tactics to capture and share sales enablement analytics across the sales force Discover how your sales enablement program can adapt to new challenges, prepare...

---

### CloudShare for Training

> Keep your audience on their toes with CloudShare's game-changing training experiences

- Published: 2022-07-09
- Modified: 2023-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-for-training
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training



---

### VILT in 2022: How to Deliver a Virtual Classroom

- Published: 2022-07-08
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/vilt-in-2022-how-to-deliver-a-virtual-classroom
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



---

### CloudShare for Channels

> Let prospects take your software for a test drive!

- Published: 2022-07-08
- Modified: 2023-07-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-for-channels
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement



---

### CloudShare, Sales Hacker & Walnut - Closing the Gap Between B2B and B2C Sales Experiences

- Published: 2022-07-08
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sales-hacker-walnut-closing-the-gap-between-b2b-and-b2c-sales-experiences
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



---

### CloudShare & Training Industry - Experiential Learning Technologies

- Published: 2022-07-08
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/co-hosted-with-training-industry-experiential-learning-technologies
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



---

### CloudShare & BCS - Why Software Training Should Be More Focused On Experiences, with Kevin Streater

> Watch our webinar with BCS titled %%title%%.

- Published: 2022-07-08
- Modified: 2023-07-17
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/a-bcs-webinar-with-kevin-streater-why-software-training-should-be-more-focused-on-experiences
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



---

### All-Times Best-Seller: 51 Best Practices to Achieve New Levels of Performance

- Published: 2022-07-08
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/all-time-best-seller-how-to-optimize-your-customer-software-training-51-best-practice-to-achive-new-levels-of-performance/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



---

### CloudShare for LMS: Streamline Your Training with Hands-On Practice

> Download our brochure "%%title%%". Streamline your training with hands-on practice

- Published: 2022-07-08
- Modified: 2023-07-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-for-lms-streamline-your-training-with-hands-on-practice
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How Kaspersky Shifted In-Person Cybersecurity Training to On-Demand Virtual Workshops with CloudShare

- Published: 2022-07-08
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/how-kaspersky-shifted-in-person-cybersecurity-training-to-on-demand-virtual-workshops-with-cloudshare
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security



---

### Sneak Peek into VILT in 2022

- Published: 2022-07-08
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sneak-peek-into-vilt-in-2022
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



---

### Why You Need Cloud-Based Cyber Range Simulation for Cybersecurity Training

> Learn how cloud-based cyber ranges work and see all the meaningful benefits that these solutions offer to organizations.

- Published: 2022-05-31
- Modified: 2024-03-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloud-based-cyber-range-simulation-for-cybersecurity-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security

Cybersecurity is no longer the exclusive domain of IT. Instead, it’s the responsibility of everyone in the company, from customer service reps to the CEO. Cybercriminals can penetrate 93% of company networks, with 71% of these infiltrations made possible by compromising employee credentials. In addition, phishing and social engineering can target anyone, meaning everyone needs cybersecurity training. Plus, weak passwords can be brute-forced with simple dictionary lists without communicating with an employee. Yet, how many times have employees already been told not to click strange links in emails or to ‘make strong passwords’ without understanding why? Traditional cybersecurity training is dull, plain and simple. Reading over policies and best practices doesn’t impart the real-world impact behind a data breach, ransomware attacks (up 435%), or clicking on that strange link. Understanding the importance of cybersecurity is why many companies embrace cloud-based cyber range solutions to train everyone, from SOC engineers to accountants. Additionally, virtualized cyber ranges give cybersecurity professionals a training ground to hone their skills in an active environment that doesn’t interact with the live network. It’s time to examine why cloud-based cyber ranges are a powerful training tool for everyone in the company. First, we’ll discuss how they work and then dive into the meaningful benefits that cloud-based cyber range solutions offer to organizations. How Exactly Does a Cyber Range Simulation Work? A cloud-based cyber range is a virtualized environment composed of simulated machines and networking equipment. The cyber test range aims to imitate the company’s current live network...

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### What We Learned (and Experienced) at the 2022 CEdMA Europe Conference

> It was definitely an insightful experience at the 2022 CEdMA Europe Conference this year, which we were fortunate enough to attend in London.

- Published: 2022-05-30
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-we-learned-and-experienced-at-the-2022-cedma-europe-conference/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It was definitely an insightful experience at the 2022 CEdMA Europe Conference this year, which we were fortunate enough to attend in London. Hosted annually by the Customer Education Management Association (CEdMA), the conference is an international gathering of some of the top training leaders and organizations in the world. As one might expect from an event of this nature, it was positively brimming with interesting personalities, insights, and information. What Does The Industry Want (and Need? ) It’s always the million-dollar question, and being part of this CEdMA community allows us to listen closely to what our existing clients and other customer education leaders are saying (on the stage, and off it). Here are some of the whispers and discussions that were most prominent: Self-paced. First and foremost, more and more companies are turning to self-paced training, which is ideal for businesses with low headcounts or a general lack of training resources. Pre-recorded content. There's also been increased demand for pre-recorded video content. Hybrid. We saw a great deal of discussion centered on two notable hybrid training models: Simultaneous physical and virtual classes. People are increasingly opting for in-person training now that pandemic restrictions are being lifted. Self-paced with virtual instructor-led training. Although these two appear at first glance to be differing philosophies, everyone at the conference appeared to agree that the best courses find a way to combine the two. Gamification. As expected, badges and gamification represented one of the hottest topics at the conference. Virtually every speaker...

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### Optimize Your Data and Unlock Better Insights With Cloudshare's New Analytics Dashboards

- Published: 2022-05-25
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/optimize-your-data-and-unlock-better-insights-with-cloudshares-new-analytics-dashboards/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

At CloudShare, we've long prided ourselves on offering the most advanced SaaS analytics solutions on the market. Our intuitive platform allows clients to track every facet of resource and application usage, from onboarding activities to usage statistics. Yet even with as powerful as CS Analytics is, we can always make it better. That's why we're constantly evaluating new features and functionality. With that in mind, we're pleased to announce the debut of three all-new dashboards for the platform. Policies Consumption joins our set of resource analytics tools, providing you with a granular breakdown of automated policies. Our new Sales Enablement dashboard, meanwhile, is focused entirely on the distribution and completion of Proof of Concept demos (POCs). Finally, Project Members Usage gives you a more complete overview of each individual working on your business's projects. Continue reading for a breakdown of each new dashboard. Policies Consumption First and foremost is our new Resources tool, Policies Consumption. These automated rules allow you to trigger certain events or actions after specified events, and can save businesses a great deal of money and time. We wanted to add a better way to visualize how those policies are used and applied. The new dashboard will allow you to break down policy usage according to multiple categories, including project, blueprint, region, and more Let's say, for instance, that you initiate a policy dictating that during class time, an environment is suspended after half an hour of inactivity, and another policy that deletes an environment entirely after...

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### AWS Sandbox: How to Set One Up Securely and Responsibly

> Learn the basics of setting up an AWS sandbox as well as best practices for configuration, security, flexibility, access, and creation.

- Published: 2022-05-12
- Modified: 2025-03-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/aws-sandbox-how-to-set-one-up-securely-and-responsibly/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sandboxing

Sandbox environments enable you to isolate code executions, for testing purposes, trapping malware and threat actors, or for pre-migration preparations. Implementing these actions in isolation can help keep your production systems and networks safe from bugs and vulnerabilities.   Basic AWS sandbox accounts typically include components of EC2 and S3 storage. To ensure the security of your account, you need to define IAM policies and create a permissions boundary that blocks certain functions. This article walks you through the process of creating and configuring an AWS sandbox, and explains key best practices you should implement. In this article, you will learn: What is a sandbox environment Creating AWS sandbox accounts Sandbox security considerations Best practices for AWS sandboxes What Is a Sandbox Environment? Sandboxes are environments you can use to execute programs or code in isolation. These environments may also be referred to as test or development servers or working directories. You can use sandboxes to develop application features, test for and identify bugs, isolate malware or other security threats, test patches, or before going live with lift and shift applications.   The benefit of a sandbox is that it creates an environment that is disconnected from your primary environment. This enables you to evaluate processes and programs without fear of impacting your primary environment. It also enables you to strictly control your test conditions, preventing system processes or other applications from interfering with your results. Why Would You Want An AWS Sandbox Now that you understand what a sandbox...

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### Why SaaS Companies Should Leverage a Product-Led Growth Strategy

> What exactly is unique about that, though? As a software vendor, isn't your product the focal point of marketing and growth strategies anyway?

- Published: 2022-05-09
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-saas-companies-should-leverage-a-product-led-growth-strategy/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement, Thought Leadership

We've discussed the merits of a product-led growth strategy at a high-level in the past. It's a powerful tool for sales enablement regardless of your industry or sector. But where it really shines is when it's applied within the context of a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company. You've probably heard at least some of the buzz to that effect. People have been championing the merits of this product delivery strategy for quite some time now. Discussing how, when compared to other sales enablement strategies, it improves margins, reduces time to value, boosts engagement and retention, and improves the overall user experience. But is there something to those claims, or are they simply blowing smoke? To answer that question, we're going to need to revisit what product-led growth is, including its origins and how it differs from other growth strategies. More importantly, we'll need to examine why SaaS products are so compatible with product growth strategies. What is Product-Led Growth? Before we dive deeper, let's start with a quick refresher. Product-led growth is just what it sounds like — it's a strategy for growing your business in which the primary growth driver is your product. The entire approach centers on positioning the product as the champion of your brand, leveraging its features and functionality for everything from sales enablement to marketing. What exactly is unique about that, though? As a software vendor, isn't your product the focal point of marketing and growth strategies anyway? What is this beyond just another buzzword choking up...

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### Cyber Security Training In 2022: An Up-To-Date Guide

> Since the pandemic, cyber threats have increased by over 600%. Here are five of the most effective cyber security training practices.

- Published: 2022-04-27
- Modified: 2023-07-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cyber-security-training-in-2022/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, cybercrime has increased by over 600%. Due to this ever-growing threat, up-to-date, effective cyber security training is increasingly important for the safety of every business (and individual) online. Failing to properly train staff and users is extremely risky, as human error is the cause of around 95% of all breaches companies have fallen victim to. Making sure that everyone has been effectively educated can make all of the difference between suffering another cyber attack and catching it just in time. In its latest eBook, CloudShare outlines the most up-to-date and effective cyber security training techniques and best practices for 2022. 5 Ways To Improve Cyber Security Training Experiences We’ve narrowed down the 5 most important areas to focus on when assessing the success of your cyber security training program: Using Cyber Ranges for Corporate Training Developing Courses and Certifications Perfecting the Role of the Instructor Educating Beyond Your Product Helping Clients Build a Cybersecurity Culture We took a deep dive into each of these methods to explain exactly how to execute each one, and implement them into your training program. Choose The Best Cyber Security Training Solution If you choose the right cyber security training platform, you can save money, time, and resources, as well as give your users a truly hands-on and engaging training experience. In the end, you will dramatically improve your training processes, and ensure a much more complete security education. Download our eBook, CYBER SECURITY TRAINING IN...

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### What Is the Difference Between Hybrid and Blended Learning?

> What is blended learning? What is hybrid learning? Learn everything about the differences in virtual learning and training as well as how they fit together.

- Published: 2022-04-25
- Modified: 2025-03-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-hybrid-and-blended-learning/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Years ago, learning was consigned to the classroom. Students sat down, took notes, interacted with the instructor, discussed with peers, and finished tests in a physical location. While many thrived under this setup, not everyone prefers this type of learning. The same principle applies to training in a B2B setting. We live in a world of on-demand services and internet-connected devices, so focusing on a lengthy lecture probably isn’t a suitable way to learn for most. It’s also not exactly practical when you think about getting everyone in the same place at the same time, or setting up machines for complex SaaS products. With the rise in digital transformation, a new alternative is now available. This article will look at hybrid vs. blended learning, including the differences between the two, and how effective they can both be for software training. What Is Blended Learning? Blended learning is a combination of offline and online instruction where students interact with the instructor, the material, and other students through both a physical classroom and an online platform. The result is an interactive environment that provides a cohesive learning experience across two mediums. A typical setup is for the online component to provide additional exercises to complement the in-class lecture. Learners may still speak with instructors during offline hours. Blended learning is incredibly effective. In fact, since the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s now become the preferred learning and teaching model available for both students and instructors. For businesses, blending learning is a huge advantage as...

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### Why Product Led Growth is Here to Stay 

> Product led growth is an approach to sales enablement and lead generation that puts the product at the center of all go-to-market efforts

- Published: 2022-04-18
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-product-led-growth-is-here-to-stay/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

By now, the fact that the business landscape has been irrevocably changed over the past several years is old news. We're over the initial shock of the rapid technological evolution brought on by the pandemic. Now is the time to start looking forward and thinking about what that evolution could mean for the future. And where sales enablement is concerned, that future is defined by product led growth. What Is Product Led Growth, Anyway? Product led growth is an alternative approach to sales enablement and lead generation that puts your business's product at the center of all go-to-market efforts. The product simultaneously becomes your core selling point as well as your means to acquire and retain customers. As one might expect, this typically works best for software-as-a-service businesses, as they can leverage interactive product demos as part of an experiential marketing strategy. The concept of product led growth was first popularized by venture capital firm OpenView Partners. Product Led Growth vs Sales Led Growth vs Marketing Led Growth Before we delve into the specifics of a product-led strategy, there are two other common growth strategies that are worth mentioning. Sales led growth puts the onus for success entirely on your sales team. Your business's account managers and sales representatives manage the entire sales pipeline and customer journey, typically in collaboration with your marketing team. The core focus in sales-led growth is to generate and capture qualified leads. Marketing led growth has a great deal in common with sales led growth....

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### 5 Ways a Simulated Development Environment Helps With Software Developer Training

> A simulated training environment allows developers to execute code and get real-time feedback without the consequences of doing so in a live environment.

- Published: 2022-04-14
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/simulated-development-environment-helps-software-developer-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

When it comes to software developer training, companies want to prepare new hires to be productive right out of the gate. This can be difficult because most employers don’t have the time or resources to teach every last nuance of their development environment. Using a simulated training environment is a great way to mitigate this problem. Simulated training environments for software developer training provide developers with a safe place to experiment, find bugs, and learn from mistakes. It's essentially like having a tool shop without the risk of damaging expensive tools. This environment provides employees with a greater understanding of what’s happening on their machine at any given time, giving them skills that will transfer back into the real software developer business—and saving employers plenty of time and damage control. What is a Simulated Training Environment? Simulated learning environments (SLEs) are a form of technology-based training that enable individuals to learn or practice in a virtualized development environment that mimics the physical constraints and features of the real world. For example, SLEs have been used to teach pilots how to fly aircraft prior to taking to the skies and training medical personnel on how to respond to emergency situations. How do astronauts practice being in zero gravity? A simulated training environment like this one... A simulated training environment allows developers to execute code and get real-time feedback without the consequences of doing so in a live environment. The great thing about SLE's is they allow learners to try out different...

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### 5 Ways Having The Right IT Infrastructure Can Support Your Sales Enablement

> Here are five examples of why the right IT infrastructure can both support and augment your sales enablement efforts.

- Published: 2022-04-11
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/having-the-right-it-infrastructure-can-support-your-sales-enablement/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

At one point in the past, sales and marketing operated relatively independently of IT. A business's sales enablement strategy could still benefit from incorporating technology, but it didn't necessarily need to. Times have changed, however. These days, whether or not you choose the right sales enablement solutions can make or break your team. By providing your salespeople with ready, reliable access to the tools they need to do their jobs, you set them up for success, allowing them to be more effective, efficient, and productive. Consequently, if you ignore their technology needs, they'll end up constantly lagging behind the competition. Don't be surprised if many of them leave in search of an employer that actually accounts for sales enablement. Here are five examples of what that looks like — five ways the right IT infrastructure can both support and augment your sales enablement efforts. 1. Continuous Access, Compelling Demonstrations Prior to widespread proliferation of software-as-a-service platforms, a sales professional selling business software would typically need to keep a stack of product manuals on hand, just in case the customer asked a question for which they were unprepared. Proof of concept demos were similarly cumbersome and painful to execute. Salespeople would typically have to resort to non-interactive demo videos, or else schedule an in-person proof of concept well in advance. They'd then have to painstakingly configure and deploy a physical lab to provide a close approximation of the customer's operating environment — or install the software directly onto one of a...

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### 10 Useful Analytics Tools to Transform Data into Usable Business Insights

> Here are some data analytics applications that can help you in that regard, generating all manner of useful business insights. 

- Published: 2022-04-07
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/analytics-tools-to-transform-data-into-usable-business-insights/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

As a data scientist, you already know how analytics can help a business. But you also understand that expertise alone is not enough to realize the true potential of data. It's as much about the tools you use as it is your own capabilities — the right data analytics technology goes a long way towards generating deeper insights. Provided you've installed

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### Cybersecurity Training in 2022

> Read our eBook %%title%%. Find out the 5 Ways to Improve Your 2022 Cyber Security Training Results

- Published: 2022-04-06
- Modified: 2023-07-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/cybersecurity-training-in-2022/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security



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### How To Effectively Train Staff Virtually To Use and Understand Your Medical Device Security Software

> Medical device training is difficult for even the most tech-savvy medical staff. Here's how to do it right.

- Published: 2022-04-04
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/effectively-train-staff-virtually-to-use-medical-device-security-software/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Medical device training is daunting for even the most tech-savvy medical staff, let alone getting them up to speed with the right cybersecurity training for those devices. Training your team on how to use and interpret complex medical device cybersecurity software can be a nightmare, especially when users are located globally and may be less tech savvy than you’d hope. Here are 9 tips on how to train your staff virtually to use and understand even the most complex medical device software. 1. Create an Open Communication Environment When done well, virtual training should create a sense of community and help build trust. When training your staff, you have to make sure that everyone feels comfortable asking questions that may seem obvious or elementary. It's important to create an environment where no question is a bad question and everyone feels comfortable voicing their concerns. Keep these three tips in mind when planning your next virtual training session: Host the training on a platform where you can share your screen while talking to the attendees. This will allow you to demonstrate the software and answer questions as they come up, which builds trust and confidence in the tool. Make sure the attendees know how to use the platform’s chat feature so they can ask questions during your presentation. Keep an eye out for questions so you can address them during your presentation or answer them at the end of your training session. It's important that everyone feels heard! Encourage feedback throughout...

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### 5 Ways to Increase Manufacturing Productivity Through Software

> To improve productivity in manufacturing, software plays a pivotal role. Here are a few ways you can apply it within your own organization. 

- Published: 2022-03-31
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-ways-to-increase-manufacturing-productivity-through-software/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

If nothing else, the past several years have underscored the importance of productivity and efficiency for the manufacturing sector. Between supply chain disruptions, fluctuating demand, economic uncertainty, labor shortages, and climbing costs, manufacturers have had to contend with a difficult landscape. And though there is every indication that the industry has slowly begun to bounce back, it's anything but smooth sailing ahead. As noted by Deloitte, manufacturing faces a record shortage of unfilled jobs, with an estimated shortfall of 2. 1 million by 2030. Unstable supply chains, cyber threats, and an increasing focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives represent yet more challenges. The solution, according to the analyst, is for manufacturers to embrace digital technology adoption. "Manufacturers looking to capture growth and protect long-term profitability should embrace digital capabilities from corporate functions to the factory floor," Deloitte writes. "Foundational technologies such as cloud computing enable computational power, visibility, scale, and speed. "  In short, when it comes to the question of how to improve productivity in the manufacturing industry, software plays a pivotal role — here are just a few ways you can apply it within your own organization. Optimize Your Quality Assurance Quality control represents arguably one of the greatest roadblocks to manufacturing productivity. Failure to apply consistent quality assurance measures across the entire production process is a considerable drain on resources. Each defective, damaged, or faulty product that comes off the supply line leads to either rework or simply a loss as the product is written...

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### 4 Checklists to Assess Your Software Training Platform ROI

- Published: 2022-03-29
- Modified: 2023-05-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/4-checklists-to-assess-your-software-training-platform-roi/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### 4 Checklists to Assess Your Software Training Platform ROI

> These 4 checklists will help you make sure that you are making the most out of your investment in training your users.

- Published: 2022-03-29
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-checklists-to-assess-your-software-training-platform-roi-2/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Training your staff and your customers on your complex software platform is not a simple task. It’s so important to make sure that users are engaged and fully grasping every aspect of your software in order for them to truly understand its value. Users who don’t completely know your software, in and out, run the risk of becoming frustrated and dissatisfied with your software, which could lead to losing business and potentially missing out on a loyal customer base. In order to make sure that your investments into training are not going to waste, and that your users are getting an engaging and useful training experience, there are a few important points to be aware of. You Need To Ask Yourself These Important Questions About Your Software Training Platform We’ve narrowed down the 4 most important areas to look into when assessing the ROI and success of your software training platform to ask the following questions: Who are your users? How is your platform being used? How are your users engaging with your platform? Are users generally satisfied? To find the answers to these important questions, we’ve created 4 checklists that take an in-depth look at each of these, and that will help you shed light on what you might be better off doing differently. Choose The Best Virtual Software Training Solution If you choose the right software training platform, you can save money, time, and resources, as well as give your users a truly hands-on and engaging training experience....

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### Top 10 Analytics Software Tools for Perfect Data Management

> Here are some of the best analytics software for data management solutions to help your company enhance its analytics capabilities

- Published: 2022-03-28
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-10-analytics-software-tools-for-perfect-data-management/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Any data scientist worth their salt knows that the right tools make all the difference in the world. And of all the tools in their arsenal, data management solutions are arguably among the most important. After all, the first step to drawing insights from data is to ensure that said data is properly orchestrated and organized. Without that crucial phase, it doesn't matter how good your data analytics software is. You're going to miss crucial information and overlook valuable insights as a matter of course. With that in mind, here's some of the best analytics software for data management — solutions to help your company even further enhance its analytics capabilities. 1. HubSpot Primarily geared towards inbound marketing, HubSpot is nevertheless a powerful all-in-one analytics platform, one which can easily serve as a benchmark for other tools. Alongside powerful user analytics, it's equipped with robust reporting functionality. Through an intuitive dashboard, it also allows you to organize and visualize all of your marketing assets and the data associated with them. 2. MySQL Workbench Developed as a tool for visually modeling, designing, and optimizing databases in MySQL environments, MySQL Workbench also provides a comprehensive suite of features to assist in database migration, configuration, and backup. It provides you with everything you could possibly require for more effective relational database management. Workbench pairs an intuitive visual interface with powerful and comprehensive functionality including color syntax highlighting, extensive database schema, and execution history. 3. Looker A cloud-based data visualization and analytics solution specialized...

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### Virtual Cyber Security Training is Better Than Onsite Training - Here's Why

> Through virtual cyber security training, businesses could provide deeper, more engaging, and more personalized experiences.

- Published: 2022-03-24
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-cyber-security-training-is-better-than-onsite-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been keenly felt in the training sector. The shift to a distributed workplace exponentially accelerated the timeline on digital transformation. In so doing, businesses were forced to adopt virtual training platforms for everything from customer onboarding to employee skill development. The good news is that the benefits of this shift quickly became clear. Through virtual training, businesses could provide deeper, more engaging, and more personalized experiences. And by divorcing training sessions from the physical classroom, they enjoyed the added benefits of lower costs and more flexible scheduling. It's a transformation that couldn't have come soon enough for the cyber security space. A Troubling, Mercurial Threat Landscape While businesses fall progressively further behind in their security training, threat actors have only become more numerous and sophisticated. And if current reports from analysts are any indication, things are about to get even worse. Ransomware is running rampant, zero-day vulnerabilities are popping up at an alarming rate, and supply chain attacks are at an all-time high. Making matters worse is the rapid pace at which the cybercrime sector is evolving. Cybercriminals are constantly devising new exploits, attack vectors, and tactics. They're constantly exploring new ways to perfect their shadowy craft, and they're doing so too fast for our defenses to keep up. Today's criminal enterprises are a far cry from the black hat hackers of a decade ago. Many now function almost as dark mirrors of legitimate businesses, even going so far as to adopt sales...

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### How B2B Software Companies Leveraged Virtual Experiences for Sales & Customer Training in 2021

> This report uncovers the important changes we are seeing for sales and customer training teams today based on proprietary data.

- Published: 2022-03-21
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/proprietary-data-report-2022/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The world of customer training and sales has changed dramatically over recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need for switching to fully virtual measures, even faster than initially anticipated. While everyone is talking about the shift to virtual, we haven’t yet seen user-based tangible data on the significant changes happening in the customer training and sales industries... Until now. In a Proprietary Data Report that is the first of its kind, CloudShare has taken an in-depth look at the data collected over 2019-2021 from their platform, which shows the massive (and rapid) increase in the adoption of technologies needed for companies to survive in this new normal. Technologies like virtual POCs, self-paced learning, video-enabled training, and more, are not only helpful, but necessary to stay relevant and to continue providing a successful user experience to prospects and customers. This report covers the biggest changes we’re seeing for sales and customer training teams, and the most important takeaways B2B software companies need to understand. Sales and Customer Training Experience Trends to Pay Attention to in 2022 To be prepared for 2022 and years to come, CloudShare dove into its platform’s metrics to identify user trends that are critical for sales and training teams to follow in order to create the most quality experiences for their prospects and customers. Some of the main takeaways include: The demand for virtual sales experiences have increased over 300% Self-paced learning is extremely important for the customer training experience Using multiple instructors can...

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### Virtual Training Platforms Are Now Just as Important as CRM and ERP: Here’s Why

> 9 out of 10 companies are now using virtual training. Are you investing in great customer experiences as a competitive advantage?

- Published: 2022-03-17
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-training-platforms-are-now-just-as-important-as-crm-and-erp/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It’s no secret investing in the right tools and tactics before your competition gives your company a competitive advantage. The most successful companies leverage the right software in all aspects of their business. It’s likely hard to imagine your company running without its ERP or CRM—and rightfully so. There was likely a major investment of both time and money in both platforms, as well as a whole host of other tools in your tech stack designed to improve company efficiency. Here’s one you might not be thinking about... Virtual Training Platforms.   We’re not just talking about leading training or onboarding on Microsoft Teams or Zoom. This is a software designed specifically to meet customer training best practices in today’s world. How Software Companies Gain a Competitive Advantage Companies win when they center their efforts around the customer. Offering virtual training solutions is becoming more of a necessity, as opposed to a differentiator. You’re doing your customer base a disservice if you’re not investing in a customer training platform. Your software company is only as good as your customers. You can have the best software in the world, but what good is it if nobody knows how to use it? Software customer training is the key to ensuring your product is doing what your sales team says it does. The new remote world changes every single day. Nearly all companies have some sort of virtual customer training in place, but not all programs are created equal. Investing in virtual customer...

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### CloudShare's Annual User Trends Report

- Published: 2022-03-15
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/cloudshare-research-report-2022
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement



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### The Benefits of Using a Test Environment as a Service for IT Testing 

> Using a test environment as a service is a great way to assess a product and make necessary adjustments before it goes to market. Here's why.

- Published: 2022-03-14
- Modified: 2024-09-29
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-benefits-of-using-a-test-environment-as-a-service-for-it-testing/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sandboxing

For software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, quality assurance is everything. If you're looking to successfully bring your software to market, you need to put every working part of that software under the microscope. While you might not catch every bug and glitch, you'll at least ensure that your software's got a baseline level of functionality. There's a few ways you can go about doing this, but creating a sandboxed software testing environment is arguably the most effective.   Also known as a sandbox environment or test-environment-as-a-service, a sandbox software testing environment a cloud-based simulation that lets you perform a full assessment of your software and make the necessary adjustments to ensure it's both functional and usable. Ultimately, this ensures that your customers receive the best product or service possible — and that you don't release a broken product onto the market.     What is a Testing Environment? A software testing environment is any space in which a piece of software undergoes a trial run. It is an important part of the development process for the creators and can be used to identify bugs and errors which might impact a product’s functioning. It also allows developers to assess the quality of a product and think about the end result for the user. To ensure that bugs or errors can be fixed prior to the production stage, it's important for this environment to be as close to a live environment as possible. That means simulating not only the software itself, but any other applications,...

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### How Do Virtual Customer Experiences Support Personalization?

> Build a virtual personalized customer experience for your buyers and end-users. Learn how CloudShare supports personalized customer training.

- Published: 2022-03-10
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-do-virtual-customer-experiences-support-personalization/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The key to increasing the lifetime value of a customer is to help them use your software, or product, to its full potential. Generic virtual training or high-level, webinar-style product training produced over Zoom for anyone and everyone simply isn’t enough. You and your team need to make the most out of virtual customer experiences. No more sending an email through MailChimp with five generic product videos and calling it an onboarding process. Customer delight begins with fulfillment. And, in software, fulfillment begins with training. The Impact of a Personalized Virtual Customer Experience A personalized customer experience goes a long way in engaging your customers or clients from the start. Everyone learns differently. Some folks might require virtual instructor-led training (VILT) while others may prefer to go through a course of personalized video content. A virtual classroom, for instance, potentially reduces instruction time by as much as 60% and costs 50% less than physical training. Although the use of in-person training plummeted to 9%, there was a subsequent 53% increase in virtual instructor-led training.   Using a platform like CloudShare allows you to give your customer base options throughout each stage of the customer journey. The communication shouldn’t end once you have a credit card on file. It should evolve.   Today’s consumers are more aware than ever. It’s so easy to see right through a cookie-cutter onboarding process, or any generic and automated communication. It usually goes like this: Prospect requests a demo Sales rep or product marketer provides...

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### 6 Steps to Creating a Cyber Security Training Program for Your Organization 

> Here's how to implement a cyber security training program for your organization and these are the benefits.

- Published: 2022-03-07
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/6-steps-to-creating-a-cyber-security-training-program-for-your-organization/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security

As hacks, breaches, and online security threats continue to rise, there has never been a more important time for cyber security training. It is estimated that 64% of companies worldwide are likely to experience cyber breaches, yet 61% of employees aren’t equipped with the knowledge to pass a basic cyber security test. To effectively tackle the issue at hand, you need a comprehensive approach to cyber security for your entire organization. But, this isn’t a case of simply training your IT department. Your company needs a complete cyber resilience training program for every employee, all the way up to the CEO. In this blog, we’ll explore how you can create a cyber security training program for your organization and look at some of the benefits this can have in the short and long term. 6 Steps to Creating Airtight Cyber Security Training So, you’ve decided to take the first step in your cyber security training journey. But where do you start? 1. Assess the Current State of Cyber Security What does cyber security currently look like at your organization? Look for possible weaknesses such as remote workers, guest users, and overly manual processes—these areas are easily exploited by hackers. Make note of any issues that are occurring due to human error—these can be a focus for your training sessions. 2. Set Goals for Your Training Decide what you want your employees to get out of the training. It could be training your IT department on complex security breaches or simply...

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### Sisense Leverages CloudShare to Provide Hands-On VILT

- Published: 2022-03-03
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/sisense-case-study
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Post-Pandemic Virtual Customer Training Best Practices for Better Onboarding, Retention and Expansion

> Customer relationships and training have changed. Keep these best practices in mind as you make your training a competitive advantage. 

- Published: 2022-03-03
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/post-pandemic-virtual-customer-training-best-practices/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It’s often hard to imagine what life was like before the pandemic. However, more and more companies are starting to think about what life is going to be like post-pandemic. We know there are many things here to stay: Target drive up orders, fist bumps and remote work. The pandemic condensed decades of digital transformation and people continue to adjust their lives at home and at work. Companies, now more than ever, need to focus on how to provide better virtual customer training and onboarding to ensure they achieve their customer retention and revenue growth goals. Customer communication is essentially all virtual these days. Great companies realize that, in order to gain a competitive advantage, they need to communicate with their customers virtually even better than they did before. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind as you explore building up your virtual customer training. Remember: Flexibility is Key Everyone learns differently and each customer has a different set of circumstances. Leveraging a software like CloudShare ensures your end users the opportunity to learn on their own time and in their own way. Whether they prefer a virtual instructor led training, or would rather go through a written resource or series of videos. You can repurpose your trainings for all learning types and schedules, but ultimately... The choice is theirs. Don’t Let an Integration Slow You Down Addressing potential integration issues up front is a great way to ensure overall success. As your sales team does more...

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### Sisense Deploys CloudShare to Simplify and Enhance Virtual Training

> Student engagement and accessibility are imperative. Here’s how Sisense used CloudShare to provide effective training to its global user base.

- Published: 2022-03-02
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sisense-deploys-cloudshare-to-simplify-and-enhance-virtual-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Sisense Deploys CloudShare to Simplify and Enhance Virtual Training Keeping thousands of customers located all across the globe engaged and active during training courses is no small feat. Assuring that everyone gets a personalized and educational experience can get complicated when your students are too far from one another to come together for an in-person workshop. This is becoming a more common problem in this post-COVID world as companies move to online working environments. This issue is exactly what Sisense— a business intelligence solution primarily focused on the SME market —came across as they attempted to provide virtual training for their 800+ globally-situated employees. Other virtual training platforms weren’t enough for such complex business intelligence training After realizing that in-person training was off the table, the company tried using other virtual training solutions. However, they were super complicated to use and were missing crucial features, such as over-the-shoulder view. This ultimately resulted in: An unfair advantage to users close by to come in for in-person workshops Untenable complexity of course material with no real way of educating users A lack of standardization and consistency among lessons “We knew there was a demand for virtual instructor-led training, but we lacked the capacity to provide it. Spinning up environments was simply too complex and time-consuming. We needed a simpler way to deliver remote, standardized training”.   — Adva Almog-Dadush, Training Program Manager at Sisense CloudShare: An Excellent Solution for Virtual Hands-On Complex Training Sisense ultimately chose CloudShare’s all-in-one solution for its out-of-the-box...

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### 7 Best Practices for Delivering Exceptional EMR Training

> A new generation of software training technology is helping MedTech EMR training. Here's how to incorporate these new training technologies.

- Published: 2022-02-28
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-for-delivering-exceptional-emr-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

There are many challenges facing healthcare and MedTech organizations, including the pressures placed across the board by the ongoing pandemic. No doubt times have been rough, resources are stretched beyond limits, and healthcare workers are exhausted after working flat out for 2+ years. MedTech organizations are in a unique position to make a difference—with the opportunity to provide innovative applications and systems that boost productivity, streamline processes, and reduce costs for healthcare organizations. And we’re not just talking about the front line. The IT systems used by both back-office staff and those on the front line make a big impact on outcomes for healthcare organizations, professionals, and patients. There’s no better example than electronic medical records (EMR) systems. But to gain value from these essential EMR technologies, they need efficient and effective EMR training—whether it’s for onboarding, adoption, or ongoing training. MedTech organizations can use new EMR software training to deliver the exceptional training experiences required. 7 Useful Tips to Improve EMR Training Here are seven best practices for MedTech organizations to improve their EMR training programs. 1. Look Beyond LMS, But Not Too Far Learning Management Systems (LMS) have been the backbone of software training for years. Content delivery has been key to EMR training success, but there are a lot of new ways to enhance training beyond what was possible with traditional LMS. You can now integrate with technologies that complement the knowledge base and expertise stored within your LMS programs. The new generation of training platforms can...

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### Thinking of Launching a Customer Education Program? Start Here.

> Companies usually create a customer education program to show users how to properly use their product. But what goes into a solid program?

- Published: 2022-02-24
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/thinking-of-launching-a-customer-education-program-start-here/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

When you sign a new customer up to your product, the post-sales training might be the most important part of the customer journey. A customer education program ensures your users have everything they need to get the most out of your software and has been shown to improve retention, advocacy and product satisfaction. In turn, customer training software supports your customer education program with the features both your team and your customers need. What is a customer education program? For self-serve tools, this is often covered by an in-app onboarding workflow. But more involved SaaS solutions—from product analytics to Human Capital Management—require a bit more hands-on work. If you have a complex product with plenty of features, some level of education may also be required to even use it in the first place. This training has traditionally been covered by Customer Success Managers (CSMs) as part of the onboarding and continued support process. However, as your organization scales, 1-to-1 training can become difficult. The potential strain it can put on CSMs and support teams is huge, and the lack of standardization may cause deeper issues further down the line. This is when you need to start thinking about a customer education program. Why start a customer education program? Companies usually create a customer education program to show users how to properly use their product. This consists of videos, guides, workshops and more – any content or training software that can be used to educate customers further. This becomes more practical...

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### 5 Reasons To Integrate Your Customer Training Data With Your CRM

> Here are 5 important reasons why integrating your training data with your CRM will aid in customer retention.

- Published: 2022-02-22
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/reasons-to-integrate-your-customer-training-data-with-your-crm/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

In a world defined by digital transformation and distributed work, it's only natural that SaaS sales enablement should evolve in step with these trends. Yet many businesses do not appear to realize precisely how much things have changed. In the past, the SaaS sales model was primarily focused on conversion. When SaaS was still relatively new and there existed a dearth of vendors, this worked for the most part. Today, however, customers are swimming in options. If a vendor to which they've subscribed doesn't effectively meet their needs, they can simply swap to one that does. In such a market, how many customers your business converts is irrelevant if you cannot retain them.   Customer training is foundational to retention. Equipping your engineers, marketing team, salespeople, and customer support agents with the right training tools is a good first step where retention is concerned. With that said, it's also essential that you lay the groundwork to ensure a consistent customer experience throughout the pipeline. That begins with integration. Ensuring the data and insights generated by your customer training is available in your CRM software. Here's why, when it comes to sales enablement, salesforce integration — or more accurately, integration between your customer training and CRM tools — is crucial. Gain a Holistic View into Customer Progress Modern B2B customers demand personalization. They don't want to waste time with a brand that doesn't seem to understand them. Case in point. consider the following: 65% of B2B buyers will stop working with...

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### Introducing the CloudShare Integration Hub 

> Learn all about the features of Cloudshare's Integration Hub. Which integrations are available and why they are so helpful.

- Published: 2022-02-17
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/introducing-the-cloudshare-integration-hub/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement

With the rapid adoption of software as a service (Saas), organizations are looking to integrate data across applications in the cloud. The shift toward the cloud has meant a need for better integration, to avoid data silos and connect information across multiple applications. CloudShare’s Integration Hub enables users to connect their CloudShare accounts to other applications, enabling Salesforce integration or with platforms like Google Sheets. The hub enables fast integration and a seamless flow of data between platforms, removing the need for manual data handling. It ensures that data analysis and reporting can be carried out faster and minimizes the risk of error that exists in manual data entry. To get a better idea of the benefits of the Integration Hub, we need to take a deeper look. What are the Features of the Integration Hub? The CloudShare Integration Hub enables Google, Docebo, and Salesforce integration. Creating a flow of data, by connecting to these platforms, means that predefined fields will populate from CloudShare projects into the chosen platform. Users can customize integrations, choosing which fields to populate into the different platforms, and how often the data should sync. The data includes information about end-users of CloudShare, including demographic information and engagement rates. For example, an organization using CloudShare to perform a virtual demo can monitor vital data points about the users, integrate the data with a platform like Google Sheets, and report on the experience. With CloudShare integration, data reporting becomes easier, with employees able to sync to their...

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### 9 Customer Training Trends to Watch in 2022

> The training industry has shifted rapidly since 2019. There are the customer training trends most likely to define the coming year.

- Published: 2022-02-14
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-customer-training-trends-to-watch/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The past two years have been among the most technologically disruptive in recent memory. COVID-19 functionally removed the timeline for digital transformation and, almost overnight, distributed work became the new normal. Businesses were left with a simple choice — adapt to the new way of working or become obsolete. There is little doubt that the effects of the pandemic's disruption will be felt for years to come, and across all sectors. This is especially true of the training industry, which saw, among other things, exponential growth in the popularity of virtual training. The ongoing impact of these trends is perhaps most evident in how customer training software has evolved. Yet, as we move into the new year, it's important to remember that the pandemic's aftershock is far from the only factor influencing customer training — revenue teams are beginning to realize just how impactful effective training solutions can be. With that in mind, here are the nine customer training trends that will define the upcoming year. 1. Customer Training Budgets Will Grow For any company that sells software, customer training has always been crucial. Unfortunately, in years past, that fact didn't exactly hit home with leadership. Historically, when a business aimed to cut costs, their training budget was often one of the first items on the chopping block. This is self-sabotage in its purest form. Thanks, in part, to a shift in expectations created by the coronavirus, providing a positive customer experience is no longer simply a competitive differentiator. It...

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### How Technology Sales Training Has Changed During COVID-19

> COVID continues to disrupt the traditional way that sales teams operate. We explore how B2B technology sales training is changing in the new norm. 

- Published: 2022-02-10
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-technology-sales-training-has-changed-during-covid-19/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement

For B2B software companies, there’s no escaping the need to reshape sales practices, including technology sales training and enablement. Here’s the new reality posed by COVID-19: sales meetings and demos have had to move online, but prospects and customers still expect the same level of engagement. Sales training has had to find a new home in virtual spaces instead of physical ones. One way to accommodate the shift? Investing in a virtual sales training platform. As many of these changes are here to stay, now is the time to expand the tech stack that makes sales training for technology companies possible. In this blog, we outline how sales training is changing and how B2B software companies should be spending their technology sales enablement and training budgets. The Opportunity for Remote Sales and Self-Service At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations had to adapt quickly to the challenges of remote working. McKinsey & Company suggests that ten years’ worth of digital transformation took place in its early stages. They gave a name to this phenomenon, one straight out of science fiction: the quickening. The name captures the moment perfectly: what occurred was an acceleration of trends that were already on the rise (remote and self-service sales experiences), which might be why the new virtual norm has been embraced. It seems B2B buyers are still keen for sales to remain virtual. In fact, according to McKinsey & Company, there appears to be little appetite for traditional in-person meetings anymore. Their research...

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### 19 Top Sales Enablement Leaders on Social Media in 2022

> Sales enablement is now more important than it's ever been. These are the top performers you should be connecting with and following. 

- Published: 2022-02-07
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-sales-enablement-leaders-on-social-media/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

It’s no longer enough to know basic demographic information about your buyers. In today's landscape, your customers expect you to know them almost better than they know themselves. As a result, sales enablement is now more important than it's ever been — because without it, your sales team may find itself unable to convert. But sales enablement training software alone won’t bridge this gap. You must also ensure your salespeople have what they need to do their job. They need access to the right sales enablement tools, as well as information about their audience. Most importantly of all, you must blend these with the right organizational culture, sales strategies, and processes. That may seem overwhelming at first, but it doesn't need to be. Just as the best works are written on the shoulders of those who came before, your approach to sales enablement can be informed by leaders in your field. With that in mind, here are some of the best, brightest, and most inspirational sales enablement leaders on social media. Keenan CEO, A Sales Guy Inc.   Irreverent, direct, genuine, and knowledgeable — these are a few words to describe Keenan, CEO of A Sales Guy Consulting and bestselling author of Gap Selling and Not Taught. On social media, he primarily focuses on core sales principles and advice, with some motivational content sprinkled in for good measure. Twitter | LinkedIn Jeffrey Gitomer Founding Partner, Outstand The self-professed "King of Sales," Gitomer's reputation borders on legendary. Aged 75, he's worked...

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### What’s Coming in 2022 for SaaS Training Platforms?

> How will the SaaS training space evolve in 2022? Our new report highlights the six trends that will impact SaaS online training this year.

- Published: 2022-02-03
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/whats-coming-in-2022-for-saas-training-platforms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Providing an excellent digital experience for your customers is more important than ever. In fact, McKinsey found that companies with outstanding digital experiences are 70% more likely to be chosen as a primary provider (compared to those simply providing a “fair” experience). It’s clear that SaaS companies can benefit from hands-on virtual training environments, from self-paced, self-serve experiences to virtual instructor-led training (VILT). But how will the space evolve in 2022? Our new report, based on surveys and interviews with over 100 training professionals, highlights the six trends that will impact SaaS online training this year. Here, we cover the four most important trends affecting the SaaS software training space. (You can get the full insights by downloading the 2021 SaaS and Virtual Training Survey Report here. ) #1 Training Budget is Growing 75% of training professionals have a budget of at least $20k for SaaS software training—and more than a quarter have a budget of at least $50k. Better yet, 8 out of 10 survey respondents are increasing their budget for 2022. This means they will have more resources to draw from to improve customer training. Overall, this debunks the myth that customer training faces a budget shortage. If you’re facing a lack of budget within your own company, it might be time to point leadership to how other companies are leveraging virtual training for better customer experiences. #2 Customer Experience is the Top Priority The biggest portion of the training budget we discussed above is aimed at one...

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### 7 Reasons Cybersecurity Simulation Software is Crucial for Protecting Your Business

> Cyber security training labs are the answer to rising threats — here are eight reasons your organization should already be using them

- Published: 2022-02-01
- Modified: 2025-02-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/7-reasons-cybersecurity-simulation-software-is-crucial-for-protecting-your-business/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

Remember when cybersecurity was simple? All you needed was a firewall, some security controls, and antimalware tools, and you were fine. Unfortunately, those days are long gone. Modern threat actors are savvier and more sophisticated than ever. They're increasingly leveraging emerging technology like generative AI in their criminal activities. Consequently, in 2023, phishing attacks increased by over 1,265%.   In just the first half of 2024, ransomware gangs took home a record-breaking $459. 8 million.   Those numbers would be grim enough on their own were it not for the fact that business networks have never been more expansive or complex. Organizations must now defend massive, constantly-expanding attack surfaces against an endless stream of bad actors. And while they need to successfully fend off every attack, the criminals just need to get through once.   Suffice it to say, it's a grim time for cybersecurity. Some experts predicted back in 2022 that we'd finally get a handle on things. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened — for adversaries, it's mostly been business as usual.   Believe it or not, that's actually good news. The reality is that no matter how much the world changes, there's one thing that will always remain constant. However many new technologies or techniques emerge, it'll be human error and simple carelessness that cause the majority of cyber incidents.   People are careless, and most threat actors are counting on that to offer their way in. With the right training, you can functionally slam the door in their...

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### 3 Terrible Product Demo Fails (and How to Avoid Them)

> A product demo can be a make or break for a brand. But what about when a demo goes horribly wrong?

- Published: 2022-01-27
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-terrible-product-demo-fails-and-how-to-avoid-them/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

A product demo can be make or break for a brand. It cuts through sales messaging and marketing jargon to ask the most pertinent question: Why don’t you try it for yourself? The best instances of product demos create a real buzz around a brand. In the 1970s, Pepsi had grown tired of coming second-best to Coca Cola, which dominated the soft drinks industry at the time. In a direct onslaught, Pepsi took to the shopping malls of America and asked the very direct question: Why don’t you try it for yourself? Shoppers were encouraged to taste both colas and, to Pepsi’s delight, their brand was preferred. In fact, The Pepsi Challenge has been so successful that it’s been an ongoing marketing promotion since 1975—it was even relaunched as a social media campaign in 2015. Not all product demos have the same success. In fact, some drastically fail—after all, the demo is live and sometimes things go wrong. In this blog, we look at some of the top product demo fails of all time, from the bad, to the worse, to the downright ugly. Sit tight, it’s about to get awkward... 1. Not-so bulletproof window Elon Musk is not known for being a wallflower. His “go big or go home” business strategies have earned him the titles Richest Man in History and Techno-King, with Tesla’s market cap surpassing a trillion dollars in 2021. Not bad for a man once $100k in debt. Unfortunately, Musk’s marketing ploys don’t always go to...

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### How In-App Video Conferencing Increases Engagement for Trainees

> In-app communication and collaboration has a significant impact on course completion. Let's drill down into why this is the case.

- Published: 2022-01-24
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-in-app-video-conferencing-increases-engagement-for-trainees/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

In April, we added video conferencing to our business acceleration and online training platform. Since then, we've been paying careful attention to how clients have used the feature, and how it's impacted engagement. Clients that leveraged in-app video conferencing in their instructor-led training saw a 66% completion rate, versus 46% amongst those that did not. This confirms our longstanding hypothesis about trainee engagement. Namely, that the presence of in-app communication and collaboration has a significant impact on course completion. Let's drill down into why this is the case. Why Most Virtual Training Only Gets it Half Right A positive training experience is often the difference between success and failure. Yet consistent engagement remains one of the most significant challenges for training organizations. There are few places where this applies more than with customer education. We've discussed where businesses go wrong with their training previously. Ultimately, it all boils down to motivation. Your trainees might objectively understand that the training is in some way important to them, and that there's information they need to learn. But that knowledge alone may not be enough for them to care. For truly successful customer education training, you need to do more. This begins with understanding how people learn in a broader context. As noted by The Harvard Business Review, there are two core components of learning. The first, which is where the majority of virtual training focuses, is cognitive. It centers on what one is learning, and how they absorb and retain new knowledge...

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### Build a Killer Cloud Proof of Concept (POC) with CloudShare

> This blog will walk you through three simple steps you can use to gain that all-important visibility, and take your POC creation to the next level.

- Published: 2022-01-18
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/build-a-killer-cloud-proof-of-concept-poc-with-cloudshare/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Is a POC environment a key component of your sales process? When it comes to POC creation, especially a technical POC, visibility is everything. You can’t just send your prospects off with a proof of concept for your software and hope for the best that they will get to grips with it on their own, and find the value quickly and seamlessly. However, in reality - you’ve probably found that’s exactly what happens. In many ways, traditional POCs are like a ‘black box’ – you never really know what’s going on inside after inviting your prospect to try your product. This blog will walk you through three simple steps you can use to gain that all-important visibility, and take your POC creation to the next level with the help of a software experience platform. Learn how a cloud POC enables full control for organizations by giving them transparency into the usage of the environments, and how it can positively impact the business by shortening the sales funnel through real-time data and feedback. Why is a Technical POC So Important? Spinning up production-level environments quickly, access to the software and hardware you need, and integrating customer’s data are critical to B2B technology sales. Your prospects want to experience a complete product, and virtual IT labs are the perfect technology for these kinds of technical POCs, especially in a fast-changing SaaS or software environment, where releases happen every few weeks. We have written in the past about the ever-changing IT landscape and...

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### 9 Virtual Training Trends That Are Reshaping the Industry — and the Technology You Need to Keep Up

> It’s no secret virtual training is reshaping the industry. Learn everything about the latest trends and technology you need to keep up.

- Published: 2022-01-17
- Modified: 2023-07-12
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-virtual-training-trends-that-are-reshaping-the-industry-and-the-technology-you-need-to-keep-up/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The past several years have been a time of immense change for the training sector. As businesses adjusted to a digital-first world, virtual training experienced a meteoric rise to prominence. That evolution is an incredible opportunity for your business. To leverage it, you must first understand the virtual training trends that will shape 2022, along with the tools you'll need to embrace them. Read on to learn more about what these trends are, how they are reshaping the industry, and the technology you need to stay relevant in the age of the customer experience. RELATED: Dive deep into virtual training trends. Download The State of Virtual Training Technology today. The Virtual Training Trends You Need to Know 1. Pandemic-related Transformation and Retraining We can’t discuss how virtual training evolved over the past several years without mention of COVID-19 (although we avoided using the phrase “new normal”). The pandemic condensed what should have been years of digital transformation into a few months. Unsurprisingly, both businesses and employees found it challenging to contend with the new landscape created by distributed work. According to The State of Skills 2021, the pandemic considerably accelerated the need for workers across all departments to develop new skills and proficiencies. IT was the most heavily-impacted department, at 75% of respondents. Sales and operations, meanwhile, shared the lowest percentage, which was still over half (57%). This acceleration made virtual software training a non-negotiable investment. Unfortunately, that paved the way for an entirely different problem. As with much of...

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### Pluralsight Acquires A Cloud Guru: Is It Time for an Effective Replacement?

> Are you looking for A Cloud Guru alternative or replacement? Read on to learn more about potential A Cloud Guru pricing changes.

- Published: 2022-01-12
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/pluralsight-acquires-a-cloud-guru-is-it-time-for-an-effective-replacement/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

In June, workforce development agency Pluralsight acquired A Cloud Guru (ACG) as part of its ongoing effort to address a growing cloud talent shortage. The general sentiment about the acquisition has been mixed, at best. And whether you're a current (or former) ACG client, you likely had a few reasons of your own to take umbrage, shared by many others. Are you looking for A Cloud Guru alternative or replacement? Read on to learn more about potential A Cloud Guru pricing changes, where the platform excels & falls short, and why you should switch to a best-in-class virtual IT training platform like CloudShare. Why Are People Concerned About The Pluralsight Acquisition? For starters, you may be wondering: what will A Cloud Guru pricing look like? If Pluralsight chooses to increase prices, there would be little anyone could do to stop them. Moreover, because ACG was a major player in the virtual IT training platform space, a few have even referred to the acquisition as "a monopoly in the making. " Others have pointed out that Pluralsight has a reputation for not updating its content. As a result, they asserted, the quality of both the platform and its support might see a sharp decline. Yet more people expressed a general aversion to Pluralsight based on their experience with the company's other products. You’re probably here because you're still asking questions yourself. You're still uncertain if this acquisition is a good thing or a reason to abandon ship for a different platform....

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### Why Virtual Training is Non-Negotiable for MedTech Vendors

> The rise of virtual learning is impacting virtually every industry as we know it. Here’s why we think virtual training is a must-have for MedTech vendors.

- Published: 2022-01-10
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-virtual-training-is-non-negotiable-for-medtech-vendors/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The healthcare sector was already undergoing a period of intense digital transformation before 2020. COVID-19 merely dialed the need for effective healthcare software training up to 11. What does that mean today? MedTech is as much a key enabler as it is a major benefactor of this transition. Here’s what we know: Telehealth is projected to reach $186. 5 billion globally by 2026, while attitudes towards telehealth have never been more favorable. In 2020, the global medical device market reached $442. 5 billion. Additionally, 80% of patients want their smartphones to play a greater role in their care. The surgical robot market is projected to grow from $5. 5 billion in 2018 to $24 billion in 2025. By 2026, the Internet of Medical Things will be valued at $142. 5 billion. Nanotechnology will be worth over $125 billion by 2024. With the exception of remote care, much of this growth will occur during the post-pandemic recovery. As noted by McKinsey, elective medical procedures have declined significantly amidst lockdowns and quarantine. As the world gradually returns to normal, this will likely change, leading to a massive and unprecedented surge in demand. MedTech vendors will be instrumental in addressing this surge, but not without first overcoming considerable growing pains both internally and externally, many of which can be traced back to training — and most of which can be addressed through a virtual training platform. What Are MedTech's Major Customer Training Pain Points—and How Does Customer Training Software Solve Them? Standardization at...

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### Customer Training is More Important Than Ever - But Are You Investing in the Right Tech?

> Training tech for customer education continues to play a vital role in giving your engineers, sellers and support reps what they need to get customers up to speed quickly.

- Published: 2022-01-06
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-training-is-more-important-than-ever-but-are-you-investing-in-the-right-tech/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Four years ago, just over three-quarters of companies had virtual customer training tech in place. In 2020, that number shot up to 98%. It’s no longer a question of whether or not you just invest in virtual training tech for customer education. Now, it’s a question if you’re getting the most out of your investment. The pandemic has left organizations with new challenges to solve; chief among them is effective customer training in a new remote world. Training tech for customer education continues to play a vital role in giving your engineers, sellers and support reps what they need to get customers up to speed quickly. But getting technology spend right, identifying which training solution will work best for your org, and convincing stakeholders to give the green light isn’t simple. 3 Reasons Virtual Training Tech is Becoming So Popular The rapid adoption of virtual customer training platforms wasn’t a short-term response to a newly remote world. Instead, it was a shift to a more innovative approach to customer training. Why? 1. First, virtual training can be far more effective and efficient than other modes of education. Ken Blanchard Companies found that virtual training reduces instruction time by up to 60% and reduces costs by 50%, when compared to classroom training. Virtual training software has established itself as a key fixture in organizations today—just as email, productivity, CRM and ERP platforms have in the past. 2. Second, delivering exceptional experiences is essential, given new buyer expectations. 8 out of 10...

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### The What, Why, and How of Revenue Operations (RevOps)

> In this blog, we explain what Revenue Ops is and what it requires from your organization to get it right.

- Published: 2021-12-28
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-what-why-and-how-of-revenue-operations-revops/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Do you want to make your organization more efficient, optimize your operations, and facilitate further business growth? Like most managers, you certainly do but probably aren’t sure how. The most successful business owners turn to a concept known as revenue operations (RevOps) to focus their teams, raise customer satisfaction, and generate more loyal customer bases. But what is revenue operations exactly? Why should you bother with it? When is a suitable time to start a RevOps team? And how can you do so? Why this is important now In recent years there has been a significant shift in focus towards customer loyalty and retention. In the subscription economy, customers are happy to move to a rival company if you are not getting what they want. So prioritizing customer retention has become an essential goal for leading organizations. What’s more, our lives happen online these days. This new virtual norm means that for most companies the digital experiences they provide for their customers are where establishing customer loyalty happens. This may be new for organizations. It may be something that was in the pipeline but has been accelerated due to the pandemic. But there’s no hiding from the truth that digital experiences at every customer touchpoint must be exceptional. RevOps can help businesses adapt and reorganize their organizations to flourish in the new virtual norm. What Is RevOps? Revenue operations is a combination of several factors: employees, operations, information, and technology. Employees RevOps teams consist of: Sales Marketing Customer experience specialists These groups...

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### Product-led Vs. Sales-led: What's the Difference, and Which Is Right for You?

> In this blog, we look at how to put an exceptional sales experience at the forefront of your growth strategy. Learn about Product-led vs Sales-led.

- Published: 2021-12-26
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/product-led-vs-sales-led-whats-the-difference-and-which-is-right-for-you/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Product-led vs sales-led: What’s the difference? Product-led growth (PLG) has become a hot topic for software companies drawing up go-to-market (GTM) strategies—and the golden goose for nearly any aspiring start-up. Just imagine: a product so valuable it acquires customers for you. On the other hand, there is the traditional sales-led approach, where you choose a target audience and employ sales and marketing teams to attract and nurture cold leads until they are burning hot. The truth is that the product-led vs. sales-led debate presents a false dichotomy to GTM teams. Both product-led and sales-led approaches have their time and place. In the B2B software space, many organizations center their hopes on PLG, dreaming of becoming the next Dropbox or Canva. But many of these successful organizations have shifted to a sales-led approach as they have grown and begun moving upmarket. Understanding when each works best and how to incorporate them together will help drive greater sales outcomes and growth. In this blog, we look at how to put an exceptional sales experience at the forefront of your growth strategy. And how CloudShare’s sales cloud demo and virtual training platform can help. The allure of product-led growth Think Zoom, Slack, Dropbox—all of which have leaned hard into the PLG product sales approach. Most people become acquainted with these organizations directly through the product itself. Let’s take Zoom as an example. You click the link, type in a few details, and enter the world of Zoom. You are now an active Zoom...

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### 5 Technical Training Tips for Engaging Virtual Experiences

> The following tips explore what you can do to build more engaging and accessible environments that serve you, and your clients, better.

- Published: 2021-12-23
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-technical-training-tips-for-engaging-virtual-experiences/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Finding the right platform and creating engaging, accessible training can be challenging. When you consider the fact that demos are now expected to be virtual as standard, the complexity of technical product training grows further. While much more scalable and convenient, virtual demos do come with more options to choose from, such as the type of training you want to deliver, how you want to deliver it, and which specific features your audience might need. To help, here are some technical training tips that will make these decisions easier. 5 Expert Tips on Technical Training In order for you to create an engaging virtual experience that engages and informs your customers, you need to create an environment that is instant. One where the experience across devices is seamless and training sessions are interactive and personalized. These expectations are no longer what you need to get ahead, they’re what you need to keep up with competitors. The following tips explore what you can do to build more engaging and accessible environments that serve you, and your clients, better. 1. Enable Interaction When you’re running a virtual sales demo or a training session, there’s nothing worse than the eerie, muted-mic-silence. Not only can a lack of feedback be off-putting, it also reduces your chances of getting to know your clients better and delivering optimal training. Encourage your attendees to join with these additions to your technical training plan: - Over the shoulder view – On some virtual training platforms, instructors can look...

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### What Is Presales Enablement and How Does It Work?

> Our article looks at the role presales enablement plays in the sales process. This method is all about improving the sales capacities.

- Published: 2021-12-21
- Modified: 2024-04-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-is-presales-enablement-and-how-does-it-work/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

If you work in B2B sales, you’ll be familiar with sales enablement. This term, and the method behind it, is gaining momentum in the sales industry, and for good reason. The process has a measured success on win rates by equipping sales professionals with the right tools. Companies that put a sales enablement strategy in place will see an impressive ROI. A lesser-known term, but one also gaining traction, is “presales enablement”. This method is all about improving the sales capacities of a business before any selling has begun. It is arguably the most important stage of a sales lifecycle, as it identifies the key pain points of a customer and explains how a product or service can provide a solution. Presales vs sales The best way to think of presales vs sales is that presales is largely technical, focusing on what the client needs, whereas sales is more emotive, appealing to the “better nature” of a customer. This distinction is, of course, generalized—the two are in flux, and one informs the other—but broadly speaking this is what distinguishes the two. How does presales enablement work? Visualize the sales enablement process as an ecosystem. It is a complex web of technology, training, and tools, all aimed at delivering a better buying experience for the customer. Presales enablement is just one part of that, leveraging the right tools to support professionals at the initial stage of the sales cycle. The goal of presales is to initiate and support the sales process,...

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### Explore the Benefits of 3 Essential Remote Training Software Use Cases

> Remote training software is as important as ever. Here’s how to convince decision-makers to invest in a remote software training platform.

- Published: 2021-12-18
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/explore-the-benefits-of-3-essential-remote-training-software-use-cases/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Three remote training software use cases Let’s start with the areas in which remote training methods can make the biggest difference. Here we have focused on three virtual training software use cases, but there are many more. 1. Customer onboarding and education In the past, onboarding new customers, especially at large enterprises, would take place via large in-person training sessions—probably multiple sessions over many weeks. With COVID restrictions, these kinds of events may not be possible in the near future, at least not in the same way. Not only does remote training software allow you to hold these sessions, but it enhances them. Having access to remote customer training tools allows trainees to take part anytime, anywhere, and on any device. This allows you to scale your sessions as there is almost unlimited capacity for attendance—you don’t have to fit everyone into one room. So, you can provide more tailored onboarding and customer education experiences to a larger number of users. What’s more, trainees can go off and complete sessions in their own time. This removes scheduling issues and the costs associated with booking physical spaces for training. Next-generation platforms allow you to combine training methods—such as webinar-style presentations, instant chat boxes for direct and group discussions, and hands-on virtual labs for in-depth training. With instructor-led and self-paced learning, you can offer more choices. Both trainees and instructors have greater flexibility, as they can carry out sessions in the way that suits them and the situation best. Key benefits Increase...

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### 6 Tips to Increase Learner Engagement With Better Digital Experiences

> How are you focusing on learner engagement in your customer training programs?

- Published: 2021-12-15
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/6-tips-to-increase-learner-engagement-with-better-digital-experiences/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Why do experiences matter? On the face of it, customer training seems relatively straightforward: you need to get knowledge transferred, as efficiently as possible. You might think focusing on experiences is a bit of a soft topic in a space defined by the hard truth of training and information transfer. But it’s not about schmoozing the customer—it’s about building something better for your business. There’s a reason companies are investing in virtual platforms that support a great customer experience: it leads to better business results. Providing a great customer experience through your customer training program means: Driving two-thirds of customer loyalty via training 1. 5x YoY growth in customer retention, repeat purchases, and customer lifetime value You’re 70% more likely to be chosen as a primary supplier Increased revenue by 5% to 10% Long story, short: experiences matter more in our newly remote world; with more digital solutions than ever, customers face more distractions. Providing a great experience will help you stand out from the noise. We also have new expectations in this new world. Customer training should be personalized, not generalized. It should be engaging, not passive. The way people train has changed for good. Are you keeping up? Looking for more on the training industry? Check out our State of Virtual Training Technology report to learn the trends that will define the space in 2022.   6 Tips For Increasing Learner Engagement Hands-on training experiences should be the new normal in a virtual world. But how do you...

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### All You Need to Know to Measure Customer Training ROI

> Measuring customer training ROI can be a challenge. Here’s our guide on which training ROI metrics to use to get it right.

- Published: 2021-12-01
- Modified: 2024-04-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/all-you-need-to-know-to-measure-customer-training-roi/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

For software companies, customer training is no longer just for explaining complex technical products. Every software company can benefit from using customer training platforms to deliver exceptional experiences across every touchpoint on the buyer/customer journey. In an increasingly remote and hybrid working world, virtual training can be used to highlight key features and illustrate use cases in a sales demo or POC. It can also be used as part of customer onboarding and ongoing education to make sure your customers gain the maximum value from your products—which is essential for driving customer loyalty and retention. But how do you know if your investment has been a success? Measuring ROI on training investments can be difficult. Let’s explore how to measure ROI so that you get more from customer training tools. Why customer training ROI matters In the current subscription economy, there’s often an abundance of choice. Whether you’re looking for project management apps, automated marketing platforms, or HR software, there will be a wide selection of vendors and products to choose from. Even though technology spend is increasing—as digital transformation helps businesses navigate current challenges, from remote working to pandemic recovery—there’s more scrutiny than ever over how that money is invested. This is true for customer training solutions too. It’s very much a results game. So being able to measure and monitor ROI is crucial in ensuring your solution is living up to its promise. For software companies looking for customer training solutions, measuring ROI must be part of the...

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### Why Virtual Training and Digital Transformation Go Hand-in-Hand

> Ten years in three months. That's how far the digital transformation timeline advanced because of COVID-19.

- Published: 2021-11-30
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-virtual-training-and-digital-transformation-go-hand-in-hand/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Ten years in three months. That's how far the digital transformation timeline advanced because of COVID-19. The workplace of the future arrived a decade early, which means the workforce of the future is still struggling to keep up. We've all felt it at one point or another, especially in recent years. The nagging feeling that we're missing something. That something is wrong.   For some of us, it's that we're lost in a sea of digital noise, struggling to keep ourselves afloat in a world that's grown increasingly chaotic and stressful. For others, it's the fact that distributed work has either eroded or laid bare our company culture, leaving us disillusioned and disconnected. Still, others are simply tired. Burnt out. Either way, one thing holds true for all of us. For the past two years, it feels as though we've all been playing catch-up. And all the while, we've watched countless businesses fall behind, lacking the internal skills required for digital transformation — the necessary talent to remain competitive. So, what options do we have today? In this post, we’re going to cover why virtual training and digital transformations are synonymous, and what this means for companies looking to upskill and stay relevant. The Job Market Is Changing: Here’s What We Know We've seen an increasing number of jobs displaced or lost. At last count, that number had reached 220 million. By now, it may be even higher. There's no easy solution for any of these problems. The world we...

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### How to Build a Great B2B Sales Experience for Your Prospects, Customers, and Reps

> Building a great sales experience for your prospects is key to improving your win rate and shortening your sales cycle.

- Published: 2021-11-19
- Modified: 2023-05-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-build-a-great-b2b-sales-experience-for-your-prospects-customers-and-reps/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

The B2B sales experience can vary wildly from product to product and company to company. By delivering a high-quality experience to your prospects, from first contact to post-purchase training, you can stand out among your competitors. (Like, way out from the crowd. ) If you get it right, you can also create a loyal following of super users, boosting customer retention and advocacy. And your sales reps will feel confident every step of the way, knowing that they are set up to succeed. Today, we’ll show you how. What is the B2B sales experience?   The B2B sales experience is the interaction between your prospects and your organization. Although, in this article, we’re mostly focused on the initial stages where a sales professional is encouraging a prospect to become a customer—there’s more to it than this. It includes every interaction from the beginning of the buyer journey to the end of the customer journey. Because there’s always the opportunity to upsell, drive retention, encourage advocacy and more. The importance of making the B2B sales experience a priority  Gartner says that in a digital-first environment, B2B organizations must deliver a seller-assisted buying experience in order to succeed. Product-led is all well and good in some scenarios, but “purchase regret” for customers with a rep-free experience is 23% higher than customers that interact with a salesperson. That’s not all. The single biggest driver of a B2B sale is the degree to which customers feel confident about their own decisions. Yet, customers in...

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### The State of SaaS Virtual Training

> This report uncovers the biggest challenges, budget priorities, and trends behind 2022’s training plans, and how these resonate with 2021. Wondering what the benchmark is for student dropout or how other training leaders are managing to measure their impact in the organization? Download the full report.

- Published: 2021-11-18
- Modified: 2023-07-17
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/2021-saas-virtual-training-report
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How Venafi Increased Partner Activity and Efficiency with CloudShare

- Published: 2021-11-18
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/venafi-case-study-2021
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### 5 Steps to Increase Profits with Virtual Software Experiences

- Published: 2021-11-18
- Modified: 2023-05-21
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/5-steps-to-increase-profits-with-virtual-software-experiences/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Venafi Leverages CloudShare to Make Their Channel Partner Training More Effective

> Getting integration partners set up and running has always been a difficult-to-manage project for software companies. See how Venafi brought efficiency and visibility to their process with CloudShare.

- Published: 2021-11-15
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/venafi-leverages-cloudshare-to-make-their-channel-partner-training-more-effective/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Venafi Leverages CloudShare to Make Their Channel Partner Training More Effective Getting integration partners set up and running has always been a difficult-to-manage project for software companies. While SaaS may solve some of the setup issues on the customer side, getting partners what they need is particularly challenging—especially for enterprise-grade software companies that specialize in out-of-the-box product integrations within the security and IT space. That’s exactly what Venafi—a machine identity management solution for Global 5000 companies—faced as they sought to expand their ecosystem across dozens of partners. AWS just didn’t cut it for channel partner training programs Initially, the company tried using Amazon Web Services (AWS) to deliver their virtual environments to channel partners. But the process of creating and sharing these Proof of Concept (POC) environments, managed by the Customer Support team, proved to be costly and resource-intensive. It created a bottleneck in the process without providing any visibility to usage within the channel partner environments. More specifically, the AWS approach resulted in: A cumbersome setup process with a bottleneck within the Customer Support team. No visibility into real-time partner interaction within the environment. High maintenance costs for the homegrown solution. “We wanted a single price that included everything; not one that you never really know how much it costs in the end with all the additions. During the evaluation process, our preference was CloudShare because they offered an all-inclusive price that did not require us to pay separately for additional services or features. ” — Paul Cleary, Ecosystem...

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### The crucial role of customer experiences in boosting retention

> We investigate how to improve retention by delivering exceptional customer experiences at every touchpoint of the customer journey.

- Published: 2021-11-12
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-crucial-role-of-customer-experiences-in-boosting-retention/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

In the age of the subscription economy, customer acquisition is no longer enough for SaaS companies. Customers are fickle and willing to switch to a rival if they are not happy with a product or service. Research shows that acquiring new customers costs five times more than retaining existing ones. So, customer retention is an important business objective to prioritize. In fact, forward-thinking organizations are already moving to a mindset focused on customer retention. One of the best ways to boost retention is by focusing on improving customer experiences. CloudShare’s latest eBook Five steps for customer retention success explores this topic in greater detail and provides 5 practical steps to follow. However, in this blog we will explain why delivering exceptional customer experiences can be a substantial boost not just for retention but for your business’s bottom line. Customer experience is now the business differentiator A survey carried out by Salesforce found that 67% of people believe that their standard for “good experiences” is currently much higher than ever before. People expect to be able to do almost anything online or on the phones – including completing complex transactions, and tasks. When it comes to software companies looking to improve retention every interaction with a customer must be as effort-free and value-adding as possible. This means delivering exceptional software experiences at every point in the customer journey. Value enhancement A report by Gartner states that one of the main ways to maintain customer loyalty is to help customers gain more...

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### Cloud Proof of Concept (PoC) Solution: 4 Reasons Your Company Needs One

> Find out why your organization should transition PoC solutions to the cloud.

- Published: 2021-11-10
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloud-proof-of-concept-poc-solutions-4-reasons-your-company-needs-one/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

How does your company approach proofs of concept (PoCs)? This is a tough question for many businesses. If you’re like most, you may offer specialized demos. But sometimes these demos fall short. After all, a customer will seek out a software solution for a variety of reasons, but they don’t always reveal all of those reasons to you. Whether this is intentional secrecy or not, one way around this is to introduce cloud-based PoC solutions. This allows your clients to test your software in an environment that matches the kind of environment they’re used to. They can then test anything they like, and will have the chance to see how your solution can overcome all of their pain points. Cloud PoC environments are a reliable way to validate an idea and determine whether your goals are viable in the market itself. Traditionally, validating a PoC required time and resources, a suitable customer base to test the concept, and the ability to analyze the data you collect. Cloud PoCs have changed this entirely. Now, a business can quickly test a PoC and invite quality leads from anywhere in the world. Thanks to the cloud, businesses can quickly build real-world test environments that directly match the experiences a customer will face in reality. Businesses that want to stay competitive in the digital age need to realize the many benefits that a cloud proof of concept offers. Let’s take a look at the PoC benefits of cloud-based testing software, and the reasons you need to invest...

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### The Importance of Planning Your 2025 Training Budget

> Plan your 2025 training budget to align with business goals, leverage GenAI, and future-proof your customer education and L&D programs.

- Published: 2021-11-05
- Modified: 2025-02-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-planning-your-2022-training-budget/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

As a Software company, planning your 2022 training budget should be top of your priority list as we move towards the end of the year. And there are several essential steps that you should take to make sThe one constant over the past several years has been the breakneck pace at which technology has continued to evolve, with generative AI (GenAI) disrupting the way we work, learn, and live. If ever there's been a time when it's important to have a training budget in place, it's now. As such, planning your 2025 training budget should be at the top of your priority list as the New Year begins.   There are several essential steps to keep in mind so you can ensure next year's training is where you need it to be:  Evaluating your existing capabilities.   Establishing clearly-defined goals Understanding where you may need to invest  GenAI continues to revolutionize customer training and education budgets, as well as internal learning and development. Just a few short years after the pandemic forced organizations to fundamentally rethink how training was conducted, GenAI is compelling them to do so again. We're in completely unprecedented territory here — and the potential for missteps is massive.   Planning your training correctly sets the foundation for an evolving budget that can be expected to grow year on year, gaining the necessary internal buy-in each time, and delivering predicted ROI. More importantly, it'll help your business be robust enough to withstand a marketplace that's constantly in...

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### The One Mistake to Avoid When Building Training for SaaS Applications

> With CloudShare’s training solution for SaaS applications, you can also deliver an hands-on learning experience for your SaaS applications.

- Published: 2021-11-01
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/one-mistake-to-avoid-when-building-training-for-saas-apps/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

This post was originally published in February 2018 and updated in November 2021.   SaaS applications are prized for their convenience and efficiency. However, one of their key benefits – the immediate availability of new features without needing to wait for each customer’s IT to install an upgrade – increases the challenge of making sure that your users are enjoying the full value of your application. And with a subscription model and lack of a significant upfront investment to help encourage stickiness, training is needed more than ever to make sure your partners know what to sell and users have reason to renew. Effective SaaS training has multiple benefits. It speeds up employee onboarding and reduces strain on your support resources. It increases customer satisfaction and empowers your partners, expanding revenue streams and ensuring renewed business. Often, when organizations offer customer training for SaaS, they offer it on-demand, where users can log in during their own free time and complete a course, a certification, or a skills-lab. However, when you learn alone, customers can lose focus, engagement, or interest. Instead, training has been proven to be the most beneficial when students learn in a real-world environment where they can ask questions, and get immediate feedback and assistance. This is why for years, on-premises solutions have included a training package where instructors go on site and provide a white-glove experience to help get customers up to speed, and quicken time to value with the product. While you can record or broadcast...

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### CloudShare, Sales Hacker &amp; Walnut: Closing the Gap Between B2B and B2C Sales Experiences

> Watch our webinar titled: %%title%%.

- Published: 2021-10-28
- Modified: 2023-07-09
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sales-hacker-webinar
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership



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### 6 Technology Must-haves to Better Implement Your Sales Enablement Strategy

> In this blog, we look at the importance of getting your sales enablement strategy right, how to implement it effectively.

- Published: 2021-10-23
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/6-technology-must-haves-to-better-implement-your-sales-enablement-strategy/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

No one needs reminding how the world has been transformed by the pandemic. But it’s worth highlighting how the shift to remote working has influenced the way that B2B software companies sell their products and services. Especially if you want your sales arm to flourish in the new virtual norm. Today, customer and prospect interactions are increasingly, if not exclusively, happening online. When the buyer journey occurs online, the relationship a customer has with your organization will be formed by digital experiences alone. Naturally, this changes how sales teams must prepare to engage with customers. Of course, this needs to be included in any strategy for sales in general but, in particular, for technical sales enablement for B2B software companies, i. e. for demos or PoCs that showcase sophisticated features and functionality. So how can you implement a sales enablement strategy that is purpose-built for the new virtual norm? Here’s how. What is sales enablement? Sales enablement is all that goes into making sure your sales team can sell your products or services to prospects in the most effective way. Let’s break this down into four areas. Skills – they need to know their craft Knowledge – they need to know the prospect’s pain points and how their solution can help Technology – they need tools to showcase the value of your solution Training – they need ways to ensure they are prepared for all of the above A sales enablement program or strategy must look to cover these bases....

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### 6 Practical Tips for Pre-sales Demos in the New Virtual Norm

> Virtual pre-sales is the first stage in the customer journey. Here are 6 ways to help your live virtual pre-sales demos make the impact you want.

- Published: 2021-10-20
- Modified: 2024-04-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/6-practical-tips-for-pre-sales-demos-in-the-new-virtual-norm/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Virtual pre-sales is the very first stage in the customer journey, at least that’s how we see it. Unlike the sales demos of old, sales pitches are hosted online bringing numerous benefits, but also a few challenges. Engaging your prospects with a live video presentation, instead of an in-person walkthrough is the first step when going virtual. While this makes it easier to reach wider and more diverse audiences, it can also limit how much of the product your potential customers can get to grips with, if you aren’t using a dedicated solution. It’s important, not only to get the demo right but that you deliver it using the right platform. You want to strike the balance between selling the key points of your product, while also providing the prospect with useful information on your software’s capabilities, and perhaps even showing them how it works in real-time. Here are six ways you can create a pre-sales demo that impresses potential new customers in the new virtual norm: Creating the perfect virtual pre-sales demos The pre-sales stage is all about ticking your prospect’s boxes and showcasing the true value of your product. Technical features can be difficult to explain or imagine, and so it’s important to remember your audience and to tailor your demos to them with specific pain points and vocabulary. You aren’t here just to read from a spec sheet – make it count. Here are 6 ways to help your live virtual pre-sales demos make the impact you...

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### 31 Trends, Technologies & Tactics to Maximize Software Training ROI in 2022

- Published: 2021-10-19
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/2021-2022-industry-report-the-state-of-virtual-training-technology
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Understanding the Benefits of Labs as a Service for Your Business

> What are these virtual labs, exactly? How do they work? And more importantly, how can they help your business thrive?

- Published: 2021-10-17
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/understanding-the-benefits-of-labs-as-a-service-for-your-business/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Individual labs are only feasible up to a certain threshold. As you likely well know, bottlenecks are inevitable as a business scales. And these bottlenecks can cripple training, hobble QA testing, and slow the development process to a crawl. The problem here is threefold: First, spinning up custom environments takes time. Even with preset templates, different software will have different computing requirements. And every hour spent on configuration is an hour not spent on testing and optimization. There is also the matter of resource limitations. You only have so many servers and so much bandwidth. If all your labs are in use, the only thing anyone can do is wait. Finally, owing to their complexity, test labs tend to operate in a somewhat disconnected manner. Data silos are a common issue, one which is only further exacerbated by operational inefficiencies. Cloud-based labs offer a compelling solution to all three challenges. Known also as labs-as-a-service, they allow a business to immediately deploy as many cloud lab environments as necessary, whether for testing, training, security. Virtual lab services can scale up or down as much as a business requires, and when paired with greater efficiency, have the potential to significantly cut down on operating expenses. But what are these virtual labs, exactly? How do they work? And more importantly, how can they help your business thrive? What Are Labs-as-a-Service? When we reference LaaS, we're actually talking about the convergence of two similar technologies. The first, virtualization, has been around for quite some...

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### The Importance of Offering an Exceptional Demo Experience

> With the right technology, your business can rocket to the forefront of your industry, with better sales, faster customer acquisition, and better retention.

- Published: 2021-10-12
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-offering-an-exceptional-demo-experience/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Playing the Game Means Accepting the Digital Rulebook According to McKinsey, for instance, approximately 80% of B2B decision-makers prefer virtual interaction or digital self-service during the sales process. Safety aside, ease of scheduling and lower travel expenses were identified as key reasons for this shift. Moreover, for nearly 74% of businesses surveyed, a digital sales model was equally or more effective at reaching and serving customers than a traditional approach. Given the above, it should come as little surprise that most B2B companies have embraced a digital go-to-market model for their products, particularly in the software space. If yours is among them, that's good. You've taken the first step. But if your company is like most, you're still mired in the old way of doing things. You're still too concerned with talking about your products and telling your customers why it's valuable. What you should be doing instead is showing them. Or better yet, allowing them to see it for themselves. To do that, you need to rethink your sales process. Rather than viewing acquisition in terms of sales funnels, look at it as an ongoing journey. Focus on integrating the same best practices that make your software compelling into a unified digital experience focused exclusively on the customer and their needs rather than your product or brand. Personalized, interactive product demos are the cornerstone of this new approach, and beneficial for a multitude of reasons: 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for an exceptional customer experience. In...

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### Why Personalized Learning Programs Are a MUST for Software Companies

> By providing personalized learning programs for your software, you can really make your technology stand out from the crowd.

- Published: 2021-10-08
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-personalized-learning-programs-are-a-must-for-software-companies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

What kind of learner are you? Some people learn through practical exercises. Others depend more on visual representations. Some like to take notes. Everyone has their own way of learning which means that generic, one-to-many training often fails to hit the mark. And businesses know this. Research indicates that 80% of Learning and Development professionals believe personalized training should be a priority. As a result, L&D teams are increasingly investing in learning management systems that offer a customized learning experience. And this means that any software company offering instruction as part of its customer experience strategy must offer personalization. Here's what you need to know about customized learning experiences. What is personalized learning? Personalized learning is an approach to corporate training which recognizes that individuals have different styles of learning and unique needs. It aims to train people in a way that matches their learning level, speed, and requirements. We have long known that there are at least seven learning styles to which different individuals respond better. In the education system, this means that schoolteachers now try to plan for different styles of learners in their classes. For instance, a history teacher will include some visual learning with pictures, verbal learning with reading out loud, and social learning with a discussion. In corporate training, personalized learning involves the same kinds of considerations. The instructor must create a variety of lessons suited to different types of learners, while also corresponding with their learning level and needs. What are the benefits of...

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### Blancco Technology Group Leverages CloudShare to Scale Up Sales

- Published: 2021-10-06
- Modified: 2023-08-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/blancco-case-study-technology-group-leverages-cloudshare-to-scale-up-sales
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Instructor-led IT Training Vs. Self-paced: What’s More Important?

- Published: 2021-09-30
- Modified: 2025-01-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/instructor-led-it-training-vs-self-paced-whats-more-important/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Whether for pre-sales demos or post-sales onboarding and training, software companies are shifting quickly from the passive, unidirectional, pre-packaged “presentation” to a much more engaging hands-on approach. The benefits of hands-on practice are significant and are driving companies to replace (or enhance) simple video conferences with a virtual lab environment. The result: Participants can now join a training session or product demo using only their browser and take control of an authentic version of the software using their mouse and keyboard. There are two varieties of remote, cloud-based training, however. Each has its own benefits: Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) Virtual Instructor-led Training (VILT) begins with a traditional classroom approach where the instructor guides the session’s curriculum and content, walking the class through the exercise. It’s not that traditional, however; since this customer experience takes place in an interactive virtual environment, the instructor need not conduct the demonstration while trainees sit by and watch; rather participants try the functionality for themselves. There are multiple factors to make this VILT approach successful:  After an introduction or overview, the trainer can provide challenges and assignments with specific goals and then watch the trainees work through the interface until they succeed (or, of course, fail). They can correct them, offer shortcuts, and even pause the process and share one participant’s screen with the class for a contextual learning moment. This tactic replaces “seeing is believing” with “achieving is believing. ” The instructor can also spontaneously pause the independent session and demonstrate an action for...

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### Blancco Technology Group Leverages CloudShare to Scale Up Sales

- Published: 2021-09-25
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blancco-technology-group-leverages-cloudshare-to-scale-up-sales/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

When you have a team of talented developers, it sometimes seems like there’s nothing they can’t do. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to divert them from core product development to create sales tools from scratch. Like many software developers, Blancco Technology Group ‒ a leading global provider of data erasure and mobile lifecycle solutions ‒ began building a cloud-based training platform for their sales team. Scaling became an issue, along with poor reporting and wasted setup time  Over time, it became clear that the labor-intensive processes behind it – both development and support – did not scale at anywhere near the pace that the company was growing. In addition: There also was no visibility into which products were being demonstrated, for how long, by whom, and how often. So management couldn’t know which people, teams, or products needed additional support. They knew they were using only a modest collection of no-frills, hand-made engagement features, not a complete collection of tools designed specifically for training Sales reps were still wasting hours each day troubleshooting and configuring the system – time that could be better spent selling, meeting KPIs and improving the bottom line After creating a wish-list of features and exploring the options, the team selected CloudShare as a best-of-breed business acceleration platform to eliminate all these challenges and streamline the sales and training process for all stakeholders. Once implemented, they discovered that any sales rep could: Send out invitations to launch a browser-based, up-to-date, optimized VM without...

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### The 2022 Playbook - 5 Steps To Achieve The Highest Possible Software Training Results

- Published: 2021-09-23
- Modified: 2023-07-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/the-2021-playbook-5-steps-to-achieve-the-highest-possible-software-training-results/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Going Virtual: Why Old-School Sales Demos Are No Longer Cutting It

> Read on to learn more about why a successful technical sales strategy needs to cater to the modern user experience.

- Published: 2021-09-22
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/going-virtual-why-old-school-sales-demos-are-no-longer-cutting-it/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Technical sales training has never been easy — but in today's landscape, it's become more challenging than ever. First, because the world is now remote, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to provide a hands-on demonstration of what your software can do. And although some degree of business travel will resume as the pandemic lets up, McKinsey forecasts that it is likely to only reach 80% of pre-pandemic levels by 2024. What does this mean? Simply put: prospects may demand that you provide them with a virtual product demo rather than a traditional guided demonstration. Because today, approximately 80% of B2B decision-makers now prefer remote interaction or digital self-serve. So, what options do you have when it comes to your technical sales demos, training, and strategy? Read on to learn more about why a successful technical sales strategy needs to cater to the modern user experience. Customers Crave Experiences—Even In Technical Sales The shift to digital has also caused many clients in the B2B space to rethink their expectations around their solutions, as well. People have new standards, born from their experience in other remote collaboration and productivity software. Your software must meet these standards, but more importantly, you must be capable of showing people that it meets them. The bottom line for your technical sales strategy is this: The only way to demonstrate the value of your software is through personalized virtual demos. The only way to retain new prospects is through an engaging onboarding and training process....

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### Still Using Webex, Zoom, or Teams for Your Customer Training? Here’s Why Hands-on Training Needs Specialist Tools

> Evermore software companies are experiencing the benefits of delivering customer education when it comes to adoption and user engagement.

- Published: 2021-09-20
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/heres-why-hands-on-training-needs-specialist-tools/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

In the past 18 months, we have seen an incredible boom in the popularity of online training. For example, enrollments with Coursera were up 640% in 2020 over the year before. In line with this trend, software companies that traditionally offered their customers in-person training began transitioning to online training during the pandemic. This allowed them to continue supporting customers to use their technologies. When lockdowns were first announced, many companies chose to use popular video conferencing services like Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Webex to deliver software training. While this is certainly better than nothing, it is a far cry from the more traditional hands-on training that instructors would be able to deliver via in-person classes. And this is why a growing number of businesses are opting to use virtual hands-on training solutions instead. Why hands-on training with Teams, Webex, or Zoom fails Has your company attempted to deliver software training using tools like Microsoft Teams, Webex or Zoom? Although these platforms are fantastic for video conferencing, they are not specifically designed for delivering hands-on training – the only way to deliver instruction is in the form of webinars. Why is this a problem? It relies on passive learning When students learn over video conferencing platforms, they have relatively few opportunities to interact with the instructor. What is more, they cannot use the software that they are being taught about in the class itself. This means that they must take notes before trying to apply the learning in the real...

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### 5 Tips for Converting Remote Software Demos in the Age of COVID-19

> 5 tips that will change the way you think about remote software demos, actionable advice to help your business thrive post-COVID-19.

- Published: 2021-09-15
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-tips-for-converting-remote-software-demos-in-the-age-of-covid-19/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

During the pandemic, changes in tech went into hyperdrive, as companies were faced with higher stakes during the switch to remote working. This meant rethinking sales processes almost overnight, with in-person demos and training sessions completely out the window. More emphasis was put on remote software demos, and how businesses could break the mold, using live tools to help sell products in a more engaging and efficient way. In fact, 67% of the buyer’s journey now takes place digitally, with more scope for personalization and an improved customer experience than was previously possible. But how can you make the most of this new environment we find ourselves in? Here are 5 sales enablement tips Make sure teams are remote-ready This might seem a little obvious, especially given that the world has been working remotely for over a year now. However, you’d be surprised how many processes are still not optimized for remote demos. The first thing to check is that you have the right tools for the job. Making sure that sales teams are equipped with high-quality headsets and cameras will maintain a standardized level of professionalism across the team. It may seem basic, but it’s important to get the basics right. Your chosen technique for providing demos needs to be engaging. Think of it more as the start of the customer journey, rather than pre-customer journey. You don’t just want your customers to finish their demo with the relevant information, you want them to have had a great overall...

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### The Secret to Delivering Exceptional Customer Experiences With Google Cloud

> Delivering sales, training and other customer experiences over the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) has plenty of benefits.

- Published: 2021-09-10
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-secret-to-delivering-exceptional-customer-experiences-with-google-cloud/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

For companies that need to demo software or provide customer education through training environments, using platforms like Google Cloud Labs is an attractive option. With a Google Cloud sandbox environment, you get access to a scalable platform where your customers can log in remotely and experience your company’s software. However, despite the many benefits of using GCP labs as the foundation for your customer education strategy, it does not provide you with a complete solution. You will still need to invest heavily in your customer sales cloud demo or training environment. Building this kind of platform in Google Cloud Labs is not necessarily the easiest project. The challenge of creating virtual experiences in public clouds Building a customer education or sales environment in a public cloud is a challenging process. You cannot simply spin up an environment in the Google Cloud Lab platform and invite your customers. Instead, you will need to build much of the environment from the ground up - requiring in-depth knowledge of how to use the Google Cloud Sandbox and infrastructure. Think about it like building a house. A platform like Google Cloud Labs provides you with the land on which you can build your home. That is a good start, but you still need to dig the foundations, source the materials, and put up the walls yourself. If you do this on your own, you will need to carry out the following: A house needs a strong and sturdy set of foundations on which to...

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### Why Public Clouds Are Not the Right Fit for Virtual Training

- Published: 2021-09-05
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-public-clouds-are-not-the-right-fit-for-virtual-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We hear it again and again from our new clients: “We built our own training lab environment on a public cloud, and we’ve discovered that it’s just not yielding the results we need... ” What exactly have they learned through their first attempt, and which additional features are they looking for to fill those gaps? First, let’s review and acknowledge the advantages of the public cloud. Here’s why companies leap to build their projects there: Cost-effective. No hardware. No backups. No failsafe. No bandwidth bottlenecks. No need to install or update OS. For over a decade now, the cloud has solved this collection of problems, all at once, for businesses worldwide. Scalability. Add users, add data, add bandwidth requirements. A public cloud is designed to grow with your company at a reasonable, predictable cost. Accessible from anywhere. Your trainers can do their jobs without having to customize, support and physically bring software for training classes, while trainees can learn from an office desk, their living rooms, or a coffee shop. Any basic laptop with a browser works for anyone needing access. Centralized implementation. Your software installations can be supported and QA’d to ensure a bullet-proof software version; no rogue implementations, outdated versions, or phantom data. So what’s missing? When it comes to software training, while paramount, these benefits are simply not enough. There are core differences between running your training operation in the cloud and using a purpose-built virtual training platform. Here are some of the main drawbacks from failing...

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### Building Blocks for Virtual Training Solutions: How to Get Started, and Why

> How do these virtual training platforms work, and what features should software instructors expect? The ultimate guide to boosting adoption via virtual training solutions.

- Published: 2021-09-01
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/building-blocks-for-virtual-training-solutions/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Imagine an end-user of your company’s software. They have just been given their login for the first time and are beginning to navigate their way around the platform. The tool seems great, and many of its features are intuitive. However, they are struggling when it comes to completing certain essential tasks. The obvious solution here is training. Today, many software companies are providing this training in-house. By using cloud-based virtual training solutions, instructors can offer practical guidance which means end-users adopt the tech more successfully. How do these virtual training platforms work, and what features should software instructors expect? We’ll also provide a glossary of key terms to help you fully understand what’s available, so you can make an informed decision on what will be best for your organization. This way you will have the ultimate guide to boosting adoption via virtual training solutions. Why you need virtual training labs A virtual training platform allows you to create an environment to demonstrate how to use your software. To achieve long-term success, software companies need to be sure that customers are getting real value from their products. If end-users struggle to use the software, there is a good chance they will stop using it and will not renew their licenses. And this is why many software companies are investing in virtual training solutions. Research has shown that training leads to higher rates of software adoption. This “stickiness” is essential for any software company’s long-term success. What to look for in a...

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### How Software Training Boosts Customer Retention

- Published: 2021-08-29
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-software-training-boosts-customer-retention/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It’s a very, very well-quoted metric: it’s much more expensive to identify, market to, and acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. There are plenty of supporting stats out there: Increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95% The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 – 70%, while the probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-20%. Existing customers are 50% more likely to try new products and spend 31% more when compared to new customers. Importance of customer lifetime value (CLV) But if you think about it, the direct costs of tactical outreach as a well-justified expense is only the second factor to consider in this equation. The first is about what that outlay is going to get you. Not all clients represent the same cost/benefit value; the main issue is really what that relationship is worth in the long term – customer lifetime value (CLV). While every company’s calculation of CLV is based on unique considerations, there are specific sectors in which reducing churn is worth especially serious thought, strategy and, when necessary, investment of resources. One of those sectors is enterprise software sales. And conveniently, it’s an area in which customer onboarding and customer training can be particularly effective tactics to increasing retention. When you’ve got your software product well-embedded at a client site, it becomes a must-have, not a nice-to-have because it is: Used for substantial time each day Central to accomplish mission-critical tasks Relied...

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### SAI Global Ensures Business As Usual & Scales Its Training Operation Following Merger

- Published: 2021-08-26
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/sai-global-ensures-business-as-usual-scales-its-training-operation-following-merger
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### CloudShare Solves Three Training Challenges at Once for SAI Global

- Published: 2021-08-23
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-solves-three-training-challenges-at-once-for-sai-global/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Sometimes, business pressures appear simultaneously from different directions, creating “the perfect storm. ” Such was the case when Australia-based SAI Global, a leader in risk management services, recently acquired BWise, a leading software company providing exceptional software for helping clients to meet regulatory compliance requirements. Acquisitions are always exciting, but never simple. Teams and tools need to be assessed, combined, streamlined and optimized to remove redundancy and maximize effectiveness. And this all must happen in real-time, without active customers noticing anything but improvements. With the acquisition complete, the Training Academy of SAI’s new division faced scalability challenges: They had to quickly begin remote training a broader customer base that suddenly became their own. They needed to do more software training, more quickly, for more clients, and ideally without adding hardware, software, or a new cadre of IT staff to manage all this new activity. And as if this weren’t a daunting enough challenge, COVID-19 arrived and SAI’s online remote training became the core mode of the Academy’s activities. The urgent need for scaling up was, somehow, even more critical. Luckily, BWise had been a customer of CloudShare and had used its remote training solutions for a few years. Its most active users – the trainers – knew they had nothing to worry about; CloudShare’s cloud-based software training platform was designed specifically for scenarios like these. With minimal changes to the status quo, they’d remain independent of IT and easily spin up all the training sessions they needed. Leveraging CloudShare’s long...

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### Virtual Software Experiences That Impact Your Business’s Bottom Line

> Virtual software experiences offer a unique and powerful boost to the most critical factor in your bottom line: revenue-driving customer engagement.

- Published: 2021-08-17
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-software-experiences-that-impact-your-businesss-bottom-line/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Ask the head of any department in your company which team is the most critical to the bottom line. Each will tell you – with absolutely valid reasoning – that without their group’s stellar performance, the company couldn’t dominate its sector: R&D and Product Management can stake claim to creating high-quality, effective products, the very bread and butter of the company. Without a crack Marketing team, Sales could not make headway with the right positioning and collateral; even the most powerful, impressive product imaginable wouldn’t find its way into the hands of enough customers. Without an aggressive Sales department, of course, there’d be no revenue or market penetration. Even with customers buying your products, they’d churn rapidly without quick, knowledgeable support and training teams to keep them working effectively, up-to-date on new features. All hands on deck. And all apps, too... In short, they are all correct – there are no superfluous departments or teams who can survive as the weak link in the chain. But the product lifecycle demands not only excellent people at every level of seniority in each department, but also technology platforms to support their efforts. Internally, there are cross-departmental enterprise applications: CRM, task management, DevOps, file sharing/collaboration, ERP, marketing automation, and more. These tools keep employees in sync as they collaborate, share data, and optimize workflows to attract, sell to, and support customers. More and more, these tools are cloud-based; the rapid trend to shift from on-prem to SaaS is proven to slash costs for...

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### Growing? Let Virtual Software Experiences Help You Scale Your Sales Pipeline

> Traditional limitations and inefficiencies in the sale process mean that scaling your pipeline isn’t about adding people - it’s about giving the current team the right platform.

- Published: 2021-08-16
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/growing-let-virtual-software-experiences-help-you-scale-your-sales-pipeline/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

When you sell a powerful, impressive, well-designed software product with broad applications, you can target thousands – if not tens of thousands – potential customers around the globe. And for enterprise sales, in particular, this is a long, multi-step sales cycle with plenty of stakeholders to contact, pitch to, and ultimately impress. It goes without saying that only a small percentage of all those you do manage to engage will ultimately become profitable, long-term customers. The problem? Scaling that pipeline.   Yes, the B2C sector (and some rare examples in B2B as well) have managed to automate much of the process. They design massive online advertising campaigns that offer free trials easily converted to paid versions. But for most B2B – especially for scenarios with large, complex installations that require customization or extensive training for users at various levels – you need a manual, personal pitch that requires human engagement at each step. And therein lies the problem. Even those companies who take the strategic step of investing in a large sales team do hit a threshold to how many people they can employ to get more done. Why can’t you simply throw more and more people at the problem? Meeting with a prospect has traditionally taken a few forms, each problematic in a different way: A physical face-to-face, involving (at a minimum) a car ride each way, or, at the other extreme, flights, hotels, and all related expenses in time and budget. These need to be scheduled by both...

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### How Are Enterprise Software Sales Different Than SMB Software Sales?

> Successful enterprise software sales require a rare type of personality, and a lot of patience, and the right tools to assure a prospect that you’re a perfect fit.

- Published: 2021-08-11
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/enterprise-software-sales-vs-smb-software-sales/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Enterprise software sales are not for the timid, lazy or impatient: Sales cycles are long, the process is expensive, the customers demanding, and after all that, it involves a painfully high risk of failure. In short, sales reps specializing in this sector must be truly resilient – “built” to stomach the challenge. What’s particularly frustrating – as young, optimistic sales newbies quickly discover – is that there’s little you can do about the key three factors that make enterprise software sales processes such an uphill battle: The stakes are high ... for the customer. Unlike a freemium B2C music app or even a 10-license SMB marketing automation tool, enterprise software weaves itself deeply into an enormous entity. Departments and colleagues need to remain in sync, completely reliant on a smoothly operating suite of software products. Every CFO knows that the training and integration time required post-sales represents a significant additional line item beyond the base product license. The ROI and boosts to efficiency and convenience can be appealing, but not if they are balanced or surpassed by substantial risk factors. The in-house advocate puts his own reputation on the line. A long list of stakeholders. Whether you prefer a top-down sales process starting with senior management, or a grass-root approach where the team in the trenches pushes the request up the corporate tree, there are a lot of people to pitch to and impress, one after the other. Each has a unique set of priorities, personality, and experience. Failing to...

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### How to Measure Customer Retention?

> With an extensive collection of customers, teams, employees, and touchpoints, most companies have the data they need to boost customer retention.

- Published: 2021-08-05
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-measure-customer-retention/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

7 Metrics You Should Be Tracking Now This quote by Harley Davidson’s president, John Russel, should hang on the wall of every executive concerned with customer retention: “The more you engage with customers, the clearer things become, and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing. ” Especially in the world of enterprise software, there are numerous ongoing touchpoints in which your marketing, sales, training, and support teams all engage proactively with your customers. While each engagement has its own purpose and goal, they can all yield one potential benefit: They can be tracked, documented, organized, and summarized. The result? Meaningful insights into the most effective strategies to create, maintain or boost high customer retention rates. Requiring teams to submit customer retention metrics as part of their KPIs will help improve overall strategy on both the micro and macro levels and create a corporate mindset of considering those customer retention KPIs in every business decision and activity. So, how do you measure customer retention? Step #1: First, appoint an owner Before reviewing our list, let’s focus on one key concept: centralized ownership. The larger your company, and the more teams and employees interacting with clients, the more meaningful metrics for customer retention you can potentially generate. But raw data is only the first step. Companies that prioritize the empirical analysis behind retention rates often dedicate one or more staffers to aggregating the data and turning it into meaningful reports and summaries that indicate clear trends. Without this...

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### Face to Face, At Last! The SENY Meet-Up in NY

> It was an exciting evening with people who “speak our language” – and who now understand that with CloudShare as part of their sales enablement strategy, they can reduce the friction, wasted time, and unnecessary distraction so common in this sector.

- Published: 2021-08-02
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/face-to-face-at-last-the-seny-meet-up-in-ny/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Earlier this summer, we took advantage of the brief dip in COVID frenzy to meet in person with a terrific community of sales engineers at the SENY 3-year Anniversary Celebration in New York. Like so many professionals in the high-tech space, SEs are reimagining their tactics to help turn sales pitches and product demos into long-term, profitable client relationships. Yes, the food and drinks at the Craft Restaurant were fabulous. But it was even more exciting to interact with so many specialists – and those eager to become experts in sales engineer training skills – who understood the impact of what we do at CloudShare. It was fascinating to hear how virtual demos can help solve so many of their daily challenges, like: Time waste creating environments  Limited integration between tools Distractions Being limited to a single cloud vendor Visibility limitations on how demos and POC affect sales cycles Technical glitches like latency, hardware failure and other disruptions Both in our brief presentation and in private conversations afterward, we knocked down these “sales enablement training” challenges one by one. We walked SEs through our platform and the features that eliminate so many of the headaches they had thus far simply accepted as part of the process. So what were the top 3 benefits that got the biggest reactions? Ease & Simplicity. They loved hearing that by running the entire process through a browser using a centralized virtual environment that could be cloned in a click, they’d be free of the...

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### How Your Software Company Can Create a Personalized Experience for Prospects

> In this blog, we look at how software companies can incorporate personalization strategies into the sales process.

- Published: 2021-07-15
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-your-software-company-can-create-a-personalized-experience-for-prospects/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Have you ever found yourself browsing for business software, but struggled to work out if a solution was right for you? You might have felt unsure if a system was designed for your company’s size, industry or existing workflows. Sales personalization strategies are a powerful technique for addressing this kind of issue. They allow you to demonstrate your company’s software in the most appropriate way for your incoming leads. Let's learn more. Why offer personalized customer experiences? There is no doubt that offering a personalized customer experience can have a significant impact on revenue. For example, research has shown that personalization strategies can drive a 5-15% increase in sales.   Personalized customer experiences are of course extremely common in the B2C sector, where successful eCommerce sites like Amazon are able to recommend relevant products for customers to encourage spending. In the B2B sector, personalization strategies don't work in quite the same way, yet remain a powerful tool nonetheless. B2B software sales: personalization strategies There are many different personalization strategies which can be highly effective for B2B software businesses, throughout the sales funnel. These include: Personalized email campaigns (addressed to the individual and messaging segmented by audience) Website content recommendations Automated, yet personalized sales follow-up emails Personalized sales demos 4 ways to offer personalized experiences with CloudShare CloudShare allows you to spin up cloud environments where you can host an instance of your software. This can then be used as a sales tool when interacting with your prospects. Here are four...

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### Why Cybersecurity Companies Must Provide Hands-on Training to Hospital Clients

> Cybersecurity firms develop software to battle hackers around the clock, with attacks from around the world. But only one part of the solution can be automated. Training people is the other.

- Published: 2021-07-13
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/hands-on-training-to-hospital-clients/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

It’s not easy running an IT department at a large medical organization these days, and the job is not getting any easier. Hospitals represent a prime target for cyberattacks for a variety of reasons: Medical providers store massive amounts of sensitive data that they cannot afford to lose or have exposed. Hospitals maintain dozens of discrete systems to manage all moving parts, from personnel to equipment. A hacker can work through these, searching for the inevitable weakness. A hospital’s systems can never be airtight, as the staff must communicate actively with insurers, other hospitals, external specialists, and patients themselves. Data accuracy and availability for medical care can be a matter of life and death. A database “held hostage,” even for a few minutes, can have dire implications.

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### How Does a Cloud Demo Work?

> Cloud demos let you spin up a sales environment that your prospects can access remotely.

- Published: 2021-07-07
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-does-a-cloud-demo-work/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Meet Karen, a salesperson who has been working on a prospect for the past month. After sending emails, an initial phone call, and a white paper, the customer is ready to view your software. But here's the problem: the customer is based abroad and, due to travel restrictions, you cannot send Karen to demo the software in their offices. You are therefore forced to build a demo environment on your own in-house servers, and then try and do the demo over Zoom. Besides being time-consuming and technically complex, there is a real chance of technical glitches using this traditional and inflexible approach. And of course, the customer can't try the demo out either. These challenges explain why 75% of companies now believe video and cloud demos are just as – if not more – effective as in-person sales. What is a cloud demo? A cloud-based sales demo is just like a traditional sales demo environment that your teams can use whenever they need: You rent out space on a cloud server that is specialized for cloud demos You upload an instance of your software to the environment You then send your customer a link to the software demo They connect to the environment from any device You talk them through realistic and personalized software demos You can also provision demo templates that are tailored to different industries or specific use cases – which makes provisioning the demo even faster for your sales team Cloud demo solutions allow you to hand...

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### How to Build a Successful Customer Experience Training Program

> In a world where the customer is increasingly prioritized, how can you ensure everyone in your organization is making every customer’s experience all it can be?

- Published: 2021-07-07
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-build-a-successful-customer-experience-training-program/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Organizations everywhere have discovered the importance of putting their customers at the center of everything. In this new, customer-centric paradigm, customer experience (CX) is key. However, to make it a success, businesses need to put a real focus on developing their customer experience training – and that’s what we’ll explore in this article. Customer experience vs customer service There’s one thing we need to state right from the beginning. We’re talking about customer experience here – not customer service. They aren’t the same thing, and your CX training will need to make that clear. Otherwise, you risk losing part of your audience, who will immediately switch off because they think you’re only talking about customer service (or customer support). They may not regard that as being relevant to them – only to the folks on the helpdesk, for instance. A cornerstone of modern CX management training is that customer experience is important to everyone. It includes customer service and customer support, but it’s a far wider concept (arguably a mindset) that encapsulates a lot more. Everybody in an organization has a role to play – and a responsibility – to ensure you provide great customer experiences that set you apart from the competition, enhance your brand, and ultimately pave the way to future success. Post-sale CX isn’t just “fighting fires”  Your CX training program should be all-encompassing. It should stretch back all the way to when a customer hasn’t even become a customer yet and cover their experiences as a...

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### The Top 5 Virtual Instructor-led Training Benefits

> The pandemic has accelerated the shift to virtual classroom training. Here are the top 5 Virtual Instructor-led Training benefits.

- Published: 2021-07-05
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-top-5-virtual-instructor-led-training-benefits/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

One of the lasting legacies of the COVID-19 pandemic will be the normalization of remote working. In fact, today, it’s not uncommon for the majority of your daily dealings, both in and out of work to take place online. And it’s the same for workplace learning. The pandemic has accelerated the shift to virtual classroom training, and this has many benefits for your organization. Our Top 5 Virtual Instructor-led Training Benefits Immediate access to quality training One of the benefits of virtual instructor-led training (VILT) is the lack of time constraints. If you want to execute your organization’s internal sales training plans tomorrow, with the right know-how, you can. There’s no need to wait for the next conference or seminar to come into town or have to worry about travel and accommodation logistics for your employees. Instead, you can book your training online and (in some cases) access it immediately. This gives you better control when it comes to reaching your business goals. You can proactively plan to develop an area of your business (sales, for example) while your competition is waiting around for the next in-person training to start. Cost savings  As well as that immediate access to knowledge and quality instructors, virtual instructor-led training platforms are a lot more cost-effective than the in-person equivalent. It comes back to the lack of travel costs or the expense of putting your teams up in hotels. It reduces the expense bill while also reducing the time your employees are “Out of Office”....

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### What Does the 4th of July Have to Do With Hands-on Training? You’d Be Surprised

> What does 4th of July have to do with hands-on training? Get a history lesson in the American Revolutionary war and the power of hands-on training.

- Published: 2021-07-01
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-you-can-learn-from-a-revolutionary-war-general-about-hands-on-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

For many software businesses, helping customers get the most out of their technology can feel like a battle. You need to overcome resistance to change, use smart tactics to promote the technology, and expand the ‘territory’ of end-users who truly adopt your technology. As we celebrate the 4th of July, there is a lot that customer success managers can learn from American Revolutionary War generals when it comes to winning the ‘battle’ of customer retention. And in particular, we can channel the hands-on training methods of a Prussian Baron who introduced new military drills to the revolutionary army back in 18th century America. That’s right, you too can be an American hero this 4th July! How Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben changed hands-on training Time for a history lesson! It was the deep, dark winter of 1777-1778 and the Continental Army was struggling in the War of Independence. Many of the soldiers were volunteers with little or no military experience. Their camps weren’t exactly the cleanest places to hunker down. The rag tag troops lacked uniforms or proper equipment. And different units were following different drill manuals - which meant they worked at cross purposes in battle. It was more Apocalypse Now than Band of Brothers. The army was low on discipline and morale. But Benjamin Franklin had an idea. He had heard about a distinguished Prussian military officer called Baron von Steuben who was in need of work. The Baron spoke very little English, yet he had been trained...

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### Overcome the Five Biggest Challenges Sales Engineers Face Today

> A sales engineer’s performance can make or break a sale. Here’s are 5 keep challenges - and how to beat them.

- Published: 2021-06-30
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/overcome-the-five-biggest-challenges-sales-engineers-face-today/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Sales reps focus on the initial steps of feeding the sales funnel: opening the door to as many relevant, qualified prospects as possible. They do this by leveraging their product’s dramatic, big-picture benefits, attractive ROI, and the dream of streamlining. But much of the critical follow-up work depends on the abilities of the software sales engineer to impress the prospect with a deep-dive sales demo that illustrates specific functionality and features that apply specifically to the client’s business environment, workflows and goals. Often, moving into this second phase, the sales engineers’ (SE) audience is not the same as the sales reps. ’ While a department’s manager may be impressed by the initial pitch, the more in-depth exploratory step is handed off to a more technical team member who can conduct a comprehensive due diligence process. On the vendor’s side, this step goes to the sales engineer, whose skillset is likewise more suited to this task. But together with the SE’s more technical abilities come a set of challenges – and solutions – that can profoundly affect their performance and must be included in the arsenal of sales engineer tools and tactics. 5 Biggest Challenges Sales Engineers Face Today Balancing the fine line between technical details and business benefits. Once a prospect’s technical representative comes to the table, the atmosphere changes. This professional has the experience, vocabulary, and priorities that an SE needs to align with laser-focused presentations and discussion of granular aspects of the product. This tech-talk is often the...

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### Why Experiences Matter in Customer Acquisition and Retention

> In a changing world, how do you ensure that your sales teams have everything they need to deliver real value for customers?

- Published: 2021-06-29
- Modified: 2023-09-26
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-experiences-matter-in-customer-acquisition-and-retention/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement

In a changing world, how do you ensure that your sales teams have everything they need to deliver real value for customers? The answer: better, more consistent digital experiences across the entire customer journey. Our eBook Master customer acquisition and retention in 2021 is a guide to help sales-focused decision-makers enhance customer acquisition and retention. In this blog, we highlight some of the key takeaways about why digital experiences are so important for your business. You can download the eBook here for a more in-depth exploration. Why experiences matter now In recent years, customer expectations have been evolving, as everybody becomes used to highly personalized, seamless digital experiences. With a particular focus on providing a wide range of services online and available anywhere, anytime, and on any device. The COVID-19 pandemic has, of course, been a monumental event, disrupting many aspects of our lives. But when it comes to remote working and online sales processes, it has merely been an accelerator for many industries to progress with digital transformation. The stage for customer acquisition and retention was moving in this direction long before – but the need for it has increased, speeding up investment in remote solutions significantly. Regardless of how we got here, the important thing to keep in mind is how your organization must react to ensure you’re providing your prospects with the best experiences, whether it’s pre-sales flirting or post-sales adoption, either in-person or remote. Providing consistently flawless digital experiences for your customers is the key to...

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### Master customer acquisition and retention in 2021

- Published: 2021-06-29
- Modified: 2023-05-23
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/master-customer-acquisition-and-retention-in-2021/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership



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### Software Training Platforms: the What, Why, and How

> Software training platforms can enhance training and sales enablement at your organization. Learn more on our article.

- Published: 2021-06-23
- Modified: 2024-02-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-platforms-the-what-why-and-how/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

What is a software training platform? Virtual learning comes in all shapes and sizes, from dedicated apps to YouTube videos, and from virtual labs to online course providers. In the professional world, the go-to training vehicle is perhaps the webinar. But, however knowledgeable or charismatic the speaker, these experiences can be passive. A webinar is a fairly good online replacement for the traditional in-person event, albeit without the networking opportunities, but it’s a long way from a cutting-edge experience. Webinars only scratch the surface of digital training’s possibilities. Now there’s something much more sophisticated: The next generation of software training platforms radically changes what is possible with training online (and in-person, too). These platforms offer a wide range of training capabilities, including: Virtual labs that simulate any environment and can be “spun up” in minutes Modern user experiences with in-app video and seamless integration Interactive hands-on training experiences for learners Fully customizable training experiences for instructors Capabilities for effective software training and business acceleration across the entire customer journey The ability to scale up immersive and interactive software experiences to an almost unlimited number of users The key to this new generation of effective software training technology is that it focuses on experiences. Other platforms offer some or many of the above, but often in a way that isn’t user-friendly or catered towards a modern business user. Used to seamless experiences on consumer technology outside of work, people deserve similar experiences in their professional lives. Why improve enterprise software training?...

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### 9 Metrics to Help You Build a More Effective Sales Engineering Team

> Read this blog to learn the 9 most important metrics for you to assess and optimize your sales engineering team performance from efficieny to outcomes.

- Published: 2021-06-15
- Modified: 2024-03-18
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-metrics-to-help-you-build-a-more-effective-sales-engineering-team-ebook/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Sales engineers are technical product experts tasked with helping qualify, close, and renew relationships with customers. The actual job varies from company to company or even product to product. The job title also varies. Your company may use the title “presales engineer” or “solution engineer” or something similar. In addition to having various responsibilities and titles, the performance of the sales engineer (SE) is measured in a variety of ways. As of today, there doesn’t appear to be a standard set of metrics in place. In fact, some companies do little to no number-crunching to assess SE performance. Clearly, they should. Companies with strong sales engineering performance achieve far higher win rates and renewals. And, as all managers know, you can only manage what you measure. So... It’s time to define sales engineering metrics When we set-out to tackle this task, our suspicions were confirmed: little has been written on the topic and experts are few and far between. However, we managed to cross paths with Matt Darrow, the CEO of Vivun, a newly launched company focused on developing tools to transform sales engineering into a technology company’s most strategic asset. We interviewed Matt and delved into nine metrics he believes are most useful to assess and optimize SE performance. In turn, we assembled an eBook, the first of its kind. In it you’ll learn more about why and how to measure: Outcome Time spent on sales opportunities Attach rate Support ratio Open volume Outcomes by effort Outcomes by deliverables...

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### The 3 Key Virtual Training Software Use Cases for Business Success

> use cases that will bring alive the value of VILT as well as what the best virtual training environment looks like and what it should offer.

- Published: 2021-06-14
- Modified: 2023-05-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-3-key-virtual-training-software-use-cases-for-business-success/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

When it comes to closing deals, training customers, and educating your employees, you need to consider the role virtual training software can play in your sales demonstrations and product training strategies. And it’s not just your customers. Virtual training solutions are also becoming more and more important for making sure employees understand how to get the most from their tools. In this blog, we’ll look at several use cases that will bring alive the value of virtual instructor-led training as well as what the best virtual training environment looks like and what it should offer. Virtual training labs put the user in the front seat Most people learn faster and retain more information when they are taught through interaction. And with virtual learning, your users, employees, and prospects can benefit from more accessible learning, set on a flexible schedule, with on-demand content available. Meanwhile, your organization can enjoy lower costs, a better ability to scale, and a potentially greater improvement in customer retention. Of course, those are easy claims to make. So now we’ll explore the details of how virtual learning actually delivers these benefits. Let’s look at several use cases. Customer onboarding When you win a new customer, it’s important to think about their experience with your product. Will they need assistance using it? Are there ways they can get more from it? How can you impart your expertise to ensure that they have a great experience right away? This is where virtual software training comes in. When you hire...

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### How to Leap the Hurdle of Learner Engagement

- Published: 2021-06-14
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/how-to-leap-the-hurdle-of-learner-engagement/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Why Experiential Learning Is 2021’s New Business Enabler

> Business landscape has evolved, learn how virtual training has played a valuable role in enabling upskilling and knowledge transfer.

- Published: 2021-06-09
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-experiential-learning-is-2021s-new-business-enabler/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

From passive learning to experiential For businesses everywhere, the extent of digital transformation in the training they provide often comes down to a webinar – basically, a presentation conducted over a video stream. A very passive experience. Sometimes that may be all you need, when explaining a simple concept or making an announcement, for instance. But certain matters call for training that’s a little more hands-on. And, in a world that is becoming more digital, the effectiveness of an organization’s IT business training can have a huge impact on how well employees do their jobs. For sales enablement and customer education, businesses are now seeking better, more hands-on ways to convey the benefits of their product or service or to teach customers how to use them. We’re talking about experiential learning methods. A vital new evolution of virtual training With a modern platform such as CloudShare, it’s now possible for organizations to provide a simulated environment for their employees, prospects, and customers to experience, learn, and explore a tool or a product. They can get to grips with new technology and learn its advantages by actually using it, with guided virtual instruction, and engaging with it – not just witnessing that technology being shown or explained to them. The more complex the technology, or the more difficult to describe the benefits, the less likely learners are to fully grasp via passive learning. But today’s experiential learning provides the power to connect learners with an unprecedented level of interactivity. Now businesses...

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### Will They Jump in … or Drop Out? The Challenge to Engage in Online Training

> Training teams saw the new online, virtual software training solutions that replace in-person training of employees, partners, prospects, or customers.

- Published: 2021-06-07
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-challenge-to-engage-in-online-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Even before being forced into a shift by the pandemic, the training industry had already begun its exciting transformation. Training teams saw – and benefitted from – the new online, virtual software training solutions that replace in-person training of employees, partners, prospects, or customers. The benefits are obvious: schedule flexibility, scalability, cut costs, reduced setup time, guided hands-on experiences, and more. Just showing up is not enough But training from behind a screen is not a checklist item in which a person’s attendance is, on its own, enough to accomplish your goal; getting the audience to join you is only the first step. Online training creates new challenges and emphasizes others that are centuries old: How do you engage your audience? How do you keep them involved and interested? Most importantly, how do you make sure they are absorbing and integrating the content you are sharing? Some of the best, proven techniques in software training best practice are didactic, educational tactics that apply (but don’t always appear! ) in every sector, with audiences at every age and background, and in every educational framework. Other essential strategies to leaping past training hurdles are more technical, receiving a substantial boost from new virtual training platforms with features designed specifically to engage in a hands-on learning experience. The answers are a click away Our eBook: “You’re Losing Your Audience: How to Leap the Hurdle of Learner Engagement” reviews the root causes for this modern-day challenge, and then outlines five core best practices that...

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### Remote Training: 10 Tips to Plan and Execute Remote Employee Training

> Especially when in-house training options are limited, remote employee training can be a truly effective replacement … when done right. Here are the Top 10 ways to get the job done for maximum impact.

- Published: 2021-06-02
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/remote-training-10-tips-to-plan-and-execute-remote-employee-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

1. Make a structured plan and share it – Independent remote training is incredibly effective for some people. For others, the lack of structure and the casual feel of working on the couch in one’s pajamas can quickly decrease attention and focus. A clear agenda with a checklist of formal requirements creates a roadmap with specific goals, despite the absence of “vibe” created when sitting together in a physical training session. 2. Optimize the mix – While remote training best practice requires plenty of hands-on experience to be effective, the process also must incorporate face-to-face communications from the trainer. This part of the remote training method can be as an introduction or orientation at the start, and/or along the way, to reinforce what the employee is learning. In planning the course, ask yourself: Is this “lecture” content going to be a one-way pre-recorded video? This is perhaps the easiest for the presenter and convenient as it removes the scheduling challenge, but limited as an engaging, dynamic experience. Other options include a live monologue or a discussion with Q&A along the way. 3. Emphasize hands-on training – As discussed here, the list of benefits of interactive, hands-on remote workforce training justifies investing time in choosing an effective platform to match your needs. Engaging hands-on training gives employees: A feel for real-world scenarios and challenges that a static demo cannot provide; A chance to dig into the user interface they will be using, to find hidden features or rarely used functions so...

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### Top 5 Factors in Selecting Virtual Environment Software

> The benefits of online training are clear, but how do you select the right virtual environment?

- Published: 2021-05-28
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-5-factors-in-selecting-virtual-environment-software/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

If your sales or customer training teams leverage product demos as their core engagement methodology, you know that a canned demo – whether in a screen share-based video conference, a pre-packaged, in-person laptop demo running the product, or just a PPT – doesn’t get the job done. A hands-on training session is critical to creating a genuine, convincing, first-hand experience that impresses the prospect or customer and gives them the confidence to truly understand the features and functionality. But how do you provide this experience? Through virtual environment solutions and PoC environments designed to seamlessly, naturally, and efficiently present an authentic and fully functional version of your product. Also known as environment as a service, these solutions are not a simulation or limited walk-throughs, and definitely don’t require a complex installation/configuration process to tackle before beginning a demo. Top 5 most important factors in choosing virtual environment software Speed and Simplicity – This first consideration is critical both to the trainer and the trainee. For the person managing the experience in the online virtual environment (especially in sales where there can be many sessions in a single day, sometimes spontaneously, or the need to juggle schedules and global time zones), the platform must have the ability to spin up a clean, bullet-proof, up-to-date environment instantly. A quick launch process – ideally triggered with just a link sent by email – allows the salesperson to begin a browser-based demo even in the middle of a call or meeting or add a...

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### How a Virtual Training Experience Can Be Better Than on-site Training

> If businesses haven’t yet begun investigating what virtual training can do for their future – now’s the time to start learning.

- Published: 2021-05-27
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-a-virtual-training-experience-can-be-better-than-on-site-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

What is the wider value of virtual training in a landscape that includes on-site training sessions? In which ways can a virtual training experience be even more effective than on-premises? We explore these questions. In the wake of a year marked by change, the world is changing again. After the worldwide exodus from offices to home offices and from business premises to the cloud, people and organizations everywhere are returning to their traditional working sites. For many, training is also making a return to its traditional brick-and-mortar home. But rather than diminishing in importance, virtual training is now more critical than ever. Here’s why. Vital training platforms  Even before the upheaval of 2020, many businesses and their employees were already well aware of the value of a modern virtual training platform. They had realized that cloud-based, decentralized access to education from anywhere could provide a host of new opportunities and advantages such as these: Cutting travel expenses and other overheads of on-site training Connecting trainers and trainees across physical distances Providing flexible scheduling no longer based on location Others soon discovered the importance of these virtual training benefits, too. Faced with restrictions to travel and new distances between people, they went from “nice to have” to “must-have”. For organizations around the globe, virtual training programs became their only training programs. Virtual instructor-led training was the best means they had to equip their personnel with the skills and knowledge they needed. A new phase and a new role Now that on-site...

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### Selling Software? 5 Online Demo Software Best Practices

> Delivering a successful software demo isn’t easy. So, how do you make sure you tick all the boxes? The five areas of sales demo success.

- Published: 2021-05-20
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/selling-software-5-online-demo-software-best-practices/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Delivering a successful software demo isn’t easy. Getting the audience to fully understand your product’s benefits, keeping them engaged and attentive, and making that all-important conversion from prospect to customer – that can be a tall order. So, how do you make sure you tick all the boxes? The five areas of sales demo success We’ve identified five key areas in which to focus your efforts. Groundwork – understanding your prospects in a ‘discovery’ phase Targeting – appealing to prospects’ specific needs and challenges Delivery – ensuring your demo is presented as effectively as possible Interactivity – giving prospects the chance to explore the benefits Next steps – nurturing their journey beyond the demo to a sale We’ll explore these now. 1. Do your homework. Never neglect the discovery phase. The more you understand a prospect, the better you’ll understand what they need – and why they need your product. Try to gain the answers to these questions: What is their role in their organization? Which industry is it in? Etc. What is their IT infrastructure? E. g. , which cloud services do they use? What are the “pain points” they’re facing? How can your product solve them? How would they evaluate a product’s suitability/value? What are their criteria? Are they the person making the ultimate buying decision? If not, who is? Conducting research can help to provide you with this crucial information, but there’s no substitute for getting it straight from the horse’s mouth – asking questions. Don’t neglect...

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### What Are the Benefits of Hands-on Practice?

> In this post, we outline the benefits of having a prospect or customer jump in and get their “hands dirty."

- Published: 2021-05-11
- Modified: 2024-08-05
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/benefits-of-hands-on-practice/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Have you ever considered the phrase “getting one’s hands dirty”? It sounds like an unhygienic activity we were trained as children to stay away from, but in practice, it means quite the opposite: To be involved. To commit. To put in the work, and to be active, not passive. And this strategy is precisely the goal of hands-on training. Whether for pre-sales demos to highlight and promote features for a prospect or as hands-on technical training for new and existing customers ready to master your software post-sale training, it’s at the top of the list as a methodology to maximize effectiveness in knowledge transfer. Let’s take a look at how it works in both cases. The pitfalls of the sales pitch There's no other way to say it: Whether in person or virtual, verbal pitches are a tough sell. After all, there's only so much you can say about a product until someone asks you to put your money where your mouth is. The problem's even more pronounced with highly technical software for a few reasons:  Attention fades quickly, and the customer is rarely committed to keeping up with every detail. Even the most engaging salesperson may find it difficult to hold people's engagement for long. Technical software often has a massive list of features and benefits. Even the most interested prospect isn't likely to remember everything after a verbal pitch, especially if they have no way of seeing how everything applies t o their business.   It's easy to...

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### Can you afford to run your software training program without measuring its performance and ROI?

> Can you afford to run your software training program without measuring its performance and ROI?

- Published: 2021-05-06
- Modified: 2024-02-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/can-you-afford-to-run-your-software-training-program-without-measuring-its-performance-and-roi/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We all know the feeling – you’re observing a training session (live or online), and while the speaker goes on about something they no doubt find important, you look around and see glazing eyes and yawns. Yes, it’s bad – by how bad? Can you even justify running a session like that? Sometimes, if the content isn’t critical, it’s not the end of the world – just an unfortunate use of time. But what about when your business’s bottom line improves or suffers based on the success of these training sessions? That’s when you know you should be measuring your training effectiveness. But, how can you possibly measure that when you can’t know how much the audience is truly engaged? Enter the remote training platform. Modern systems like these are designed to go way beyond a one-way lecture or passive set of videos to click through. Yes, even beyond Zoom. Today’s remote training solutions provide an immersive, hands-on experience in which the trainees can grab a mouse and keyboard and use a real, live version of a software product or simulation of a service, all under the watchful eye of the trainer who can guide and course-correct. Our latest e-book, Remote Training ROI Guide: Key Usage Insights You Should Be Getting From Your Software Training Platform provides a concise checklist to help make sure you have the right remote training software and are tracking the right data in remote virtual training: Who are your users? what features are they using?...

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### 7 Technical Sales Engineer Training Topics that Drive Better Business Results

> Discover 7 top technical sales engineer training topics you must provide your SEs to develop their skills and boost business performance.

- Published: 2021-05-05
- Modified: 2025-03-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/7-winning-technical-sales-engineer-training-topics/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

The demand for sales engineers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2016 to 2026, according to The U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. With the rise in digital solutions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, new skills are necessary to keep sales engineers in the game. Technical sales engineer training now encompasses remote training expertise and a whole slew of added interpersonal skills. CloudShare recently interviewed some pioneers and leaders in the field to equip our readers with the best advice for how to implement technical sales engineer training and grow a sales engineering training program at their organization. In this blog, we take a deeper dive into the importance of sales training for engineers. What Makes a Successful Sales Engineer Training Program? Successful sales engineers require a unique combination of technical knowledge and business acumen. “Sales engineers don’t just mimic sales reps. They’re in a unique position to forge different kinds of relationships. SEs can help cultivate relationships with people who are technical champions in the buyer company,” explains Jon Michaels, senior vice president of operations at Volta, a network of electric vehicle charging stations. Michaels built a sales engineering organization from scratch in his previous position as head of global sales engineering at EnerNoc, a leading provider of cloud-based energy intelligence software. Babette N. Ten Haken, a STEM-trained scientist, corporate strategist, and founder of Sales Aerobics for Engineers, agrees, stating that sales engineers’ ability to combine technical and non-technical perspectives...

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### The 2021 Remote Training ROI Guide

- Published: 2021-05-04
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/2021-remote-training-roi-guide/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How Cyber Range Training Makes Your Business Safer 

> As cybercrime becomes more sophisticated, our defense against it must do so too. Learn how Cyber Range Training Makes Your Business Safer 

- Published: 2021-04-26
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-cyber-range-training-makes-your-business-safer/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

As cybercrime becomes more sophisticated, our defense against it must do so too. Training has always been at the forefront of strategies to protect organizations against the different types of attacks and provide best practice processes. Cybersecurity hands-on training plays an important role, and to give your employees the best hands-on experience there is no better approach than cyber range training. What is cyber range training?   Cyber range training provides real-world scenarios for IT professionals and other employees to learn how to combat realistic threats. A hands-on training experience can help your employees to understand the ways in which cybercrime happens and how they might be targeted. And it ensures they know what to do. A lot can happen in a year In a previous CloudShare blog, we cited the research by Cybersecurity Ventures and Verizon which stated that cybercrime would cost $6 trillion in worldwide damages by 2021 and rise up to $10. 5 trillion annually by 2025. But, as you can imagine, the pandemic has complicated this picture. During 2020, organizations prioritized business continuity and focused on rolling out remote working solutions. But all the while, the cybersecurity risk has continued to increase. Today it is as big a threat as ever. The risk of suffering cyberattacks has increased during the pandemic, as cybercriminals have jumped to exploit new opportunities to target vulnerable businesses. At the beginning of the pandemic, many organizations accelerated digital transformation programs to cope with the demands of remote working, as lockdowns and stay-at-home orders...

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### Why Remote Healthcare Training Is the Future of Organizations

> Learn why remote healthcare training is the future of organizations

- Published: 2021-04-22
- Modified: 2023-05-30
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-remote-healthcare-training-is-the-future-of-organizations/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

In a highly regulated and high-stakes environment such as healthcare, training is essential. But did you know that the benefits of healthcare training go further than the obvious medical necessity of clinical mastery? They include keeping aligned with compliance regulations such as HIPAA, staying up to date with the latest behind-the-scenes technologies, and successfully onboarding patient-facing innovations such as software for telemedicine or diagnostics. While traditionally, this kind of training took place face-to-face at in-person training events, organizations are increasingly seeing the advantages of virtual learning environments for remote medical training. These benefits were already accelerating the move to virtual medical training pre-COVID-19, but the post-pandemic reality has sped up the pace of change even further. It’s no wonder that according to the Global Digital Health Market report 2020, the digital healthcare market is expected to see a 37% spike in 2021, and will reach $508. 8 billion by 2027. The Benefits of Virtual Learning in Healthcare The pandemic has put the spotlight on business continuity across all industries, and healthcare is no different. In fact, with a “all hands on deck” approach to fighting COVID-19, it’s more important than ever that healthcare organizations find innovative ways to keep clinical proficiency high, ensure students and staff continue to get the training that they need, and meet mandated clinical hours in their specialties. Clinical Skills In many cases, especially during COVID-19, making practice and hands-on training happen in the traditional in-person sense has become impossible. Routine procedures may have been postponed,...

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### CloudShare & SAI Global - Moving from Training Fatigue to Training Experiences

> Watch our webinar titles: %%title%%.

- Published: 2021-04-21
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/ti-webinar-moving-from-training-fatigue-to-training-experiences
- Formats: Webinars, Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### The Importance of Corporate Virtual Environments for Your Development Team

> Read and learn more about the importance of corporate virtual environments for your development team.

- Published: 2021-04-02
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-corporate-virtual-environments-for-your-development-team-2/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

\Modern business requires modern solutions. Whenever a business process is updated, companies pay special attention, especially when it concerns known productivity issues or workarounds. GPS (global positioning systems), for example, started as a military technology. Once it became available for public use, transportation companies like Federal Express, TomTom, and Garmin, quickly implemented it. Then came Uber, which disrupted the ride-sharing industry when it began using GPS to create what is essentially a taxi service, without taxis. Likewise, today’s corporate learning environments have been re-energized using technology. Processes like rote memorization, slideshows, and documentation pale in comparison to the interactive learning environments enabled through modern technology. The Value of Corporate Virtual Environments Currently, there is a big push to adopt augmented reality (AR), where digital objects appear in view, and virtual reality (VR), where complete and interactive environments are entirely digital. Research has shown that virtual reality is just as real to humans as physical reality. Learning through VR is no different than hands-on training that takes place in real life. Always Use Virtual Testing Environments for Software Testing/Deployment Virtual environments are becoming more common for software testing and deployment. They simplify standard business processes into a completely digital space, saving developers time and money otherwise spent on finding and purchasing compatible hardware. With a virtual testing environment, employees can simply log in to a web portal, andare ready to go. Because of these significant savings—as well as the increased flexibility that comes with a cloud-based approach—businesses of all sizes are...

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### The Importance of Corporate Virtual Environments for Your Development Team

> Read and learn more about the importance of corporate virtual environments for your development team.

- Published: 2021-04-02
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-importance-of-corporate-virtual-environments-for-your-development-team/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Modern business requires modern solutions. Whenever a business process is updated, companies pay special attention, especially when it concerns known productivity issues or workarounds. GPS (global positioning systems), for example, started as a military technology. Once it became available for public use, transportation companies like Federal Express, TomTom, and Garmin, quickly implemented it. Then came Uber, which disrupted the ride-sharing industry when it began using GPS to create what is essentially a taxi service, without taxis. Likewise, today’s corporate learning environments have been re-energized using technology. Processes like rote memorization, slideshows, and documentation pale in comparison to the interactive learning environments enabled through modern technology. The Value of Corporate Virtual Environments Currently, there is a big push to adopt augmented reality (AR), where digital objects appear in view, and virtual reality (VR), where complete and interactive environments are entirely digital. Research has shown that virtual reality is just as real to humans as physical reality. Learning through VR is no different than hands-on training that takes place in real life. Always Use Virtual Testing Environments for Software Testing/Deployment Virtual environments are becoming more common for software testing and deployment. They simplify standard business processes into a completely digital space, saving developers time and money otherwise spent on finding and purchasing compatible hardware. With a virtual testing environment, employees can simply log in to a web portal, andare ready to go. Because of these significant savings—as well as the increased flexibility that comes with a cloud-based approach—businesses of all sizes are...

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### 9 Must-Have Features Your Virtual Demo Solution Should Include

> Virtual demo solutions are a must-have today. See what features your next virtual demo platform must include if you want to offer game-changing experiences.

- Published: 2021-04-01
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-must-have-features-your-virtual-demo-solution-should-include/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Even the best products can fail if your sales and demo processes fail to demonstrate the value of the product for the prospect. The fact of the matter is, we are living in the age of experiences, and everyone is fighting for your prospect’s attention. The days of sending a prerecorded video or datasheet are long over. Today’s customer wants an interactive, personalized experience. Now, you may be thinking: what can you do to make a lasting impression? For many companies, virtual product demos are the catalyst making this possible. But what should you be looking for when it comes to a virtual demo solution? And what must-have outcomes should it enable? Here are the must-haves you should be looking for: 1. Next-Gen Engagement Features Your sales demo environments need to be built with engagement in mind if you want to convince prospects to hear your value prop and understand the value, not to mention, decide to purchase. Look for a virtual demo solution that allows customers to learn and try the software, so they can easily experience firsthand the actual value your solution offers. We know today that people are more likely to become engaged and retain information if they can directly interact with the software. Creating a customized environment and letting them play around in it is far more memorable than a generic demo video. 2. Collaboration features No prospect wants to sit through a long lecture without any opportunities for input. Best sales enablement practices indicate that...

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### What's Plaguing Your Trainees? 8 Reasons Your Users Are Ditching Training Halfway Through

> Are you losing customers to unengaging demos? Find out how you can turn your demos into an experience-driven tool that boosts sales and customer satisfaction.

- Published: 2021-03-31
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/8-reasons-your-users-are-ditching-training-halfway-through/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

So you've got the perfect software platform. A solution that you're certain will revolutionize the lives and businesses of your customers. At least, it would if people could figure out how to use it. It's not that you haven't tried to devise a customer training process. You certainly have — the problem is that almost nobody ever seems to finish it. A good part of your users ‘ditch’ the training halfway through, meaning you’re not creating an engaging enough experience. You aren't alone in this, either. According to speech analytics provider CallMiner, American companies lose approximately $136. 8 billion annually to avoidable customer switching. And a poor onboarding experience is a leading cause of initial abandonment. It's imperative that you don't simply invest in customer training programs but that you do so intelligently. In large part, that begins with understanding where your current approach is going wrong. Because there are many ways it can. 1. You’re Not Focusing on Your Customers Needs You cannot effectively implement a customer training program if all you have is the nebulous idea that you want to 'teach people how to use your software. ' You need to be more specific than that. What are you trying to accomplish with your customer training, and by what metrics are you measuring its success? You also need a process by which you can collect and respond to customer feedback. Not only does this help you determine what is and isn't working, but it's also a cornerstone of...

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### How Virtual Experiences Support Better Customer Education, Acquisition, & Retention

> Virtual experiences play a vital role in enhancing your approach to customer education training. Find out how you can turn training into a competitive advantage.

- Published: 2021-03-24
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-virtual-experiences-support-better-customer-education-acquisition-retention/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Why are virtual experiences the secret weapon to better customer education, acquisition, and retention? The answer is simple. They create engaging experiences that cater to specific customer needs. Virtual environments give companies a flexible tool to teach customers about your company, showcase products in an interactive way, and engage customers through every stage of the customer journey. Despite this, the challenging part for many is implementing the right processes and customer education platform to better acquire, retain, and support customers. Companies looking to stay competitive must learn how to turn virtual experiences into the ultimate differentiator. So, how can you turn virtual training into a key aspect of how you manage customer interactions? Let’s start by looking at how you can increase customer retention and acquisition with education. Effective Customer Retention & Acquisition Starts With Education Let’s start with the basics: what is customer education? Customer education training is the process of giving clients the information they need to get the most value out of your product. That means the primary goal of customer education is to provide relevant information that will improve the customer experience. And today, these experiences are everything. Gartner found that 2 out of 3 companies compete primarily on experience, and customers are 5 times more likely to buy again from the same company if they have a positive experience. So, why does education matter so much in your customer onboarding and retention strategies? The benefits of an education-based approach include: Offer a powerful first impression....

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### Sales Enablement Tech: What Are The Real Costs of Failing To Adopt It?

> Sales enablement tech is essential today for companies wanting to optimize the sales process. See what’s at stake if you don’t embrace the new approach to sales.

- Published: 2021-03-23
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-enablement-tech-what-are-the-real-costs-of-failing-to-adopt-it/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Here’s the deal. Experiences are the key to any successful sales enablement strategy. Why? Because successful customer interactions are all about the experience—how they engage with your sales process, the information you share, and the technology you use to elevate the entire process. And ignoring this trend is costly for many reasons. We know that companies with a customer experience-driven approach generate 4-8% more revenue. That’s not all—these same companies tend to outperform their competitors by 80%, with

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### Best Practices for Customer Training Software in 2021

> Learn about our best practices for customer training software in 2021 and why it is important to invest in.

- Published: 2021-03-18
- Modified: 2024-03-04
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-practices-for-customer-training-software-in-2021/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Even the best products can fail if your customers don’t understand how they work. That’s because losing sight of the customer experience is easy when you’re so involved in the internal development, sales, and support of a software product. It’s important to step back and ask the important question: what happens if you don’t have an efficient customer training system in place? Here’s what we do know. American businesses lose $136. 8 billion a year due to “avoidable customer switching. ” Simply put, customer training isn’t optional - it needs to be a core component of your acquisition and retention strategies. Investing in customer training programs is a huge step towards long-term business success. It’s one of the most impactful ways to create game-changing experiences that go far beyond basic user manuals and generic video tutorials. Why Invest in Customer Training? Why should you bother learning the customer training software best practices? What benefits can you expect from putting effort into your customer training program? Better customer loyalty. Clients who receive first-hand knowledge from your business are more connected to your brand and have a higher understanding of your products and services. This personal connection results in better satisfaction rates among customers and helps indirectly drive future revenue. These customers are also more likely to recommend your products to other businesses and professionals in their network. Retaining current customers. The cost of keeping current customers on board is much lower than finding new ones. Lower your churn rate through customer...

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### Software Training Must Go On! 

> We know exactly what virtual training needs to include for it to succeed, learn more with our four must-haves checklists

- Published: 2021-03-04
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-must-go-on/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

According to the latest report from McKinsey, The Recovery will be Digital, “Leaders need to accelerate their journey to the cloud in order to digitize quickly and effectively in the wake of COVID-19. ” Nowhere is this more true than in software training - Remote working may have made virtual training a necessity, but long after the pandemic is behind us, organizations will continue to utilize hands-on experiences via the cloud to add flexibility and engagement, and to reduce costs while upskilling employees and proving value to prospects and customers. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that 91% of organizations are either maintaining or growing their budgets for digital transformation in 2021 and looking to onboard technology to enhance software training from anywhere in the world. Choosing Virtual Training Solutions that Increase ROI However, not all solutions are created equally, and in an economic downturn, every purchase matters. Hands-on training isn’t enough in and of itself. Users need to feel engaged. Instructors can’t work best without visibility; they need to be able to provide feedback and support where needed. Dedicated tools should be integrated to allow for knowledge retention and communication. Without these, all you’re offering is a virtual playground and little else. That’s why we created our latest e-book, the Software Training Buyer’s Guide, to discuss exactly this topic. It contains four essential checklists that any buyer needs to read before investing in hands-on training technology. Through years of facilitating cloud-based training solutions that stick, we know exactly...

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### Technology Integration: The weak spot of software training organizations

- Published: 2021-03-01
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/technology-integration-the-weak-spot-of-software-training-organizations/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### The 2021 software training buyer’s guide

- Published: 2021-03-01
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/software-training-buyers-guide/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### The 4 Main Cybersecurity Training Benefits of Hands-on Environments

> Read and learn about what we belive are the 4 main cybersecurity training benefits of hands-on environments.

- Published: 2021-03-01
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-4-main-cybersecurity-training-benefits-of-hands-on-environments/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

Let’s face it. To understand what your software’s all about, your customers need to try it for themselves. A theoretical learning environment relies on users to make the leap from a practical understanding of the information to applying it in their own setting. In some areas, this kind of trial and error is part and parcel of the process, such as creating a line of code and seeing if it works in the wild. However, when it comes to security, you can’t leave anything to chance. Hands-on experiences can eliminate this cognitive leap, and get your customers and employees engaging with your software from the very earliest stages. Main Cybersecurity Training Benefits of Hands-on Environments #1: Virtual cybersecurity training changes a weak learning environment to a generous learning environment A poor security posture doesn’t offer feedback. Here’s what we mean by that; If an employee opens a phishing email by mistake - nothing happens. No alarms go off, no pop-ups appear on-screen, and their day continues as usual. The same is usually true when your employees accidentally connect a compromised USB drive, create an over-permissive policy, leave a cloud file unsecured, or enter their credentials on a fake website. This is known as a weak learning environment, because it doesn’t give the employee a chance to learn from their actions. Cloud cybersecurity training for employees can change all that. By giving your users simulations where they can test and play, risk-free, you can set up a situation where staff can...

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### Why Tech Integration for Software Training Tools Matters

- Published: 2021-02-24
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-tech-integration-for-software-training-tools-matters/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

According to the State of Digital Experience 2020, if your organization believes that it delivers the “ideal digital experience”, they are 223% more likely to integrate training systems and their wider technology stack. Let’s get real for a minute. Does this one factor really have such a huge impact on your customer experience? Our latest eBook, Technology Integration: The Weak Spot of Software Training Organizations aims to answer this vital question. Hands-on Virtual Training is Just One of Many: 80% of Today’s Training Organizations Use 4 or More Learning Technologies In today’s increasingly digital world, it’s common for organizations to utilize multiple tools and technologies for their learning and development (L&D) programs. These could include: Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools that handle back-end processes or knowledge bases. Authoring tools or Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) that enable no-code content creation and quick changes and updates to courses or learning programs. Delivery technologies, such as virtual training labs that offer hands-on experiences or video-conferencing programs. Collaboration and communication, these software training tools provide an easy way for instructors and learners to interact in the learning environment. To add to this complexity, all of these tools also need to be accessible in an omnichannel way, and handle the growing hybrid and multi-cloud realities of today’s workspaces. Let’s Break it Down: 4 Key Benefits of Integrating your Software Training Tools It’s a lot to think about, and integrating all of these software training tools and technologies might feel like...

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### How do Educated Customers Add to Your Bottom Line?

> Read on for five common business goals, and how customer education can help you get there faster.

- Published: 2021-02-18
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-do-educated-customers-add-to-your-bottom-line/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

One of the main issues when it comes to getting buy-in for customer education programs, is that customer learning is generally not a measurable goal.   In our recent interview with an industry expert, Debbie Smith, she commented that “Often, the C-suite really doesn't see the value of Customer Education, and this is where you can come unstuck. ” To get any customer education program off the ground, you’re going to need to be able to speak about the benefits in relation to measurable KPIs, and preferably the ones that tie in with organizational goals for the year ahead. Read on for 5 common business goals, and how customer education can help you get there faster. Improve Product Adoption Many companies forget that their job doesn’t stop once a sale is complete. Post-sale marketing and education is arguably an even more important part of the customer lifecycle. The first 90 days with any new customer is the most critical. Without customer education, you’re relying on a ‘sink or swim’ approach that you have zero control over. In contrast, if you use customer education to set specific milestones for the customer to achieve over the first three months, via tutorials, hands-on learning, and gamification techniques, you’re allowing your software tool to become a habit, part of their daily work-life. That way, you control the product adoption, and give it the best chance of success. Reduce Churn and Increase Renewals With budgets for new technology being slashed across the board, companies are...

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### Be Your Own Valentine for 2021

> This Valentine's Day, we might be stuck in our homes, either single or loved-up, but that doesn't mean you can't gift yourself this year

- Published: 2021-02-10
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/be-your-own-valentine-for-2021/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Gift your company with the best software experiences out there Here’s the thing about Valentine’s. You usually celebrate it with your... Valentine. Unfortunately, this year is a little different. No theater shows, no restaurants, no vacations, no sharing your favorite chocolate lava cake. But though the majority of the world is in some form of lockdown, with many singles unable to go out and find love, and even coupled-up lovebirds finding restaurants closed, arts and culture on pause, and travel limited to the local supermarket (Date in the wine and spirits aisle, anyone? ) - we refuse to ignore this holiday. In fact, if ever there was a year to be kind to yourSELF - this is the one. So we’re making this year all about self-gifting. The Real Gifts Companies Should Give Themselves this Valentine’s Now that we’ve made that decision, on behalf of the whole business world... Here are the 2021 must-haves when choosing the perfect corporate self-gift. Business continuity enabler: The best gift for your company this year would be to help you get back to selling software and supporting your customers immediately, even in the thick of a remote working reality. Lucky that Cloudshare provides hands-on software experiences that deliver true business value, from anywhere in the world. Sales cycle accelerator: Make it simpler to reach your goals this year, with technology that speeds up time to value. Cloudshare allows you to adapt environments from templates, making even complex networking requirements a cinch. Sales teams or...

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### 5 Lessons Learned from Training Through the Ages and Around the World 

> Educational practices are as old as time, but what can we learn about transforming today’s training by looking back to the ancient ways

- Published: 2021-02-09
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-lessons-learned-from-training-through-the-ages-and-around-the-world/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Educational practices are as old as time, but what can we learn about transforming today’s training by looking back to the ancient ways? Here are 5 of the best tips and tricks from some long-forgotten educational systems, found everywhere from China to Rome. Getting Hands-on with the Romans  Professor Eleanor Dickey published her book, Learning Latin the Ancient Way, where she discusses her experiences running the modern-day Ancient Schoolroom event, where students can learn as the Romans did. This includes one-on-one teaching between a student and the instructor, and the use of hands-on learning tools in areas like Mathematics, for example, an abacus or counting beans instead of writing numbers on paper. Professor Dickey finds that “children really engage with the ancient teaching methods, especially when it comes to mathematics. We've found that children who aren't naturally gifted at mathematics actually enjoy using the abacus and counting boards, and this helps to stimulate their interest and learning of the subject. ” We’re no strangers to this process at Cloudshare. Our virtual labs allow for hands-on practice and trial and error with today’s software solutions, perfect for those that struggle with theoretical learning. Keeping it Consistent with the Egyptians If you were working your way through school in Ancient Egypt, you’d be either a scribe-in-training or a priest-in-training. Vocational or hands-on skills were taught outside of formal training academies, usually as apprenticeships or on the job training. The focus of the day was on conformity and discipline. In fact, any deviation...

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### What's the Difference Between eLearning and Classroom-Based Learning?

> What exactly are the differences between eLearning and Classroom-Based Learning, and what can you do to make the transition smooth?

- Published: 2021-02-04
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-elearning-and-classroom-based-learning/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Recent advances in online communication have spurred the need for Internet-based learning, where participants can pick up new skills and knowledge on their own time. eLearning is becoming a favorite among the business sector since it allows employees and business partners to get the corporate training they need while minimizing the impact on the workflow. If you’re adopting an eLearning classroom, you’re inevitably switching away from traditional classroom-based training. What exactly are the differences between the two, and what can you do to make the transition smooth? eLearning Vs. Classroom-Based Learning Let’s start by comparing and contrasting online learning vs classroom learning. What should you expect when virtual classrooms take center stage? The Type of Content While you still have worksheets and PowerPoints in a physical classroom, online courses allow instructors to take advantage of interactive elements like quizzes, animations, and simulations. Remember to use more visual elements like videos and tutorials when developing an eLearning class. Be careful not to add too many to distract from your main content. The Tone of the Content It’s no secret that many Internet users simply skim content, whereas they are more likely to read long passages when in a physical classroom. That’s why your slides need to be concise. Break up long paragraphs with headers and visuals, and be prepared to answer questions in case anyone needs clarification. It’s also worth dividing the content into smaller, digestible segments. eLearning typically serves those who have busy schedules, so design your course to match....

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### Online Vs. Blended Learning Courses: What’s the Main Differences?

> Read how to make the decision between e-learning and blended learning and learn the best choice for your company in this new remote world?

- Published: 2021-02-02
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/online-vs-blended-learning-courses-whats-the-main-differences/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

When it comes to designing a training program for your company, it may seem like the content is your biggest consideration. But that isn’t always the case. While content is important, you also need to think about how you will deliver the class. So, how do you make the decision between e-learning vs. blended learning? And what’s the best choice for your company in this new remote world? Defining the Terms Online learning, also known as e-learning, is exactly what it sounds like: a class held entirely on the Internet. Blended learning training, by contrast, contains a physical and an online component, combining the characteristics of both. There’s also the hybrid learning vs. blended learning distinction. The terms are incredibly similar, though, and many organizations use them interchangeably. A hybrid model involves a portion of participants attending in-person, while the others join from home through video conferencing. The Case for Online Learning Pros Flexible scheduling. Both instructors and participants can study while working around their busy schedules. You have the option of catching up on your own time if needed. The result is a more convenient experience. Flexible location. Since everything is online, you can engage with the material from anywhere, whether it’s the living room or the local coffee shop. Cons Limited collaboration. Since there aren’t any face-to-face social interactions, online learning can feel “distanced. ” You can mitigate this through features like online chat and video conferencing, however. Staying focused. Most online learners can attest to how difficult...

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### Corporate E-learning vs. E-learning in the Education Sector: Definitions, Differences & Use Cases

> Read about the difference between corporate E-learning and E-learning in the Education Sector, as well as the different use cases

- Published: 2021-01-25
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/corporate-e-learning-vs-e-learning-in-the-education-sector-definitions-differences-use-cases/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Everyone knows that education is the transfer of knowledge from an instructor to students who need it. You’ve finished education when you were in grade school, and there’s a high chance you might still need it in your professional life. It’s worth knowing the differences between e-learning in the education sector and corporate e-learning. Corporate training, in a nutshell, is practical knowledge with an emphasis on hands-on experiences. You should gain immediate value out of corporate coursework. Academia focuses more on general knowledge that does not require immediate application. The two definitions overlap but are fundamentally different. Let’s dig a little deeper into the definitions and use cases of both types of e-learning. Corporate E-learning The objective of e-learning for professional development is to have the knowledge and skills required for a specific job in a company’s workflow. Hands-on work is valued here, so expect conferences and even workshops to be part of it. Businesses invest in corporate training to fill in skill gaps. Employees can then work uninterrupted, and customers can get the most value as possible out of the business’s products or services. Corporate e-learning is thus mainly for onboarding new staff and helping clients achieve success. Other traits of corporate online training include: Specific material, especially for a technical skill or relevant concept Fast-paced instruction, generating skills that are used almost immediately Career-oriented focus since it’s meant to advance the business as a whole Assessing success in corporate training is mostly about measuring key performance indicators and...

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### Thoughts from the CEO: The Acceleration of Technology-driven Experiences

> Hear from our CEO about the lessons he learned from the past year and where he sees Business Acceleration Cloud going in the year 2021.

- Published: 2021-01-07
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/thoughts-from-the-ceo-the-acceleration-of-technology-driven-experiences/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

As the world moved fiercely online in 2020, business leaders put remote experiences under the microscope, many of them for the first time. Organizations needed to rethink their growth strategies from the ground up for customer acquisition and retention in the digital space. Engaging customers with hands-on experiences became more important than ever. Providing immersive test-drives to sell software was essential. Putting product front and center of virtual events was a key goal. As we start 2021, I wanted to take a few minutes to look at some of the lessons learned over the past year. The Fear is Behind Us: Companies Leap Over the Digital Transformation Chasm I agree with Sharyn Leaver, SVP, Research, Forrester who comments that “2021 will be the year that every company — not just the 15% of firms that were already digitally savvy — doubles down on technology-fueled experiences, operations, products, and ecosystems. ” Many organizations were not considering a digital shift pre-COVID-19, and yet the pandemic gave them little choice. I was interested to watch as even traditionally conservative industry players such as defense contractors and their software vendors, who usually only met face to face, managed to successfully make the change, such as this example from Atos. Digital transformation is nothing new, of course, but the difference is perhaps the speed of innovation. We saw through the pandemic that changes within company culture or decision-making that would usually have taken quarters or even years suddenly happened in weeks or months. Some companies...

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### The Impact of Hands-on Employee Education on the Digital Skills Gap

> Learn how to deliver employee training at scale and why is a technologically competent workforce so Important?

- Published: 2021-01-06
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-impact-of-hands-on-employee-education-on-the-digital-skills-gap/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Think about the technology-driven trends that are changing the way we work today. This could be digital transformation through automation and AI, the growth of target="_blank" rel="noopener">Future of Jobs Report 2020 states that by 2025, 85 million jobs will be displaced, and 97 million new roles will emerge as a result of the new relationship between humans, machines, and algorithms. In this new paradigm, reskilling and upskilling is essential, but it’s not always easy. According to the report, 94% of business leaders won’t wait for their employees to catch up with new digital learning curves, they want employees to pick up new skills in real-time, on the job. In 2018, this number was just 65%. For many, the expectation of naturally closing the skills gap will be too great, and organizations will find themselves with under-capable workforces, and unable to keep up with the worldwide digital transformation. Why is a Technologically Competent Workforce So Important? Gone are the days where the very idea of ‘digital transformation’ was a buzzword for IT companies, alone. Today, digital upskilling matters across the board. Here are just a few of the areas to consider: Communication: Employees need to be able to interact with each other across departments, teams, offices, and locations, and that’s before you consider communications with customers and partners, too. These interactions will demand multiple channels, and mistakes in communication can quickly ruin a company culture. Future-proofing: A workforce that is adept at the latest technology is ready for the ‘next big...

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### 6 Honest New Year’s Resolutions for 2021 

> Here are six believable resolutions for the year 2021 - and this time when we say we will do something, we mean it.

- Published: 2021-01-05
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/6-honest-new-years-resolutions-for-2021/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

It’s that time of year again, where we all solemnly swear that the double helpings of holiday desserts will be our last foray into sweet treats until Spring, and we’re absolutely not staying up until 1 am bingeing the Queen's Gambit, as we’re going to guarantee 8 hours of sleep every single night. But this year has been a rough one for us all. So here are 6 more believable resolutions for 2021 - and this time, we mean it. We Really Really Will Hit the Gym We know, you’ve heard it all before. But this year, we know what it’s like when the gyms and fitness centers close their doors, and our only option is to pound the pavement avoiding dogs and strollers, and force ourselves into running shorts to jog outdoors at sub-zero temperatures. If you only open up the gym again, complete with changing rooms and showers, heated pool, carpeted floors, and *cough* vending machines, we guarantee we will be there every single day. Besides, for the moment - stretchy gym wear seems to be by far the most flattering item of clothing in our closets. We Will Rely on the Experts What are some of the things you’ve done this year that you usually left to those that were trained? From hair-cutting and shoe-sizing, DIY home repair and gardening, to impromptu new businesses such as baking, and graphic design, or random hobbies triggered by sheer boredom like new languages or coding skills... haven’t we all learned...

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### 5 New Year's Resolutions for Customer Education in 2021

> Here are five must have new years resolutions we belive will help you take your customer education to the next level this year

- Published: 2021-01-04
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-new-years-resolutions-for-customer-education-in-2021/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Ready to start 2021 strong with an awesome customer education program done right? Here are 5 must-haves to take your customer education to the next level this year. How many are already on your list of intelligent New Year’s Resolutions? Align Your Goals in Advance When implemented intelligently, customer education programs can help with improving many of the key metrics that organizations put on their roadmap. If your business is struggling with customer acquisition, customer education can help onboard users faster, and spark their interest in your product far more effectively than a simple sales pitch. If acquisition isn’t the problem, but retention and churn are company bugbears, customer education can help existing customers to get more out of your product, and see the value in line with their own unique business context. For speeding up the sales cycle, getting customers understanding and experiencing your product with more efficiency is a fantastic way to avoid bottlenecks. It can even actively reduce the lengthy period from initial conversation through to demo, proof of concept, and onboarding. The key here is to understand your c-suite’s goals for 2021, and then adjust the goals of your customer education program to suit. That way, your success is the organization’s success, and you suddenly have the whole company rooting for your program to win. Refine Your Format to the Customer Need Customer education will vary between products, companies, and even customers. If your product is simple to use, it may be enough to offer self-serve...

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### 4 Key Benefits a Cloud LMS Can Offer Your Company

> Let’s discuss what a cloud LMS can do for your business, especially if both budget and efficiency are high priorities for you.

- Published: 2021-01-01
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-key-benefits-a-cloud-lms-can-offer-your-company/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

A significant part of business management is knowing how to provide the right tools, knowledge, and resources that your employees, business partners, and even clients need. A learning management system, or LMS, sets out to provide companies with education in an efficient and convenient way. But let’s say you’re tasked with choosing your organization’s next LMS. Should you install one locally, or do you turn to a cloud-based learning management system? While the decision depends on circumstances, industry, and other factors, the majority of companies will find the benefits of a cloud-based LMS enticing. Let’s discuss what a cloud LMS can do for your business, especially if both budget and efficiency are high priorities for you. Defining a “Cloud LMS” Adopting a cloud learning management system negates the need to invest in dedicated hardware and software. Your business takes advantage of an LMS without spending resources on system maintenance or updates, which your cloud provider will supply. Many companies sell remote LMS technologies in a “Software as a Service” (SaaS) model. You pay a regular subscription fee for full access to all the features. Users can access the content through a web login using any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection. The Benefits of Cloud-Based Training So why do so many companies both large and small choose this arrangement over building their own LMS? There are many benefits to cloud training: Price Because your vendor sets up and maintains the server technology required for an LMS, the initial...

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### Why Is Sales Enablement Training So Important?

> Why should you care about sales enablement, why should you invest in internal training for it? and how does it impacts your bottom line.

- Published: 2020-12-22
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-is-sales-enablement-training-so-important/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

You’ve likely heard the term “sales enablement” before but probably didn’t think too much about its role in modern business and how it impacts your bottom line. Why should you care about sales enablement, and why should you invest in internal training for it? Let’s talk about the definition of “sales enablement,” why businesses consider it so much, and what best practices exist for implementing sales enablement training into your organization’s workflow. What Is Sales Enablement? Sales enablement is the act of providing your sales team with the information and tools it needs to push sales and generally perform better. This process is completed by engaging the customer throughout the sales cycle. One major step towards sales enablement is producing quality resources that are easy to understand and applicable across the entire company. Sales enablement is also: A process focused primarily on the customer, involving an understanding of the buyer’s perspective. Information is given to the sales team for internal use, such as research and tools. Tracking how well the provided resources are being used to optimize the return on investment. Recording metrics like sales cycle lengths, staff performance, and sales quotas. A joint effort between the sales and marketing teams. But producing helpful resources is not the only aspect of sales enablement. Businesses also need training and development programs so that participants get the most value out of the materials. The tech industry relies heavily on sales enablement, hence the high adoption rate of technology sales training. Why Is...

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### 5 Tips to Create Engaging Virtual Training Sessions

> As more Industries move to online training, understanding how to organize a successful virtual class becomes more important than ever

- Published: 2020-12-07
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-tips-to-create-engaging-virtual-training-sessions/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

As more and more businesses and schools are switching to online-only training, it’s more important than ever for classroom facilitators to understand how to organize a successful virtual class. But how do you keep up engagement and effectiveness when all your participants are so far away from each other? Whether you’re offering tech sales training for a business or need to move your college course to the web, here’s our guide to taking on some of the virtual training challenges when delivering your own online class. What Is Virtual Training? We should start by discussing what exactly a virtual training environment entails and how the concept differs from a webinar. A webinar, as its name suggests, is a web-based seminar. It uses video conferencing to deliver information to its participants. Like a real seminar, a webinar is a two-way route for communication and often includes interactive elements like quizzes. Virtual training rooms are web-based classrooms. Students can interact with each other and engage with the material as a group. Virtual training typically involves an instructor and specific learning objectives. Compared to a webinar, virtual training is more interactive and has a smaller participant-to-instructor ratio. Now that you know what virtual training is—here are five ways you can make it even more engaging for your users. 1. Take Advantage of the Technology Modern cloud-based training labs have several features to improve the experience. Be aware of how to use all the ones that will work with your class. These include screen...

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### Top 7 Cyber Monday Deals for Learning and Training Professionals in 2020

> 7 great deals that you can snap up over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend If you’re in the learning and education sector

- Published: 2020-11-30
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-7-cyber-monday-deals-for-learning-and-training-professionals-in-2020/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Cyber Monday is a treat for all kinds of treasure-seekers, offering deals and discounts on a vast array of technology and online products. If you’re in the learning and education sector, you’ll love this list of 7 great deals that you can snap up over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. A Free Month of LinkedIn Learning LinkedIn are using Cyber Monday and Black Friday as a great chance to tout their LinkedIn Learning platform, a one stop shop for advice from experts across a wide array of industries. Most of the courses are delivered in short video format, with skills that can be put into action immediately. You’ll get a month free to trial as many classes as you want if you take advantage of LinkedIn Learning this Cyber Monday – so what are you waiting for? ZDNet Academy Slashes its Pricing ZDNet has been keeping its eyes on recruitment trends, and are offering some steep Cyber Monday discounts for their courses and certifications, including a Microsoft Azure Certification prep bundle, for just $39, reduced from $1839, and their GCP certification course prep for just $29. 99, reduced from $639. Being well versed on all the commodity clouds is smart thinking, as the market share continues to level out between the big cloud players. At CloudShare, we offer the ability to run virtual training on all three of the major cloud providers, through a tabular format in a single classroom view. Udemy Offers Deep Discounts on Courses Udemy’s Cyber Monday slogan...

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### How Do the Big Retailers Turn Black Friday into Serious Sales? 

> Black Friday! everyone’s favorite shopping holiday has turned into retailers most serious sales time of the year. How did they do it?

- Published: 2020-11-26
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-do-the-big-retailers-turn-black-friday-into-serious-sales/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

It’s everyone’s favorite shopping holiday– Black Friday! While traditionally, Black Friday was reserved for in-store discounts, and Cyber Monday continued the deals online, over the past decade Black Friday Retailers have thrown the rulebook out the window, and you’ll see deals ‘aplenty both in bricks and mortar stores (where lockdown rules allow, of course), and on the web, too. We think that there’s a lot to learn from the giants of retail. Here’s how we can take those Black Friday best practices, from retailers who made more than $29 billion (or 20% of their total holiday revenue) over the Black Friday weekend last year, and turn them into messages that we can use more widely in sales enablement success. Build up Some Buzz There’s no retailer out there that understands promoting themselves better than Amazon. They even created their own shopping holiday – Prime Day! From Prime Day through to Black Friday, Amazon publicizes its Holiday Dash Event, allowing shoppers to get in the mood ahead of Black Friday itself. Getting people talking about your product or service is every organization’s holiday wish, providing free marketing through word of mouth, referrals, and leveraging existing customer loyalty. That’s one of the reasons that Amazon benefits heavily from its customer reviews, too. What can we learn from this approach that will help in software sales, you ask? Customer engagement is key. Creating a customer advocacy program can help you to upsell within an organization, to build customer stories, use cases, and case...

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### 5 Thank You’s for this Thanksgiving Season at Cloudshare

> Despite many challenges this year we at CloudShare are very thankful, here are our five Thank you's, What are you thankful for this year?

- Published: 2020-11-25
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-thank-yous-for-this-thanksgiving-season-at-cloudshare/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

There’s no doubt that 2020 has been a rollercoaster of a year. So, will you take a moment to reflect with us? Imagine yourself sitting around the CloudShare Thanksgiving dinner table, holding hands with our team members (pass the hand gel first, of course), and sharing in our gratitude for all of our amazing customers and their own wins, however unusual this year may have been. Thank you for business continuity Cast your mind back to March, when the word pandemic was still reserved for dramatic in-flight movies, and the idea of an in-flight movie wasn’t quite so distant in and of itself. When lockdown hit, many of our customers had to quickly train their own employees and end users on working from home and getting the most out of software solutions, to enable business as usual. Here at CloudShare, we were proud to help so many organizations hit the ground running, and by April 2020, we were experiencing a 31% rise in virtual labs usage, year on year. We even helped organizations like Aderant to move their in-person event virtual, complete with hands-on labs experiences that mimicked their traditional workshops. Feedback like this, from Brenna Strickland, Aderant’s Director of Global Training, has shown us that the training industry is seeing a real shift in mindset. “We used to go to bat with clients to say ‘we can’t do this remotely, we absolutely have to fly in. ’ Now it’s been turned upside down. We’re telling clients ‘We absolutely can...

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### Driving Business Growth with Customer Education [Webinar]

> Learn how to utilize virtual training for customer education to enable your business to grow even during these times of remote work.

- Published: 2020-11-24
- Modified: 2023-09-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/driving-business-growth-with-customer-education/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

By being forced to transition to remote work this year, organizations have had to think more deeply about their training solutions. Perhaps you were already considering moving training virtual, or in the middle of trialling a new way to manage customer and employee education. Then, the pandemic pushed everyone to stop thinking and start doing, to work in a more agile way, and onboard solutions that can hit the ground running with speed and flexibility. As a result, the companies who have onboarded customer education solutions and kept training programs moving despite the adversity have seen great growth. But, what’s the connection? Here are just a few examples of why customer education = business growth. When customers love you, they tell their friends When customer education is done right, it can turn your customers into evangelists, showing them how your products work best, and encouraging them to become brand ambassadors for your software. When augmented with other techniques like certification and gamification, this then creates long-term, loyal buyers. WATCH THE "DRIVE BUSINESS GROWTH WITH CUSTOMER TRAINING" WEBINAR HERE >> Customer education removes barriers to entry User experience is increasingly important, and customers won’t sit around frustrated trying to figure out how your software works. Effective customer education, when paired with fantastic UX, brings down any walls, and makes it easier for businesses to want to use your products. Today’s virtual training is doing more, with less In a period of time where customers and employees can’t travel, companies are looking...

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### Drive Business Growth With Customer Training

- Published: 2020-11-23
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/drive-business-growth-with-customer-training
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### An Interview with Daniel Quick – The Impact of Gamification on the Future of Virtual Training

> Read Daniel Quick’s thoughts on the future of customer education, as well as how gamification can support growth in VILT.

- Published: 2020-11-20
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/an-interview-with-daniel-quick-the-impact-of-gamification-on-the-future-of-virtual-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If you caught Daniel Quick’s hit session at this year’s CEdMA conference, you’ll know how passionate he is about gamification in learning initiatives. As the Senior Director of Product Experience at Thought Industries, he had a lot to share, and so we were delighted to sit down with him to ask him some further questions. Here are his thoughts on the future of customer education, as well as how gamification can support growth in VILT. Let’s start by talking about 2020. Have you seen an impact on the training experience as a result of the pandemic? What we’ve seen in Thought Industries is an increased interest in online training as a way to help customers achieve success with products. Companies without an LMS are scrambling to implement one, and companies already with an LMS in place have seen significant rise in virtual training enrollment rates. When I was at Asana we didn’t do anything differently once the pandemic hit, and yet we saw enrollment in our Asana Academy increase by 20%. Yes, we saw the same rise in numbers here at CloudShare. What would you say was the main driver?   A number of reasons. More flexible schedules means it is easier for people to make time for online training. The psychology of working from home gives people an excuse to try out new training methods or initiatives. There is more urgency in suddenly needing to use remote collaboration tools and become more digitally native. Either way, we definitely saw...

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### Budgeting for 2021 – Advice from Larry Monaco at Keysight Technologies

> Learn from Larry Monaco, Director of Professional how he belives budgeting season should be approached and its challenges along the way.

- Published: 2020-11-19
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/budgeting-for-2021-advice-from-larry-monaco-at-keysight-technologies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We sat down with Larry Monaco, Director of Professional Services at Keysight Technologies, for a virtual catch up. We discussed how cybersecurity spending is changing in 2021, and the best way to approach budgeting season and its challenges, both old and new. Hard to believe that budgeting season is upon us once again! How does that work at Keysight? During our budget season we basically look at what we’re expecting to do in the coming fiscal year. At Keysight this starts November 1st so we get into it a little earlier than some other companies. We look at what we’re expecting to happen, and then we look at how we get there.   How does that differ from other companies you’ve worked with? Well, some companies start with what they had the previous year and work from there. ‘So, you had 10 million – do you need more or less? ’ We don’t look at last year’s numbers. We look at initiatives, either existing ones or ones that we’re expecting to have, and then we work out the expected profit and loss of each one, and the people and the CapEx we need. Some of these might be OpEx costs too, like internal projects rather than a delivery to a customer. Over the past six months, we’ve had many people learn Raven 360 and Cloudshare and think how they can use these to create go-to-customer offerings, for example. We factor in these recurring costs in addition to people or hardware,...

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### [Infographic] The Need for Virtual Customer Education and Training

- Published: 2020-11-17
- Modified: 2023-07-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/the-need-for-virtual-customer-education-and-training
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Customer Education and Training in 2020: By the Numbers [Infographic]

> Learn about the shift to virtual training for customer education and how to leverage virtual instructor-led training for your customers.

- Published: 2020-11-17
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-education-and-training-in-2020-by-the-numbers-infographic/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It’s official. In-person customer education and training has gone virtual. Organizations are finding innovative ways to keep customer engagement levels through the roof, even without the face-to-face contact they might have been used to, pre-pandemic. Virtual Training is Showing Up for Customer Education Here at Cloudshare, we love it when the numbers tell a story, so here are some of the latest insights from the 2020 State of Customer Training Report. 59% of respondents say that retaining customers is a priority right now, with 44% admitting that customer engagement is what they’re focusing on to make it happen.   Click to see the full infographicThere’s no doubt that customer training is a smart route to these goals, known to increase the adoption of software products, reduce ticket queues and customer churn, while helping you to forge stronger relationships with customers. It’s no surprise that the customers who better understand how your solution adds value will be the ones that are ultimately more loyal, and a whole lot happier, too. That’s why we’re delighted to see that rather than hitting the brakes on training initiatives this year, 64% of respondents report spending more on training than they did before the global pandemic. Virtual training labs are making this possible, with 56% of people calling virtual training solutions a priority. What Does Successful Virtual Training Look Like? If your fingers have been hovering over the launch button, and you’re looking to adopt virtual training technology to boost customer education and engagement in...

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### Planning your 2021 Training Budget? Here’s How to Get it Approved

> Make data driven decisions for your company. Read about how to plan your training budget and its costs and benefits.

- Published: 2020-11-09
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/planning-your-2021-training-budget-heres-how-to-get-it-approved/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It’s budget season again, and this year, according to the annual LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, 57% of L&D professionals are asking for an increase in budget for online learning. Given the remote working landscape, that’s no surprise. The #1 challenge in learning and development this year is getting managers to make learning a priority, so if you’re looking to get buy-in for online training initiatives, here are our top tips for success. Put Data Behind Your Decision-making First, think about how you currently measure the success of your training solutions. A good budget plan will explain the gaps that you’re trying to fill with new training software, and how you’re going to measure the impact of any given purchase. This is easier said than done. 24% of L&D professionals don’t currently measure learning engagement at all, and the majority of those that do, rely on course completion rates alone. If this is the case, a great starting point is to explain to managers that you’re actively looking to make a >customer education. Look for training solutions that offer more ways to prove ROI and the engagement of learners, providing metrics such as time spent learning, skills-based competency, or return visits. Align Your Training Goals with the Organization According to training industry expert Debbie Smith, “To see success with any training program, you should always have the goal of tying your metrics to the business goals of the C-suite. These corporate goals could be anything from reducing churn, to improving monthly...

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### 8 Essential Process Capabilities for High-Performance Training

> Read this eBook with detailed, actionable tips for the eight process capabilities that define great training organizations.

- Published: 2020-10-25
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/8-essential-process-capabilities-for-high-performance-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

“Training contributes directly to product adoption, customer success, and company growth,” says the first paragraph of our popular ebook, How to Optimize Your Customer Software Training. If you haven’t yet downloaded the eBook, you’ll want to do so now. It’s packed with 51 best practices to achieve new levels of performance in customer software training. When you get into the eBook, you’ll find a list of detailed, actionable tips for each of the eight process capabilities (see below) that define great training organizations, according to Training Industry and its founders Doug Harward and Ken Taylor, authors of What Makes a Great Training Organization. Though they haven’t changed the list of process capabilities from the book they published in 2014, they revisit each in a research report that followed in 2018. The report examines the factors that differentiate high-performing training functions and offers recommendations your organization can apply to improve performance. The 8 essential process capabilities are: Strategic alignment Content development Delivery Diagnostics Reporting and analysis Technology integration Administrative services Portfolio management The list above is revealed in the order that training professionals rated them as critical. In other words, strategic alignment was deemed most critical, and so forth down the line. Master the entire list and you’re bound to produce great outcomes for your software training programs. Of course, mastery—for most—is more of an ambition than reality. Only 13% excel at all of them. Interestingly, the numbers have changed very little over the past decade. Let’s take a look at...

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### Live Customer Education AMA with Debbie Smith and Daniel Quick

> Watch our webinar on demand titled - %%title%%

- Published: 2020-10-22
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/live-customer-education-ama-with-debbie-smith-and-daniel-quick
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Thoughts from CEdMA 2020 Attendees: What Does the Future of Customer Education and Virtual Training Look Like?

- Published: 2020-10-21
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/thoughts-from-cedma-2020-attendees-what-does-the-future-of-customer-education-and-virtual-training-look-like/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Like so many other events in 2020, this year’s Customer Education Management Association (CEdMA) conference went virtual for the first time. We spoke to CEdMA board members, as well as attendees of the event, to discuss how they found the new dynamic, as well as what they think about the future of Customer Education and Virtual Training. “We can be effective educators in a distance environment” Mindi Gascho, conference trustee and the Director of Education & Enablement at iBASEt spoke to us about the challenges of taking CEdMA virtual. “First of all, we know how priceless the networking part of the event is for attendees, so we made an effort to ensure we could keep the personal connections going, even in a virtual setting, without that ‘chat by the water cooler, sidebar conversation over a coffee’ dynamic that attendees would be missing. ” “We made a few changes to meet this challenge. One example - we created the option for pre-recorded sessions, which allowed more people to present their innovative ideas and attract more participants. We also knew how important the vendor booths in the exhibit hall usually are. To go some way to filling that gap, we built into the agenda times you could speak to the vendors, giving opportunities for networking and interaction. ” Mindi also gave us her thoughts on the future of customer education, which she believes has been changed for good. “Of course, there are places where we will still need classrooms or face to...

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### An Interview with Danielle Campbell: The Challenges and Joys of Moving CEdMA Connect Virtual

> We spoke to Danielle Campbell, President of CEdMA, about moving the annual conference virtual and what it takes to make virtual events work.

- Published: 2020-10-12
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/an-interview-with-danielle-campbell-the-challenges-and-joys-of-moving-cedma-connect-virtual/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We met with Danielle Campbell, President of CEdMA, and Head of Global Learning Strategy at Adobe, who opened up about the process of organizing and executing the first virtual CEdMA conference this year, as well as best practices on keeping engagement levels high when moving in-person events online. CS: This year, CEdMA went virtual! How did you prepare for the event? DC: We knew very early on that the event would have to go virtual. Like the rest of the world we were watching our own corporate events go online, and as we moved towards the summer we had no-travel policies coming into place. I knew that even if COVID-19 passed quicker than we thought, at Adobe for example we had a no travel policy until next June, so even if we could make the conference an in-person event, I wouldn’t be there! So, we locked it down for virtual in late March. CS: Was this a challenge? DC: As learning professionals, virtual was second nature to a lot of us already. There was definitely a logistical feeling of “we know how to do this, we know how to run virtual events. ” Of course, most of us hadn’t run one of this scale, so there were challenges of handling the schedule, and of making sure that attendees felt like they could participate fully, and network effectively. CS: How did you address those issues at the planning stages? DC: Our board created a sub-committee who really rolled up their sleeves...

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### The Top Virtual Sales Conferences to Attend in 2020

> Here are the best virtual sales conferences to attend in 2020 to learn about how to boost your sales performance.

- Published: 2020-10-07
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-top-virtual-sales-conferences-to-attend/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Conferences have always been the best way for business professionals to network with other leaders in the industry. However, the recent pandemic has shut down any chance of in-person conventions from occurring safely. But that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your sales skills in shape. Here are some of the best virtual sales events in 2020 to add to your calendar. Top Virtual Sales Conferences in 2020 Sales 3. 0 Conference If your sales team is in need of sales enablement training or B2B sales experience, then the Sales 3. 0 Conference has the strategic insights and industry best practices you’re looking for. You will be interacting with CEOs, analysts, and sales experts of various high-level companies. Join this conference on either of its opening days, September 10th or October 14th, to start raising your business’s revenue through sales training. SaaStr Summit The theme of this year’s SaaStr Summit is “Bridging the Gap. ” We expect over 16 thousand participants who will focus on sales engineer training for the SaaS (Software as a Service) market. Sponsors for the summit include ProfitWell, Chargebee, and Microsoft for Startups. The event will run from September 2nd to the 3rd. Execvision’s Momentum 2020 What are the ingredients for a successful business? We believe that offering an excellent product, following a solid strategy, and ensuring high employee performance are the steps required. That’s why this year’s Momentum conference will focus on the final segment: employee performance. Learn how you can implement remote coaching into your...

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### Those Savings from your Travel Budget? Time to Splurge on Customer Engagement

> Virtual training labs is the perfect way to spend your unused travel budget by integrating instructor-led training with self-paced tools.

- Published: 2020-10-06
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/those-savings-from-your-travel-budget-time-to-splurge-on-customer-engagement/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Enterprise planning and budget season is upon us, and this year, enterprises are seeing a huge question mark on what is traditionally one of the most expensive elements of their overall budget: travel. According to industry research, pre-COVID-19, 445 million business trips took place each year, creating a $251 billion industry, so it’s no surprise that travel often comes in as the second largest slice of the enterprise budget overall. Your CEO or CFO is probably delighted by the savings, but if you’re involved in customer engagement, you know that there’s a flip side to this ‘great news’. In fact, the same research shows that for each dollar spent on business travel, companies see a $2. 90 increase in profit, and a $9. 50 increase in revenues. Your travel budget pays for a whole lot more than in-flight snacks and fluffy hotel pillows. In reality, it’s being spent on face to face meetings, on coffee dates, on greeting customers, prospects, and partners in person. It’s being spent, on sales and customer engagement. According to the September 2020 Travel Intelligence TIPS study, just 18% of people believe they will be taking an international business trip during the next six months. Even domestic travel looks unlikely, as this number only rose slightly to 25% when respondents considered local business trips. In fact, the levels of confidence in travel have actually declined since June. This year, you need a different route to customer engagement. One option is to invest in technology that can...

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### The Race for Business Acceleration in Cloud Technology

> Business Acceleration Cloud (BAC) is a new category that is defined as purpose-built virtual environments for sales and training in the cloud.

- Published: 2020-10-05
- Modified: 2023-09-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-race-for-business-acceleration-in-cloud-technology/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The technology industry has always led the charge for more innovation, changing how other markets behave in ways nobody could ever predict. Businesses with outdated practices must consider modernizing through digital methods to stay competitive. One way to do so is to move some operations into the cloud. Both small and large companies realize that cloud acceleration is vital to becoming more scalable, efficient, and versatile. And in an increasingly digital world, it’s often the only way to ensure that your business is prepared for future growth. Why Use the Cloud? Companies everywhere use software solutions to improve internal operations, but only those that jump to the cloud enjoy not having to handle their own software installations. They can avoid the costs and risks associated with maintaining physical servers as a result. Most of the “busy work” companies do nowadays is achievable through third-party services with relatively inexpensive subscription fees. These business acceleration cloud services save the client company significantly on resources, time, and money. What Are the Benefits of Business Acceleration Cloud? The advantages of business acceleration cloud go beyond simple convenience. Business owners choose cloud software over traditional programs for several reasons. Flexibility Because everything is available in the cloud, professionals have access to all their business matters from any location or device with an internet connection. Some organizations even have dedicated remote staff who work from home to cut down on expenses. Scalability If you have to host the required software on-site, you need to add extra...

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### Make it easier for partners and resellers to sell and promote your software with next-gen partner programs

> Learn what it takes to go from training resellers to simplifying your channel sales partner program with virtual training and demo labs.

- Published: 2020-09-29
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/easier-partners-resellers-sell-promote-software-next-gen-programs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Partner programs just make sense, don’t they? For many businesses, creating relationships with resellers, service providers and strategic partners is a cost effective way to gain access to an established customer base who already has pre-existing relationships with your ideal customers. For others, partners such as distributors can be used to take on some of the administration of handling leads and new prospects. In many cases, partners can shorten the time to market, or help you to reach new regions where you don’t have physical boots on the ground, and therefore need a hand with cultural or language barriers. Understanding the growing complexity of establishing strategic partnerships A common misconception is that establishing a relationship with a new partner is the difficult part, and after that agreement has been signed, an organization can sit back and watch the new customers come through the door. The reality is different. Depending on the reseller or the partner in question, there could be hundreds or even thousands of vendors who are attempting to leverage a strategic partnership. Think about a company like Salesforce, that has over 100,000 partners, for example. As one of many, a software vendor needs a way to stand out from the crowd. Time is a serious factor here, as according to Forrester research, “If a partner doesn’t start to market and sell your offering within the first 90 days of recruitment, it’s highly likely that it never will. ” On top of making yourself seen, there’s another challenge in...

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### The Top Virtual Training Conferences & Events to Attend in 2020

> Here are the best virtual training, customer education, and learning & development conference you should attend, in-person or virtual.

- Published: 2020-09-24
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/top-virtual-training-conferences-events-to-attend/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Just because COVID-19 has restricted in-person events and meetings, doesn’t mean you have to put your professional development on hold. There are many online training conferences for 2020 that cover topics from learning and development to team building and beyond. On top of finding online training environments for your staff and implementing work-from-home protocols, think about joining some virtual conferences like the ones below. CEdMA CONNECT 2020 CEdMA is one of the premier customer education organizations for professionals and executives in the training space. CEdMA CONNECT 2020 is a virtual event this year that offers attendees Learning and Vendor talks showcasing knowledge, experiences, and best practices, as well as connect them in order to accelerate business objectives and careers in education. These free, virtual online sessions are given by experts, CEdMA members, and vendors in short 30-minute sessions that include online polls and chat between attendees. If you're looking for an event that focuses on customer education, learning and development, and virtual training - this is the one for you. There is a bonus roundtable of education and learning masters that you won't want to miss. TICE Virtual Conference 2020 Known for their annual Training Industry Conference & Expo (TICE), this year's virtual conference is spread over a number of full-day sessions including training, L&D, and culture topics such as: Emerging Technologies in Corporate L&D, Developing an L&D Blueprint, The Future of the Workforce, Building a Learning Culture to Boost Organizational Agility, Understanding and Developing Your Remote Learners, Adapting Your L&D Strategy...

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### An Interview with Industry Expert, Debbie Smith: Proving the Value of Customer Training to the C-Suite, and to Customer Success

> Debbie Smith from Braze gives very insightful reasons on how to demonstrate value in customer training, including

- Published: 2020-09-23
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/an-interview-with-industry-expert-debbie-smith-proving-the-value-of-customer-training-to-the-c-suite-and-to-customer-success/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We recently sat down with Debbie Smith, Customer Education Program Manager at Braze, as well as this year’s CEDMA Vendor Trustee. Debbie has been working in education for more than 20 years, and was kind enough to share some of the trends that she’s seeing in the ILT and VILT space, including her insights about the ‘new normal’ for both employment and education. CS: What has been your own experience during 2020 so far? DS: It’s been really fascinating to watch how many companies prior to this year didn’t believe in VILT and virtual training and e-learning, and suddenly everyone has had to get to grips with it very quickly. Over the years, virtual education has moved from e-learning and webinars, to live training that’s getting a lot more hands-on in nature. With COVID-19, companies who weren’t digital now need that digital space, and employees who aren’t spending hours a day traveling any more, have the time to take advantage of the learning opportunities that are out there. CS: What kind of upskilling are you seeing? DS: There are a lot of technical products and software products that we all use every day, but maybe we get 5% or 10% of their value out of them. We’re paying for these products, some are expensive, and others aren’t, but either way, we’re not getting the full potential out of them. I’m seeing software companies facilitating better and deeper adoption of their products by offering free training, or by moving 8-10 hours...

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### Next Gen Demos – Test Drive is the New POC

> Proof of Concepts are great. But using interactive, online test drives can bring the right value to a potential prospect. POV is the new POC.

- Published: 2020-09-22
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/next-gen-demos-test-drive-is-the-new-poc/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Making sales is all about ensuring the prospective customer journey is as easy and streamlined as possible. And yet, there is inherent friction in the current process of moving customers from marketing to sales through to Proof of Concept and onboarding. From the first sales call, research has shown that more than half of buyers want to see how the product works, to see proof of value at the earliest possible stage. Makes sense, right? We all want to know that we’re not wasting our time before we get too involved.   However, traditional sales pipelines are fractured, with a lead being curated across multiple departments and technologies, from one team and technology for marketing, another for sales, and then sometimes a third set of tools and people for sales demos and POCs. In fact, once the sales team passes a prospect through to the POC stage, they often lose track of the buyer altogether, other than basic facts like whether they converted or not. Even if the customer is happy with the POC, you’re often looking at a whole new process for onboarding too, and getting the minutiae of the customer environment right. Each one of these change points is a risk, a point where the prospect could be lost. Gain more Control by Moving from Demos and POCs – to Test Drives and POV A more holistic answer is needed, not just tacked on at the end of the process, but early and continuous throughout, adding a layer...

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### Software Updates Don’t Wait Around - Why Should Your Sales Teams?

> Learn how Infinidat utilizes CloudShare to run all of its demos and POCs at scale, with security and visibility into customer interaction.

- Published: 2020-09-17
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-updates-dont-wait-around-why-should-your-sales-teams/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Infinidat Revolutionizes Sales with Immediately Accessible Templatized Versions of the Latest Product Releases Leonardo da Vinci said that “Art is never finished, only abandoned. ” There’s an expression in the software development world that mirrors that idea, “Software is never finished, only released. ” As requirements change, customer needs evolve, and new use cases spring up, software developers are rarely sitting still. Great for the customer, but what about the sales reps? How can you present fully-functional sales demos and POCs of a software product when it’s going through near-constant iterations, updates, and feature changes? This is exactly what Infinidat was struggling with. The company is well-known for its scalable storage and back-up solutions, and needed a way to demonstrate its products to new prospects, as well as to explain updates to existing customers. Each demonstration was a headache. Internal sales teams as well as third-party resellers were forced to install a new version of the software every single time, and configure it correctly for each customer environment. Without visibility into these demos and virtual training sessions, Infinidat had no way to be sure that the software was being represented to its full potential. Let’s Get Back to Selling Software This isn’t an uncommon problem. Did you know that 66% of sales people spend 1-3 hours per day updating their sales tools? This takes its toll on how much time sales reps can be doing what they’re good at - selling software. Infinidat knew it needed to make a change,...

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### Missed our Webinar on 5 Best Practices for Remote Training? Here are Your Highlights!

> Hear from Director of Training at Tufin on how he implemented CloudShare virtual labs for their cybersecurity self-paced training academy.

- Published: 2020-09-16
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/missed-our-webinar-on-5-best-practices-for-remote-training-here-are-your-highlights/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Training is changing. Where traditionally you might have sat in front of a charismatic leader or coach and learned passively, today people are expecting training solutions to be equally available and beneficial from home. This is not just a COVID-19 thing, but there’s no doubt that the global pandemic has sped up the process. Almost overnight, many software companies have had to work out how to roll with the punches, and get strong training solutions in front of their users, wherever in the world they might be. As remote training is one of the most popular use cases for our virtual labs, and we’ve been in the industry for nearly 15 years, we had a thing or two to say about this problem. If you missed the live webinar, including a demo of our solution in action from Viggy Book, Director of Training at Tufin, you can catch up here, or read on for an overview of the event. Grabbing your users' attention, before they start losing interest In person, you might have had charm, charisma, movement or energy in your corner. Online, you’re competing with a lot of unknown distractions. We see that participants get bored or lose interest with one dimensional or two dimensional learning, and this leads to training churn or low retention. We have learned over time that mixing the types of training can really help here. Set up your students for success by starting out with a high-level instructor-led kick off. Screen sharing, video conferencing,...

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### Must-have Tools for Every Field Salesperson Who’s Suddenly Found Themselves Benched

> Learn about the top must have tools sales managers and salespeople should use to up your sales game from home during the pandemic.

- Published: 2020-09-15
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/must-have-tools-for-every-field-salesperson-whos-suddenly-found-themselves-benched/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

So, you’re a sales manager, or an experienced enterprise salesperson, and you know field sales like the back of your hand. You’re used to going out on the road, going to trade shows, finding leads in person, and working your sales magic face to face. Suddenly, overnight, everything has changed. You now need to use the digital world to create your own leads, and alongside every other field salesperson out there, you need to become an immediate expert in inside sales. If you’re not familiar with the tools of the trade, you’re going to be quickly left behind. For me, there are four types of technology you need to adopt, and fast. Here are my personal recommendations for tools in each category that are effective and essential for mastering inside sales, and have a shallow enough learning curve that you can hit the ground running. Exploring – Find Those Contacts and Develop your Territory The first step in successful inside sales for a field salesperson is to take control over your territory. Right now, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, you could be part of two extremes, either your industry has benefited by working in an environment that supports others during the crisis and has had high demand, or you’re in an area where everything has been put on hold. Whichever is true for you, there’s no time to rest on your laurels. Territory development is key, whether that’s a region in the US, a country in Europe, or...

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### 5 Best Practices for Improving the Adoption of Remote, Self-paced Learning

- Published: 2020-09-10
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/5-best-practices-for-improving-the-adoption-of-remote-self-paced-learning
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



---

### How Infinidat Empowers a Global Sales Force to Sell with Virtual Labs

- Published: 2020-09-09
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/how-inifinidat-empowers-a-global-sales-force-to-sell-with-virtual-labs
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



---

### COVID-19 Is Reviving the Need For Live Training Platforms

> COVID-19 has businesses thinking about the future. With remote work being the norm, virtual training is needed now more than ever.

- Published: 2020-09-09
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/covid-19-is-reviving-the-need-for-live-training-platforms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Governments and businesses around the world have felt the social and economical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many considerations for company managers to make during these next few months, from reorganizing supply chains to ensuring safety among staff and clients. But what about company training? With working from home becoming standardized, it’s becoming more important than ever for employees and business partners to stay up-to-date with company processes, even remotely. That’s where the sudden influx of demand for live training labs is coming from. Technical Sales Engineer Training Is Best Done Online When the option of in-person instruction is no longer available, sales representatives and team members need some way to get the information and experience they need. An online training platform has many useful benefits over physical methods of instruction: Mobility. Because coursework occurs online, there’s no need to be at work to attend classes. Individuals working from home or on the go will appreciate the flexibility of live online training. Feedback. Just because the instructor and participant are not in the same room, doesn’t mean communication will be an issue. Users can still leave feedback regarding their experience and record performance assessments directly in the training platform. Cost. Setting up your online class and expanding it to accommodate more employees and partners is inexpensive thanks to SaaS platforms for cyber range training. Your service provider handles all the upgrading and maintenance for you. Virtual training is the best option for businesses now that the pandemic requires...

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### Sales Engineer Q&A with John Care and Chris Daly

> Watch our webinar on-demand titled: %%title%%.

- Published: 2020-09-08
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/sales-engineer-qa-with-john-care-and-chris-daly
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### The Big Share: A Q&A with CloudShare’s New CRO, Nadav Peleg

> Nadav Peleg, CRO at CloudShare, discusses the goals he is trying to achieve and the importance of virtual labs in this post-pandemic world.

- Published: 2020-09-07
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-big-share-a-qa-with-cloudshares-new-cro-nadav-peleg/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The Big Share features interviews with leaders and influencers from across CloudShare’s extensive community, happy to discuss their experiences and provide expert advice on a range of business topics. In this edition we speak with Nadav Peleg, our new chief revenue officer (CRO). Nadav has more than 15 years of experience in business development, sales and marketing. Previously VP of Sales at WhiteSource, he’s held similar posts for leaders like Check Point Software Technologies, ClickSoftware and NICE Systems. In addition to the invaluable lessons he’s learned in the professional trenches worldwide, Nadav holds a Master of Business Administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.   CloudShare (CS): Tell me a bit about the CRO position and what you’re trying to achieve. Nadav Peleg (NP): My goal is to bring our sales team closer together, get us all focused on the overall business, and build a holistic approach to manage it end-to-end. It’s about controlling execution throughout the entire process – from pre sales and enablement to partner support and customer success – which in turn can decrease cycles and speed results. We’re putting less of an emphasis on million dollar selling superstars and more on creating a “sales machine. ” CS: What’s the benefit of this approach? NP: When you build this kind of collaborative, supportive infrastructure you have a better ability to handle unforeseen circumstances. Your success doesn’t hinge on a single person and your processes can withstand change. You also gain the agility to adapt, and ultimately,...

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### The Adaptive Future: Acquiring the Technology and Talent to Survive and Thrive

> Enterprises that innovate and change their business model survive and win – especially now. Here is what you need to know to adapt.

- Published: 2020-09-03
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-adaptive-future-acquiring-the-technology-and-talent-to-survive-and-thrive/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

A May 2019 report from Forrester, “Beyond Agility – Adaptive Enterprises Hold the Winning Hand,” detailed how companies no longer need to predict the future if they leverage a strategic foundation that’ll enable them to adapt to events as they unfold. In a survey that followed just months later, the analysts found these types of firms were growing 3x faster than competitors. Fast forward one year later and here we are in a pandemic that’s rocking global economies and has businesses and their leaders frozen. Forrester is doubling down, refining the strategy and urging all to think adaptive for the 2020s. It makes sense, after all, as Charles Darwin noted and I’ve always believed: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, it is the one that is the most adaptable to change. ” Enterprises that innovate and change their business model survive and win – especially now. And with the right tech, talent and the cloud, they cannot only weather a pandemic, they can accelerate future success. Keep rolling When travel came to a halt, smart decision makers looked at their budget and realized by investing just a portion in cloud solutions they could close personal gaps brought about by social distancing. Enterprises and users that deal with complex technology – particularly in areas like software sales, training and development – are an especially good example. Virtual IT labs can allow exact products to be uploaded to the cloud and shared for hands-on learning in true-to-life environments....

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### Cybersecurity is shifting its priorities - will your virtual training reach its potential?

> Cybersecurity organization need to move budget around to deal with remote training. Learn how virtual labs can fill that gap.

- Published: 2020-09-02
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-is-shifting-its-priorities-will-your-virtual-training-reach-its-potential/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

Have you seen this infographic by McKinsey Research that looks at the projected influence of COVID-19 on cybersecurity spending? Looking closely at the data, it’s clear that outside of the obvious drive to protect employees and customers physically from the risk of the pandemic, there is also a shift in terms of technology, media and telecommunications. When you look at this side by side with the projected decrease in travel, transport, and leisure budget - it’s easy to see the picture being painted, across the globe. As companies slash travel budgets, and cancel conferences, trade shows, and in-person training sessions, they will leverage this budget to spend on technology and telecommunications that adequately fills the gap. Sounds smart, but how can organizations grab the best ROI? Eitan Satmary, CISO at Tufin commented at the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, “IT departments large and small now have the responsibility to keep business running and manage risks in the process. We must balance productivity, agility and security as best we can. ” With budget tight, and the future uncertain, training is one element of business as usual that cybersecurity companies can’t afford to ignore. However, as companies turn to technology to make up for in-person training, they’re often faced with new challenges. Zoom fatigue steals energy from participants who aren’t used to staring at a screen for hours on end. The lack of hands-on support and actual practice results in a hit to retention rates. Morale drops as students feel like no-one...

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### LinkedIn State of Sales 2020: Navigating Change and Selling Virtually

> LinkedIn recently released their State of Sales 2020 report. Learn how virtual selling with CloudShare can dramatically shorten sales cycles.

- Published: 2020-08-31
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/linkedin-state-of-sales-2020-navigating-change-and-selling-virtually/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

LinkedIn recently released the U. S. edition of its State of Sales Report 2020. The highly anticipated annual study takes a deep, informative look at various emerging and sustained sales trends. Now in its fourth year, this one also examined the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The report is based on a survey of 500 buyers and 500 salespeople across the U. S. It was also supported by timely additional research; two surveys of sales pros conducted during March-April that specifically assessed the effects of COVID-19 on sales and the industry. Below are a few of the many findings we found interesting, and frankly, validating, too. Roll with the changes  According to report data, 70% of sales managers agree the “capacity to navigate change is more important than it was five years ago. ” Long before the pandemic, they realized the ability to lead through change was the new must-have skill. And it’s now being put to the test. LinkedIn took a look at recent changes and identified the top resulting trends: Virtual selling goes mainstream: Over three quarters (77%) of respondents said they now hold more virtual meetings. Buyers are less responsive: 44% noted they’ve been anticipating a decrease in responsiveness to their outreach. Sales cycles have increased: According to 44%, sales cycles are getting longer. The ability to adapt to, and overcome, significant change - like a lack of in-person contact - has become more important than ever in sales. Sales tech rises to the top Prior to...

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### Sales Engineers Need to Forget About ‘Business as Usual’ (And Why Boosting Performance from Home Might be Easier than you Think)

> Download this eBook to learn how to boost your sales engineering performance with virtual demos while working from home.

- Published: 2020-08-26
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sales-engineers-need-to-forget-about-business-as-usual-and-why-boosting-performance-from-home-might-be-easier-than-you-think/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

When we set out to create an eBook about how to successfully sell software from home under the new normal, we had no idea how much there was to think about, or how prolonged the period of remote working would turn out to be. Google has extended its WFH policy through to the Summer of 2021, and many other companies are following suit. For some roles – this is a no brainer, and hardly makes a difference to the 9-5, but for presales teams, who are used to building relationships and rapport with prospects face to face, it’s a growing strain. So, we asked... Can software sales professionals be equally productive when they’re working from home? Spoiler alert, but the answer is a resounding yes, and it turns out there’s more support than you think out there, to get you hurtling over that steep learning curve. We spoke to four sales engineer experts, took research from the most recent studies from virtual training and online learning professionals, and drilled down to the most common challenges for presales teams. We then used all of this insight and data to build an ultimate guide to remote sales, from sales enablement and virtual demos, to how to launch, track and improve proof of concept solutions when working remotely. It’s 10 pages of pure value, and it’s a must-read for anyone working in software pre-sales. Check out the full eBook to discover the surprising connection between webcam usage and closing sales, the applications that...

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### Learning from the Australian Department of Defence’s Use of Virtual Training Labs during COVID-19

> Learn how Atos implements CloudShare virtual training at the Australian Department of Defence rather than in-person classrooms.

- Published: 2020-08-24
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/learning-from-the-australian-department-of-defenses-use-of-virtual-training-labs-during-covid-19/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Over the past two years, more than 1000 personnel who work in the Directorate of Maritime and Engineering Logistics under the Department of Defence in Australia have been trained in Configuration Management tools and Asset Management Software. The department has used a straightforward process, where trainers go out on the road with their laptops in hand, and set up mobile training centers so that these staff members can undergo training and accreditation on these vital technologies, wherever they are. Of course, even straightforward processes become somewhat more complicated when faced with a global pandemic. COVID-19 meant that the Department of Defence had to say goodbye to face-to-face mobile training sessions, and had very little clarity on when they would be able to set these up again. In the meantime, dozens of personnel were going untrained, an untenable situation for such a mission-critical agency. In fact, trainees were unable to be deployed without obtaining this training certification. A global problem - with a solution growing in popularity Although this might be an extreme example, the situation is far from unique. In fact, the Harvard Business Review estimates that as many as 76% of organizations are implementing some kind of virtual training solution to cover the shortfall during the pandemic. Of course, as with any technology - these are going to have a variable amount of success. By implementing CloudShare virtual training labs via Atos, the Department of Defence was able to achieve the following: Quick time to value: In less than...

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### Accelerating Software Sales: The Home Edition

- Published: 2020-08-17
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/accelerating-software-sales-the-home-edition-2/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Why Employee Experience Is Critical to the Future of Work

> Employee experience is a crucial part of a company's success. With the world moving to remote work, virtual employees expereiences are even more important.

- Published: 2020-08-12
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-employee-experience-is-critical-to-the-future-of-work/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

You’ve probably heard a lot about “Consumer Experience,” or CX. But what about EX, Employee Experience? You can’t deny that to get great customer experience you need top performance by employees. Even if customer interaction is managed through technology, such as website help sections or finding the right product on a website, that tech is designed, built, tested and managed by employees. A physical store where the workers enjoy good conditions tends to have staff that are happy to help visitors. Similarly, tech-oriented companies that have employees who are satisfied with their working experience are more likely to deliver happy experiences to customers. The growing importance of EX Research firm Gartner cited employee experience (EX) as one of the top five priorities for HR leaders this year. Forrester noted that the global pandemic has accelerated the evolution of remote working, which lacks a social component and places a higher value on worker engagement. Better EX, the research firm said, can reduce recruiting costs, lower attribution rates and boost employee performance. And how are businesses improving EX when the world has gone remote? Let’s go back to Forrester analysis, who earlier this year pointed to the importance of technology for every employee’s workday engagement, with the biggest engagement impact coming from collaboration and productivity technologies. In other words, if you thought EX was important to a brand’s success before the global pandemic rewrote the rules, hold onto your hats. As remote working and remote transactions are now the norm for many...

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### Insights from Pre-Sales Pros on Working from Home

> Hear from Sales Engineers of New York co-founders on how they are currently dealing with online presales, including giving sales demos and attention spans.

- Published: 2020-08-03
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/insights-from-pre-sales-pros-on-working-from-home/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

How has the “stay at home” mandate affected the work presales professionals do? That’s the question at large. However, we wanted to probe a bit more and gather insights about specific challenges, so we reached out to several of our friends at Sales Engineers of New York and interviewed four of the organization’s founders. These experienced sales engineers, all of whom now work from home, offered some interesting insights about the current state of presales. Following are highlights from the interviews. And keep an eye out for our upcoming eBook on "Accelerating Software Sales: The Home Edition - Your Guide to Maximizing Presales Productivity from Your Home Office," where we go in-depth into the discussions with these, and other, SEs about their experiences during this difficult time. Can software sales professionals be equally successful working from home? “Yes, with a new mindset. You have to realize you are not building relationships in a person-to-person type format. So, how do you keep those connections? How do you keep up to date? How do you keep things personalized? That’s next frontier. It can be done, but you have to be very diligent and you have to have the right tools to make sure you're connecting with your customer. ” — Owen McClave, manager of solution architecture, Amazon Web Services “Ever since software sales existed, we've always been about being in the field, so this is a question about the future. But I think people can adapt and have been adapting to whatever...

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### Webinar recap: Building and delivering a VILT course in under 60 minutes

> Join Sharon and Lee as they take you on a short journey through creating a virtual instructor-led training class with CloudShare virtual labs.

- Published: 2020-07-29
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-building-and-delivering-a-vilt-course-in-under-60-minutes/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

CloudShare recently announced results of a survey we commissioned in Q2 to understand training challenges brought about by COVID-19 and the potential solutions. When asked what technology would see increased investment in order to improve virtual learning, 35% of respondents said virtual IT labs, second only to virtual conferencing, far ahead of augmented reality, gamification and more. Virtual conferencing alone isn’t enough for enterprises that handle complex technology like software. In particular, user training – whether it involves customers, partners or staff – requires real-world, interactive experiences and a lot of hand holding for education to take hold. With social distancing, virtual instructor-led training (VILT) is stepping in to close the resulting personal gaps. Perhaps, then, it’s not surprising our most recent webinar was one of the most heavily attended this year. Held last week, “Product Demo: How to Build and Deliver Your First VILT Course In Under 60 Minutes,” attracted close to record numbers of instructors, learning and development (L&D) pros, training managers and decision makers. What was somewhat surprising, though, was a poll early on that showed many attendees weren’t using virtual IT labs - yet. Word has clearly gotten around about how VILT can free up budget previously reserved for travel and deliver the impact of face-to-face software training. And, in less than a single hour, participants saw for themselves the technology’s power and ease of use for creating courses that increase engagement and learning. Keep it simple “How to Build and Deliver Your First VILT Course...

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### How to Build and Deliver Your First VILT Course In Under 60 Minutes

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.

- Published: 2020-07-29
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-build-and-deliver-your-first-vilt-course-in-under-60-minutes
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Elon Musk’s Top Priority is the Starship Spacecraft – What’s Yours?

> The best sales demos have the same idea behind their execution. Learn how Elon Musk's SapceX can give some insight into delivering better sales demos.

- Published: 2020-07-28
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/elon-musks-top-priority-is-the-starship-spacecraft-whats-yours/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Ferrying humans to and from Mars, and to other locations around the solar system, might not seem at first glance like an urgent priority, but a recent tweet from Elon Musk might have you thinking again, and perhaps even give you some insight into yoursales demo solution, believe it or not! SpaceX is building floating, superheavy-class spaceports for Mars, moon & hypersonic travel around Earth https://t. co/zLJjz43hKw — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2020  Later, in a company-wide email, he let his employees know that the Starship should beconsidered the top priority for SpaceX at the moment, with the ultimate goal of enabling humans to live on Mars. One Small Step for Man... Interplanetary travel is probably a lofty goal by anyone’s standards, but for SpaceX, one of the first steps is these spaceports, allowing for initial travel to Mars. This will allow early flights for spacecrafts, and later astronauts and eventually civilians to visit the planet, for planning, collecting information, and to gain a better understanding of exactly what us Earthlings are in for. Elon Musk himself admits (regretfully) that the time frame for a Mars trip is probably too great for him to make it there himself during his lifetime, but it won’t stop him planning ahead, and essentially – giving people a chance to “Try before they fly”. Here are some of the goals of the Mars trials, and how you can incorporate those lessons into your own software sales enablementsessions anddemos. 3,2,1... Blast Off for Sales...

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### How Aderant Supported Their Largest Conference During COVID-19 With CloudShare Virtual Labs

- Published: 2020-07-22
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/how-aderant-supported-their-largest-conference-during-covid-19-using-virtual-labs
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### If the NFL has Embraced Virtual Training – What’s Stopping You?

> Learn how the NFL has embraced virtual training as a key component of their off-season and how coaches are utilizing this format in different ways.

- Published: 2020-07-17
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/if-the-nfl-has-embraced-virtual-training-whats-stopping-you/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Sports has to be one of the hardest-hit industries of the COVID-19 global pandemic. At first, it seemed like football could end up wholly unaffected. After all, while the NBA had its season halted midway, and baseball teams learned to cope with a delayed season, the pandemic hit at the right time of year for the NFL off-season. Of course, is there really such a thing as an ‘off’ season for pro athletes? Here’s how the NFL kept the home fires burning with virtual training, complete with how they overcame challenges, and even discovered some of the unexpected perks of the new system, with insights directly from the coaches themselves. Equipment is key for virtual training programs Back in April, the NFL announced the new rules for the 2020 off-season, including that "classroom instruction and on-field activities that customarily take place at the Club facility ... are being supplanted by on-line classroom instruction and virtual workouts for an indeterminate period. " One of the first challenges for teams was ensuring that players had the right equipment at home to complete the workouts as intended. Because of this, the NFL agreed that players could be sent additional workout equipment to their homes, for a cost of up to $1,500 per player, paid for by the team. Desperate times call for desperate measures of course– but for most of us, a switch to online virtual training can’t come with a hefty price tag to get everyone ready for action. Luckily, when it...

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### Recruiters weigh in: The impact of COVID and what the future may hold

> Hear from three HR experts about how they are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis and learn about the technologies they are using to make remote work better.

- Published: 2020-07-13
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/recruiters-weigh-in-the-impact-of-covid-and-what-the-future-may-hold/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

At the end of May, the Brookings Institution reported that in an analysis of 20 rich democracies – representing 660 million workers – 38 million people filed for unemployment during the pandemic. Topping the list is the U. S. at 13% unemployed, and during the second week of June, it added another 1. 5 million to the ranks, marking the 13th consecutive week of filings over one million. There’s a wealth of talent available, yet COVID-19 is keeping company plans in limbo. At the same time, the remote work migration has proven it’s not only a viable alternative, the cost savings can be dramatic. Decision-makers are now wondering if office space and overhead can be cut, even eliminated. As for employees, some enjoy the convenience of working from home, others miss the social aspects of the office, most all wouldn’t mind having the option to choose. How do we know this? In the center of it all – with a finger on the pulse of companies and candidates alike - are recruiters. We spoke with three highly regarded pros for insight into how COVID-19 has changed working and recruitment, now and possibly in the future. Ken Downey, CEO & President CareerMaker Executive Search Retained executive search firm for senior management, board directors and advisory boards There’s widespread recognition that employees can work remote and still be effective - and that can drive down overhead immensely. I’ve spoken with clients who realize they can eliminate a tremendous amount of square footage;...

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### Five reads and a webinar that’ll add some sizzle to your summer

> Read these five articles, and watch the sales enablement webinar, which will help you make the most of your summer of training and sales.

- Published: 2020-07-07
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-reads-and-a-webinar-thatll-add-some-sizzle-to-your-summer/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

For many, summer is the best time of the year. Whether you’ll be spending it relaxing at home or possibly venturing out onto the road for a change of scenery, be sure your reading and listening list is up-to-date. Here are five recent articles and a webinar to add some sizzle! Sales Coaching Unleashed: 15 Sales Experts Share What It Takes to Get Your Managers Coaching Effectively (SPARXiQ) - Are your front-line sales managers doing enough to ensure their sales team have the knowledge and coaching to be successful? According to 15 experts, probably not. Don’t miss their bounty of great insights. Rethinking IT strategy post-COVID-19 (CIO) - After an intense race to make sure that remote workers had the tools and ability to remain productive, companies are turning their attention to their IT strategies once the dust has settled. Beth Stackpole discusses the future of IT in CIO. Sales Enablement Talent: What You Need As A Sales Enablement Leader (Tamara Schenk’s Blog) - There is not enough discussion about the talent that sales enablement leaders require for success. Industry visionary, Tamara Schenk, shares what kind of attributes are critical for better sales enablement. 10 CMOs From High Growth StartUps Talking Market Strategy (MarTechSeries) - Developing a comprehensive marketing strategy is a monumental task, to say the least. Alon Gehiber speaks with 10 successful chief marketing officers, including our own Annie Reiss, to gain their perspective on key items to keep in mind. 4 Ways to Foster Human Connection in...

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### Screen-Sharing’s Got Nothing on a Hands-on Experience. Here’s Why.

> Zoom fatigue is real and virtual labs are the cure. Learn why hands-on training and sales demos & POCs are better than just screen sharing with Zoom.

- Published: 2020-06-30
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/screen-sharings-got-nothing-on-a-hands-on-experience-heres-why/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

In this prolonged period of remote work, video conferencing is having a real moment in the limelight. Zoom shares are up nearly 250%, and anyone with a job that can be done from their home office is utilizing some kind of video sharing to provide face to face engagement for their teams. Makes sense, and it’s probably been a real lifesaver for your remote working reality since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the shift to a relentless slew of video-based meetings also comes with its own challenges, as we’ve seen as more and more people complain of what’s being called, ‘zoom fatigue’. Understanding Why Zoom Fatigue Happens According to the Harvard Business Review, “video calls make it easier than ever to lose focus. We’ve all done it: decided that, why yes, we absolutely can listen intently, check our email, text a friend, and post a smiley face on Slack within the same thirty seconds. Except, of course, we don’t end up doing much listening at all when we’re distracted. ” Sitting passively listening is not always an engaging experience, especially when we have multiple zoom meetings throughout the day. The constant gaze that we use during a zoom call, the reality of staring at our own micro-expressions, and the intense focus we need to keep on top of technical difficulties can be truly exhausting. But what can we do about it? How Valuable is Screen-Sharing, Really? Let’s be clear, we think Zoom is fantastic! We even encourage our...

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### How to convince management of the benefits of virtual instructor-led training [eBook]

> In this eBook, you will learn how to create a story that captures what you need in order to pitch your management of the benefits of virtual training.

- Published: 2020-06-29
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-convince-management-of-the-benefits-of-virtual-instructor-led-training-ebook/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It’s time to take that training strategy you’ve been working on and make it real. Let’s talk about selling the business case of your virtual training program. But before we get into it, there are three key elements to making a successful pitch to management. We will get to those in just a little bit, but first... We previously published two eBooks to prepare you for this moment that we suggest you read. 9 Vital Practices to Develop and Deliver Effective VILT: This eBook teaches you techniques for building your virtual software training program. 10 Steps to Convert Traditional Classroom Content Into Effective VILT: This eBook outlines the most important ideas in creating successful online training that will not only help you get started, but take it to the next level. Building Your Case The next step, after moving through the first two parts of the series, is making your case to senior management. So how do you do this? Well, it’s time to build your use case. In order to build a solid foundation, there are three main concerns you need to address and turn into a story: Why How Prove It Why Virtual Instructor-Led Training The “Why” is probably the easiest of the three pillars to this story. You already know the reasons virtual training are so important to the organization - that’s what you’ve been pouring your heart and soul into. So make sure the benefits of virtual training are outlined. Know the costs of all training...

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### Why Your Learning and Development Strategy Needs Virtual Training Labs

> Your Learning & Development strategy needs to keep up with the times. Learn why virtual labs is the perfect addition to your training arsenal.

- Published: 2020-06-24
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-your-learning-and-development-strategy-needs-virtual-training-labs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Did you know that the global expenditure for organizational training is approximately USD $370 billion? It’s clear that businesses are scrambling to upgrade their learning and development (L&D) programs for more experienced employees and business partners. But is the investment really working out? A report from Gartner tells us that many employees lack the skills and knowledge to perform their duties properly. How can we improve our L&D to raise the confidence and performance of the workforce? What Needs to Change There are many theories describing why current L&D investment fails to provide tangible benefits to the companies. While training and development is certainly necessary for employees to stay up-to-date with organizational activities, it’s the implementation of the training programs that is at fault. Learning For Purpose Rather Than “For Show” Many businesses approach training and development like an item on a checklist. Rather than selecting subject matter that is immediately relevant to an employee’s workflow, they choose uniform topics that bear little use. Choose learning objectives that apply to the real-world situations that your employees will be facing while working at your company. Ensuring Knowledge Retention On average, we forget about 3/4ths of what we learn in just 6 days. L&D program organizers must understand that the best way to retain knowledge is to expose yourself to the material in regular intervals, such as every few days. This “spaced out” methodology raises retention to 80%. Remember that experience is the best teacher. Always prioritize interactive learning materials over plain...

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### Finding the right touch in no-touch software sales

> We're moving from high-touch, face-to-face sales to a virtual, no-touch approach. This post will give you the tools and insights to do no-touch sales right.

- Published: 2020-06-16
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/finding-the-right-touch-in-no-touch-software-sales/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

What’s the new normal in business? With companies reopening, we’re about to find out. COVID-19 disrupted so much, but at the same time, some of the changes companies quickly adopted have shown promise. Remote productivity myths have been shattered. Cost savings have already raised eyebrows. It’s clear many of these temporary adjustments are going to remain long after restrictions are lifted. Arguably, software companies were best-poised to handle the pandemic. Their personnel are typically more accustomed to change and experienced with working remotely. However, when it comes to sales, their teams are no different. Contact is important, and complex technology, in particular, requires education and hand-holding - which isn’t possible in this age of no-touch software sales. That said, if you’re a software sales pro, sales engineer or manager, you’re likely rethinking your strategies and processes. Here’s some advice to help you find the right approach, tools and touch. Look before you leap Software teams rely on high-touch sales approaches, ones involving face-to-face time, particularly in pre-sales where a hands-on trial can make all the difference. In the past, on-site demos and proofs of concept (POCs) were used to highlight value and take customers through an “experience. ” Now, new methods are required to fill the personal void brought about by the pandemic. This has propelled many organizations to try basic platforms like Zoom and WebEx; great tools for general conferencing purposes. But, they are relatively static, and in the software sales world, fall far short on engaging prospects. Other...

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### Clear Skies Ahead for the Cloud, but Grounded Businesses Need to Grab Wings

> Learn how you can make sure your business is ready for the post-pandemic world and find a path to growth in the coming weeks and continue it down the line.

- Published: 2020-06-15
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/clear-skies-ahead-for-the-cloud-but-grounded-businesses-need-to-grab-wings/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Have you started walking down your local high street counting ‘for rent’ signs, and wondering which businesses will soon be back to serving customers? Have you begun thinking about the practical elements of how your own specific team is going to return to the office? Is your inbox full of cold emails, guaranteeing support with ‘the new normal’? These are all signs of the same thing. In the words of McKinsey Research, the mindset of the world is shifting "from resilience to return. " While resilience is all about shoring up and getting through the crisis, including focusing on issues such as cash management, or difficult decisions regarding employment, the return phase is about turning that corner. To make the return phase of the pandemic effective, McKinsey argue that companies need “an enterprise-wide ability to absorb uncertainty and incorporate lessons into the operating model quickly. ” But, Where are These ‘Lessons’ Coming From? To make this happen, businesses must emulate the most resilient model of all, one where despite the worldwide tragedy, growth is being forecasted instead of depreciation. According to Gartner, while IT spending in general is set to take an 8% drop year-over-year, cloud services are on track to grow 19%. SaaS businesses don’t need telling about the benefits of relying on the cloud for power, performance and speed. But now it’s time to take that logic even further, broadening the use of virtualization and the cloud to previously physical elements of your organization such as virtual training,...

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### 7 Best Virtual Sales Practices To Use Now, And Continue Later

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.

- Published: 2020-06-11
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/7-best-virtual-sales-practices-to-use-now-and-continue-later
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Webinar recap: Analyst insights on changes in software sales and 7 tips for virtual success

> Watch Constellation Research's R "Ray" Wang and VP Nicole France talk with Zvi Guterman about the future of software sales and presales.

- Published: 2020-06-11
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-analyst-insights-on-changes-in-software-sales-and-7-tips-for-virtual-success/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

When COVID-19 brought world travel to a halt, selling software suddenly became much harder. Face-to-face has always been crucial because understanding complex technology takes education and hand-holding, whether it’s done in a conference room, at a trade show or across a restaurant table. That’s no longer possible in this age of no-touch software sales. The fact is, remote will be much more common as decision-makers are now realizing the cost savings and liking what they see. We are moving into a future in which sales will be conducted differently and technology is how it will get done. That’s why on June 10 we held a special webinar, “How Current Circumstances Change Sales for Good— and for the Better,” which included 7 virtual tips to use now and continue later. Panelists included Constellation Research’s R "Ray" Wang, principal analyst and founder, author of the popular blog "A Software Insider’s Point of View," and Nicole France, VP and principal analyst, a leading expert on sales effectiveness and customer experience (CX). Joining in was our co-founder and CEO, Dr. Zvi Guterman. The panel covered a lot of important ground. They discussed utilizing technology to do sales demos and sales POCs, allocating resources to facilitate the new processes, focusing on analytics to determine engagement and other techniques to close sales. Judging by participation - and immediate requests to repost a recording of the webinar - it was clearly a subject that resonated. Below are just a few highlights of what took place. A playbook...

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### Ready? Set? Go! Seven articles that will help you hit the ground running in the post-pandemic world

> Read these seven articles from top tech publications on how to come back to work during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and hit the ground running.

- Published: 2020-06-09
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/ready-set-go-seven-articles-that-will-help-you-hit-the-ground-running-in-the-post-pandemic-world/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The brave, new world of work is finally upon us as we all get ready to emerge from our socially-distant cocoons and head back to the office. Before venturing into the new normal, this is a good time to examine professional habits and start a clean slate that will help get you moving in the right direction and whiteboard a path to success.  This is especially true as everyone returns to doing business, while anticipating the arrival of summer; even if 2020 will be remembered for working from home and stay-cations. If you haven’t started thinking about how to leap back into business life, here are some good reads that’ll show you how to hit the ground running. Turn Your Funnel Upside Down and Shake Out a Plan to Over-Deliver After a Crisis(Sirius Decision Blog) - Ready to break out of the starting blocks once the gates raise? Seth Marrs lays out how

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### Building the Perfect Business Case for VILT to Win Over Senior Management

- Published: 2020-06-09
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/building-the-perfect-business-case-for-vilt-to-win-over-senior-management/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### What came first, COVID-19 or the desire for remote working? And what comes next?

> Virtual labs usage leapt during the month of April 2020 at CloudShare due to the Coronavirus pandemic. What does this mean for remote work in the future?

- Published: 2020-06-03
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/what-came-first-covid-19-or-the-desire-for-remote-working-and-what-comes-next/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Have you noticed how adaptable many companies have been during the past few months since the outbreak of COVID-19? Everywhere we look, organizations are making sharp pivots in the way that they work, quickly shifting to new remote working realities, handling shortages in staff or resources, and enabling their clients and employees to reach them with the support of truly innovative technologies. But does the data back this up? What do the numbers say? One of our busiest months at Cloudshare is October, where we see the majority of trade shows and conferences, causing both environment runtime and the specific number of labs run on our systems to spike as much as 15%. October is CloudShare’s busiest month with a 15% increase compared to the next highest month This year however, the environment runtime for April was a startling 12% higher than the numbers from October 2019, and a dramatic 31% higher than April 2019. L: Env runtime October 2019 vs April 2020; R: Env runtime April 2019 vs April 2020 When it came to the amount of labs running, we saw a 62% increase in labs activity this April than we did during the same period in 2019. Comparison of the number of labs run in April 2019 vs April 2020 This growth appears to align with broader cloud technologies, as 57% of respondents to the Flexera State of the Cloud Report 2020 agree that cloud usage has grown due to COVID-19. The real question is, will 2020 be...

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### 10 Steps to convert traditional classroom content into effective virtual instructor-led training [eBook]

> In this eBook, you will learn how to take your traditional training and turn it into a successful online virtual training program that scales.

- Published: 2020-06-02
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-steps-to-convert-traditional-classroom-content-into-effective-virtual-instructor-led-training-ebook/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Has the recent pandemic got you thinking about moving your software training program in the cloud? If you’ve put off moving to remote learning, now is definitely the time. Not only that, but you may find that it changes the way you do training forever. Learning how to build your training program for the future is of the utmost importance - you never know when an in-person training class will have to be canceled. But wait, how do you take all your classroom training content and make it work for virtual training? Thanks for asking... because we wrote an in-depth eBook about just this topic. In our latest eBook, “10 Steps to Convert Traditional Classroom Content Into Effective Virtual Instructor-Led Training” we outline the most important ideas in creating successful online training that will not only help you get started, but take it to the next level. What’s the biggest mistake in converting classroom training into the virtual environment? A moment before you dive into your first live virtual training course, you might want to consider what not to do: Do not copy-paste your original classroom course! Learn about how to successfully make the jump to cloud-based learning, including live online training classes with these 10 powerful tips. It all begins with knowing your audience and how to tailor the training for them. You will also gain insight into making your training more dynamic and interactive, use hybrid environments to ensure learners get hands-on experience, and how to make your...

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### 10 Steps To Convert Classroom Content Into Virtual Instructor-led Training (VILT)

- Published: 2020-05-27
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/10-steps-to-convert-classroom-content-into-virtual-instructor-led-training-vilt/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### The Big Share: A Q&A with Technical Sales Leader and Remote Veteran, Nir Malik

> In our latest Big Share, we have Nir Malik discuss with us how to run his sales team remotely and got into how COVID-19 is affecting their business.

- Published: 2020-05-19
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-big-share-a-qa-with-technical-sales-leader-and-remote-veteran-nir-malik/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The Big Share features interviews with leaders and influencers from across CloudShare’s extensive community, happy to discuss their experiences and provide expert advice on a range of business topics. In this edition we speak with Nir Malik, a tech sales leader known throughout the Asia Pacific Japan (APJ) region. From his home, the road and corporate offices, Nir has overseen sales engineers (SE) and technical advisors (TA) representing some of the region’s largest brands. Already a virtual veteran, we spoke with Nir to learn about his experiences and gain insight into remote technology sales. CloudShare (CS): First off, I hear you have a degree in Middle East studies and history. How did you end up a tech sales leader? Nir Malik (NM): That was my bachelor’s degree and I planned to pursue a master’s in history, focused on women’s education in the Carolingian dynasty during the 9th century. I took a year off to make some money, and encouraged by a friend who felt I “knew the internet,” got a job doing tech support for an internet service provider (ISP). From there, I’d rotate between studying and various similar jobs. During those times, I worked for a great manager who would take me with him whenever he moved on to a new position. He’d ask if I wanted to interview and I said yes, every single time. Quickly seizing opportunities became a philosophy I adopted and eventually, work sidelined my studies. When I got a call about this position – and...

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### Guest Blog: How to Bridge the Gap Between Classroom and Remote Training

> Read about how to make your virtual training more like a physical classroom environment with these tips from Metaswitch's Jimmy Murthi.

- Published: 2020-05-12
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-bridge-the-gap-between-classroom-and-remote-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

This blog comes from Jimmy Murthi, technical training manager at Metaswitch Networks. A CloudShare customer, Metaswitch is the world’s leading cloud native communications software company. It develops solutions that positively disrupt the way service providers build, scale, innovate and account for services. It’s award-winning software powers more than 1,000 service providers across the globe. Murthi and his team are responsible for training its extensive group of users. While many of us have done remote training in the past, it has now become the daily standard. It certainly differs from teaching in person, and if we're honest, it can be difficult as you’re missing interpersonal elements that let you help a class and train people effectively. I thought I'd share some approaches I have used to bridge the gap between the classroom and online delivery. The overarching theme of all my tips is to make it as close to standing in front of a room of people as possible. Conferencing software often has a ton of features in this area that are infrequently used, but can be very handy. Video on One of the biggest things you can do to improve the virtual training experience is to ensure people turn their video on. The difference between teaching to faces and a black wall is significant. You’ll always get some who will refuse, but stress that seeing each other facilitates collaboration, group dynamics, and it helps instructors notice if people aren’t understanding what they’re saying. Tell people that if they have a...

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### SE Leading Through the New Normal

- Published: 2020-05-11
- Modified: 2023-07-17
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/se-leading-through-the-new-normal
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### 9 Best Practices for Virtual Remote Training Your Students Will Love [eBook]

> Learn how to build and develop a virtual training program as well as deliver training using virtual instructor-led training methods in this eBook.

- Published: 2020-05-07
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/9-best-practices-for-virtual-remote-training-your-students-will-love-ebook/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Enough has been said and written about the state of business in the current climate of COVID-19. While this crisis has impacted all of us in different ways, there are still many companies that are operating to the best of their abilities, trying to move everything online as much as possible to enable remote work. And software training departments are no different. Having long practiced classroom-style instruction, where travel expenses are necessary and you can only train the students in the room, the time to go remote is now. More than ever, virtual online training (or Virtual Instructor-Led Training) is becoming the new frontier for businesses that have not yet thought about it, have held back until now, or only offer a self-service option. With VILT, you get the best of both remote training and live instruction. That’s why we wrote 3 eBooks we will be releasing in the coming weeks, including this one - 9 Vital Practices to Develop and Deliver Effective VILT Your Students Will Love - which provide practical techniques for building a virtual software training program. In this eBook, we highlight best practices for online training from four different perspectives: The instructor The learner The technology The content/session You will learn about ways to ensure instructors are ready to properly teach using the right tools, how to ensure students get the best learning experience, how to utilize technology to make sure training is properly delivered, and the right way to use content to ensure the sessions...

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### 9 Best Practices for Virtual Remote Training Students Will Love

- Published: 2020-05-07
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/9-best-practices-for-virtual-remote-training-students-will-love/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### [Infographic] Keys to Successful Sales Acceleration

- Published: 2020-05-06
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/infographic-keys-to-successful-sales-acceleration
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### The new normal: Six articles about life during and after COVID

> Here are six articles that will help you adjust to the new normal of remote work in the times of Coronavirus with tips on how to stay effective and safe.

- Published: 2020-05-04
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-new-normal-six-articles-about-life-during-and-after-covid/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

As we continue to weather the COVID-19 pandemic together, it’s interesting to see how people and businesses have adapted to the “new normal. ” The world has learned the challenges of quarantining and working from home. We’ve enlisted tools like Zoom and Skype to fill some of the void created by social distancing. Hopefully, it will soon be safe to start learning how to go back to work in this new world. But exactly how has this changed the way we live and work? What’s in store “on the other side” when the pandemic is over and decision-makers and employees consider the benefits of remote work? Here are six articles that seek to answer those questions. Zoom Fatigue Is Real (WSJ) - Can there be too much Zoom? Joanna Sugden breaks down the ins and outs of moving our social lives online. How Starbucks plans to reopen 90% of stores by June and what the new normal for its coffee shops will look like (Business Insider) - Starbucks run? In this photo essay, Joanna Sugden offers a glimpse of what life on the other side may be like and shows how the coffee retailer will be doing business and keeping employees and patrons safe. COVID-19 Will Fuel the Next Wave of Innovation (Entrepreneur) - As restrictions begin to be lifted in some areas and people are going back to their lives, many wonder how COVID will impact the future. Hazma Mudassir writes about a few ways in which the pandemic...

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### 4 Things to Consider Before Implementing a Revenue Operations Approach

> Learn why RevOps is a new method to understand revenue and bring all departments together to streamline pre- and post-sales processes to maximize revenue.

- Published: 2020-04-28
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-things-to-consider-before-implementing-a-revenue-operations-approach/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Looking for new ways to optimize your business processes and build more efficient protocols to promote financial growth? What you need is an approach to revenue operations (RevOps). While it may just sound like a buzzword, RevOps is becoming an integral part of how modern businesses craft excellent customer experiences. Let’s talk about revenue operations, what it entails, why your business needs it, what steps make up an effective approach, and what you can do to enable a successful RevOps push for your company. What Is Revenue Operations? RevOps is the process of focusing all your sales and marketing efforts towards customer enablement and customer success, resulting in better accountability among teams and higher revenue margins. RevOps focuses on four main aspects of a business’s ability to maintain positive consumer experiences. Collaboration Chances are that your business has a marketing department, a sales team, and a customer service group. Talent from these teams contribute to revenue operations, so ensure that they all communicate effectively when accomplishing their goals. Above all, no department should have full reign over the process. Each team contributes evenly to the success of the business. Only this approach enables a well-rounded consumer experience that delivers results. Processes Tying into the previous point, build business processes that promote collaboration among RevOps teams. It’s worth talking with the heads of each department to develop a way to share data efficiently. Technologies like CRM (consumer relations management) software are integral in this endeavor. You also want a feedback loop...

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### Keeping IT Training and Sales Personal in an Age of Social Distancing

> Learn how to continue your IT software training and sales demos & POCs while working remotely through the use of virtual labs.

- Published: 2020-04-22
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/keeping-it-training-and-sales-personal-in-an-age-of-social-distancing/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Sales enablement

Trade shows, instructor led training, user groups, physical sales presentations. Just like that, traditional in-person opportunities long relied upon for teaching and selling technology are on-hold, and many practices will likely change for good. But make no mistake, nothing could entirely replace personal, face-to-face contact, particularly when you’re attempting to explain complex solutions and precise applications. For this, you need to see a product in action, showcase it tackling real-world problems, give users access to the tools for a hands-on experience. So how do you keep IT virtual training and sales enablement personal in an age of social distancing? We’re glad you asked! Get Ahead in the Cloud The cloud is the “great enabler,” offering the potential to eliminate distance, save time and costs, all while reducing the personal gaps resulting from social distancing. More than ever, companies are realizing the necessity and benefits of being able to reach anyone, anywhere, with only a browser and internet connection. And when it comes to complex sales and training, the way to get ahead in the cloud is by using virtual IT labs and a cloud service provider (CSP) that fits your needs - because they’re not all created alike. For instance, large commodity ones like Amazon and Google Cloud are great for low-cost storage and acquiring raw processing power. However, they lack the purpose-built tools and automation of specialty CSPs. That means a lot of work will be required simply to build environments capable of replicating products and real-world challenges. You’ll...

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### CloudShare for Virtual Training

- Published: 2020-04-20
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-training-brochure
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### CloudShare for Sales Demos and POCs

- Published: 2020-04-20
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/empower-your-sales-team-with-the-cloudshare-sales-enablement-solution-2
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Webinar Recap: Moving Your Tech Training to the Public Cloud Without Pain

> Learn how ForgeRock successfully transitioned to Google Cloud and how CloudShare ensured training continued, on-prem and on public cloud, without a hiccup.

- Published: 2020-04-07
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-moving-your-tech-training-to-the-public-cloud-without-pain/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

With the recent shift to remote working, companies are realizing the full value of the cloud and reaching anyone, anywhere with only a browser and internet connection. Time, distance and cost issues can be overcome - even when it involves the most complex software training – no matter if you’re educating employees, customers or partners. The key is providing a hands-on product experience in scenarios that users can expect on the job. That requires virtual IT labs. It also helps to have a cloud service provider (CSP) designed to automate tasks and simplify setup and delivery of environments at scale. Still, some companies prefer large commodity CSPs, which can require significant IT skills just to create the systems, databases, apps and security. And that can be painful for trainers. So, just days ago, we conducted a special webinar, “Navigating Pains When Moving Your Training Solution to the Public Cloud. ” The event featured Kevin Streater, vice president of ForgeRock University, along with CloudShare’s Michal Frenkel, vice president of product, discussing the company’s successful move from an on-premise solution to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The webinar is now available for free. Considering ForgeRock is the leader in digital identity solutions, and the training and certification provided by its University has grown 10X with virtual labs, it’s one you probably don’t want to miss. The Right Moves Companies are moving to the cloud in droves and in different ways. Whether it's public cloud or a hybrid mix of on-prem and public, all...

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### Remote control: Six articles to help you work effectively from home

> Read these six articles with important info on remote working the right way with shutdowns during this Coronavirus edpidemic or any difficult time.

- Published: 2020-04-06
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/remote-control-six-articles-to-help-you-work-effectively-from-home/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Readers of our blog know each month we present a collection of great content we’ve recently read on topics like training, security and sales enablement. It’s an understatement to say the ways in which our professional world has changed since our last curation post has been significant. It’s a new business world, void of travel, in-person conferences and events. So, while buzzwords like “machine learning” and “zero trust security” typically dominate headlines, the hot phrase now is remote-working. Everyone’s doing it - and many are learning how on the fly.   Here are six articles to help overcome the various challenges arising from a completely remote workforce, including the lighter side - because we all could use a laugh. 7 secrets of successful remote IT teams (CIO) - From organizational insight to security measures, John Edwards offers 7 simple tips to get everybody working collaboratively and effectively, no matter where they’re located. 13 etiquette tips for video conference calls (TechRepublic) - Just in time for those getting used to the world of online meetings, N. F. Mendoza offers 13 tips to make sure your video conferencing calls are useful and a success. Top Tips for Secure Remote Working (Check Point Blog) - The cyber security experts from Check Point weigh in with a mix of best practices for employees and employers, ranging from personal password protection to stress testing infrastructure. Remote support essentials: 4 steps you can take now to keep friends and family connected (ZDnet) - While keeping in...

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### Navigating Pains When Moving Your Training Solution to the Public Cloud

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.

- Published: 2020-04-06
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/navigating-pains-when-moving-your-training-solution-to-the-public-cloud
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Advantage Virtual: How Technology Companies Optimize Training with Virtual Labs

- Published: 2020-04-02
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/advantage-virtual-how-technology-companies-optimize-training-with-virtual-labs/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Optimizing training with virtual labs: New ebook shows how customer education leaders successfully made the move

> With the current coronavirus epidemic disrupting in-person training options, smart training pros leverage virtual training for customers and partners.

- Published: 2020-04-02
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/optimizing-training-with-virtual-labs-new-ebook-shows-how-customer-education-leaders-successfully-made-the-move/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Traditional face-to-face training has its place, but it’s not in the virtual office. When employees are working remotely, it’s costly, cumbersome and impractical to bring them together in a classroom for training. It’s also resource-intensive to set up, configure and support the workstations needed for training. For organizations with far-flung workforces - currently at unprecedented levels with countless employees working from home - virtual training labs are a more effective and scalable option. Many tech companies have long recognized the advantages, so we captured their insights in our latest eBook, “Advantage Virtual: How Technology Companies Optimize Training with Virtual Labs. ” The following is an overview, with each section supported by a “case in point” - real-world examples of customer successes in this realm. Any time, anywhere As our eBook discusses, one of the major advantages of virtual training is accessibility. Employees don’t have to be physically present to take part. As long as they have an internet connection and a browser, they can log on wherever they are, eliminating travel time and costs. Further, on-demand training enables employees to learn at their convenience, maximizing productivity. With this approach, training is also scalable. There’s no limit to the number of students you can train, so you can upgrade the skillset of your workforce as needed. And resources such as videos, PDFs and knowledge base articles can be made instantly accessible to everyone who needs them. Case in point: BWise, a company that specializes in governance, risk and compliance technology, quickly...

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### Zoom is a beautiful thing; virtual labs are gorgeous. So reach out and touch someone.

> We love the Zoom platform for meetings and hangouts. But complex software requires virtual training with real IT environments. Why not use them together?

- Published: 2020-04-01
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/zoom-is-a-beautiful-thing-virtual-labs-are-gorgeous-so-reach-out-and-touch-someone/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

“Reach out and touch someone. ” Remember that epic slogan? I’ve seen it credited to American Telegraph & Telephone (AT&T) as well as the “Baby Bells. ” Researching its history, even though it was most popular in the 1970s and 80s, its roots can be traced back to the 1920s. I offer as evidence this featured snipped from a Google search. I suppose it’s not important to pinpoint exactly where and when it came to be. And I suppose I should admit, you may not even recognize the landmark slogan at all. To do so you’d have to (a) have been around for several decades or (b) have an affinity for the history of advertising. Still, it’s a fascinating study in psychology. The idea, which resonates even now —though long-distance calling service is hardly a thing anymore — is simple: If you can’t be there, call. Your voice is all you need to connect with someone you care about. Or something like that. You get it, and it still applies, except we can do better now. We can easily add video to the experience. Instead of calling Grandma to report your one-year old munchkin is taking her first steps, you can “conference-in” Grandma so she can see it for herself. We do it with our smartphones, tablets and computers. For services, we have oh-so-many options: Facetime, Skype, Hangouts. And in business, we often rely on one of a dozen or more webinar/web meeting platforms. Today, Zoom seems to be the...

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### Five tips to get the most out of remote working and virtual training

> While working remotely from home, or giving over virtual training classes, remember these 5 things that will keep you, and your team or students, motivated.

- Published: 2020-03-31
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-tips-to-get-the-most-out-of-remote-working/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Our team is not alone in the wave of employees now working from home instead of a central location. The “new normal” means a new office - from your couch, kitchen table or bedroom desk - and it means new distractions as well. Kids that are home from school require attention. Parents are shifting and coordinating schedules. Pets are loving the all-day attention but confused about why their humans can’t take them for more frequent walks. You may be wondering how you can balance these new factors and still stay a productive employee. Our team is here to reassure you and share those tips that are helping us to keep moving ahead. Get dressed Home attire is not the same as work-from-home attire. Your off-hours around the living room might be the perfect venue for those comfy penguin pajamas, but the print may not be the message you want to send to coworkers on the occasional video call. The CloudShare team has committed to getting dressed and keeping a casual, but no-pajama zone. Plan ahead Since the team isn’t attending meetings and accessing documents from the same office, \take extra precautions to ensure everyone has materials in hand for discussions and are ready to go. We simplify this by shipping all materials to everyone in advance. If the parties involved can confirm receipt, we can confirm we’re all on the same page. Also, if your team is new to screen sharing platforms and virtual collaboration tools, give them extra time...

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### Webinar Recap: 7 Tips for Remote Training When Face to Face Isn't an Option

> In this webinar, Zvi Guterman, CEO of CloudShare dicsusses tips for remote training and virtual labs that you may have overlooked.

- Published: 2020-03-24
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-7-tips-for-remote-training-when-face-to-face-isnt-an-option/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Researchers project the global virtual training and simulation market will reach $328. 87 billion by 2022. Keep in mind, this came prior to travel bans, quarantines and event cancellations from COVID-19. Such factors impact efforts to educate, whether you’re training a dispersed staff on a system, helping partners and customers get up-to-speed on new software or ensuring your cyber team is prepared for threats. That said, growth will likely be higher as remote and virtual training is providing an answer. The response to our recent webinar, “When Face-to-Face Training Isn’t an Option: 7 Tips for Remote Training” underscores this statement. Conducted with Training Industry, almost 800 registered, including leaders and managers in training, sales, customer success, customer education, learning and development and recruitment. The webinar recording and related materials are now available for free. A Timely Training Topic CloudShare CEO, Dr. Zvi Guterman, along with Lee Berkman, our resident virtual IT labs expert, shared actionable insights on how to harness the power of virtual training environments. The duo provided easy-to-understand details on eliminating remote training challenges, increasing efficacy and engagement and maximizing return on investment (ROI) via improved user experiences. Attendees were polled on various issues throughout the webinar and the first question showed the extent of the current situation. Nearly 85% of participants reported students cancelling on face-to-face events and training. Tips for Remote and Virtual-led Training With over 18 million training hours delivered in 2019 alone, CloudShare is no stranger to instructor and virtual instructor-led training (ILT and...

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### When Face to Face Training Isn’t an Option: 7 Tips for Remote Training

> Watch our webinar about %%title%%.

- Published: 2020-03-19
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/when-face-to-face-training-isnt-an-option-7-tips-for-remote-training
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### The show must go on: How physical events are moving into a virtual realm

> Coronavirus is a serious threat. After cancellations of the world's largest tech events, this post will discuss how to move from physical to virtual events.

- Published: 2020-03-18
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-show-must-go-on-how-physical-events-are-moving-into-a-virtual-realm/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The toll of nine major technology event cancellations has crossed the $1 billion mark. This figure only encompasses losses to restaurants, airlines, transportation providers and hotels. It doesn’t reflect the impact of lost product sales, opportunities for exposure, user education and training. Coronavirus is a serious threat and the safety of employees should always be the highest priority. However, companies invest a lot to bring products to market; livelihoods depend upon it and these shows are important. So when it comes to complex technology, sales leaders and instructors still need to ensure realistic user experiences and demos of solutions, and if not face-to-face, then virtually. So how are businesses doing business under these challenging circumstances? Video conferencing Many companies are turning to video conference services like GoToMeeting and Zoom. These are providing convenient ways to meet, without the need to wash your hands after and wear a mask. Further, Facebook, Twitter, Google and Salesforce have instructed employees to work from home, a remote migration that’s growing rapidly, and these types of services are helping. Recently, Veeva, a life sciences tech vendor, held its sales kickoff for Asia-based employees via Zoom, while its U. S. counterparts went forth with an event in Orlando. Though many argue meeting in person is the best way to drum up excitement about new launches, the risk to employees – and impact on reputation should a company appear to take this too lightly – makes video conferencing a wise option. Still, when it comes to complex...

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### Five Articles from RSA 2020 to Make You More Cyber Aware

> Check out these five articles, plus a video, from the RSA Conference 2020 that will keep you up to date iwth cybersecurity practices.

- Published: 2020-03-04
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-articles-from-rsa-2020-to-make-you-more-cyber-aware/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security, Thought Leadership

At the close of February, attention turned to one of the biggest security shows in the world – RSA Conference 2020 – as cybersecurity pros, practitioners and executives took over San Francisco’s Moscone Center. Yet, even as they prepared to discuss the latest hacker tricks and preventative tactics, RSA was making news as IBM, AT&T and Verizon dropped out over fears of the coronavirus. But, the show did indeed go on, and we don’t want you to miss any developments. That said, check out the following five articles and videos to ensure you’re as cyber aware as possible. Four takeaways from the annual RSA security conference – What better way to start than with Fortune. From the crossroads of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to the impact of genetic testing on data privacy, Jonathan Vanian succinctly explains the top takeaways. RSA Red Team exercise highlights election threats from deepfakes and fake news – Election security continues to grab headlines. This article and video interview from TechRepublic looks at an RSA event that featured journalists and attendees trying to wreak havoc on the fictional city of Adversaria in order to influence an election. The 12 Most Overhyped Cybersecurity Trends From RSA Conference 2020 – Want to know how to separate the hype from reality? CRN asked security CEOs, channel chiefs and technical leaders at RSA for their opinions on the latest cybersecurity trends. The 30 Hottest New Cybersecurity Tools Announced At RSA Conference 2020 – Even if you attended the show, there’s...

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### A Business Acceleration Cloud Fairy Tale

> The fairy tale story of a princess locked in a tower and forced to work to set herself free. There's a frog, a mean king, and business acceleration cloud.

- Published: 2020-02-26
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-business-acceleration-cloud-fairy-tale/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Here's a fairy tale about a young sales engineer who made millions running virtual POCs online, Enjoy! February 26th is Tell a Fairy Tale Day! Don’t worry, CloudShare has you covered. Here’s one you can tell your kids. Once upon a time, a young woman was kidnapped. She was locked away in a tower by a greedy King. He believed she could spin straw into gold. She could – just not how he thought. She sold straw to horse stables and hat suppliers, For use as stuffing in mattresses. She did well but freedom would cost a million bucks. There was no way she could scale like that so quickly! In the moat below an enchanted frog heard her crying. He shouted up, they got online. He showed her a business acceleration cloud. A purpose built solution to speed up sales and training. They formed an army of frogs to drive straw distribution. Educated growers and partners everywhere. Provided real-world demos of new delivery software. Gave hands-on POCs that gave back insight on usage. A fast million bucks later she excitedly kissed the enchanted frog. He changed into a brilliant human sales engineer. She grew the company rapidly, bought out the King, And all lived happily ever after! That is, except the King. He had to catch flies for the SE, Who continued to find them tasty, But was promoted to VP of Global Sales, anyways. #HappyTellaFairyTaleDay from CloudShare!

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### How Does Cloud-based Virtual Training Fit into Your Digital Transformation?

> Here are the reasons why you need to consider your virtual training strategy in your organization's digital transformation and why it's key for customers.

- Published: 2020-02-20
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-does-cloud-based-virtual-training-fit-into-your-digital-transformation/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

You can’t escape digital transformation (DT). It’s been one of the buzziest phrases for a while and with good reason. According to research from Gartner, 87% of senior business leaders feel it’s a do-or-die undertaking. In fact, preliminary data from Deloitte’s upcoming 2020 global tech leadership survey shows nearly 80% of global organizations are engaged in a DT effort. Yet, while an estimated $1. 3 trillion was spent on DT in 2018 alone, the Harvard Business Review reported 70% of companies failed to achieve their goals. Gartner credits these shortfalls to a lack of strategic clarity. Others note companies are trying to run before they can walk, adding “before you can digitally transform, you must understand digital. ” Either way you look at it, for a fundamental change that impacts nearly every function of a company, there sure is a lot of confusion. And if you feel the same, you’re far from alone. So, let’s take a step back and look at this transformation and what it means to training. Transforming traditional to virtual training with the cloud ZDNet notes digital transformation is about “using digital technologies to remake a process to become more efficient or effective. ” It’s not just replicating an existing service in digital form - it’s using technology to “transform that service into something significantly better. ” While DT can involve various technologies, when it comes to benefiting training, it’s really about cloud computing. The traditional approach to the training process involves a lot of in-person interaction....

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### RSA Conference 2020: Making Cybersecurity About Humans

> Meet us at RSA Conference 2020 to talk about virtual cybersecurity labs for cyber ranges, war games, and employee training.

- Published: 2020-02-18
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/rsa-conference-2020-making-cybersecurity-about-humans/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security, Thought Leadership

The RSA Conference is here! It’s one of the largest cybersecurity conferences in the world. They boasted over 50,000 attendees last year and more than 700 speakers from around the world. And this year they brought magic greats, Penn & Teller for the closing keynote! The theme for this year’s RSA Conference is Human Element. This idea is more than just about how we are vulnerable to hackers on a human level, which was actually the topic of the closing keynote of 2019. It’s about the connection we have as people and how we interact in a cybersecurity world. Cyber is about a lot more than just data breaches and security threats - it touches every part of our lives. Everything from weapons to financial institutions to elections need to be secured. But it takes people to make that happen. And that’s what makes this such an important issue when it comes to security in a digital world. We’re looking forward to another jam-packed event with top-notch keynotes from Johsnon & Johnson, ADP, Southwest Airlines, VMware, Goldman Sachs, and more. We always enjoy seeing the interactive learning sessions (which are unfortunately not powered by CloudShare’s virtual training labs... yet) ranging from certifications to cyber ranges and war games to DevSecOps. There are so many options to choose from at this amazing conference that there is something for everyone in the digital security and cybersecurity fields, even sessions on how to be a more impactful employee within your organization. So gear...

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### The Big Share: A Q&A with Renown Israeli Cyber Expert Zohar Rozenberg

> We caught up with Zohar Rozenberg, VP of cyber investments at Elron Ltd to discuss the cybersecurity landscape and Israel's cyber companies in particular.

- Published: 2020-02-11
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-big-share-a-qa-with-renown-israeli-cyber-expert-zohar-rozenberg/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security, Thought Leadership

The Big Share features interviews with leaders and influencers from across CloudShare’s extensive community, happy to discuss their experiences and provide expert advice on a range of business topics. In this edition we speak with Zohar Rozenberg, VP of cyber investments at Elron Ltd. (TASE: ELRN), investors in cybersecurity, medical tech and software start-ups. He’s also a board member for various cyber companies, including R. D. C. , the commercialization arm of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. As a Colonel in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Zohar was in the prestigious Unit 8200, overseeing high-risk, high-innovation organizations and projects. He led the IDF Cyber Department, established critical strategy and education programs, supporting Israel’s emergence as a global leader in cyber technology. He earned the country’s highest defense honor in 2008, retiring after 20 years of service. We caught up with Zohar after Cybertech Tel Aviv, where he was a featured speaker on the topic of the Israeli cyber ecosystem. CloudShare (CS): Another Cybertech is completed. How did this year’s show stack up? Zohar Rozenberg (ZR): It was very good, even better than I expected. Traffic was strong and there were more investors. Corporations were scouting for technologies. I had some great discussions with CISOs. Quite a few founders wanted to meet, so I saw some interesting presentations. It all felt very positive. CS: I understand after speaking at the show you got a special request for an additional talk? ZR: My presentation was on “What’s ahead for the Israeli cyber ecosystem....

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### Webinar Recap: Constellation Research, Check Point Software Technologies and CloudShare Discuss New Business Acceleration Cloud

> Constellation Research along with CloudShare presented the new category Business Acceleration Cloud,

- Published: 2020-01-28
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-constellation-research-check-point-software-and-cloudshare-discuss-new-business-acceleration-cloud/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Sometimes you hear about a new biztech term and it takes a while to understand the context and see it slowly roll out. Then there are moments when you get the whole story up-front – technology and market overview, user experience, applications and advice – and it’s abundantly clear why it’s so important. If you missed our recent webinar, “How Business Acceleration Cloud is Revolutionizing Software Sales,” you’re in luck. Not only is the recording now available for free, it’s one of those presentations that illustrates a complete story, one told by experts involved at every stage of its evolution. A New Cloud Category Digital Transformation has had a dramatic impact on best-practices and processes. As a result, companies now must move faster to compete, be more effective and efficient, and require intelligent, agile methods to scale and maximize growth. According to opening presenter Holger Mueller, VP and principal analyst at Constellation Research, this has also led to a new biztech category. Business Acceleration Cloud (BAC) features purpose-built environments and software designed for applications like sales enablement, virtual training, and sandboxing in the cloud. These are not general purpose commodity clouds – they’re designed to accelerate complex functions and work in particular industries. Holger compared BAC to other disruptive and influential technology. He discussed the different business, tech and social demands that brought it about, highlighted strategies and discussed what goes into BAC infrastructure. Holger also covered use cases - from software creation to digital business and IT operations -...

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### Sharing is Caring: Why CloudShare is a Better Option for Ravello Customers than Oracle

> While a public cloud might offer better pricing, Ravello customers will have more complications than with a specialized, ready-to-use cloud like CloudShare.

- Published: 2020-01-27
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sharing-is-caring-why-cloudshare-is-a-better-option-for-ravello-customers-than-oracle/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The time is coming soon for Oracle Ravello customers to make a choice. Stick with the status quo and take the risk of an expensive future, or actually make a decision and choose a real alternative. In May 2020, Oracle's Ravello service is reaching its end of life, with users getting the option to move to Oracle Cloud. Ravello got its start back in 2011 with nested virtualization technology that enabled users to run existing virtualization workloads in the cloud for virtual labs and other use-cases. In 2016, Oracle acquired Ravello, and as Oracle often does with companies it acquires, it's folding the technology into its broader offerings. The challenge is that Ravello and those that use that technology bought into it originally not because it was a general cloud technology, but rather because it was purpose-built. And there's a big difference between a general purpose cloud and a specialist cloud like what CloudShare offers. A general purpose cloud is useful for general purposes One of the key use-cases for Ravello is as a virtual lab and it was also used by some organizations to enable proof of concepts (POC) and sales demos. Those things are possible in a general purpose cloud, but it's both more complicated and expensive. Ravello had a decent solution for virtual labs; that's how they built a customer base and why Oracle acquired them. But the solution is relatively thin for training and even more sparse when it comes to sales enablement. While Ravello is...

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### How Business Acceleration Cloud is Revolutionizing Software Sales

> Watch our webinar about %%title%%. Enjoy it.

- Published: 2020-01-23
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-business-acceleration-cloud-is-revolutionizing-software-sales
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Cybertech Global 2020 Cybersecurity Conference - What we can expect to see in Tel Aviv

> Meet us at CyberTech Global's cybersecurity conference to learn about how virtual labs and training can help keep your organization secure from attacks.

- Published: 2020-01-23
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybertech-global-cybersecurity-conference-what-we-can-expect-to-see-in-tel-aviv/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security, Thought Leadership

The Cybertech conference series returns to Israel with Cybertech Global kicking-off on January 28 in Tel Aviv. One of the largest cybersecurity events in the world, 18,000 decision-makers, government officials and top executives are expected to attend this year. We are looking forward to attending and learning about the latest threats and how organizations will be strengthening their security and cyber resilience programs in the year ahead. The organizers have put together another great program with very notable speakers, including a keynote from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The following are a few topics from the agenda we’re particularly looking forward to - maybe you will, too? 5G and communications The world is currently racing to deploy the next generation of cellular technology, 5G, which is expected to have a profound impact on the Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4. 0 and advanced technologies like edge computing and autonomous vehicles. IoT is growing so quickly and its impact is already enhancing how we live and work. However, these devices and the networks over which they communicate are also potential points of exploits for hackers. The management of an IoT ecosystem is a massive undertaking; one tiny misconfiguration can lead to vulnerabilities in an organization’s attack surface. Once a device is compromised, hackers can move laterally through the network and gain access to higher value data stores and more. Having the knowledge and know-how to keep these complex networks operating and secure are imperative for IT teams. They’ll need to ensure their...

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### Five training articles (and a podcast) for generating hot ideas this winter

> Here are five great training articles you should read (and a podcast to listen to) which will help you create your own training and learning content.

- Published: 2020-01-17
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-training-articles-and-a-podcast-for-generating-hot-ideas-this-winter/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Aside from the possibility of shoveling snow, January is always an exciting time. A new year represents new possibilities and opportunities. It’s also a good time to reflect and learn from the past, while you optimize and plan for the year ahead. Looking for inspiration? We’ve got you covered. There’s so much to consider when deciding how to enhance training programs, so we’re helping you clear a path. Check out these five great reads and podcast; they could help you navigate your work more easily this winter and generate some hot new ideas! LMS as the Engine of the Learning Ecosystem - The learning ecosystem is evolving. Learners will find blended-learning strategies most effective in enabling them to learn, apply, and refine what they’ve learned. According to David Wentworth of the Brandon Hall Group, a capable LMS system must be at the heart of any successful ecosystem. Are You Planning Your eLearning Strategy For 2020 and Beyond? - When was the last time you evaluated your eLearning strategy? It may be time for refinement. Read Bill Brandon’s advice on things to consider when crafting a successful learning program, including having the right tools in place. Interest in cybersecurity needs to start at top, new research argues - A strong security posture for any enterprise begins with their leaders. Research shows the same is true in the government sector. Benjamin Freed looks at new survey data in which one-third of government employees responded that their agency didn’t offer cybersecurity training or...

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### Customer Education & Training in 2020: Are you ready?

- Published: 2020-01-15
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/customer-education-training-in-2020-are-you-ready
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Webinar: Constellation Research and Check Point Software on Business Acceleration Cloud and Software Sales

- Published: 2020-01-15
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-constellation-research-and-check-point-software-on-business-acceleration-cloud-and-software-sales/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

On January 22 at 1 p. m. ET, we’re hosting a webinar called “How Business Acceleration Cloud is Revolutionizing Software Sales. ” The webinar will focus on an emerging business tech category, and we’ve assembled a dynamic panel of industry thought leaders to share their insights and discuss how to drive software sales success. Digital Transformation is called the fourth industrial revolution for good reason; the re-invention of best practices and processes is having a far-reaching impact. Competition is hotter than ever and there’s a need to do more with less.  Companies must move faster, be more effective and efficient, and they require intelligent, agile methods to scale and maximize growth. Purpose-built cloud and software are accelerating business, and according to Holger Mueller from Constellation Research, it requires a new and distinct market category. And sales will never be the same. Achieving sales agility and success The maturation of the cloud led to commodity provider services, which are fine for the basics but lack the power needed by particular industries and functions. Advanced sales organizations need specialized cloud technology and sophisticated yet simple technology stacks to succeed. This webinar will help decision-makers and sales leaders understand and harness the rapidly emerging realm of business acceleration cloud. It’s a comprehensive program featuring: Holger Mueller, VP & Principal Analyst, Constellation Research Avi Rembaum, VP Security Solutions, Check Point Software Dr. Zvi Guterman, Co-founder and CEO of CloudShare Key questions the panel will answer include: How do you identify a specialized cloud services...

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### Customer Education and Training in 2020... and Beyond [WEBINAR]

> Join Sumeru Chatterjee (Gong.io) and Lee Berkman as they reveal their nine predictions for customer education and training for the next year and beyond.

- Published: 2020-01-09
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/customer-education-and-training-today-and-beyond-webinar/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Prophecy. Forecast. A hunch. Whatever you call it, everyone loves a good prediction. Sometimes we are amazed by the sheer awesomeness of those who can “tell” the future. Some use the stars and some prefer statistics. We occasionally find ourselves laughing at ridiculous predictions that don’t even come close to being true. If you believe in true prophecy, I may just have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. Either way, it’s still interesting to hear what experts in their fields, ears to the ground, have to say about current and possible future trends in the industry. And we have just the webinar for you! Here’s a sneak peek into the upcoming January 14th (1pm ET) webinar on customer education and training that will be presented by Sumeru Chatterjee of Gong. io and our own enterprise account executive and virtual labs expert, Lee Berkman. What is Customer Education? The webinar will open with a brief, yet concise explanation of the meaning of customer education and where the idea spread from. There are a number of job titles that fit under the blanket of customer education and their work entails piecing together information from many different sources. Why is Customer Education so important? The importance of customer education hasn’t always been clear. Only recently has the idea of customer enablement through content, analytics, training, etc been recognized as a staple in the organization with wide ranging effects both inside and out. This will give you some insight into the why you...

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### Why GDPR Compliance in the Cloud Matters

> The move to support GDPR requires cloud providers & enterprises to adapt internal processes & policies, requiring a significant amount of effort & resources.

- Published: 2020-01-01
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/gdpr-compliance-cloud-matters/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

This post was originally published on April 30, 2018 and updated January 1, 2020. The rise of the digital economy has spiraled quickly over the last several years, creating an urgent need to account for the vast amounts of information and data being generated around the world. The upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - passed by the European Commission – aims to help control this sprawl by strengthening and unifying data protection for individuals within the European Union (EU), and by addressing the export of personal data outside the EU as well. The GDPR introduces measures to give consumers better control of data collected by companies. This includes ensuring the security of personal data from a variety of sources, such as employees, customers and partners – focusing on everything from email addresses to medical information to usernames and IP addresses. While many people mistakenly believe that their data must be kept in the EU country where they reside, that fact is that data can be stored anywhere—as long as its collection and use comply with GDPR regulations. The May 2018 effective date of the GDPR is around the corner now behind us, with all European and non-European businesses active in the European Economic Area (EEA) affected. This has led organizations around the world to invest time and resources to assess and ensure that they are compliant with GDPR. GDPR and the Cloud So what does the GDPR mean for cloud service providers (CSPs) in particular? Previously, data protection regulations...

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### Thinking Beyond the Traditional LMS

> Is a traditional LMS enough these days? Learn why there is more to a learning platform than you think and what technologies are available.

- Published: 2019-12-30
- Modified: 2024-03-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/thinking-beyond-the-traditional-lms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

A Learning Management System (LMS) is an integral part of any enterprise business. Not only does it allow you to host learning content, but you can also track the progress and related performance of each of your learners. While a necessary tool, the LMS doesn’t encompass everything needed to ensure a full and impactful learning experience. Simply put, the traditional LMS doesn’t cut it in today’s business environment. Organizations now demand a continuous culture of learning and the tools to support that. To tackle this, select learning technology providers have extended the LMS to become a learning platform, offering capabilities that go above and beyond the functionalities of a traditional LMS. Technological improvements such as these enable automation and personalization at scale, without devoting extra internal resources to upkeep. LMSDesigned for managing trainingDesigned for LMS adminsSlow or no evolutionTraining seen as a necessary costFormal learning onlyTraining requires time away from work LEARNING PLATFORMDesigned for learning experiencesDesigned for learnersExponential evolutionLearning is integral to revenue growth and retain talentFormal and social learningAllows for continuous learning in the flow of work But is your LMS enough? Should you really consider adopting a learning platform? Here are some things to consider: What About Social Learning? Social learning is a buzz word in the learning industry but there’s substance behind the hype. According to the 70:20:10 Institute, 20% of learning happens in the form of social interactions with peers and experts. If your LMS is not supporting this kind of peer-to-peer interaction, your learners are...

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### My 5 Favorite Holiday Movies and What I Learned

> Here are 5 holiday movies that spread happiness, cheer, and laughter and have taught me lessons related to my work at CloudShare.

- Published: 2019-12-25
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/my-5-favorite-holiday-movies-and-what-i-learned/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Let’s talk about me. I am French and I love food. I also head up marketing for this incredible company called CloudShare. Oh, and I have two daughters and nephews and nieces and birthdays to remember and holiday celebrations to join and the year to wrap up and wishes to send to clients and suppliers. Yes, I know, my punctuation could use some work – I’m much better when I’m not so busy. And you might wonder how the French origin fits into this blog. Well, you see, holidays mean different things to different people, and a little detail always helps the story. That said, for me, the holidays are about family, food and tradition. The smells, tastes and decorations bring memories flooding back from my early years in Paris. The scent of the pine trees, the shop windows, the Christmas markets, the amazing food displays and cozy warmth of our family home. There are those holiday films, too, an early addiction of mine, long before I entered into a relationship with Netflix - and believe me, that romance is still alive and well. So, why I have decided to share my favorite seasonal movie list? Because I’m excited and I can. But just to keep me honest, I’ll tell you what I learned from these films and try to tie-in some professional context. After all, I am “on the clock,” right? You’re Never Alone Directed by Chris Columbus, “Home Alone” (1990) is a comedy starring Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old...

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### Analyze this: 5 ways data can help build super sales engineers and teams

> SEs make the complex understandable, know customer behavior and ensure value is powerfully communicated. Here are 5 tips for greater success as an SE.

- Published: 2019-12-19
- Modified: 2024-07-25
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/analyze-this-5-ways-data-can-help-build-super-sales-engineers-and-teams/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

You may have recently read our CEO’s prediction that 2020 will be the year of the sales engineer (SE). Once considered the person who was simply “there to run the demo,” we now see enterprises with hundreds, even thousands of SEs. What’s behind their growing influence? Whether it’s the latest software as a service (SaaS) or cybersecurity offering, technology continues to develop at a rapid pace and businesses need to sell increasingly sophisticated solutions. With one foot in tech and the other in sales support, SEs make the complex understandable, know customer behavior inside-and-out and ensure product value is powerfully communicated. SEs are in that sweet spot, where the human and technical converge. As a result, they not only help close sales, they often become a trusted confidant of decision-makers, resulting in long and lucrative customer relationships. Perhaps it’s no wonder the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted the highest paid 10% of SEs made an average $165,350 in May of 2018. The organization also projected SE jobs to rise 7% through 2026, with positions in computer systems design and related services anticipated to grow 20%. The future looks bright. So, if you’re an SE looking to get ahead – or a sales leader trying to grow these hybrid pros – consider the following data points and tips for greater success. Discover their pain Let’s face it, sometimes simply getting a prospect to consider making a change is the toughest hurdle of all. Before you can cure their pain,...

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### Moving on from Ravello: Does your training look like an over-edited Tinder selfie?

> Ravello end of life is near. Don't get stuck using public clouds for your virtual training. CloudShare's virtual IT labs are here for you.

- Published: 2019-12-10
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/moving-on-from-ravello-does-your-training-look-like-an-over-edited-tinder-selfie/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Breakups are hard - Dealing with Ravello end of life Ever been in a relationship that wasn’t really working but you were too afraid or comfortable to end it? Then that significant other dumps you and you realize it was really for the best and long overdue? Okay, maybe it’s just us. Still, as we’ve all recently learned, Oracle has announced end of life in May 2020 for its cloud infrastructure service, Ravello. Once you’ve had a chance to work through the five stages of grief, we’re here to tell you why a new cloud service provider is the best thing that’ll happen to you. Don’t be tempted to just go with a huge commodity cloud provider as a replacement to Ravello. This is like being on the rebound and jumping into a relationship with the first available person you meet. There are some major cloud players out there promising to deliver on what you need, but they don’t follow through on the specialized virtual lab environments or power you require in a training solution. You need to be wary of the total cost, too. Like an edited Tinder photo, you can be lured in by a commodity provider’s seemingly attractive price. But when you add in the cost of manpower to constantly provision virtual machines (VMs), training development and less effective tools, you’ll end up paying a much higher price in the end. CloudShare is your long-term partner CloudShare is the specialized cloud solution you’ve been looking for, even...

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### Hey Zvi, what do you see? <br><span style="font-size: 20px">CloudShare’s leader takes a look at the year ahead in training and sales enablement</span>

> CloudShare's CEO, Zvi Guterman shares his thoughts on trends and predictions on virtual IT labs, training, sales enablement, and more for 2020.

- Published: 2019-12-05
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/hey-zvi-what-do-you-see-cloudshares-leader-takes-a-look-at-the-year-ahead-in-training-and-sales-enablement/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

In this blog we sit down with our intrepid co-founder and CEO, Zvi Guterman, to ask questions about what to expect in 2020. From user experiences to cloud provider developments, trends in training to the rise of the sales engineer, here’s a bit of what Zvi sees. What’s the big trend to expect and when will we see it? Zvi: We're at the point where if you're not using virtual IT lab environments that deliver hands-on experiences – whether for training, sales enablement, cybersecurity, sandboxing – you’re behind. This is the year it becomes mandatory, and with the growth of the cloud and maturation of this technology, big analyst firms like Gartner and Forrester will recognize specialized clouds as a distinct enterprise category. Clouds like ours are designed to accelerate enterprise business throughout the customer lifecycle. In sales, that means a faster, easier ability to create more powerful demos and proofs of concept (PoC) pre-sales, with virtual labs accelerating customer training and support post-sale. For training, it means a better ability to educate employees and customers, where and when it’s needed, and with options from on-demand modules to instructor led virtual training so trainers can find the right mix. I think of it like this. A bus is great for getting a lot of people with basic expectations to a similar destination. But business acceleration is a lot different than commodity storage. You’ve got complex scenarios that require more power to train, sell and develop products effectively and rapidly. Companies...

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### Six great reads for training and sales leaders to inspire by the fire this holiday season

> Read these 6 fantastic articles on sales and training over the holidays for some inspiration on how to grow your programs in 2020.

- Published: 2019-12-03
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/six-great-reads-for-training-and-sales-leaders-to-inspire-by-the-fire-this-holiday-season/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

It’s a great time of year. The holidays are approaching and festive gatherings with family and friends are planned. It’s also a natural time to reflect on the year that’s about to end and consider what the coming one may bring. That said, training and sales leaders may find themselves in front of the fireplace, contemplating what has worked, what needs improvement, and how to make the most of 2020. To catch you up on the latest, we created a special holiday reading list - a mix of articles you can jump into when you get a spare moment - ones we hope will provide inspiration as you refine your plans and programs for the year ahead! Bridging the IT skills gap - According to a recent survey of 3,000 tech leaders conducted by IT outsourcers Harvey Nash and Big Four auditing firm KPMG, talent shortfalls might be at their highest levels in more than a decade. In fact, in their annual CIO Survey, 65 percent of respondents said hiring challenges are hurting them. Our own Zvi Guterman describes how the next field of talent may already be within the organization. And a willingness to invest in internal talent is a good way to retain and attract the IT skills your organization needs. Challenges and benefits of delivering content on smaller screens - Did you try a new mobile training program last year or are you considering one in the new year? Developing programs to be completed on mobile devices...

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### Giving Thanks, Wherever You Are!

> CloudShare is thankful for many things this holiday season, and we would like to share this short poem with you about us and our journey.

- Published: 2019-11-28
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/giving-thanks-wherever-you-are/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

This week in America, it’s time for Thanksgiving But it’s good to give thanks, wherever you’re living. When it comes to reflecting on work at CloudShare, There’s so much to appreciate each day of the year. Foremost, there’s the customers who put food on our table. It’s great to have friends and help out as we’re able. We’re grateful for relationships that make the work fun And the impressive examples of gettin’ it done. Take Advanced when they decided to test our platform. They headed out to a session and met with a storm. Their trainers arrived but their gear hit a delay. They gave CloudShare a try and saved the whole day! How about those partners who work closely to figure Ways to harness our environments so their customers deliver Powerful experiences of which they’d be proud. That’s why you can run us on top of Google cloud. And we’d be very remiss if we didn’t acknowledge, Those leaders who graciously shared all their knowledge. Like this piece on sales demos with expert insight, And of course there’s John Care with this SE advice. The inspiration came from other sources, too. Our clients, our staff, and quite likely, you. There’s this blog from women on challenges and careers, On pursuing your dreams and how to get there. So whether you’re in San Francisco or old Tel Aviv, Give thanks, and if you’re able, enjoy a reprieve. ‘Cause the holidays are coming, Cyber Monday’s almost here, Did we mention cybersecurity...

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### Oracle Ravello End of Life: Hey You, Get Off Ravello and Onto Our Cloud!

> Oracle Ravello recently announced virtual training and sandbox end of life. CloudShare's virtual IT labs are the best alternative to replace Ravello Oracle.

- Published: 2019-11-21
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/oracle-ravello-end-of-life-hey-you-get-off-oracle-ravello-and-onto-our-cloud/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

When I first heard the news about the sinking of Ravello, the Rolling Stones hit, Get Off of My Cloud, popped into my head. It just seemed appropriate. Perhaps this happened to you as well? Regardless, if your business has been rocked by a dying cloud, you know you need to get off — now. What happened to Oracle Ravello labs? When Oracle acquired Ravello Systems to grow its infrastructure as a service (IaaS) efforts during 2016, it hoped to enable customers to run any workload in the cloud, no matter the use case. With all the available resources, hopes and dreams ran big. Unfortunately, performance didn’t always meet expectations and Ravello users suffered some pretty painful experiences at times. Now here we are three years and $500 million later. The toast has hit the floor, marmalade-side-down, so to speak. It’s been reported that Oracle has laid off half its employees at its Ravello development center and customers have received letters which announced product end of life for May 2020. Those in the industry who hoped VMware would purchase Ravello and use the IP as a foundation of multi-cloud VM management are reeling from these old wounds again. Any speculation is over. Customers are in a difficult situation that is poised to become worse. Oracle Ravello End of Life With Ravello's end of life come all kinds of “ailments” managers don't really want: lack of support, few or no security fixes or critical bug resolutions, higher operating costs, etc. On...

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### Workforce Watch: Lowering Employee Cyber Risk During the Online Holiday Shopping Season

- Published: 2019-11-20
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/workforce-watch-lowering-employee-cyber-risk-during-the-online-holiday-shopping-season/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

Cyber Monday is rapidly approaching and that means employee shopping online at work and with company devices will increase dramatically. It’s a spree that’ll continue throughout the holiday season, in fact, a 2018 survey by Robert Half Technology found nearly two-thirds of professionals planned to do so, more than one-third saying they’d be “workshopping” at least a few times a week. The majority of the decision-makers surveyed naturally wish employees wouldn’t. Productivity can suffer, but their foremost concern by a long shot (59%) is security. After all, with greater shopping activity, cyber criminals increase their activity. What’s more, each year it worsens; researchers at Carbon Black reported a massive 57. 5 percent jump in cyberattacks during the 2017 holidays alone. The most lucrative targets for hackers are businesses - and employees are often their way in. A staffer could innocently click on a link in a phishing email about reduced price gift cards and download malware onto the network. Customer records and credit card numbers could then be stolen, resulting in a breach with severe financial and reputational consequences. And with holiday vacations, security teams are often understaffed, so hackers would have an easier time evading detection. This is just one scenario of many that contributes to heightened cyber risk for businesses around the holidays. That said, now is a good time to revisit training and make sure employees are informed and adhering to best practices. The following might help. Tone, Train, Test Cyber theft is serious business, so be...

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### VMware ESXI Nested Virtualization

> View how Vmware ESXI Nested Virtualization opens the door to use cases such as development and testing, virtual training, or sales demos.

- Published: 2019-11-14
- Modified: 2023-07-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/vmware-esxi-nested-virtualization/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

This post was originally published on September 9, 2015 and updated November 14, 2019. One of the benefits of nested virtualization is running multiple hypervisors on the same host server. This includes ESXi hypervisors , which can be installed as a virtual machines. The solution, commonly referred to as Nested ESXi, opens the door to a lot of interesting use cases such as development and testing, virtual training, or virtual sales demos and POCs. Although the concept of nested virtualization is not limited to VMware, it is by far the most popular hypervisor. For that reason I decided to focus my article on the VMware hypervisor. In this article, I am going to answer some common questions, discuss performance and common use-cases, provide a short walkthrough on how to enable a Nested ESXi and provide a list of CloudShare’s preconfigured ESXi environments. Common Questions I bet that when you first encountered nested virtualization, some of the first questions to pop into your head were most likely along of the lines of: - "Why would you ever want to do such a scary thing? " - "Isn’t normal Virtualization good enough anymore? " - "It's going to be extremely slow, isn't it? ! " Before we move forward, let me answer your questions: - Great benefit in certain use cases! - It's great! ! But not for all scenarios. - Potentially it would be a little slower, but not much if you do it right, and I'll explain more next. Why...

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### [Infographic] The Keys to Executing Effective Sales Enablement

> Learn some interesting facts and statistics about sales enablement struggles, best practices, and sales training in this infographic.

- Published: 2019-11-11
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/infographic-the-keys-to-executing-effective-sales-enablement/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Enjoy this infographic containing interesting facts and statistics about sales enablement struggles, best practices, and sales training. It includes numbers on sales enablement top goals, services, training, and more. Feel free to share on social media!    

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### [Infographic] The Keys to Executing Effective Sales Enablement

> Learn some interesting facts and statistics about sales enablement struggles, best practices, and sales training in this infographic.

- Published: 2019-11-11
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/infographic-the-keys-to-executing-effective-sales-enablement-2
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### A Halloween Sales Tale: The Terrifying Black Box

> A scary halloween tale of sales enablement, the Terrifying Black Box tells the story of a woman and mean boss dealing with a black box of demos and POCs.

- Published: 2019-10-30
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-halloween-sales-tale-the-terrifying-black-box/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

The hour was late when she unlocked the door, Like yesterday evening and each one before. The wind outside howled and wrought its disorder, Sounding much like her boss at the end of the quarter. “Our numbers are low, the sales cycle too long, Demos take an eternity and still come out wrong. It’s a logistical nightmare, we chase targets away! ” He would bellow at length and adjust his toupee. She slumped back in a chair and poured out some wine, But try as she might, that voice rang in her mind. “It’s true, we have problems,” she admitted aloud. “They’d be fixed, we’d sell more, if we just used the cloud. ” As she sipped she tried hard to keep her eyes wide. Still that voice rumbled on and it echoed inside. “Those POCs and trials are nothing but talk! Prospects vanish and are lost, as if into a black box! ” She looked up with a jolt and there on the floor, Found a frightening black box with a lock on its door. From within came a voice that sounded like a plea, “We know how to help but you must set us free. ” She leaned closer and asked “What on earth can I do? ” The voice whispered back, “It’s what we’ll do for you. Those trials and POCs, the prospects who disappear? Want to know what they’re thinking, you’ll find it in here. ” “The features they liked, the times prospects were stalled? Who...

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### 10 Sales Resources to Help You Close 2019 with Momentum

> Check out these 10 pre-sales and sales resources to up your game and help you close more deals by the end of the year and into the next.

- Published: 2019-10-29
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-sales-resources-to-help-you-close-2019-with-momentum/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

At this time of year, many countries turn back their clocks to gain extra daylight. CloudShare wants to give busy sales pros some time back as well by lending a hand with research. The following is a curated set of articles and other materials we’ve found to strengthen your strategy and help you close 2019 on a high note. In no particular order, here are our top favorites from the past few months, accompanied by details about an upcoming don’t-miss webinar. How to Craft a Concise B2B Sales Pitch in Limited Time: Speaking of time, if you’re often crunched when coming up with your sales pitch, Kristen Bowie of MarketingProfs has some solid advice. She reminds us of the all-important elements of a good pitch and why taking a more natural approach to customer communications might be the answer. The Content Marketer’s Guide to Sales Enablement: Need a little help developing the right content to put your sales team over the top? This Influence & Co. white paper provides insight into the relationship a buyer wants to have with a vendor, specific customer needs, and how you can craft the right materials to support the rock stars on your sales team. 16 Sales Contract Clauses to Balance Risk and Reward: Sometimes you make the sale in principle, but when it’s time to get down to brass tacks, you’re not certain you have all the contract details in place. In this article from Andreessen Horowitz, we get some great tips for...

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### Thoughts from Leaders for National Business Women’s Week

> We share the inspirational stories of four women in leadership roles in the fields of sales, training, and programming for National Business Women's Week.

- Published: 2019-10-24
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/thoughts-from-leaders-for-national-business-womens-week/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

My first boss would barge into the office and yell, “You women, we spit on you and you think it’s raining! ” He thought that was funny - I found it terrifying. Then again, his view that all humans weren’t born equal - that there were business privileges he alone was entitled to - did end up getting him sent to jail. When I think back to my early days in the industry, I’m glad to see we are light years from such simple-minded, mean thoughts, though make no mistake, there’s still work to be done. In 2018, just 20% of all jobs in technology were held by women. The industry could use a lot more names like Annie Easley, Susan Wojcicki, Belinda Johnson and Ginni Rometty. I believe the first observance of National Business Women's Week (NBWW) was in 1928. Fifty-three women Nobel laureates later, the U. S. event continues to honor the many contributions of working women every third full week of October. CloudShare is fortunate to have on staff, and work alongside, some truly impressive women, not only in the States, but across the globe. I’m glad my team took time to ask a few leaders to share what inspired them and the challenges they faced. From their dreams as young girls, to a passion for coding, to the adventures of global business travel, all had unique stories. One wondered why she got hired in the first place, reminding me of a Cosmopolitan article mentioning a career...

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### Let’s Catch Up: A Recap of Cloudshare Updates and Resources to Help You Get Ahead

> We just wanted to share our latest updates in the past few months that you may have missed. Catch up on GCP, Azure, and content updates.

- Published: 2019-10-22
- Modified: 2023-09-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/lets-catch-up-a-recap-of-cloudshare-updates-and-resources-to-help-you-get-ahead/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The summer vacations are a distant memory, the kids are settled back in school, and work is in full swing. The transition into fall is complete but you’ve been busy and may have missed some of our recent news. Not to worry. Consider the following our “highlight reel;” a recap of important updates and resources we introduced over the past few months. These can make working with your cloud-based labs even quicker, easier and more efficient, enabling you to perform like never before. New Permissions  Account and project managers have a new module in CloudShare specifically designed to simplify permissions management. All role-based settings can now be found on a single, easy-to-use page, accompanied by new capabilities for more granular control like permissions for environment creation and handling. More Languages CloudShare has expanded its language offerings with the addition of simplified Chinese and Spanish interfaces. Users can quickly select their preference from our multilingual environment viewer, which also includes English, German, French and Japanese. Expanding with Commodity Clouds In June, we extended our virtual IT labs to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). By providing our powerful features transparently over GCP, users can spin up real-world, immersive virtual training and sales experiences in seconds. To work with the commodity cloud in CloudShare, simply select GCP as a resource for your environments and begin benefitting instantly. We’ve enhanced our GCP solution security with support for two-factor authentication, too. We’ve also made control over resource consumption easier with quota limits, actions and notifications....

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### CloudShare Enables Advanced to Train More With Less Under Any Conditions

- Published: 2019-10-17
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/cloudshare-enables-advanced-to-train-more-with-less-under-any-conditions
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Webinar Recap: How to Maximize your SE Salary

> Want to know how to earn more money as an SE right now? Here are 6 solid tips to maximizing your sales engineering salary.

- Published: 2019-10-16
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-how-to-maximize-your-se-salary/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

It’s no secret that sales engineers make good money, especially on a commission-based salary structure. However, it takes hard work and smarts to make it in the SE world. Not only do you have to have the technical stuff down pat, but you need to know what the customer’s needs are and how to meet them with your product in creative ways. For this latest webinar, we were happy to have Ramzi Marjaba, founder of WeTheSalesEngineers. com, for a conversation about everything from the basic sales engineer functions to tactics that can help you actually earn more money in your position. WATCH THE FULL WEBINAR >>   Before we get to the meat of the presentation, we had to give an extra shoutout on the webinar to Ramzi. Not long before the presentation was expected to start, he had an urgent customer issue to take care of (#SE_Life) and still managed to present from his car on two laptops and a mobile phone connection (that is the pic he sent us). So, props to Ramzi! What does a sales engineer do? Skipping past the pleasantries and housekeeping notes of the webinar, Ramzi got us started with his definition of what sales engineering means. SEs have to be like doctors, understand the unique problems and needs facing an organization and come up with the right solution to solve them. But what makes SEs special? As Ramzi tells it, there are something like only 66,700 SEs - that’s less than 5% of...

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### 10 Sales Engineering Experts You Should Be Following on Twitter

> Follow these ten sales engineering influencers to learn more about what they are talking about and get tips about being a better SE.

- Published: 2019-10-10
- Modified: 2023-09-19
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-sales-engineering-experts-you-should-be-following-on-twitter/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

A piece of popular business advice you’ve probably heard before is, “who you spend time with is who you become. ”  When you surround yourself with successful people and hear about what they’re doing, you’re more likely to succeed yourself. The field of sales engineering is a complex and competitive landscape. While you probably won’t meet too many high-profile sales engineers personally, the magic of Twitter enables you to connect with them on a day-to-day level. If you’re looking for some sales engineer best practices, consider following these successful sales engineers. 1. John Care @PreSalesMTS Graduated with a BSc with Honors in Chemical Engineering, John Care is currently Managing Director of Mastering Technical Sales. He has built sales engineering organizations at the various companies he’s worked for, including: CA Oracle Vantive Clarify HP He’s also a published writer for InfoWorld, Touchline, and The Wall Street Journal. Most notably, he co-wrote a definitive guide for sales engineers entitled “Mastering Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer’s Handbook,” inspired by his frustrations with inferior sales classes he took in the past. The book later evolved into a full curriculum and monthly newsletter on technical sales training that is available in Japanese, Mandarin, and Korean. Follow his Twitter for useful sales articles and the occasional funny personal story. We were privileged to have John do a webinar with us on the topic of “The 2024 Sales Engineer” which you can watch on demand. 2. Tom King and Nick Dorney @TomKingUp2Speed /@NickDUp2Speed Tom and Nick are...

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### How to Maximize Your SE Salary Webinar: The Inside Scoop

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%. Enjoy it.

- Published: 2019-10-06
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-maximize-your-se-salary-webinar-the-inside-scoop
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Webinar Recap: Software Training Made Easy with Seamless Integration - The Tufin Story

> Watch this webinar to learn how Tufin integrated CloudShare virtual labs and Docebo's LMS to create an award-winning training solution.

- Published: 2019-10-03
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-software-training-made-easy-with-seamless-integration-the-tufin-story/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Does your training solution already have an LMS and virtual labs integrated into your tech stack that offers a seamless user experience for trainers and learners? If the answer is no, you’re in for a treat. We are excited to share this webinar and the amazing work done by Viggy Book, director of training and knowledge, and the team at Tufin, who, together with us and the great folks at Docebo, built and revolutionized their virtual training program. WATCH THE WEBINAR >> Like many companies, Tufin’s training consisted of PowerPoint presentations and shipping hardware around the globe to ensure they had what they needed to host their environments for training. In essence, there was no actual training department, which meant Viggy’s job was to set up the department from scratch, with the goal of creating training and certification courses to support the growth of their business. Joining Viggy on this webinar were Abdel Mahcene, customer success manager at Docebo and Lee Berkman, virtual labs expert from CloudShare. Abdel spoke about important training pain points in delivering modern learning experiences as well as trends in integrating cloud-based learning solutions. He offered seven best practices in integrating learning solutions as well as offering insight into why training organizations need an API-enabled platform. Lee dove into how virtual training labs offer true value and cost savings to companies and make training a much more immersive experience without the hassle of dealing with travel, shipping, scaling and other factors that can hinder user training....

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### Back to (Virtual) School: 5 Tips to Overcome Employee Training Challenges

> Learn five ways virtual training can help make employee training better and ensure you get the most out of your corporate training program.

- Published: 2019-10-02
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/back-to-virtual-school-5-tips-to-overcome-employee-training-challenges/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

While we usually think of fall as the time children return to school, it’s also perfect for recommitting ourselves to workplace learning. Regular training can help any employee perform at peak efficiency and develop new skills, keeping them satisfied and ready to tackle new tasks. But much like children and homework, knowing something is good and actually accomplishing it are two different things. Here are a few of the biggest roadblocks to effective corporate training, and what leaders can do to overcome them. Appeal to a diverse workforce One of the strengths of the modern economy is the variety of experiences, opinions and skills that abound in a multigenerational workforce. Baby boomers now rub shoulders with Generation Z, blending the wisdom only decades of work can bring with the expertise of digital natives. Further, more companies are embracing gender and ethnic diversity to strengthen strategic decisions. While this diversity ultimately makes the business stronger, groups of people don’t always learn the same way – or at the same pace – especially if it’s for complex environments. It’s important training options cater to the different individuals to maximize their chances for success. For instance, a self-paced, on-demand training option gives employees access to resources whenever they have the time, ideal for the modern learner who is constantly shifting attention from one task to another. Prioritize engagement Creating engaging educational content is important, especially when you consider how scarce training time is on average – only 1% of the typical work week,...

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### Cybersecurity Virtual Training Benefits with Hands-On Labs

- Published: 2019-09-30
- Modified: 2024-11-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cybersecurity-virtual-training-benefits-with-hands-on-labs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

Digital technology is essential for modern businesses. Without tools like cloud software, artificial intelligence, and smartphones, you simply cannot remain competitive. That's common knowledge for any experienced manager or executive. We live in a world defined by hyperconnectivity and distributed work. A world where everything is connected to the Internet, from computers and laptops to kitchen appliances. On the one hand, this shift has been immensely beneficial to businesses, opening up new revenue streams and hiring opportunities. On the other hand, it's also been incredibly advantageous for threat actors. Cybercriminals now have more ways than ever to break into a business's network. They're taking full advantage of that.   According to research from Crowdstrike, there was a 75% increase in cloud intrusions in 2024. Adversaries have also increasingly started to target commercial software providers to gain access to clients. Generative AI, meanwhile, is increasingly being employed to produce incredibly convincing social engineering campaigns.   According to Cybersecurity ventures, cybercrime cost businesses an estimated US$9. 5 trillion this year, while IBM reports the average cost of a data breach at US$4. 88 million. What's more, one in three breaches now involve data not properly stored or tracked by IT, known as shadow data. This speaks to one of the most enduring problems in security, and the weakest link in any business's security posture: Humans.    The need for cybersecurity training is clear. Unfortunately, organizing and delivering the training in a way that's effective isn't exactly easy if you rely solely on...

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### 5 training articles we’re falling hard for this autumn season

> Read these articles we have been enjoying the past month all about virtual training, hands-on training, learning and developments, and more.

- Published: 2019-09-27
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-training-articles-were-falling-hard-for-this-autumn-season/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

You had the summer to relax, catch up on your training industry reading, and hopefully finalize the rest of your 2019 planning. And now, fall is here. The smell of pumpkin spiced lattes (#PSLs) are filling up the office conference rooms faster than the leaf toss photos hitting your Instagram feed. For training and learning & development leaders, fall is a great time to prepare for next year’s programs, and perhaps revisit the current strategies you have in place to determine it makes sense for your organization's annual goals. To help, we’re at it again with our monthly listicle -- a curated list of our favorite insightful articles that training, as well as learning and development pros need to read, now. Here are the top five we’re falling hard for: “Are You Developing Skills That Won’t Be Automated? ” -- This Harvard Business Review article written by Stephen Kosslyn, psychologist and CEO of Foundry College explores what learning skills knowledge workers should focus on that cannot be automated by machine learning or robots. Hint: It’s got to do with empathy and context. Basically, we’re all safe until robots master and learn empathy like our favorite robot of all time, WALL-E. “Does Time Matter For Learning? It Does. ” -- Whether you’re training customers or employees, it’s inevitable: As a training leader, your stakeholders will push for speed over quality. However, is it really efficient if it doesn’t achieve the needed outcomes? This article from Patti Shank, workplace e-learning expert, explores...

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### Software Training Made Easy With Seamless Integration: The Tufin Story

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%. Check it out.

- Published: 2019-09-25
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/software-training-made-easy-with-seamless-integration-the-tufin-story
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Conventional vs. Cloud – Why Is Cloud-Based Training So Popular?

> Why have virtual cloud training platforms become so popular? Read full comparison of classroom training platforms to cloud-based training platforms here.

- Published: 2019-09-25
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/conventional-vs-cloud-why-is-cloud-based-training-so-popular/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

This post was originally published on May 21, 2015 and updated September 25, 2019. The popularity of online training over the cloud is gaining rise. According to elearningindustry. com, cloud based training is one of the top seven future eLearning technologies. Why have cloud virtual training platforms become so popular?   We’ve compiled a comparison below of conventional classroom training platforms to virtual cloud based training platforms, to illustrate how they differ. Hardware/Software Platform Vs. Web-Based Platform Classroom corporate training usually require in-house installation of software applications on company IT servers and the on-going maintenance that comes with that. Virtual training platforms are web-based. All of the learning takes place online and the resulting data is stored in the cloud. Since the solutions are hosted there are no installation requirements and therefore no accompanying maintenance. Since cloud based solutions, offering hosted platforms, have no installation/maintenance requirements, you can focus on investing your time in creating and delivering online courses. Physical Campus Vs. Virtual Campus A physical campus can only instruct those who are present. This constricts the number of participants. Online training has a global reach, with limitless participants as trainees can access the course via their home or office computers. Static Classes Vs. Scalable Classes Conventional classes have fixed sizes. If you under-book, you've wasted money on unnecessary infrastructure. If you overbook, you often must rent out additional space and servers.   Classes on virtual cloud based training labs platforms (VILT) can be increased or decreased at will, with...

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### 4 Simple Ways to Cut Your Software Learning Budget in 2020

> Learn four ways to trim your software training budget including virtual training labs, aligning needs, training instructors, and customer success.

- Published: 2019-09-16
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-simple-ways-to-cut-your-software-learning-budget-in-2020/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Modern tech businesses know all too well how important software training is for their employees, customers, and partners. Calculating a training budget is a significant challenge that requires many considerations, especially when it comes to the various tools and solutions needed in order to give your learners the best user experience. It’s not uncommon for training budgets to lose focus and balloon out of control. Management has many considerations to make when evaluating what will fit into the learning budget. An LMS, for example, is usually a given. But what about other line items such as instructional design, knowledge base, video, audio, virtual labs, and other training-related software? It is well-known that customer, partner and employee training is paramount to the success of any software business. Yearly training budgets must therefore provide companies with enough resources to offer adequate training for any new and recurring users. However, before training managers can save money on learning budgets, they need to understand what makes up a successful software learning and education budget. What Should Your Software Training Cover? Business moves fast in today’s digital age. You want to ensure that your customers and employees have the knowledge needed to keep up. Think about the types of problems that your customers, employees, and partners experience. These problems will provide you with a framework for your software training programs. Not sure what to focus on? Try asking these questions: What pain points do your customers have? Are there certain features that your users find...

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### 10 Articles to Help Sales Leaders Cure Those End-of-Summer Blues

> Here are 10 sales and sales enablement articles and podcasts you may have missed that will teach you about everything from B2B sales to sales engineering.

- Published: 2019-09-09
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-articles-to-help-sales-leaders-cure-those-end-of-summer-blues/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Boom. It’s the beginning of September, and, just like that, summer is about to say “goodbye. ” As a sales leader, you’ve most likely spent the summer cultivating relationships with leads or perhaps even playing the game of tag while prospects (and hopefully you! ) took well-deserved vacations during the hot summer months. While the sluggish feeling during this time is real, it’s actually the most important time to get your sh*t together before you go straight into the selling season. So, we’re back with a listicle to help you get pumped for fall and ease your end-of-summer blues. The following is a curated set of valuable articles and podcasts. In no particular order, here are our top 10 favorites: “How to Reawaken the Passion for Selling” — Some might call it a mid-life crisis, but about every seven years, people get bored or restless with their lives and work. And, as a sales leader, it’s likely you’ve been at it for a number of years (aka, the same old incentives are getting stale like your bread on your counter). Need to reignite the flame? This Selling Power article from professors at Case Western Reserve University has a match ready for you. “Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions: 3 Times To Step In (& How)” — As a professional performance coach and leader of LogMeIn’s international sales leadership program, Shawn Buxton knows a thing or two about building a strong sales team. His latest Sales Hacker article breaks down the three...

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### The Big Share: A Q&A with CloudShare’s Lee Berkman on Virtual IT Labs and Best Practices

> Our own Lee Berkman, virtual IT labs specialist, answers various questions about virtual labs for both training and sales demos and POCs.

- Published: 2019-09-05
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-big-share-a-qa-with-cloudshares-lee-berkman-on-virtual-it-labs-and-best-practices/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The Big Share features interviews with leaders and influencers from across CloudShare’s extensive community, happy to discuss their experiences and provide expert advice on a range of business topics. In this edition we speak with Lee Berkman, CloudShare’s own virtual IT labs expert. Five years ago, Lee was working as an executive sales rep for a major electronics wholesaler in South Africa. He decided to take a sabbatical, rented his place and locked up his car, intending to return in months. He traveled, fell in love with Tel Aviv, and discovered an intriguing technology company called CloudShare. Lee never left. And while he brushes off being “called an expert on anything,” he’s been with us since, expertly helping prospects and customers resolve pain points and grow with virtual IT labs. CloudShare (CS): What are the top use cases you see in the virtual IT labs space? Lee Berkman (LB): The most popular applications are pretty consistent – training and sales enablement – but this means different things to different companies. For instance, customers leverage virtual labs for traditional face-to-face training because instructors can easily administer and distribute training to users and then later allow access to that same teaching environment on demand for self-paced learning. Students can also quickly access the labs from any laptop with a modern web browser. Others use it for virtual instructor-led training (VILT). This is the most widely used training application because you can reach anyone, anywhere. Plus, our platform bridges that gap between face-to-face...

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### POC Environment Set-up for Sales Engineers

> If you’re a sales engineer tasked with showing off software to potential buyers, don’t discount the merits of the Proof of Concept stage.

- Published: 2019-09-05
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/poc-environment-set-up-for-sales-engineers/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

“Try before you buy” is more than just a fun slogan, it’s become a necessity for today’s companies.   It’s human nature that customers will want to see what they’ll be getting for their money before completing a sale. But when it comes to selling software solutions, the trial period can be far more complicated than testing the comfort level of a bed or the suitability of a desk for a home office. If you’re a sales engineer tasked with showing off software to potential buyers, don’t discount the merits of the Proof of Concept stage. It’s a crucial aspect of any IT presentation, and companies choosing to skip it often regret doing so in the end. With smart proof of concept sales, engineering teams can achieve a more product-led sales experience for their prospects and speed up time to value with the software product overall. What is a Proof of Concept? A Proof of Concept (POC) is a trial experiment done with customers in a realistic sandbox environment to prove that a design concept has the potential to be useful and profitable. POCs aren’t intended to generate an immediate sale. Instead, a POC environment can be used to adjust your company’s software product during development to better suit the needs of your buyers. The POC process is an essential stage of product development and the sales cycle. Many companies don’t understand the importance of POC development in sales engineer training, and failed or poorly implemented POCs end up damaging...

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### Webinar Recap: Trainers Tune In to Learn Secrets of Great Training Programs

> Advanced and CloudShare dive into the secrets for creating great training programs with virtual labs that helped Advanced scale and expand their courses

- Published: 2019-09-04
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-trainers-tune-in-to-learn-secrets-of-great-training-programs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Everyone loves a good success story – especially when they can learn a few secrets. Case in point was our webinar last week, “The Secret to Delivering Engaging Training Programs with Fewer Resources. " Conducted in association with our friends at Training Industry, the event drew an enthusiastic crowd thanks to our featured partner, Advanced, whose stunning tale of training growth was detailed by Dianne King, the company’s group customer training manager, and Claire McCrudden, senior trainer. Advanced is the UK’s third-largest training company and provider of business software and services. Its 2,200 employees serve 19,000 customers including the BBC, Harvey Nichols, RBS, the National Health Service and Liverpool Football Club. Customers look to Advanced for solutions that overcome difficult business challenges, so its training services are focused on removing complexity for its customers. Up until about two years ago, the company relied on in-person training to ensure customers knew how to fully use their software, and keep its internal teams up-to-speed on in-house products. However, demand had become too great for face-to-face. Advanced needed to better scale its training program and lower the cost and time required for delivery. The journey to web-based training CloudShare’s Virtual IT labs expert, Lee Berkman, guided a discussion with Dianne and Claire, who detailed how they made the move to the cloud, and with our virtual training labs, transformed their training by quickly building 150+ powerful courses that have already served more than 19,000 users. A poll showed webinar attendees were in different...

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### The Secret to Delivering Engaging Training Programs with Fewer Resources

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.

- Published: 2019-09-04
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-secret-to-delivering-engaging-training-programs-with-fewer-resources
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Software Training Labs in the Modern Enterprise

> Modern enterprises with complex systems need scalable software training tat doesn't affect their production enviroment. Virtual labs is the answer. See why.

- Published: 2019-09-03
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-training-labs-in-the-modern-enterprise/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Not all that long ago, software training in the enterprise was largely based around the use of informational videos. While video-based training does have its place, it isn’t ideal. Videos sometimes contain knowledge gaps, and there isn’t a way for a student to ask the instructor questions in real time. Perhaps more importantly, the lack of interactivity makes it easy for a student to simply tune out. Of course, video-based training isn’t the only option available. Many organizations have built training programs around interactive labs. These environments can potentially provide the best possible training experience because they allow for true interactivity—but if not properly implemented, virtual labs can become a source of frustration for students and trainers alike. That being the case, there are several things that should be considered prior to creating an interactive training environment. One of the first things that must be considered is how the students will access the training. There was a time when the only practical option was to fly the students to a training center on the other side of the country. Today, however, online learning has become a viable option. If online learning is to be used, the learning platform has to be accessible to all of the students. Some students will access the training platform from a PC, but others will inevitably prefer to use a Mac, Chromebook, or some other device. As such, it isn’t realistic to expect students to install software directly onto their devices. Instead, the training platform...

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### Labor Daze: History and How Training Can Help Handle Modern Talent Shortages

> This post discusses the history of labor day on its 125th anniversary and how it connects with modern day training and the talent shortage.

- Published: 2019-09-02
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/labor-daze-history-and-how-training-can-help-handle-modern-talent-shortages/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

September 2nd, 2019, marks the 125th anniversary of Labor Day in the U. S. The holiday was a creation of the labor movement, dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers; acknowledgement of the contributions they made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of the country. Today, it’s thought of as marking the end of summer in the U. S. – one last long weekend of backyard barbecues and parties before school resumes, vacations end and employees crowd subways, trains and highways in full force. And this year, this final day off might be more deserved than you realize. You say McGuire, I say Maguire No one is entirely sure who created the workers’ holiday. Some believe it was Peter McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor. However, smart money is on Matthew Maguire, a machinist, who allegedly proposed it while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. Even before President Grover Cleveland signed a law on June 28, 1894, creating the holiday, there had been initiatives celebrating Labor Day. In fact, on the morning of Sept. 5, 1882, large crowds of spectators filled lower Manhattan for the first Labor Day parade, prompting police concerns over rioting. Unfortunately, as Grand Marshall William McCabe, a police escort, and throngs of workers were about to step off, they realized they had a problem – there was no music. Many were suggesting the event be called off...

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### CloudShare Takes Gold in Training, Bronze for Hot Cloud Tech in Coveted IT Awards

> We're proud to have won two awards in the Network Product Guide 14th annual IT World Awards - Gold in the Training Awareness and Education Program category!

- Published: 2019-08-28
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-takes-gold-in-training-bronze-for-hot-cloud-tech-in-coveted-it-awards/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Julia Child once said: “The measure of achievement is not winning awards. It’s doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile. ” I couldn’t agree more. Even so, there’s no arguing that awards are nice, kind of like frosting on a donut – and who doesn’t like that? That said, Network Products Guide (NPG), a leading technology research and advisory publication, has named our virtual IT labs solution a gold winner in the Training Awareness and Education Program category of its annual IT World Awards®. We also received bronze in Hot Technology & Solution of the Year for IT Cloud/SaaS. That’s a lot of frosting, especially considering these are one of the world's premier IT awards, honoring achievement and innovation across the industry for the past fourteen years. They recognize the best – in areas from products and services to deployment success and leadership skills – and the criteria is judged by an international panel. I can’t deny it. Taking the top spot in Training Awareness and Education felt very gratifying for a while. Yet, what motivates and makes us happy on a daily basis is hearing how our virtual IT labs enable customers to improve their virtual training, sales demos & POCS, support and product development. It’s a reminder that what we’re doing is worthwhile. Bronze for Hot Technology in the IT Cloud/SaaS category is equally pleasing. According to Gartner’s Sid Nag, “SaaS users are increasingly demanding more purpose-built offerings engineered to deliver specific business outcomes. ”...

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### Cloud Cybersecurity Training for Employees The Right Way

> Keeping your employees educated on cybersecurity is important. Learn how to educate your employees with cloud cybersecurity training.

- Published: 2019-08-27
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/heres-the-right-approach-to-cloud-cybersecurity-training-for-your-staff/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

Modern businesses are operating in an entirely new setting than ones from even a few decades ago. Our massively interconnected business world has enabled us to communicate, collaborate, and organize more quickly and effectively than ever before. The internet has also increased awareness around the issue of cybercrime and highlighted the dangers of data breaches. Businesses of all sizes and in all industries must know how to deal with this growing issue. Since companies can’t afford to avoid staying online, they have to learn how to deal with cyber attacks. Let’s talk about why cybersecurity is important, how your company can instigate preventative measures, and what you can do to keep your employees educated on the topic. The Importance of Cybersecurity Training for the Whole Organization  Whether you work in sales, the IT department, marketing, or accounting, cybersecurity training is a necessity for a variety of reasons. Data Breaches You’ve probably heard of large enterprises like Yahoo! and Facebook facing backlash for leaking the personal information of millions of users. Don’t become one of the thousands of daily victims. Keep your organization secure by understanding that you are always in the crosshairs, no matter how small or large your business is. The weakest line of defense is often your employees’ digital literacy regarding cybersecurity. Experienced managers know that human error, negligence, or even just ignorance are the most significant causes of avoidable accidents. Help your staff avoid making mistakes that compromise your system security through a cybersecurity training platform. Legal...

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### Why You Should Be Using a Cloud LMS for Your Enterprise in 2019

> A cloud LMS is the only way to run a training organization today. Learn why and how to implement a cloud-based LMS and integrate it with virtual labs.

- Published: 2019-08-22
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-you-should-be-using-a-cloud-lms-for-your-enterprise-in-2019/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

In today’s fast-moving corporate world, getting new employees up to speed as quickly as possible is an endeavor every manager strives to perfect. Learning management systems (or LMS for short) are some of the best tools for doing so, and almost every company uses them. LMSs are software programs designed to help businesses create lessons, administer courses, and report on employee progress. You might be searching for an LMS program to adopt for your workplace, but have you considered a new solution known as the cloud LMS? A cloud-based LMS, instead of running on a local machine, runs online for learners and instructors to log into through a web portal. For various reasons we’ll be discussing, millions of organizations from small startups to large enterprises are adopting cloud-based learning tools for their employees. Why a Cloud-Based Learning Management System? Many business tools have already switched to the cloud, such as Quickbooks for accounting or Clio for legal affairs. The same principle applies to learning management. But why? Fast Implementation The time between your decision to adopt cloud LMS and the moment the training begins is surprisingly short for three main reasons: Many cloud-based training programs come with free trials, allowing you to test the system out to see whether it fits in with your business’s unique needs. Doing so increases your confidence in the program and helps you make your decisions more quickly. Because it’s all online, these learning systems require no hardware or software installation on your side. Your...

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### Upcoming Webinar: Top Business Software Provider Details How its Virtual Training Soared With the Cloud

> Join this webinar with training experts from Advanced to learn how using a virtual lab solution for software training enables them to scale their training.

- Published: 2019-08-21
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/upcoming-webinar-top-business-software-provider-details-how-its-virtual-training-soared-with-the-cloud/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Advanced is the UK’s third largest provider of business software and services with 16,000 customers and 2,200 employees. It provides enterprises and market-focused organizations with solutions that make difficult business challenges easier to handle. Training on its offerings must do the same, remove complexity, all while enabling the company to keep pace with customer demand. The problem was, Advanced had previously relied on in-person training for customers and internal teams, an approach that didn’t measure up. They needed to be able to better scale and accommodate a growing base of diverse clients ranging from the BBC to the National Health Service to the Liverpool Football Club. They had to lower costs and the time required to provide impactful training experiences. Register directly for the webinar below To do this, Advanced required virtual training labs and a cloud based platform. They chose CloudShare, and with the move to the cloud, output soared. In fact, they were able to quickly build 150+ powerful courses that have already served 19,000+ users. Join us for a special webinar and find out how Advanced was able to achieve such fast results - and how you can do the same. CloudShare, in association with Training Industry, is proud to bring you “Measuring Up: Raising the Bar with Smart Software Training that Scales. ” When: August 29 at 1:00 p. m. ET Who: Dianne King, group customer training manager, Claire McCrudden, senior trainer, Advanced How: Register here Over the course of one hour, you’ll learn how Advanced...

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### Is the Demo Dead? Four Sales Engineering Experts Weigh In [eBook]

> CloudShare interviewed four experts in pre-sales and sales engineering aboput their thoughts on the future of SEs, demos, proofs-of-concept and more.

- Published: 2019-08-13
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/has-the-demo-died-four-se-experts-weigh-in-on-the-past-present-and-future-of-sales-engineering/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

One thing leads to another... In this case, the “one thing” was a webinar we conducted with sales engineering expert and author John Care. John presented valuable insights on the changing role of the sales engineer. Great stuff. If you missed it, you can watch The 2024 Sales Engineer webinar with John Care here. After the webinar, John agreed to do an interview with us and that led to something even bigger, an eBook: You won’t want to miss this important content featuring the insights of John Care, Peter Cohan, Rich Chiarello and Rob Falcone, all of them are authors and consultants or practitioners in the field of software and technology sales. Each offers interesting perspectives on the changing role of sales engineers and the demos and proofs-of-concept (POCs) they deliver. Spoiler alerts: The demo HAS NOT died. It’s evolved. The role of the sales engineer ISN’T going away. It’s more vital than ever. Here are some excerpts from the eBook... . On the blurring line between sales engineers and sales reps... “I believe the role of the salesperson has not significantly changed in the last 20 years in terms of what you do. Certainly, how you do it has changed, but very few new skills have been added to the role of the salesperson. ” “Yet the role of the sales engineer has. They're being asked to become more consultative, better communicators, able to get in front of CIOs and CFOs and COOs. So, the skill set is expanding...

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### Has the Demo Died? Four experts on the past, present, and future of sales engineering

- Published: 2019-08-13
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/has-the-demo-died-four-experts-on-the-past-present-and-future-of-sales-engineering/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Did You Hear the One About the Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) Training?

> The DMV wasted everyone's time doing live training during work hours. Here's how virtual training could have made the experience better for everyone.

- Published: 2019-08-01
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/did-you-hear-the-one-about-the-department-of-motor-vehicles-dmv-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Some call it the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), others the Registry of Motor Vehicles, but its reputation for delivering service with a snarl has earned it a slew of more colorful names. Fair or not, it’s the brunt of jokes from the watercooler to late night television shows, and all it takes is one story for everyone to recount their own misadventures in dealing with motor vehicle issues. In fact, just days after taking office last January, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a comprehensive modernization and reinvention of the State’s troubled DMV. Towards the end of July, he released a report detailing efforts to improve services, an effort prompted by wait times that had averaged two hours last summer. Then, the very next day, an ironic and likely avoidable move occurred. The DMV closed its offices for half a day to train 5,000 employees on more complex processing required by new REAL ID driver’s licenses, as well as how to deliver more “customer friendly” service. This, as customers across the state waited outside in line while the four-hour training took place. #DMVsucks pic. twitter. com/g1BXsb8DJ9 — Kent Vidrine (@kentvidrine) July 29, 2019 As one customer noted: “If they want to change it, I think it’s great. But if they want to keep as it is, then we just keep making more jokes about it on TV, right? ” To be fair, the DMV did announce well in advance that the offices would be closed. Still, we couldn’t help think...

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### 5 Reasons Why Virtual Training Software Is So Successful

> In this post we give 5 reasons to use virtual training software for your training organization including cost, convenience, and integration.

- Published: 2019-07-30
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-reasons-why-virtual-training-software-is-so-successful/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It would’ve sounded like a sci-fi fantasy only a few decades ago. Businesses and schools using highly interactive virtual environments to teach students and employees real-world workplace skills seemed like a superfluous concept since the traditional brick and mortar classroom was the default mode of education for centuries. Fast forward to today, and 86% of all organizations now have online virtual training as a staple of office work. That figure is not surprising either, considering nearly a quarter of employees quit their jobs because of a lack of training opportunities. The resulting wasted talent, recruitment resources, and productivity mean that companies are looking for better ways to train their staff. But what caused such a tremendous rise in the adoption of virtual training labs? Here are our 5 reasons to use virtual training software: 1. Cost In the same way that shopping online removes the need to drive your car to the store, hosting a training session online eliminates travel expenses, as users can interact with the classroom purely through the Internet. Instead of spending money setting up a physical classroom and planning out schedules to accommodate the class, anybody can join from anywhere as long as there’s an Internet connection. You can save on time just as much as money too. Since learners can log in to a class quickly, eLearning enables instructors to break the content into smaller, digestible chunks, resulting in less time out of the workday to undergo training. On average, virtual it labs are only...

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### 5 Best Ways Virtual Training Labs Enhance Workplace E-Learning

> Learn how virtual training labs enhance and modernize workplace e-learning with instructor-led, self-paced, and virtual instrcutor-led training.

- Published: 2019-07-25
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/best-ways-virtual-training-labs-enhance-workplace-e-learning/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If you work in a management position at any modern organization, you will eventually need to provide education to your employees, business partners, or potential clients. Getting your office up-to-date on current technologies involves training in the workplace that translates well into improved productivity. Employee training generates tangible benefits in the real-world workplace. It’s no wonder why over $70 billion was invested in business training in a single year. That’s why it’s a field worth looking into for your own business. But there are a few things you’ll want to know first. Things like ensuring your company’s resources are invested efficiently and properly. One of the best ways to boost the potency of workplace training is adopting virtual training labs, which enhance employee knowledge and retention in ways that traditional classroom-style courses cannot. Literacy with new technologies is a requirement for staying competitive in business, so let’s talk about how e-learning in the workplace can boost your office’s productivity. Better “Bang For Your Buck” Affordability is often the greatest limiting factor for many smaller companies. The cost of classroom-based training courses can be onerous in both funds and time. For instance, you have to pay for: Installation of related hardware and software suites The time investment of rearranging schedules to make room for the class Employees to maintain your in-house equipment Travel-related expenses for training at other locations Cloud labs have the benefit of eliminating many of these extra costs. Classes can be given at any time from any location...

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### 10 Training Resources You Can’t Miss in Our Virtual Training Leader’s Summer Kit

> Check out these virtual training resources, communities, podcasts and technology solutions to help you better meet learner expectations.

- Published: 2019-07-24
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/10-training-resources-you-cant-miss-in-our-virtual-training-leaders-summer-kit/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Whether you’re the head of training and education, a chief learning officer or even a new training manager, you know just how important and valuable innovative training programs are for your company. The challenge? Ensuring your programs are keeping up with your company’s growth, competition and customers, especially during the dog days of summer. While summer might seem like it’s finally time to sit back, relax and ride that wave instead of tackling your training strategies, it’s actually the perfect time to get ahead and leave your competition in the dust -- or, ahem, beach sand. Luckily, you’re in the learning and training industry, meaning you have tons of resources, communities, podcasts and technology solutions to help you better meet learner expectations. Since it can be challenging to know where to start, we’ve compiled the top 10 training resources you should reference this summer. After all, listicles are great beach reads. So, your summer training mission, should you choose to accept it? Make (training program) waves by following, reading and listening to. Our List of 10 Virtual Training Resources, Communities, Podcasts and Technology Solutions Training Industry -- From tips on training the modern learner to a blueprint for a successful and profitable training program, Training Industry is one of our go-to publications for all things training. Don’t forget to check out some of our recent articles and webinars featured in the outlet. eLearning Industry -- eLearning Industry boasts itself as the largest online community of professionals involved in the e-learning...

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### Vacation Salvation: Training a Cybersecurity Team So Your Holiday Isn’t Hacked

> Learn some tricks for how to properly train your cybersecurity team using virtual labs and other methods so you can spend more time on vacation.

- Published: 2019-07-18
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/vacation-salvation-training-a-cybersecurity-team-so-your-holiday-isnt-hacked/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

Whether you call it a holiday or vacation, one thing is clear – few professionals deserve a break as much as chief information security officers (CISOs). In “Life Inside the Perimeter: Understanding the Modern CISO,” a report by Nominet based on a global survey of CISOs, all respondents said they were stressed. However, what’s more alarming is 91% felt moderate or high stress, 27% work up to 60 hours weekly, 1 in 5 are reachable 24/7. And, 89% of U. S. CISOs said they’ve never had a two week break from their role. Yikes. According to Cyber Defense Magazine, a business falls victim to a ransomware attack every 13. 275 seconds. Talent for handling such constant threats is scarce; by 2021 there will be an estimated 3. 5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions. There’s more to do, less people to do it with, and the burden falls on beleaguered CISOs who typically end up handling issues when they finally get time off. So, if you’re a CISO here’s a pro tip: You need a device-free vacation, and the summer is the perfect time to do it. But before leaving the office, make sure your cybersecurity team is fully trained. The more they’re up-to-speed, the more you’ll enjoy your downtime – and that mojito that’s calling your name. Let them handle it One of the most effective methods for learning is via hands-on engagement, the practice-by-doing method. There are a number of ways you can use this approach to prepare your cybersecurity...

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### Virtual Labs & LMS Integration for Enterprises

> Virtual labs with LMS integration is the future of training for businesses and education in general. Why? Cost, convenience, and control.

- Published: 2019-07-11
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-labs-lms-integration-for-enterprises/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

User and customer education is a vital step toward maximizing the value of your company’s software solutions. There are many reasons why companies are turning to learning management system (LMS) virtual labs to streamline training, customer onboarding, and other procedures. Employees can take full advantage of program features when they have extensive experience using the software. Business partners may develop a better understanding of how your business’s internal software runs, how it will impact their organization, and how it will help them solve their problems. Teaching customers how to use your own software products effectively not only increases trust, but it boosts your sales too because customers are more likely to purchase software they are familiar with. It’s no wonder why enterprises as large as Microsoft and Google, and even smaller companies in the technology sector, rely so heavily on software training and education. One recent development has simplified access to training and education by making it more accessible, convenient, and cost-effective. That development is virtual training labs with LMS integration. The Basics of Virtual Labs & LMS Integration LMS integration allows its users to interact with code, features, programs, and operating systems directly from a web browser. This method of instruction, enabled by technological advancements in cloud-based infrastructure, provides a dynamic online learning environment far more convenient than traditional classroom-style lessons. After successfully implementing LMS virtual lab integration into your business’s employees, partners, and customers, you can expect: More knowledgeable, productive, and confident employees Better knowledge retention for individuals...

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### Tufin Customer Testimonial - Virtual Training Labs

- Published: 2019-07-10
- Modified: 2023-08-23
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/tufin-customer-testimonial-virtual-training-labs
- Formats: Case Studies, Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### A Virtual Training Feast for Those With A Taste for Software

> The Virtual Training Snack Pack offers you all the virtual training resources you need in one place, from eBooks to webinars to videos.

- Published: 2019-07-09
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-virtual-training-feast-for-those-with-a-taste-for-software/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

There’s always a sizable appetite for insight into virtual training labs. As a leader in the field, we try to feed you valuable content on how to improve the economics, efficiency and effectiveness of training programs. Even so, new enquiries arise daily, in fact, we recently asked ourselves the following: Software can be such a complex, rapidly changing space. What is it that software training executives need to know most right now and how can we ensure they get this information as quickly as possible? We’re excited to tell you we came up something we feel answers this question very well. The Virtual Training Snack Pack! This kit delivers a tasty selection of informative content and resources, ranging from snackable tidbits of advice to a feast of virtual training detail. Download the free Virtual Training Snack Pack for fast access to eBooks, webinars, case studies, product overviews, videos and demos. Whether you’re trying to tweak existing programs, find new ways to take the complexity out of software - or build a case for virtual instructor-led training at your company - it has all the ingredients you’ll need for success, including. eBook: “51 Best Practices to Achieve New Levels of Performance for Your Software Training” eBook: “The Influencers Guide to Greater Training Efficiency and Profitability in 2019” Webinar: “Beat the Forgetting Curve with Learning by Doing” Case study: BWise Academy Overcomes Scalability and IT Hurdles to Leap Ahead eBook: “How to Choose the Right Cloud Learning Solution for Your Training Courses”...

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### The Virtual Training Snack Pack

> Read our Virtual Training Snack Pack to discover all the delicious training resources and insights in one place.

- Published: 2019-07-09
- Modified: 2023-07-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/the-virtual-training-snack-pack
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### Revolutionizing Training: Independence, Freedom and Fireworks

> Learn how to gain training independence this July 4th and how CloudShare believes in the freedom and unity embedded in the American tradition.

- Published: 2019-07-04
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/revolutionizing-training-independence-freedom-and-fireworks/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Independence Day is a U. S. holiday commemorating the country’s Declaration of Independence. Through this, the thirteen American colonies proclaimed they no longer considered themselves under the rule of Britain’s King George III. This bold move was about self-determination, freedom and being recognized. CloudShare has long shared a similar zeal when it comes to training. This includes providing easy access to education for employees and hassle-free capabilities for trainers. With July 4th upon us, we couldn’t help but touch upon a few historical similarities and offer advice to super-power your training efforts. Free and Equal The Declaration of Independence contains 27 grievances against King George, including this one: “He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant... for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. ” Cloud-based virtual training is all about freedom and equal access. Flying an entire staff out to meet with a trainer or putting a teacher on the road for constant face-to-face sessions exhausts budgets, personnel, and limits your reach. Virtual instructor-led training (VILT) courses function just as well as a physical classroom environment. All it takes is an internet connection to provide everyone with the same access, no matter where they are. What’s more, if it’s not vital that everyone be available at a particular time, why force them? Instead, make recorded sessions available on-demand. Because everyone learns best at their own speed, consider offering self-paced training. With this, faster users can proceed as quickly as they wish,...

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### The Path To Training Success & Profitability: Webinar Wrap Up

> In this webinar you will learn how to successfully turn your training program into a revenue generator in four easy steps and with virtual training labs.

- Published: 2019-06-25
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-path-to-training-success-profitability-webinar-wrap-up/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We were very excited to present our webinar: The Blueprint for a Successful and Profitable Training Program along with our good partner, Learndot, last week. The webinar was hosted by our friends at Training Industry. The registration numbers clearly showed that this is a topic of interest to many. We were happy to help fill this need for valuable strategies and information. Those who missed out can find a summary below, and can always listen to the recorded version here. Jesse Miller, General Manager of Learndot, kicked off the webinar by reminding folks that before looking internally into your specific training requirements, you must first understand the overall environment in which you operate. This includes understanding your audience (e. g. short attention spans) as well as other external challenges, such as fast release cycles, leading to the need to keep learners updated on the latest features and to avoid training on outdated products. Even though you don’t have control over factors such as these, if you want your training program to be successful, you need to make sure that your solutions address them. Jesse went on to explain their take on the Training Maturity Model because the exact solutions and targets you want to achieve should be based on an objective assessment of where you are today. This enables you to best determine your next steps. Our live audience broke down as follows based on the 4 stage scale: Reacting - 16. 4% Performing - 47. 3% Scaling - 23....

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### Keep your cloud-based (virtual) training cool during the dog days of summer

> Check out these four tips to help refresh your training efforts and make the most of your virtual instructor-led training and customer education programs.

- Published: 2019-06-24
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/keep-your-cloud-based-virtual-training-cool-during-the-dog-days-of-summer/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It’s that time of year again: We can now stop complaining about the cold and start complaining about the heat. Still, summer is perfect for getting away for a well-earned vacation and millions will head to the beach, camp in the mountains or just take time for local activities they don’t often get to enjoy. That means fewer people to pull you away from tasks at work that might need some attention. So, even as you unwind from everyday stresses this summer, remember it’s also a great opportunity to revisit and retool your cloud-based training programs. Here are four tips that can help you refresh your training efforts and keep your cool year round. Break out of your rut You don’t always want the same vacation -- who does? While we all have our favorite spots, embracing new experiences expands your mind and makes you a more complete person. That said, you also need to periodically reevaluate training objectives and methods, both internally and in your sales presentations. Dilyana Hadjeva, head of marketing for Learndot, says, “Don't just keep doing what you are doing. Take a step back, evaluate and rethink your customer education strategy because there may be a more effective way to train customers. ” The first step toward improvement is understanding where you are. Don’t be afraid to be critical in examining what isn’t working or could be improved. Consider whether your training topics are still relevant, and look at your numbers regarding enrollment, drop rates and...

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### The Blueprint for a Successful and Profitable Training Program

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.

- Published: 2019-06-23
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-blueprint-for-a-successful-and-profitable-training-program
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### The Big Share: A Q&A with CloudShare’s Sheila Aharoni on Building a Powerful Sales Team

> Sheila, VP global sales, gives insight into sales leadership, corporate culture, and career advice in this interview spanning a number of topics.

- Published: 2019-06-18
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-big-share-a-qa-with-cloudshares-sheila-aharoni-on-building-a-powerful-sales-team/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Welcome to the first installment of our new blog series, The Big Share. This regular feature will focus on interviews with leaders and influencers from across CloudShare’s extensive community, happy to discuss their experiences and provide expert advice on a range of business topics. We’ll kick it off with one of our own, VP of global sales, Sheila Aharoni. Before bringing her wisdom to CloudShare, Sheila successfully led sales teams in seven distinct industries. Her wealth of experience and inside-out knowledge of sales techniques and management has strengthened our organization and its industry leadership position in specialized cloud solutions. We caught up with Sheila to learn her secrets for sales team success. ClouShare (CS): From your experience, what must-have skills - soft and hard - do sales professionals need to develop in order to be successful today? Sheila Aharoni (SA): The foremost skill sales pros need is effective communication, both verbal and written; the ability to hold meaningful, empathetic dialogues create trust, uncover challenges and secure commitments. It’s more than just being a smooth talker. It’s about creating a connection that moves a relationship and an opportunity forward. Additionally, sales pros need to lead both the client and their internal teams to success. The most valuable salespeople help their clients make better business decisions faster with minimal effort. Sales professionals must also understand how customers and prospects can leverage their solutions and present them in a way that the client can easily sell internally. Salespeople who are able to prioritize...

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### Upcoming Webinar: Creating a Blueprint for a Successful and Profitable Training Program

> Join this webinar with Learndot and CloudShare to learn the steps to turn your training organization from a cost center to a profit center.

- Published: 2019-06-17
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-creating-successful-profitable-training-program/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

When you boil it down, building a successful training program is really about delivering the right training to the right audience at the right time. That said, you don’t operate in a vacuum and there are a wide variety of formats and technologies that you have to choose from to deliver your training to everyone who can benefit from it effectively and efficiently. Training managers face many challenges when building course programs, including the shorter attention spans of today’s modern learners and the faster pace of software releases. While you may not have direct control over these types of trends, if you want your training to be successful, you do need to address them with strategies such as breaking learning into bite-sized chunks and leveraging a hands-on training solution that makes it easy to always be training on your latest software version. Luckily, however, there are many more things that are within your power to decide, such as your specific training goals, the different technology, formats and media that you implement, and your success criteria. If this sounds like your world, and you want to learn specific key elements for creating a successful and profitable training program no matter how new or mature your program is, then our upcoming webinar is for you. On June 20th at 1:00 PM ET/ 10:00 AM PT, CloudShare and Learndot are running a free Training Industry webinar titled “The Blueprint for a Successful and Profitable Training Program. ” The webinar will explain key elements...

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### Virtual Labs Before and After: The BWise® Training Case Study Webinar Recap

> In this webinar, Vincent Perquin of BWise and Lee Berkman of CloudShare discuss how to go from on-premise to cloud-based virtual IT labs for training.

- Published: 2019-06-11
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-labs-before-and-after-the-bwise-training-case-study/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

On June 5th we had the pleasure of having our good friend, customer, and partner, Vincent Perquin, Manager of BWise Academy join us for a webinar where he described his prior experience using on-premise training labs, the challenges that compelled him to switch to a cloud-based virtual lab solution, and his success with CloudShare. Hosted by Training Industry, the webinar clearly had the audience engaged, asking detailed questions along the way. While you might think I saw the event through rose-colored glasses, I can assure you that the data prove me right :-). In the post-event survey, listeners gave our speakers an average rating of 9. 8 out of 10 while they rated the value of the overall information they took away as a 9. 4 out of 10. Scores like that make us at CloudShare very happy. After all, it’s only because CloudShare’s virtual training labs meet and exceed BWise’s expectations that we were able to execute such a webinar. But surely you are more interested in learning some of the details discussed, so I’ll get to it. Our webinar kicked off with Virtual Labs Expert, Lee Berkman, introducing the concept of virtual labs and their various uses throughout the software lifecycle. This includes providing safe individual replicas of your software environments to train internal personnel, partners, and resellers on new features, to enabling sales to show full-featured demos and provide prospects with hands-on POCs and trials, to empowering customers to learn best practices, to enabling customer support to...

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### Virtual Labs Before and After: The BWise® Training Case Study Webinar

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.

- Published: 2019-06-11
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/virtual-labs-before-and-after-the-bwise-training-case-study-webinar
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How Do You Make the Best Cloud Training Better? Google It!

- Published: 2019-06-05
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-do-you-make-the-best-cloud-training-better-google-it/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

CloudShare takes great pride in providing the most powerful, flexible and immersive virtual IT labs available. Still, you don’t stay out front by resting on your laurels, and we’re always looking for ways to take it up a notch. So, just how do you make the best cloud-based training solution even better? Google it! Hang on, no need to look up the answer – we’ve already got it. CloudShare is excited to announce we’re now available on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). You’ve invested in bringing your software offering to the cloud, and you’re familiar with G Suite and can make its applications sing. Now, you can kick back and float on the cloud this summer, while delivering hands-on, instructor-led virtual training for a seamless, unmatched interactive learning experience. Here’s how we’re helping you lose the training floatie: We’ve made it easy for you and your students to get completely transparent access to GCP, directly from any browser. To work with GCP in CloudShare, you simply select GCP as a resource for your environment. We provide GCP admin console access as needed, as well as complete, end-to-end resource provisioning and management, defined user and machine controls, advanced analytics and usage statistics. Companies can train on any number of GCP virtual machines (VMs) and create hybrid class environments based on individual needs and use cases, regardless of complexity. That means real-world training environments, real fast and really easy! CloudShare automatically handles all GCP configuration for your class, from setup to teardown....

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### The 2024 Sales Engineer Webinar with John Care

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.

- Published: 2019-06-05
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/the-2024-sales-engineer-webinar-with-john-care
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Meet CloudShare at Training Industry Conference & Expo 2019

> Come meet our team at TICE 2019 in Raleigh, NC. We are excited to be a Gold Sponsor and we look forward to speaking with you about your training needs!

- Published: 2019-06-04
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/meet-cloudshare-at-training-industry-conference-expo-2019/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The CloudShare team is really excited to be taking part in Training Industry’s annual learning leadership event in Raleigh, North Carolina as a Gold Sponsor. Training Industry has put together a really fantastic lineup of speakers and workshops with topics ranging from leadership and content development to technology management and strategy. With over 450 industry leaders and more than 50 workshops spread over three days, this will definitely be an event to remember. With CloudShare, you provide students and employees with the most engaging virtual classroom training experience available -- for any class size, in any environment, and with unsurpassed ease and speed. Whatever mix of training or events you use, CloudShare lets you minimize staff, scale as needed, and offer your participants flexible, one-click access to classes anywhere in the world, on-demand for: Instructor-Led Training: Engaging virtual classes for any number of students Self-Paced Training: Courses that run themselves. SaaS Training: Full-featured training for solutions on commodity clouds Technical Certifications: Virtual labs for certification and accreditation Events: Fully-scalable training solutions for conventions and large gatherings We are also keenly focused on the learner by ensuring students are up and running with a virtual environment through any web browser in seconds, and get the most out of their learning experience. They have the ability to ask questions in a live chat window or raise a hand to ask for help. It’s almost like the instructor is right there with you. We’re really looking forward to meeting some new friends and...

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### Upcoming Webinar: Migrating Your Training to the Cloud - The BWise® Case Study

> Join the upcoming webinar and learn how a leading GRC company grew revenues with CloudShare's specialized cloud for virtual training labs

- Published: 2019-06-03
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/upcoming-webinar-migrating-your-training-to-the-cloud-the-bwise-case-study/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Are you still using an on-premise lab solution to train customers and partners on your application? Is your training team overly dependent on your IT department? Are you unable to meet last minute requests for training classes? Is adding new students to your classes at the last minute a hassle or simply not possible? You can also read the case study by clicking the above image. If you’ve encountered any of these problems, don’t fret. We’ve got a webinar that will show you how things can be very different. On June 5th at 1 p. m. ET/ 10 a. m. PT, CloudShare is sponsoring a free Training Industry webinar titled “Virtual Labs Before and After. ” The webinar features a case study from the leading Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) software company, BWise®. Vincent Perquin, Manager of BWise Academy, will tell about his experience and the advantages BWise gained by migrating an on-premise virtual labs solution to CloudShare. If greater flexibility, productivity, scalability, and increased revenues are important to your training team, you’ll definitely want to join. Our CloudShare virtual labs expert will also be on the call to introduce you to the many use cases for virtual training labs. If you think you’re limited to delivering virtual instructor-led training (VILT), think again! We have many customers that use them to deliver all different modes of training from frontal teaching in small classrooms or at huge company events, to self-paced training, and technology certification courses. One platform can provide it...

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### The 2024 Sales Engineer Webinar: John Care on the Future of Technical Sales

> John presented a fascinating look at both the current and future states of sales engineering, and the ways you can ensure your job is not automated.

- Published: 2019-05-30
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-2024-sales-engineer-webinar-john-care-on-the-future-of-technical-sales/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

On May 28th, we had the pleasure of hosting John Care. For those not yet familiar, John is managing director of Mastering Technical Sales, author of two books on the subject – with a third on the way – and has been on both sides of the management desk as a C-level exec and sales engineer. He has built the SE organizations of some of the biggest names, from Oracle to HP. John presented a fascinating look at both the current and future states of sales engineering, and the ways you can ensure your job is not automated out of existence. And one of the first questions he answered was right to the point – will the role exist in five years? "Will the #SalesEngineer role still exist in 2024? That depends on what your customers think. " -@PreSalesMTS #presales #salesengineer #webinar — CloudShare (@CloudShare) May 28, 2019 Simply put, Care noted, it depends on how your customers think about you. As a follow up to this question, he discussed a survey done over a three year period asking customers and vendors who they valued the most throughout the technology purchasing process. Here is what he found: SEs have proven to provide the most value consistently according to customers @PreSalesMTS #presales #salesengineer #webinar pic. twitter. com/dC7uARSJIb — CloudShare (@CloudShare) May 28, 2019 So, based on this research, sales engineers are valued much higher than any other position in the organization. Next came the small and big predictions that John shared...

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### 11 Sales Enablement Communities & Influencers to Follow

> After speaking to our customers, partners and others, our team created the list of the 11 sales enablement communities & influencers to follow.

- Published: 2019-05-27
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/11-sales-enablement-communities-influencers-to-follow/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Whether you’re a sales engineer, sales executive or entry level rep, today’s B2B sales professionals have quite the challenge: Increased competition, smaller attention, plus the average customer is already 70% of the way through the decision-making process before ever engaging a sales representative, according to research from Demand Gen Report. No pressure, right? Luckily, today’s sales professionals are fortunate enough to have a plethora of resources (as well as tech solutions) to help guide them throughout their careers, but with so much information out there – where do they start? After speaking to our customers, partners and some of the top influencers in the industry, our team has compiled the top 11 communities and personalities, CMOs, sales leaders and pros you should be paying attention to. Here are the 11 sales enablement communities & influencers to follow Sales Hacker – The Sales Hacker is an online community focused on building and shaping the future of sales through educational, actionable content and events. Our team is a big fan of their authentic approach to sales. Training Industry – Sure, this might technically be a training resource for learning professionals, but as sales leaders know, customer training and internal employee training is a necessity for growth and success. Training Industry is our training and development go-to resource for IT and sales. Check out some of our team’s insights and news from the community here. GrowthHackers – With a bi-weekly AMA with top professionals in the industry, we like to think of GrowthHackers...

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### The ABCs of Achieving Success with LMS

> The e-learning market continues to expand and evolve rapidly. Let’s take a look at the ABCs of achieving success with an LMS and a VTL.

- Published: 2019-05-23
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-abcs-of-achieving-success-with-lms/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The e-learning market continues to expand and evolve rapidly. Technavio, a research firm that keeps close tabs on the industry, recently published a report predicting e-learning will grow by USD 116-billion in a five-year span from 2018 to 2022. Of course, with immense market expansion comes a proliferation of technologies and tools. Learning Management Systems (LMS) and virtual training labs (VTLs)—often used in tandem—are key catalysts to the booming e-learning market. Let’s define each: Learning Management System (LMS)A solution that integrates and coordinates tasks involved in scheduling, delivering, administering, tracking, and documenting classroom and online learning and training programs. A close relative of the LMS, the Training Management System (TMS), performs a similar function with added emphasis on workflow and automated communications. Virtual Training Labs (VTL)A cloud-based virtual training lab brings complex environments online to give students and trainees the benefits of interactive experiential learning in a secure and fail-safe atmosphere. Now, let’s take a look at the ABCs of achieving success with an LMS and a VTL. A is for accessibility Obviously, as the way we work has become more dynamic, training programs now need to provide access anytime, anywhere, on any type of device. A recent Gartner study, cited in a post from Unboxed, reveals the three factors learners value most are: Ease of career application Ease of use Ease of consumability Unboxed author Jim Coe goes on to explain how micro-learning and accessible learning go hand in hand. “The process of repackaging training for agility also sets you up...

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### Upcoming Webinar: Sales Engineers to Get a Look at their Future

> Are you an SE who wants to see the future so you can make yours even brighter? Register today for our “The 2024 Sales Engineer” webinar.

- Published: 2019-05-21
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/upcoming-webinar-sales-engineers-to-get-a-look-at-their-future/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Where will you be in five years? Wouldn’t it be great to know how your career will evolve so you can set yourself up for success? Particularly in technology, where change is constant and fast? If you’re a sales engineer (SE) and wondering what the future holds, you’re in luck. On May 28 at 1 p. m. ET, CloudShare is hosting a free webinar titled “The 2024 Sales Engineer,” featuring the profession’s top authority, John Care. In such fast-moving times, predictions and advice are best left to the experts. When it comes to the SE role, Care is unmatched. He literally wrote the book on the topic, “Master Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer’s Handbook,” the No. 1 bestseller for presales engineers and solutions consultants, now in its third edition. Care gained his knowledge first-hand, building world-class SE organizations for such household tech giants such as Oracle, Sybase and HP. Care will discuss the advancement of automation – already a major part of the sales process – and a question we hear often from customers and partners alike: Will today’s SEs have a job in 2024? According to Care, SEs will definitely have a vital role to play. After all, SEs possess a unique blend of technology expertise and business acumen, a combination customers appreciate. In fact, according to Care, “The CIO, CSO and CTO often find greater value in the SE than the salesperson – they build trust faster. ” Still, don’t think sales automation won’t have an impact – sales...

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### 12 Ways to Chart a Successful Career in Sales Engineering

> Our new eBook, provides you with concrete tips that you can start using immediately to accelerate your SE career.

- Published: 2019-05-15
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/12-ways-to-chart-a-successful-career-in-sales-engineering-2/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### 12 ways to chart a successful career in sales engineering

> Our new eBook, provides you with concrete tips that you can start using immediately to accelerate your SE career.

- Published: 2019-05-15
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/12-ways-to-chart-a-successful-career-in-sales-engineering/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

The tech industry is booming. The global technology industry will reach $5 trillion by the end of this year, according to IDC, with CompTIA anticipating tech growth that could exceed 6 percent. With that rate of expansion, companies will need to fill millions of job openings over the next few years, and few will be as critical to their success as the sales engineer (SE). Why are CEOs so eager to hire SEs? Simply put, because they need to sell to customers, and no one is better at selling technology solutions than a strong SE. Their unique skill set merges deep technical knowledge with business savvy, and that rare combination makes them among the most powerful revenue-generating roles in any organization. An SE knows a product’s technical details cold and can also effectively communicate their value. They understand the business problems their customers face, and, thanks to their tech expertise, they know exactly how to solve them. They’re the salesperson’s anchor, the product manager’s confidante, and, when SEs are totally on their game, and the entire company is lifted. “The CIO, CSO and CTO often find greater value in the SE than the salesperson – they build trust faster. ” – John Care, author of “Mastering Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer’s Handbook” Our new eBook, “Raise the Sales! Twelve Ways to Chart a Successful Career in Sales Engineering,” provides you with concrete tips that you can start using immediately to accelerate your SE career. We’ve drawn on the knowledge and...

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### Webinar Recap: Delivering Effective (Virtual) Training for the Modern Learner

- Published: 2019-04-23
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-recap-delivering-effective-virtual-training-for-the-modern-learner/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Have you ever asked yourself the following questions: What are the modern learner’s preferences? How do I deliver them the most engaging content? Is knowledge retention of my classes below par? Am I using the best technology to streamline the virtual training? These are some of the questions we tackled in our recent webinar “Learning by Doing: How to Train the Modern Learner. ” You can watch it by clicking on the link. Along with Jesse Miller, general manager at Learndot, our own virtual IT labs expert Lee Berkman presented a one hour interactive webinar that focused on understanding the modern learner’s needs and how to ensure trainers make classes as productive as possible using the right mix of technology and content. Key trends in customer education To help understand more about the best practices for delivering great training, let’s first look at three important trends in customer education: Learning by doing - trainers are making their learners more active during sessions Teaching solutions and solving challenges - it’s not about training on features, it’s fixing bigger problems Providing realistic environments, not just screenshots - teaching someone to solve issues requires lab scenarios learners can try themselves Recognizing these trends and understanding the preferences and attributes of today’s learner, enables trainers to create virtual learning experiences that are powerful and efficient. The modern learner So, who is today’s learner and what is their profile? Modern learners are generally younger. Bombarded with massive amounts of information on a daily basis, they...

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### Don’t Let These 5 Leadership Issues Tax Your Sales Team’s POCs & Demos

- Published: 2019-04-22
- Modified: 2024-02-08
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/dont-let-these-5-leadership-issues-tax-your-sales-teams-pocs-demos/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

It’s tax season, and while most of us have finished our returns, the pain lingers for many. Some need to amend their returns due to error, pay late penalties because of delay or even face the dreaded audit for something that seems amiss to the IRS. The rush to complete taxes can adversely impact our financial situation. The same holds true for sales leaders, particularly sales engineers (SE), tasked with creating sales demos and proofs of concept (POCs). Overwhelming workloads can produce underwhelming results when it comes to highlighting offerings - and that can negatively impact a company and its bottom line. The fact is, shortfalls can be easily avoided and overcome in critical areas, as you’ll see in the following five examples. Lack of Motivation Nobody wants to do their taxes, but if you put it off you’ll end up paying late fees. Similarly, your sales team may not be motivated to perform discovery on customers, but it’s impossible to give them a successful POC without understanding their pain points. Compared to sales prospects with little or no research, a survey revealed that more comprehensive discovery activities close ten times as many sales. Relying on the same, canned sales demos simply won’t get the job done. Armed with your detailed discovery info, you should present a demo that plays to your strengths and their needs. Cloud-based POCs are particularly effective. By taking advantage of the cloud-based feature, you can provide full functionality with fewer clicks required to set it...

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### 7 IT Training Easter Eggs You Don't Want to Miss

- Published: 2019-04-18
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/7-it-training-easter-eggs-you-dont-want-to-miss/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Have you ever seen an Alfred Hitchcock movie and thought you saw Hitchcock himself on screen? You weren't hallucinating. Hitchcock made small cameos in 39 out of his 52 films – little hidden gifts for his viewers, known as Easter eggs. And Hitchcock isn't the only one who's done it. Hiding Easter eggs (often messages or images) is very common among filmmakers – and among programmers, too. This year, I decided to do a little Easter Egg hunt of my own showcasing insightful and useful information IT training leaders have left across the web. Let's get into the holiday spirit with a corporate training song, and then start exploring. Explore the past to reimagine the future Sometimes you need a better understanding of what led our industry to where it is now to be able to create a brighter future for your company. Our first Easter egg digs into that past. 1) The History of Training and Development – AllenComm This quick infographic does a great job walking you through our industry's milestones. But before you click through, can you guess when tools to evaluate training impact were first created? Or which company created the first corporate university? Here's a hint – it was called Hamburger University. Embrace the challenges and opportunities the present provides Understanding how your training program is doing in the present can help you make smarter decisions. Consider doing a form of Easter egg hunt year-round to stay on top of what's going on in your...

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### How BWise modernized its training academy with CloudShare Virtual Training Labs

- Published: 2019-04-18
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/how-bwise-modernized-its-training-academy-with-cloudshare-virtual-training-labs-2
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### How BWise® modernized its training academy with CloudShare Virtual Training Labs

- Published: 2019-04-16
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-bwise-modernized-its-training-academy-with-cloudshare-virtual-training-labs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

“I wanted to dream up better course materials and improve training quality, not lose sleep worrying over the technical issues holding my team back. ” This quote from Vincent Perquin, manager of BWise® Academy, is a common sentiment among training departments worldwide. Faced with limiting and outdated IT infrastructure to run his training department, Vincent knew there was a better way. BWise is a recognized leader in internal audit, regulatory compliance management, and operational risk management software. Recently acquired by SAI Global (formerly Nasdaq), the BWise team is passionate that its clients receive first-class training, as the company feels its hands-on approach to learning is one of the critical factors for success for leveraging the BWise platform. Scalability, speed and manageability issues were hindering the Academy’s ability to spin up training classes instantly. BWise wanted to move to the cloud and discovered CloudShare as the virtual training labs solution that would propel the BWise Training Academy into the future. In Vincent’s own words, here are three of the most compelling benefits CloudShare provides BWise: The BWise Academy training team is more independent and can spin up classes instantly. The training team now has a completely flexible and agile virtual training environment. With many automated functions, the team can now easily deliver and customize training programs faster without involving IT. CloudShare gives BWise greater flexibility. After evaluating public cloud providers for his new training platform, Vincent found that AWS wasn’t meeting BWise’s business model and also required additional ad hoc work...

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### Learning by Doing: How to Train the Modern Learner

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%, with Learndot.

- Published: 2019-04-10
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/learning-by-doing-how-to-train-the-modern-learner
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### 3-2-1 Action! Win the Cybersecurity PoC Game with Movie-Making Innovation

> Here are a few filmmaking tips that your security sales teams can use to make sure they fully showcase what you have to offer.

- Published: 2019-04-09
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-2-1-action-win-the-security-sales-game-with-movie-making-innovation/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement, Cyber security

Who doesn’t love a good movie? Almost nobody. And while we love to see the final product on the big screen, it’s easy to forget the hundreds of people and months of labor required to bring us two hours of entertainment. Ultimately, good movies sell us on the cinematic universe, the main protagonist and supporting characters, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the story. Although security vendors may not consider themselves entertainers in the traditional sense, there is a lot to be said about how these companies present products. In the same way that poor effects or wooden acting derail our moviegoing experience, a subpar sales pitch can ruin your chance of closing the deal, even if your product is truly the best one for the prospect or customer. Here are a few filmmaking tips that your security sales teams can use to make sure they fully showcase what you have to offer. Show, don’t tell - avoid the exposition approach You may have noticed some films have long exposition scenes, where one character tells another what’s going on, which is used as a means to move the story along for the viewer. This isn’t particularly captivating for the viewer. Others, however, tell us the story through visual cues, allowing us to discover for ourselves, making for a more fulfilling experience. In a sales pitch there is no better approach than a demonstration of the actual product, along with a self-service proof of concept (POC). No matter how much...

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### Why You Need Virtual IT Labs for Software Training

> In this blog post, we offer 3 crucial reasons you need virtual IT labs: Isolation, Control, and Availability. Learn more in the post.

- Published: 2019-04-04
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/why-you-need-virtual-it-labs-for-software-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Are virtual IT labs really that useful for software training? The short answer? Yes. But you’re not here for the short answer. You’re interested in learning about what virtual IT labs can do for your company. Cloud technology has changed more than how we store and transfer files. It has also streamlined virtual training labs, making them more accessible and affordable than ever. Companies now have access to sophisticated and specialized virtual labs where they can simplify the lab creation process, including infrastructure and networking, and train customers in specific environments in real time. Traditionally, companies had to purchase their own hardware, including computers, servers, and the peripherals needed to run them. And, users taking part in the lab were forced to install software on their local machine. These traditional testing environments required far more user effort and were expensive as companies had to pay to maintain them. Cloud-based lab environments have solved these problems by shifting the maintenance burden to the cloud providers. This allows companies to access the same functionality without sacrificing availability and control. Cloud-based labs enable companies to offer streamlined training at scale and in a distributed manner. There are many reasons why companies should shift their training to the cloud. Virtual training labs allow large companies to develop cloud-based training systems that adapt to their unique needs. However, before diving too deep into why virtual labs are essential, it’s important to develop a broader understanding of what they are and the advantages they provide for...

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### Don’t miss out! Join the Learning by Doing webinar

- Published: 2019-04-02
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/dont-miss-out-join-the-learning-by-doing-webinar/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Let’s start with the webinar details. When: Tuesday, April 9 at 1pm ETWhat: Join us and our colleagues from Learndot for the first of a series of two webinars on a burning organizational issue:How to train the modern learner. Where: Online (register by scrolling down in the box below)Two thousand years ago Aristotle stated: “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. ”I have no doubt that, at the time, Aristotle did not have in mind modern learners, that is to say, millennials. As the “digital native” generation, millennials learn differently because of their deep relationship with technology. Organizations need to consider that fact when designing learning strategies. The old, passive teaching methods don’t cut it anymore. Training managers need to modify their strategies and course delivery methods to maximize the potential and the learning styles of millennials. After all, millennials continue to hold the current title for the largest generation in the U. S. workforce, and it’s been proven that taking a less formal approach to learning and finding ways to connect courses to real-life situations, is preferred by this fast-paced group. A number of questions arise as a result: How do you turn an old adage into a winning and cost effective business strategy? How do you train the modern learner with his or her overbooked schedule, short attention span and information overload? How do you deliver engaging training that also drives knowledge retention? Last but not least, how...

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### Make an (April) Fool of Cyber Attackers with Virtual IT Labs

- Published: 2019-04-01
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/make-an-april-fool-of-cyber-attackers-with-virtual-it-labs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – if you’re a prankster at heart. That’s right, it’s April Fool’s Day. What devious plans do you have for friends, family and coworkers? While you may have just the right trick that will make you laugh (along with the victim, hopefully), there are malicious cybercriminals out there who have nefarious plans for your company. Unfortunately, keeping up on the latest security needs can be a challenge for enterprise training leaders, chief information security officers (CISOs) and chief learning officers. While 96 percent of professionals surveyed by ESG and ISSA agree that up-to-date training is vital, none of the top ten computer science programs in the U. S. require a cybersecurity course. However, with the right on-the-job training strategy, security and training leaders can turn the tables in a constant arms race between businesses and attackers. So, why not give the biggest fools of cybersecurity a taste of their own medicine? Here’s how corporate cybersecurity training strategies should mirror the way you prepare for an April Fool’s Day prank. Get your game on When you were younger, you may have talked a big game, but how many of us actually followed through on that prank we had planned? Maybe we didn’t think it through all the way or thought it wouldn’t work. After all, if you want to fool someone, you’ve got to commit to it. The same applies to your security training. It won’t happen organically; it requires planning and preparation...

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### Spring Cleaning for Training Leaders: Embrace Your Inner KonMari

- Published: 2019-03-26
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/spring-cleaning-for-training-leaders-embrace-your-inner-konmari/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Most of us today have far more possessions than we actually need. We know we should clean things up and simplify our lives, but we often lack motivation, despite the benefits of decluttering. That’s the point of the Netflix program “Tidying up with Marie Kondo,” in which a Japanese organizational expert helps people eliminate unnecessary possessions to improve their lives through her method known as KonMari. Unsurprisingly, clutter exists in the workplace as well, with inefficient processes and outdated ways of doing things. This is particularly true when it comes to IT training strategies. With Spring officially here, we’ve applied some KonMari principles to the world of IT corporate training to help ensure your company’s stakeholders are functioning at the highest level, as well as engaged in the learning process. Visualize Your Goals A fundamental part on KonMari is visualizing yourself in the life you want. In the case of virtual labs and IT training, this visualization is about how you see yourself and your customers succeeding on all IT and application skills. As a training leader, you need to remember IT training is not an end unto itself, but a critical means to help develop skilled, productive customers and partners to understand how to use your product. To that end, you need to set specific goals you want to achieve with all your company’s stakeholders. Fully Invest in the Process One of the challenges of tidying up is the tendency to slip back into old habits and accumulate more...

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### The Training Leader’s Checklist for Choosing the Best Virtual Training Lab Solution

- Published: 2019-03-21
- Modified: 2023-09-28
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-training-leaders-checklist-for-choosing-the-best-virtual-training-lab-solution/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Just like airline pilots train on flight simulators, software learners need to learn in safe, realistic environments where they are free to make mistakes that won’t impact company assets. Fortunately for organizations, virtual training labs provide these safe realistic environments, but you need more than a bare bones virtual IT lab to run a successful, efficient training organization. If you're in charge of deciding what type of cloud-based training solution to employ, you've probably done some background research already. You've asked what solutions your corporate training colleagues are using. You've checked vendor websites and reviews. Unfortunately, not all virtual training lab solutions are created equal. This brings us to the real challenge: How do you know what is the best solution for your organization? What are the key considerations you should look for? With so much information available today, we understand that selecting the right virtual training solution can be difficult and overwhelming. In our experience, clients who have the most successful virtual IT training programs are those who establish clear criteria before evaluating possible solution providers. To help simplify the buying process, we created a checklist for training leaders on what to look for when choosing a virtual training lab solution. In this buyer’s guide, you’ll find all the key information you need in one convenient place. As a bonus, we included a checklist broken down into three categories: The Training Experience, Architecture, and ROI – enabling you to clearly identify and prioritize your needs. A cloud-based virtual labs...

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### Buyer's Guide: Getting Your Training into the Cloud

> Download our %%title%%.

- Published: 2019-03-21
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/buyers-guide-getting-your-training-into-the-cloud/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### CloudShare for Support and IT

- Published: 2019-03-20
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/cloudshare-for-support-and-it
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership



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### Better than Blarney: Capturing Sales Gold with Virtual IT Labs and POCs

- Published: 2019-03-15
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/better-than-blarney-capturing-sales-gold-with-virtual-it-labs-and-pocs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

St. Patrick’s Day brings with it reminders of Irish wit, wisdom, and a hope for luck. It could be said this is what a salesperson wishes throughout the year. Yet, as all sales pros know, it takes more than kissing the Blarney Stone – and eloquence – to land new business nowadays. Today’s buyers have high-quality trustworthy information. Gartner CEB reports today’s buying journey follows anything but a straight line from beginning to end. Yes, gaining the attention of a buyer can be as tricky as capturing a leprechaun, but when you do, you’re on your way to landing a pot of gold. The following three Irish proverbs – and details on virtual IT labs, demos and proof of concepts (POC) – may be all the luck you need to succeed. You’ll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind Your prospects have done extensive due diligence, including reading countless online reviews and product backgrounders. They’re tired. They want to see your product in action. That means demoing yours in “real-world” situations, not a scaled-back video and static presentation deck. With virtual IT labs you can replicate dynamic production environments and deliver full-featured demos that powerfully show what your product can do in a situation that’s realistic and familiar to your prospects. Furthermore, you can give prospects a hands-on experience by leaving them with a link to an easily accessible POC trial. Studies show the hands-on experience of letting them play with your product is one of...

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### RSA Conference 2019: A Call for Diversity, Trust & Frenemies

> As those in cybersecurity and related industries know, the 2019 RSA Conference just concluded. We were all there for one overarching reason: to combat cybercrime.

- Published: 2019-03-14
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/rsa-conference-2019-a-call-for-diversity-trust-frenemies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

As those in cybersecurity and related industries know, the 2019 RSA Conference just concluded. It billed itself as the largest event of its kind, “where the world talks security,” and the 42,000+ attendees would no doubt agree. This was my 11th consecutive RSA show, and as I entered, I was taken aback by the contrast of the bright, newly renovated Moscone Center and sea of dark suits, hoodies and other attire security pros prefer. After all, cybersecurity has been called a dark industry, right? We were all there for one overarching reason: to combat cybercrime. And, the tone was similar to what CloudShare CEO Zvi Guterman recently experienced at Cybertech. Both events “cut right to the chase,” focusing less on technology flash and more on the cybersecurity challenges we all face. Still, this time RSA felt a little different. For starters, in the past, English and Hebrew were dominant at RSA – a reflection of these security tech hubs – but now many other languages were being spoken. Women played a larger role in the event, too. And while competitors were once closely guarded, this time there was greater collaboration. Maybe the realization that we are not just targets of malicious hackers, but “victims-in-waiting” has finally sunk in? After all, regardless of our companies or countries, we will all be directly impacted by cybercrime – it’s only a matter of time. That said, perhaps one day we’ll look at this RSA show as one in which the industry matured, not...

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### The Balancing Act: A look at the gender parity within technology

> International Women’s Day - are we even need such a day anymore? Perhaps others ask themselves the same question?

- Published: 2019-03-08
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/the-balancing-act-a-look-at-the-gender-parity-within-technology/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Every March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD). I was reminded of this earlier in the week and wondered if we even need such a day anymore? Perhaps others ask themselves the same question? I considered what takes place in my typical day. Kid duties on either end and a full-time job in between, and no matter the task, there are key performance indicators throughout it all –  whether it’s hitting marketing goals or hitting the supermarket before it closes. I looked at the book I was reading. Ironically, it was titled, “Get Your Sh*t Together: How to Stop Worrying About What You Should Do So You Can Finish What You Need to Do and Start Doing What You Want to Do. ” So, I decided to check out the IWD website and refresh myself on what this day is really about. “Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women - while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance. ” – IWD This year’s IWD theme is #BalanceforBetter. The truth is, I love my busy life, and I’m fortunate to have it. Our culture at CloudShare is supportive and places a high value on women in leadership positions. The company provides generous family leave policies, as well as a proven commitment to work life balance. I also work with an incredible group of peers, male and female. In fact, we’re ahead some trends that appeared in the just-announced Silicon...

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### 2019 Cybertech Conference: Collaborating, Training and the Dark Side of AI

> Happened to miss 2019 Cybertech conference? Here are the top takeaways that resonated with me and the CloudShare team.

- Published: 2019-02-28
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/2019-cybertech-conference-collaborating-training-and-the-dark-side-of-ai/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Cyber security, Thought Leadership

More than 15,000 cybersecurity and IT leaders from 80 different countries flocked to Tel Aviv for Cybertech 2019, one of the largest cybersecurity events of the year. Most memorable about this event is it “cut right to the chase,” focusing less on the latest, flashy technology offerings and going straight to the roots of the serious cybersecurity challenges we all face. Everywhere you went, thought-provoking conversations on the industry’s biggest pain points were taking place; even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a key note.  Although there was great concern about the current proliferation of cyberattacks, there were thousands of positive conversations on what we – as an industry – need to do to keep our companies, governments and employees safe from malicious attacks. Happened to miss this year’s conference? Here are the top takeaways that resonated with me and the CloudShare team. If you’re a CISO or security leader, now’s the time to align your company    I've met hundreds of security professionals over the last 25 years and they’ve all been motivated by staying ahead of hackers, but it’s never been an easy process to get the entire leadership team to participate in initiatives. This has changed and this Cybertech conference was a great reflection and validation of the trends that started 10 years ago. Company leaders finally accept that cybersecurity should be a priority because attacks are inevitable - it will happen to them. They also understand the remarkable costs and reputational damages of a data breach can be...

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### 7 Tips for Virtual IT Training Success from Influencers in 2019

> Virtual IT Training Influencer Insights: successful executives share their most poignant pieces of advice in Cloudshare’s newest guide.

- Published: 2019-02-27
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/7-tips-for-virtual-it-training-success-from-influencers-in-2019/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

  Successful Executives Share Their Most Poignant Pieces of Advice in CloudShare’s Newest GuideWe want 2019 to be training managers' best year ever. If you've been reading the blog over the past few months, you know we've cleaned out our metaphorical training refrigerator.  We've given thanks for the ROI corporate training provides. We've explored how to address multigenerational and multicultural differences in training and bring teams closer together. To ensure we've covered everything, we reached out to some of the most inspiring executives and leaders at successful organizations for tips every tech training department leader should consider when looking ahead. We spoke to executives who are shaping our industry through their work at ForgeRock, NASDAQ BWise®, the MASIE Center, Training Industry, Customer Education Management Association (CEdMA), the Association for Talent Development and many other companies at the cutting edge of training. Based on their insights, we've created an e-book, “The Influencers Guide to Greater Training Efficiency and Scalability in 2019,” and also distilled the following seven tips to help you achieve tech training success in 2019. #1: Audit Your Current TrainingAccording to ForgeRock, being in the trenches doesn't necessarily mean you see the full picture. Talking to your team and customers, and listening to their experiences and points of view can help you make changes that will improve your training.  Learndot added that training managers and team members need to track and analyze course data and gather other forms of insight as well. Combining these two strategies will help you see what works great as is, what...

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### The Influencers Guide to Greater Training Efficiency and Profitability in 2019

> Read our eBook %%title%%.

- Published: 2019-02-27
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/the-influencers-guide-to-greater-training-efficiency-and-profitability-in-2019/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### 4 Reasons for Creating a Virtual Training Culture for your Enterprise

- Published: 2019-02-18
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-reasons-for-creating-a-virtual-training-culture-for-your-enterprise/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Digital transformation is having a dramatic impact on business. According to Gartner, an overwhelming majority of executives believe if their companies don’t become significantly digitalized by 2020, they won’t be competitive. What’s standing in the way? A major concern is employee readiness: only 20 percent of workers have the skills needed to fulfill both their current and future roles. There’s a widening skills gap and retaining and cultivating employees has become critical. Since 2010, talent discussion on corporate earnings calls has increased by 25 percent. Research shows top performing companies are five times more likely to have healthy learning cultures – values, practices and processes to develop employees.  As for workers, consider this from LinkedIn: “94 percent of employees say that they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development. ” Here are four reasons why having a strong learning culture is a win for your company, employees, and often a way to attract job candidates. Make it easy A common issue holding back employee development is time. In the past, companies often approached education as less of a priority; something employees could squeeze in when activity slowed. That’s no longer a viable option if a company wants to remain in business, never mind succeed. Still, work needs to get done, so look for ways to “reduce the friction” and enable employees to more easily participate. For instance, make training and ongoing education available online and accessible on all types of popular devices. When possible, offer self-paced programs as well. Remember, employees...

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### Love Is in the Cloud: 5 Ways Companies Are Smitten with Virtual IT Labs

> Here are five reasons why forward-thinking companies are smitten with virtual IT labs for software training.

- Published: 2019-02-14
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/love-is-in-the-cloud-5-ways-companies-are-smitten-with-virtual-it-labs/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Happy employees. Teams that stay together. Engaged customers. There must be something in the air, or more appropriately, cloud. Could it be companies are falling in love with virtual IT labs? It’s not surprising given the fact virtual IT training creates so many memorable experiences. To us, love means never having to say, “We can’t give you a demo, but we do have these screenshots. ” Where’s the romance in that? We feel there’s something magic in the touch of a hand and letting users try a demo for themselves. Need further convincing? Here are five reasons why forward-thinking companies are smitten with virtual IT labs for software training. Capture minds and hearts One of the most important things you can do to help a learning environment flourish is to engage participants. When they’re excited and interested in learning as much as they can, they’re much more likely to remember their training and integrate it into work. According to a survey we did with TrainingIndustry. com on IT learners, 74 percent prefer a virtual training environment compared to old-fashioned teaching methods. Further, 71 percent say it feels more natural to train that way. ForgeRock University, for example, reported an increase in student hours of 20 times once they implemented virtual training labs. Engagement leads to more utilization of the software they are learning as well. The result is unlocking more features, which can boost retention and upgrade potential, while improving loyalty to the product. And capturing hearts is key to...

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### Don’t Let Poor IT Training Freeze Your Productivity

> While the business impact of these weather conditions may be temporary, it does bring to mind how the polar vortex is similar to poorly trained employees.

- Published: 2019-02-11
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/dont-let-poor-it-training-freeze-your-productivity/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If you’ve turned on the news lately (or stepped outside if you live in the northern United  States), you know that large portions of North America blanketed in freezing arctic air. This has had a severe effect on a significant portion of the country and created dangerous conditions for millions of people. While the business impact of these weather conditions may be temporary, it does bring to mind how the polar vortex is similar to poorly trained employees. Here’s why: 1. Everything Grinds to a Halt According to The Guardian the last time there was a similar polar vortex the toll on business was $5 billion. Likewise, if your company doesn’t have the capability to effectively train employees, you’re losing money. Working one-on-one with each new employee, or current employees looking for new skills, can be time-consuming and inefficient. If you have multiple training systems, large numbers of learners or multiple locations, these conditions can all strain your budget and create productivity problems. When you virtualize the training experience, you can reach any number of learners wherever there is an internet connection. Not only can a single instructor quickly deploy and manage the course, more people can be trained quickly through a highly scalable learning environment. The result is the ability to implement more training courses – leading to better skills, more satisfied employees and less turnover. 2. Conditions Are Unsafe When the wind chill temperature is negative 40 degrees, it’s extremely dangerous. Even a few minutes outside can cause frostbite and hypothermia. Similarly,...

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### 4 Ways Your Virtual Training Can Mirror Bandersnatch

> Here are four ways your corporate training can help students choose their own adventures as they learn.

- Published: 2019-01-22
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/4-ways-your-virtual-training-can-mirror-bandersnatch/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If you watched the recent Netflix release of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, you were treated to a new kind of entertainment experience. If you aren’t familiar with the movie, it’s about a young programmer in the 1980s named Stefan who is creating a video game that lets you choose your own path. Keeping in with that theme, the viewer is presented with choices for Stefan to make at different points in the film. The story changes based on the viewer’s choices, creating several alternate endings. Sitting in the comfort of your own home, you get to choose what happens to Stefan: Do you want him to work at home or with his new teammates? What type of breakfast cereal should he eat: Frosties or Sugar Puffs? Should he get on the train or stay home? Bandersnatch viewers are in control the entire time and can even go back and make changes to the story to watch a different outcome. Interactive storytelling like this is poised to impact the way we consume media, but the movie also serves as a great example of how to implement effective, personalized training at the corporate level. Some of the most effective training courses are self-paced rather than rigid. Learners don’t all work the same way or at the same speed, and allowing for more flexibility will ultimately benefit your company. Here are four ways your 

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### How to Embrace an Omnichannel Approach to Training

- Published: 2019-01-16
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-embrace-an-omnichannel-approach-to-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It’s the beginning of a new year and 2019 prediction pieces from almost every industry are overwhelming your inbox, news apps and social media feeds. But before you think “here comes another slew of predictions,” understand we’re only going to talk about a single trend – and it’s one that’s not going away. Omnichannel is taking over the world. While omnichannel typically relates to marketing and retail, it could have a very positive impact on training. Not familiar with this practice? Wikipedia says the following: “Omnichannel is a cross-channel content strategy that organizations use to improve their user experience. Rather than working in parallel, communication channels and their supporting resources are designed and orchestrated to cooperate. Omnichannel implies integration and orchestration of channels such that the experience of engaging across all the channels someone chooses to use is as, or even more, efficient or pleasant than using single channels in isolation. ”  “... Omnichannel supersedes multichannel and includes channels such as physical locations, ecommerce, mobile applications, and social media. Companies that use omnichannel contend that a customer values the ability to engage with a company through multiple avenues at the same time. ”  Whether it’s those Netflix recommendations you love, purchasing your favorite face cream with Sephora loyalty points or eyeing the next product Amazon offers up, omnichannel is becoming the norm. First, from an array of devices to social media platforms, the ways you can be reached today are nearly endless. A recent Cisco survey states: “By 2022, there...

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### Creating Command School: Training Like Ender’s Game

> While your organization may not be tasked with repelling alien invaders, you can create virtual training labs to help learners get acquainted with your software. Here are some of our tips – if you choose to accept this mission...learn how you can model your training programs after the International Fleet (I.F.) in a way that brings the learners true proficiency.

- Published: 2019-01-10
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/creating-command-school-training-like-enders-game/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

If you’ve never read the sci-fi classic “Ender’s Game,” you’re missing out on a great story. But if you have, you probably remember two things about it: First, the big reveal at the end. Second, the advanced training the kids went through was incredible. Between the battle room matches and the command school tactical simulations, the technology was so sophisticated that it helped the students save the world. While your organization may not be tasked with repelling alien invaders, you can create virtual training labs to help learners get acquainted with the ins and outs of your software so they can perform at the top of their game when it matters most. How can you model your training programs after the International Fleet (I. F. ) in a way that brings the learners true proficiency? Here are some of our tips – if you choose to accept this mission... 1. Gamify with real-world situations Over the last 30 years, I’ve met hundreds of security professionals who have all been motivated by breaking into a system and building stronger frameworks to learn what works best to ward off possible threats. As such, these highly-sophisticated trainings should be hands-on and virtual, similar to the battle simulations in “Ender’s Game. ” Your course should be conducted in conditions as close as possible to real-world situations, but without the fear of making costly mistakes. Everything can function perfectly, with conditions optimized in a virtual environment to bring about

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### At last: CloudShare reveals Santa’s big secret…

> How can Santa deliver to so many homes, all over the world, all in just one evening? Maybe you’ve already guessed: He’s found the perfect cloud-based platform, one that works just right for his organization.

- Published: 2018-12-24
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/at-last-cloudshare-reveals-santas-big-secret/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Everyone’s been asking for years, and at last, we’ve figured it out. How can Santa deliver to so many homes, all over the world, all in just one evening? Maybe you’ve already guessed: He’s found the perfect cloud-based platform, one that works just right for his organization. (Right, Rudolph? ) For those of you who don’t have a sleigh, eight trusty reindeer and an army of elves to help with deployment, we’re here to help. Just like Santa, you have content that needs to reach your audience wherever they may be, whenever they want it. CloudShare is honored to have been part of your training programs, sales enablement solutions and content delivery plans over the past year. Looking back on 2018, we’re thrilled to have successfully rolled out new solutions for sales enablement and SaaS-based trainings. Most of all, to all our clients and partners: Thanks for choosing to work with us in 2018. We’re looking forward to another terrific year of innovation and problem solving: gifts we’ll all enjoy, all year round. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a happy new year.

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### Channel the Holiday Spirit for Year-Round Training Magic That’ll Bring Your Team Together

> CloudShare breaks down ways you can channel that holiday spirit to create training magic throughout the year that’ll bring your team closer together.

- Published: 2018-12-20
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/channel-the-holiday-spirit-for-year-round-training-magic-thatll-bring-your-team-together/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It happens every winter. We gather with loved ones, put on festive music, and regardless of the weather, snow-filled images fill our thoughts. We wish it would never end, and the fact is, the season does offer valuable lessons we can use anytime, even in business and in areas like training. Here are some ways you can channel that holiday spirit to create training magic throughout the year that’ll bring your team closer together. Make Training Feel Like Coming Home Even if you've never seen a snowflake, winter is the coziest season, perfect for relaxing with a cup of hot chocolate and your favorite movie. So how do you get your team at the office to be as engaged with the training you created as they are with Netflix? Provide it in an environment that feels cozy and familiar to them. That means cloud-based virtual training they can access remotely, whenever and wherever they’re most comfortable doing so. People love their phones and internet access. According to Fortune, “nearly three-quarters of Americans (71 percent) who own smartphones sleep with them. ” A mobile consumer report from Bank of America found the devices are the first thing on most people’s minds when they wake, three times more than significant others. Similarly, a Cisco Connected World Technology Report found 42 percent of respondents “would give up their sense of smell to have internet access. ” Providing training that people can access on their phones can help you improve business results, especially for...

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### 2019 Virtual IT Labs Predictions: Multi-cloud and multi-step to advance training industry

> As the year draws to a close, it’s natural to wonder what 2019 will bring. In this blog we'll reflect on changes we’ve seen and developing trends that can show how you'll want to approach your virtual IT labs in the year ahead.

- Published: 2018-12-17
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/2019-virtual-it-labs-predictions-multi-cloud-and-multi-step-to-advance-training-industry/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

As the year draws to a close, it’s natural to wonder what the next one will bring. When it comes to making predictions, I always liked the quote by Scottish writer Andrew Lang: “An unsophisticated forecaster uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp posts – for support rather than for illumination. ” That said, as I assess the past 12 months and try to project what’s ahead, I’ll skip the numbers and reflect more on the changes we’ve seen and developing trends that can shed light on how you might proceed in the year ahead. The rise of niche providers: multi-cloud and specialized offerings The big cloud vendors – AWS, Microsoft and Google – will continue to dominate the public cloud market but there is evidence of the growing opportunity for smaller, more specialized service providers to dominate in their respective industries. There’s room for everyone in the cloud.

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### 3 considerations for training millennials on emerging technologies

- Published: 2018-12-05
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-considerations-for-training-millennials-on-emerging-technologies/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and an emerging millennial workforce is challenging the training practices of enterprises worldwide. While most headlines are focused on robots taking over the world and becoming our new shadowy overlords, the more practical approach is that AI and advanced technologies are already gaining traction within companies. From automating HR tasks to chat software for marketing teams, AI and automation are quickly becoming part of a digital-forward organization’s technology stack. Millennials are now the largest population of workers on the planet. The demands and expectations this group of knowledge workers put on their companies is no secret. The need for mentorship, establishing strong managerial relationships and a continued focus on engagement makes this group high-maintenance, but with good reason. The more skills millennials in the workplace learn, the easier it is to retain them. Learning to use AI is one way to support talent retention, as today’s millennials are already used to advanced technologies, mobility and accessing information and services on-demand. Companies struggle to keep up with the demands of today’s technologies, much less emerging areas like data science, AI and machine learning. As you look to grow and retain the millennial workforce demographic, here are three ways your training team can best prepare them for their jobs, while balancing the forthcoming technological disruption. Build a strong learning culture Millennials have already disrupted the workforce much like AI and other emerging technologies. As a growing number of SaaS solutions become more advanced and rely on machine learning algorithms...

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### Trust is Key but SalesTech Helps

- Published: 2018-11-29
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/trust-is-key-but-salestech-helps/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

LinkedIn recently released its Third Annual State of Sales Report and some of the data paints an intriguing picture of how sales professionals consume digital tools and resources in the drive to boost performance. Overall, the report stresses the need to foster a personalized buying experience regardless of whether the products or services are aimed at consumers or businesses. While tools like automation can bring new levels of productivity, particularly when dealing with the size and scope of today’s sales-related data loads, businesses should take care not to erode the one-to-one relationships that are crucial to a successful sales strategy. On the Rise There is no doubt that sales technology is permeating the modern business at a rapid rate. Since the first survey in 2016, investment in this sector has grown by 53 percent, with nearly three-quarters of sales professionals now using technology to close more deals. The need to rely on technology to improve sales performance is accepted nearly universally, with 97 percent of survey respondents classifying it as important or very important. In large part, this is a response to both the scale and complexity of modern business. A key benefit of today’s sales technology is the ability to automate the rote, repetitive tasks that take time away from what sales people should be doing: closing deals. Many of these tasks exist in the back-office processes that connect sales to finance, inventory, shipping and other functions. As more of these tasks become integrated under a broadly automated framework, knowledge workers...

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### Training matters: 2 Data-driven reasons for investing in corporate training

- Published: 2018-11-27
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-matters-2-data-driven-reasons-for-investing-in-corporate-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

With only 8% of companies measuring the impact of their corporate training, many training departments' contributions go unnoticed. As holiday season kicked off with Thanksgiving and many of us spent time counting our blessings, we wanted to give proper due to these team contributions and how virtual IT labs can help. Since you're probably still stuffed from polishing off all of those delicious sides and pumpkin pies, we dug into the data for you. Here are some target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Good & Co, happy employees are 3x more creative, 31% more productive and drive 37% higher sales. Happy employees also stay longer with your organization, which is profitable. As Business Insider reports, "firms that promote more people internally are known to have a higher shareholder value. " That's because "external hires are often paid more, but may perform less well... due to 'getting up to speed,'" it adds. Corporate Training Leads to Higher Customer Lifetime Value, Referrals and Advocacy Other than your employees, the most important people in your company are your customers. According to Invesp, increasing customer retention by 5% can lead to up to 95% increase in profits, so many companies have begun prioritizing customer success. Salesforce surveyed more than 6,700 consumers and business buyers, and found that companies that focus on customer success gain, among others, 25% increase in revenue, 25% increase in marketing ROI, 38% faster decision making, 35% faster deployment, and 35% increase in customer satisfaction. That satisfaction often leads to referrals, which according to SaaStr Fund founder Jason M. Lemkin's 2015 Gainsight Pulse speech, is...

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### A Recipe for Technology Sales Success this Thanksgiving Season

- Published: 2018-11-21
- Modified: 2023-07-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-recipe-for-technology-sales-success-this-thanksgiving-season/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Success in sales is often about making a prospect’s life easier. If you can do that significantly, you’ll not only have their gratitude, you’ll likely close new business. When it comes to complex purchases like technology, Gartner CEO reports there are typically seven decision-makers to convince, covering at least three different functions. Average tech buyers are typically 57 percent through the purchasing process before they even speak to a sales rep. For the IT buyer at the center of this process – the point-of-contact you deal with who wants your solution but needs to convince many others to sign the check – it’s not so easy. Want to make their life simpler?  Virtual IT labs is the recipe for cooking up convincing on-demand demos and leave-behind proofs of concepts (POC) that will earn their gratitude. Home for the holidays Some of the decision-makers have already told your contact they’d rather not to travel for a sales meeting and demo during the holidays. Yet, the process has to progress, there might even be time-sensitive purchasing and year-end budgeting decisions to consider. Tell your contact to schedule that meeting, and if team members can’t make it, no worries. With Virtual IT labs, you can launch demos on-demand, no matter how big the crowd, no matter where they’re located. Do it online, you’ll save time, and travel won’t cost their company a dime. Make it shine and leave something behind Your contact realizes their team members have read online product reviews and already have strong opinions....

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### It’s National Clean Your Refrigerator Day

- Published: 2018-11-15
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/its-national-clean-your-refrigerator-day/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

5 simple steps to toss inefficiencies and reboot your team to kick off 2019 clutter-free Are you scared to open your training department’s fridge? We all know that feeling. You peer inside, size up the month-old lasagna, the mystery meat that’s grown a layer of fuzz. How can you deal with all of it? You know the problem isn’t going to go away by itself. But you tell yourself you’re busy, you just need to get something out of the fridge, and you can’t get involved right now. So maybe you just reach for the milk and quietly close the door, promising you’ll take care of things another day. But not today: November 15th is National Clean Your Refrigerator Day. And today it’s time to toss the clutter. Companies across the US spend $164. 2 billion on training and education. But most of that isn’t working. Studies show that most employees only apply 15% of what they’ve learned in formal training to the job. Learning doesn’t always translate into behavior changes or improved financial performance. But at CloudShare, we help our partners run successful training and make money at it every single day. We’d like to help you, too, with an ebook that tells you, in 5 simple steps, how to reboot and refresh your training department. Effective training strategies are like the good stuff in your fridge– everything you want to keep: fresh, delicious milk, eggs, butter, jam, sparkling water. Those are the things you want more of: training...

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### Churn Burns - 21 Tactics to Increase Retention of Your SaaS Customers

- Published: 2018-11-06
- Modified: 2023-05-23
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/churn-burns-21-tactics-to-increase-retention-of-your-saas-customers/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The secret to success in SaaS is not only acquiring customers, but holding onto them. What does it take to do that? Our free ebook, Churn Burns, shares the secrets of highly retaining businesses, including 21 tactics you can use to minimize churn and maximize recurring revenues.

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### Avoid Getting Burned by Churn With Our New E-book

- Published: 2018-11-06
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/avoid-getting-burned-by-churn-with-our-new-e-book/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Regardless of the size of your software as a service (SaaS) solution, customer retention is top of mind for every sales team. Smaller, low cost solutions mean it’s easier for customers to make the decision to come on board, but it’s also a quicker decision for them to cancel. In these cases, maintaining customer volume and understanding their behavior is key. Larger, higher cost solutions mean customers have a complex decision-making process before they come on board and an unexpected cancelation is unlikely. But, when it does happen, the financial hit to your company can be serious. The margins may be greater but so is the exposure, so it’s vital to know where their heads are at to ensure their hearts remain with you. In all cases, the difference between customers canceling or not is ensuring they know the value of your solution. This is not something to be left up to chance, so you need to make you and your value heard and seen – clearly, loudly and often. Anne Janzer, author of Subscription Marketing, writes about the topic of “value nurturing. ” It’s used in a variety of situations, with the emphasis being on customers understanding the features and benefits of your product through regular check points as your partnership continues, not just when onboarding. Because when they grow cold on your value, you’re likely to get burned by churn. What’s churn? Churn is when customers end their paid relationship with you and the corresponding revenue goes with it...

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### A Halloween Tale: The Sales Demo Spell

- Published: 2018-10-31
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/a-halloween-tale-the-sales-demo-spell/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

We hope you enjoy this Halloween (not really) spooky sales demo poem!

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### Webinar: How to get the best out of your SE team - New tools and insights

- Published: 2018-10-24
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-how-to-get-the-best-out-of-your-se-team-new-tools-and-insights/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

How can you build a great sales engineering dream team? And once you’ve built it, how can you prove it’s great? We know you’re up against a ton of challenges. You’re under pressure to staff a dream team of sales engineers who know the product inside and out and understand your potential clients’ technical requirements. And you live in the real world, where that costs more than many companies are willing to invest, so you’re probably also under pressure from executives to contain costs. It may seem short-sighted, but you probably already know that SE budgets are often the first to be cut. That’s why it’s crucial for you to be able to communicate and prove the value of your sales engineering team. If you’re juggling your SE team’s needs with the demands of your company’s executives, you’ll want to watch this on-demand webinar with Gregory Hanson of SmartBear called “How to Prove the True Value of a Sales Engineering Team. ” If you’re struggling with the hassles of trying to staff and fund a fabulous sales engineering team who can speak your clients’ language, this webinar will get you started in the right direction. It’s not enough to build a great team—you have to keep them trained for success and out there face to face with your clients and potential clients. And then you need to measure what they’re doing so you can convince executives that it’s worth keeping them on. “Sales engineers need to be the experts on not just your product...

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### Learn by doing: Top takeaways from the Learndot, Atlassian and CloudShare webinar

- Published: 2018-10-23
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/learn-by-doing-top-takeaways-from-the-learndot-atlassian-and-cloudshare-webinar/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

There are two reasons we love webinars. One, they let us respond interactively in real time to questions. Secondly, they harness the excitement of sharing the customer success of our Virtual IT Labs solution. But more importantly, they give us a chance to listen to training challenges, which helps us be more responsive and insightful about the industry’s training needs. We recently conducted a webinar with Learndot, a leading LMS for virtual training, along with our client Atlassian, a software industry leader, with annual revenues of over $600 million. In this lively on-demand webinar, “Beat the Forgetting Curve with Learning by Doing,” Learndot Marketing Manager Dilyana Hadjeva interviewed two business leaders from Atlassian: Robert Bleeker, education manager, and Nathan Matsushima, business process and systems lead, about how they use CloudShare every day to provide consistent, effective training. Here’s the story in a nutshell: Atlassian had a serious training challenge on their hands as their company grew and began offering more software products. Earlier training solutions couldn’t keep up with the demand and variety of training required, including the need to provide simultaneous hands-on demos and training for hundreds of users at once. Dilyana kicked off the webinar with a quick poll to find out which participants were currently offering hands-on online training. The poll showed that a majority of participants were already trying to offer online training, which probably means that, as with Atlassian, their current solution isn’t a perfect fit. In this webinar, you’ll hear how Atlassian built interactivity right into their online...

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### CloudShare Wins Best Software-Defined Infrastructure Product at the Cloud Excellence Awards 2018

- Published: 2018-10-22
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-wins-best-software-defined-infrastructure-product-at-the-cloud-excellence-awards-2018/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

CloudShare is honored to win Computing’s 2018 Cloud Excellence Awards in the category of Best Software Defined Infrastructure Product. The Computing awards recognize solutions and services within the cloud industry in 20 categories. Judges evaluated companies across a range of differentiators including innovation, ease of use and performance. It’s exciting for us to earn this industry recognition, as Computing is one of the UK’s leading business technology information resources. 2018 has been good to us as we’ve secured a number of industry accolades including earning a listing as a Top Training Delivery Provider for Training Industry Magazine. Our tehttps://www. cloudshare. com/blog/training/cloudshare-recognized-top-traininam’s goal is to help companies grow revenue, increase efficiency and improve quality using CloudShare Virtual IT Labs. Architected for enterprise scale, we empower customers like Atlassian, MuleSoft, HP and Palo Alto Networks to create custom-built environments for a range of use cases including SaaS training, sales enablement, customer support and development and testing. Companies need specialized offerings like CloudShare because the large cloud providers are built for cloud-native applications and make it difficult for companies to leverage and support the same complex networking features they have on premises. Plus, you need deep cloud expertise just to configure them. Nothing is ready-made for everyday users. Designed for business users and not technical IT support, we take care of all the complex technical work behind the scenes. We make it as easy as possible for our customers to extend the reach of their on-premise solutions by bringing them to the cloud unchanged. Take our customer Atlassian’s...

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### How to Prove the True Value of a Sales Engineering Team

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.

- Published: 2018-10-17
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/how-to-prove-the-true-value-of-a-sales-engineering-team
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Webinar: Squad goals – How to Prove the True Value of a Sales Engineering Team

- Published: 2018-10-11
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-squad-goals-how-to-prove-the-true-value-of-a-sales-engineering-team/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Updated: Oct 18, 2018 Is your sales engineering team under appreciated and under-funded? Are you worried it will be the first budget to get cut? Organizations often know they need technical sales support but struggle to win the budget and resources needed to build a stellar sales engineering team. It comes down to two main areas: demonstrating value and impact on closed deals, and getting the right team in place to drive your company’s sales and demo process. On October 17, we’re teaming up with Gregory Hanson, author of Modern Software Sales Engineering and the senior director of global presales at SmartBear, to present a webinar on how to recognize and prove the value of sales engineering teams. Gregory has been with SmartBear for the past six years building and managing its sales engineering organization to span five teams across four continents. Gregory will be joined by our very own Lee Berkman, virtual IT labs expert at CloudShare, who will share how to enable your sales engineering teams with the right tools for success. This webinar is a don’t miss. Watch it here. During the webinar, you’ll learn how to best combat executives’ typical reaction to recognizing the need for a technical addition to sales, how to build, train and grow your sales engineering team, how to prove its value, and how to integrate it with your existing sales team to enable everyone’s success. We also will share our experience helping large enterprises solve real business problems with cloud-based sales training solutions. We’ll...

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### Built for Success: How Customer Success Teams Boost Your Bottom Line

- Published: 2018-10-08
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/built-for-success-how-customer-success-teams-boost-your-bottom-line/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

People often use customer service and customer success interchangeably in conversation. Remove “customer” from the phrases and you’ll see the difference – service versus success. Customer service is a support function that resolves an issue, such as reacting to a problem on an inbound call. Customer success is proactive; leveraging opportunities to foster an ongoing relationship. The goal is to cultivate enthusiastic clientele that will renew services, buy more over time and refer new customers. Investing in customer success helps you reduce churn and establish more customers in the loyalty column. One is an isolated “transaction” to complete. The other a state which you hope never ends. Customer success teams are emerging within the SaaS industry and if your company is interested in exploring how to develop a team around this practice, here are a few points to consider: Team Structure: Customer success initially fell under sales but is now more often with support. It makes sense: Knowledge sharing about customer-centric issues can lead to better end-to-end operations and outcomes. Still, it’s important to commit to a separate customer success team. Their role is distinct, so that means examining the entire process and lifecycle, and identifying the training and guidance they’ll need. HubSpot has some solid stats and graphics on how SaaS companies should consider customer success teams as they grow. Skills and Hiring: Customer service rolhttps://blog. hubspot. com/service/customer-success-saases are understood and tasks are often scripted. Practices aren’t so defined in customer success. It’s more intimate, requiring nuanced problem-solving and communication, deep...

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### Five tips so your demos don’t derail deals

- Published: 2018-09-25
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/five-tips-so-your-demos-dont-derail-deals/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

You’ve been working with the prospect for months, and, finally, the prospect has set a time on her calendar to see a demo. This is the meeting on which everything hinges. The demo needs to be flawless. Here are some tips to help you kill it on the big day, impress the socks off the key decision makers and, most important, close that sale. First, make sure the technical foundation is sound. Have the latest version of the product at the ready. If the meeting is in-person, ensure any necessary hardware gets shipped. If it’s online, double-check that the demo service you’re using is properly configured, and everyone has the correct login credentials. (Of course, if you’re using CloudShare, you know you’re covered on the technical front. ) Make sure there are no IT glitches that could distract from your presentation. Once you’re certain the technology won’t fail you, it’s time to turn your attention inward, because the way you handle yourself during the demo will be at least as important as the solution you’re showing off. So keep the following tips in mind: Know your prospect’s specific pain: Make sure you fully understand the exact problem they want to solve, and tailor the demo or POC so it addresses their individual challenges. In fact, if you can replicate the prospect’s own environment in the cloud, you’ll have an even greater impact because it’s completely tailored to them. Don’t just rattle off features -- tell a story: No matter how powerful any individual...

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### Why Virtual IT Labs Should Be in Your SalesTech Stack

> Today’s informed buyers require a new sales approach. Here are five reasons B2B sales teams should consider virtual IT labs.

- Published: 2018-08-22
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-labs-salestech-stack/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

By the time B2B sales engineers sit down with modern prospects, those buyers are typically 57% of the way to making their purchasing decisions. With product information, user reviews and third-party assessments readily available online, the mantra of sales is no longer “always be closing,” which has been “the way” in sales since the beginning of time, or at least since the classic Alec Baldwin scene in “Glengarry Glen Ross” created the catchphrase for the entire sales industry. Instead, bringing a deal over the finish line today requires an emphasis on teaching over hard pitching and tactics, as the days of your sales prospect living in a vacuum without access to information and only you to enlighten them are long gone. There’s no shortage of incredible technology available to sales engineers and sales teams today to help with the shift toward education and teaching in sales. In fact, according to Sales Hacker, there are more than 700 solutions available in salestech today. However, many of these solutions are not designed to help companies demonstrate their technical wares in a way that directly connects with the customer based on their exact wants and needs. This is where specialized virtual IT labs or virtual engagements can change the game for sales teams selling sophisticated products. With cloud-based salestech solutions, sales teams can move faster, eliminate hardware concerns, streamline processes by integrating with sales and CRM systems, and have improved visibility with enhanced analytics. This allows companies to accelerate the sales cycle, quickly...

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### 3 Corporate Training Mistakes That Keep Your Department Sweaty, Stressed & Small

> Discover 3 common mistakes to avoid in order to relieve some of the pressure, create more effective training and earn your team a bigger piece of the budget pie.

- Published: 2018-08-21
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-corporate-training-mistakes-keep-department-sweaty-stressed-small/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It's the middle of the year, and you've got an assessment coming up, and you know it can affect what your department can do next year. If you're like many heads of corporate education and training, you're probably overextended and sweating from stress, even in air-conditioned rooms. But it doesn't have to be this way. With global training budgets expected to rise, here are three common mistakes to avoid in order to relieve some of the pressure, create more effective training and earn your team a bigger piece of the budget pie. Mistake #1: One-Size-Fits-All Curriculums Today's corporations are more diverse than ever before. If in the past, you could get by with creating one curriculum in one format for everyone in a certain department, now you're dealing with multigenerational teams across a variety of locations, languages, and cultures. Developing one-size-fits-all curriculums is no longer likely to give you the kind of positive reviews and improvement in student job performance that you need to take to the C-Suite if you want your department to keep growing. Here's why this matters: According to Grovo, for every 1,000 employees that go through ineffective training, companies are losing $13. 5 million a year. That might explain why, according to Capterra, 79% of companies don't provide training for their employees. Yet, while ineffective training is clearly costly, not providing training can be even costlier. Therefore, creating more effective training is the way to go. To do that, consider talking to past students about what worked...

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### CloudShare Expands Single Sign-On (SSO) Support with OpenID Connect

> CloudShare now supports OpenID Connect SSO, allowing enterprises to easily implement SSO while meeting their security needs and increasing convenience for users.

- Published: 2018-08-20
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-expands-single-sign-sso-support-openid-connect/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Enterprise employees typically use multiple applications and technologies during their work days, with each requiring user authorization and authentication to maintain security. The single sign-on concept was born out of the desire to streamline this process across multiple applications, making it easier for enterprises to manage access permissions and simplify the user experience so users can avoid separate login processes for each application. SSO eases the burden of user management. It allows users to access multiple services with a single login. Rather than set each user’s access to applications and data on an individual basis, SSO enables IT teams to manage all users from a central location, granting and restricting access as needed, and enabling changes to be made once and propagated across all relevant applications. At CloudShare, we understand that enterprise customers prioritize security and need the ability to provide employees with unhindered access to the applications they need and use. By supporting SSO integration, CloudShare allows IT teams to ensure the company’s security policy is applied when logging into the CloudShare platform. While the vast majority of enterprises employ an Identity Management System, these solutions may be based on a variety of SSO protocols. In order to support the latest SSO technologies and match our customers’ preferences, we’re pleased to announce that we have added OpenID Connect to our portfolio of supported SSO protocols, including WS Federation and SAML 2. 0. What is OpenID Connect? OpenID Connect is an identity layer on top of the OAuth 2. 0...

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### Why Spectacular Training for SaaS Applications is the Winning Recipe for Customer Stickiness

> One of the basic and most critical stages of customer success is software customer training. Software training is widely acknowledged today to get customers to adopt and continue to use the platform long after the initial sale.

- Published: 2018-08-15
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/spectacular-training-saas-applications-winning-recipe-customer-stickiness/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Customer success initiatives are largely built on the following hypothesis: companies that invest in their customers' success reach higher levels of customer satisfaction, which in turn becomes a driver of profitability through customer retention. This hypothesis is based on multiple studies and surveys conducted over the past two decades in various industries. But it has never been more relevant than in the SaaS industry. The SaaS market is estimated to reach an astounding $71. 2 billion in 2018; yet it's not surprising considering the many benefits this new cloud-based service model offers. In this new 'subscription economy'

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### 3 Reasons That Keep Your SE Department Small & Undervalued (& How to Overcome Them)

> If you feel your sales engineering team is underappreciated, under-budgeted, and is quick to become the target whenever your company decides to downsize, you're not alone. We know that SE managers everywhere are dealing with the exact same situation. That's why we've decided to highlight 3 very common mistakes made by SE managers and suggest ways you can overcome them.

- Published: 2018-08-15
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/3-reasons-keep-se-department-small-undervalued-overcome/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

If you feel your sales engineering team is underappreciated, under-budgeted, and quick to become the target whenever your company decides to downsize, you're not alone. Based on conversations we've had with thought leaders in the industry, we know that SE managers everywhere are dealing with the exact same situation. That's why we've decided to highlight 3 very common mistakes made by SE managers and suggest ways you can overcome them. We hope that this knowledge will equip you to start proving the value of your sales engineering team to your C-Suite, so you can grow into the best department you know you can be. You Don't Know All That Your SEs Do in Their Day-to-Day Work As the sales engineering manager, you have a general idea of what your sales engineers do. They create, adjust and showcase demos. They do webinars and go to client meetings. They help the marketing team understand the product. They answer technical questions from prospects that salespeople can't answer themselves. But you probably don't know how many activities and all the types of activities they do, or when they're overextended versus when they can take on more work, or how efficient each of them is compared to the rest of the team. How to Overcome This Measure everything. Have your sales engineers log every activity they do and how long each activity takes. If things change quickly throughout the day, get them to log their activities every hour. It's going to be tough at first...

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### How to Overcome the 4 Key Challenges of SaaS Training

- Published: 2018-08-15
- Modified: 2023-06-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/overcome-4-key-challenges-saas-training
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Don’t risk losing customers to ineffective and outdated training tools. Discover the key to effective SaaS training that speeds onboarding and increases user satisfaction, in this free whitepaper.

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### A Guide to Proving the True Value of Sales Engineering Teams to the C-Suite

- Published: 2018-08-15
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/guide-proving-true-value-sales-engineering-teams-c-suite/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Sales engineering departments everywhere are underappreciated and under-budgeted. It doesn't have to be this way.  We spoke with leading SE managers to provide you with a guide packed with practical tips and information to help your SE team grow and succeed.

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### Now Available: CloudShare Training Solution for SaaS to Ensure Immediate Customer Value

> aaS applications are also easy for organizations to turn away. If users aren’t adopting the technology as expected, the pay-as-you-go model invites cancellation. Retention is why training is so critical to success for SaaS vendors, and it’s why we built CloudShare Training Solution for SaaS, which is now available.

- Published: 2018-08-14
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-training-solution-saas-ensure-immediate-customer-value/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The market for SaaS applications is booming, with a high point of $71 billion predicted this year. It’s not hard to figure out why organizations are allocating more budget for SaaS. These applications have a lower cost of entry as compared to on-premise options, and the vendors do the hard stuff: managing upgrades, ensuring uptime and providing security. However, SaaS applications are also easy for organizations to turn away. If users aren’t adopting the technology as expected, the pay-as-you-go model invites cancellation. Retention is why training is so critical to success for SaaS vendors, and it’s why we built CloudShare Training Solution for SaaS, which is now available. Training helps customers fall in love with SaaS solutions One of the primary reasons organizations walk away from complex SaaS applications is because their employees fail to adopt and use these solutions in a way that enables the organization to realize their full value. And one of the primary reasons for that is a lack of training. During the past decade in which we’ve delivered award-winning cloud-based training solutions, we’ve learned that the most effective technology onboarding depends on hands-on, instructor-led classes. Today’s general availability of CloudShare’s Training Solution for SaaS enables vendors to deliver this interactive, high-value training mode, regardless of the cloud where the application resides. Our new offering also supports a hybrid mode, letting you combine SaaS applications with VMs in the same CloudShare environment. This enables you to easily simulate real-life scenarios for endpoint security, Internet of Things (IoT),...

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### CloudShare Recognized as Top Training Delivery Provider by Training Industry

> CloudShare was named 2018 Top Training Delivery Company! CloudShare's virtual training lab solution powers thousands of hands-on software training sessions each month, from virtual instructor-led classes, self-paced and certification courses, to onsite training at company and industry events.

- Published: 2018-08-01
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-recognized-top-training-delivery-provider-training-industry/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

With the large variety of training delivery companies on the market, we’re very pleased to be named to Training Industry’s 2018 Top Training Delivery Companies List. Training Industry continuously monitors the training marketplace looking for the best providers of services/technologies in support of corporate learning and development. Their annual lists are designed to help buy-side organizations in their search for training delivery platforms. Selection to the 2018 Top 20 Training Delivery Companies List was based on the following criteria: Value of platform features and capabilities Quality of analytics and reporting Company size and growth potential Quality of clients Geographic and vertical reach The full list is available here. CloudShare's virtual training lab solution powers thousands of hands-on software training sessions each month, from virtual instructor-led classes, self-paced and certification courses, to onsite training at company and industry events. Having an efficient and effective training program is a key enabler of the fast growth and success of software and technology organizations. We’re proud that CloudShare’s turnkey solution, with its friendly user experience and high-productivity features, makes it simple and cost-effective to deliver immersive, realistic training - anywhere, anytime – with a simple link. Join customers such as Atlassian, Palo Alto Networks, ForgeRock, Sophos, and Advanced who are enjoying CloudShare’s virtual training labs to provide customers, partners and employees with hands-on training.

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### SaaS Training: Isn’t It Time to Get Your Cloud On?

> Discover the ideal SaaS training solution that will enable SaaS providers to execute with processes needed to create an excellent user experience and optimize efficiency and return on investment.

- Published: 2018-07-31
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/saas-training-isnt-time-get-cloud/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

It’s a SaaS world and you’re just living in it. No wait, you're doing business in it. The upside is enormous. The global SaaS market is forecasted to reach $71. 2 billion in 2018 according to Crozdesk's SaaS and Cloud Startup Report 2018. While SaaS solves challenges for users that boxed software never could, it creates vexing new challenges for those that create and sell it - namely churn, the rate at which customers cancel their subscriptions. The simple reality is that clients that don’t know how to consistently glean value from your software, won't. They’ll cancel. This logical tenet needs no explanation. Churn can be the result of something happening to your customer, but it’s usually not. More often than not, churn is the result of a customer not realizing the value of your service, or what customer success guru, Lincoln Murphy of Sixteen Ventures, refers to as the “required outcome. ” He writes: “When it comes to required outcome, it’s all about whether or not they can achieve what they need to achieve through your core product or service. ” Murphy presents a list of reasons why customers may not achieve their required outcome: Your product is missing critical functionality required to do the thing they need to do You have a poor onboarding experience The customer had a bad implementation, configuration, and/or setup The customer hasn’t adopted your product and isn’t using it There are bugs or other issues preventing the customer from doing what they need to...

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### CloudShare Announced as Finalist in Computing Cloud Excellence Awards 2018

> The judges have spoken! We are proud to share that we have been shortlisted for Computing’s 2018 Cloud Excellence Awards in the category of Best Software- Defined Infrastructure Product, in the good company of Box and AT&T Business Services among others.

- Published: 2018-07-30
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-announced-finalist-computing-cloud-excellence-awards-2018/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The judges have spoken! We are proud to share that we have been shortlisted for Computing’s 2018 Cloud Excellence Awards in the category of Best Software - Defined Infrastructure Product, in the good company of Box and AT&T Business Services among others. Computing's annual Cloud Excellence Awards aim to recognize the very best of the cloud industry, from the most innovative and compelling products and vendors, through to the top use cases from end-user firms. According to Computing: Software-defined infrastructures allow organizations greater flexibility by enabling them to adapt their infrastructure to changing needs. Selected companies in this category demonstrated the greatest functionality, ease of setup and use and level of innovation. CloudShare helps software organizations grow revenue, increase efficiency and improve quality by making it easy to replicate complex on-premise IT environments in the cloud, with specialized solutions for training, sales enablement, and sandboxing for testing and support. CloudShare customers include leading software and cybersecurity companies such as Palo Alto Networks, Atlassian, ForgeRock, Sophos, Check Point, Dell and HP. We’re excited that we have been recognized for our great functionality, ease of use, and innovation, as these are exactly the areas where we excel. Find out why you should be using CloudShare too – Request a demo. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at The Waldorf Hilton in the heart of London on Wednesday, September 19 About Computing Computing is the UK's leading business technology information resource and a pioneering multimedia brand. The title has been...

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### Webinar On-Demand: A New Approach to Software Training

> Enter now to discover a new approach to software training in this on-demand webinar featuring Learndot, CloudShare and Atlassian.

- Published: 2018-07-24
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/webinar-on-demand-new-approach-to-software-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We recently joined forces with Learndot, the leading LMS for software customer training, and software giant, Atlassian, to discuss: The challenges of software training How virtual training labs answer them And how Atlassian actually does it! If you missed out on attending the webinar in person, fear not because we have the recording for you to check out! This webinar is a truly great opportunity to learn from one of the leading software trainers in the field, Altassian’s Global Training Manager, Robert Bleeker. You will be privy to valuable information that you won’t be able to find anywhere else online. If you’re looking for a little more info before you decide to invest your time. Here’s a short summary. Learndot’s Dilyana Hadjeva, Product Marketing Manager, and Jesse Miller, General Manager, kicked off the webinar with a review of challenges of training today’s distracted learners with short attention spans and sharp forgetting curves. Our very own Muly Gottlieb, CTO at CloudShare, introduced the audience to the concept of virtual training labs and then grounded it by showing the experiences for different types of users, including the students, instructors and the Admin/IT and management. Muly capped off his part by summarizing the 4 proven reasons why software companies must implement virtual training labs, as promised in the invitation. However, all this was a segue to the real star of the event, Altassian’s Global Training Manager, Robert Bleeker, who generously described the model he has used to initiate and grow Atlassian’s training program from...

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### How to Drive More Sales by Giving Modern IT Buyers What They Want

- Published: 2018-07-19
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/drive-sales-giving-modern-buyers-want/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Don’t lose deals because you are using outdated sales technology and methods. Discover why cloud-based sales demos help you win more business for modern IT buyers in this free guide.

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### 5 Reasons Your Traditional Sales Demo Solution Is Letting You Down

> Are you really going to slow the entire process down by shipping hardware and asking their local IT resources to open firewalls and reconfigure systems? Just that entire experience can put a bad taste in a prospect’s mouth before a POC even begins. Here are 5 more reasons why your current sales demo solution no longer works.

- Published: 2018-07-19
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-reasons-traditional-sales-demo-solution-letting/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Today’s IT buyers are different than those of just a few short years ago. They know what they want. They understand their own pain points, and they’ve spent time studying your solutions, and those of your competitors. In fact, Gartner’s CEB says your typical buyer is 57 percent of the way through the buying process before ever speaking to one of your reps. So, when prospects connect with you, they’re typically ready to see and trial your product. Even the slickest and most beautiful PowerPoints and video clips won’t cut it anymore. Buyers are tired and skeptical of over-promised features and capabilities. They want to see your product as is, and then they can listen to your roadmap. Prospects also know that an intuitive user interface can make the difference between success at their organization or not. Let’s say your team passed the first stage and the prospect was excited about what they saw. Now they want to try it hands-on before making a commitment. They want to test it with their other systems. Are you really going to slow the entire process down by shipping hardware and asking their local IT resources to open firewalls and reconfigure systems? Just that entire experience can put a bad taste in a prospect’s mouth before a POC even begins. Here are 5 more reasons why your current sales demo solution no longer works: It’s not scalable. If your sales team has to dedicate extensive resources to each demo in order to meet...

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### How to Grow Your Business with a Hands-On Training Approach

> We’ve joined forces with Learndot, the leading LMS for software customer training, and software giant Atlassian to explain the 4 proven reasons why software companies must implement virtual training labs and let you hear first-hand from Atlassian’s global training delivery manager, Robert Bleeker about his success.

- Published: 2018-06-28
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-hands-on-training-approach-can-grow-business/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

There's a webinar for that! You’re tasked with delivering training for your software products. You face a lot of challenges right off the bat. Your students have short 8-second attention spans, get bored easily and then there’s the Forgetting Curve. An article in Learning Solutions explains, “research on the forgetting curve shows that within one hour, people will have forgotten an average of 50 percent of the information you presented. Within 24 hours, they have forgotten an average of 70 percent of new information, and within a week, forgetting claims an average of 90 percent of it. ” So if you can help combat these issues with your training, then you’ve already conquered a large part of the battle. So, the good news is – there’s an answer for that! Whether you are providing training for end customers, partners, or your own employees, hands-on training will wake them from the training coma and turn them into active learners. This is where cloud-based training labs come in. You can use virtual training labs to provide Instructor-led training, virtual instructor-led training, self-paced courses, certification programs and even use them for training at your customer events. By now you might well have heard of virtual training labs, or even worked on them yourself, but how do you know how well they work and how easy or difficult they are to implement? Well, you’ve just hit the jackpot because – there’s a webinar for that! We’ve joined forces with Learndot, the leading LMS for...

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### Hiring and Promoting Women in Tech: Your Company's Secret to Success in a Saturated Market

> Why hiring and promoting women in tech is the best way to help your software training department and your organization improve business success.

- Published: 2018-06-26
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/hiring-women-in-tech-to-improve-business-success/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Want to make sure your training department gives your company an advantage in a competitive market? According to research, promoting the smart women that already work for you – and hiring more of them – is key to corporate growth. Research released by the Peterson Institute of International Economics in 2016, which studied almost 22,000 publicly traded companies across 91 countries, revealed that "having women in the highest corporate offices is correlated with increased profitability... an increase in the share of women from zero to 30% would be associated with a 15% rise in profitability," reported the New York Times. In 2018, CNBC reported that a study of Fortune 500 companies by the University of Arizona discovered that "companies that have women in top management roles experience what we call 'innovation intensity' and produce more patents – by an average of 20% more than teams with male leaders. " And successful tech companies are listening. How Intel, Apple and Salesforce are Investing in Women in Tech In 2015, CNET reported that "Intel has pledged $300 million toward building a more diverse workforce," and the extra good news is that it tied "managers' compensation to their progress in that area," to ensure this indeed gets done. Apple, on the other hand, decided to donate "$50 million to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the National Center for Women and Information Technology to help swell the pipeline of qualified women and minorities," added CNET. In a 2018 interview, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff...

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### Why Public Cloud Providers Are Not "One Size Fits All"

- Published: 2018-06-21
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/public-cloud-providers-not-one-size-fits
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Planning to migrate your complex on-premise applications, such as cybersecurity, data management, and firewalls, to one of the commodity clouds (AWS, Azure or Google Cloud)? Hold on! You may be in for an unpleasant surprise: a capabilities gap that can delay or totally derail your project!

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### Why Hiring and Promoting Women for Technical Training Positions is Key to Your Company's Success

> Read our eBook on %%title%%.

- Published: 2018-06-21
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/hiring-promoting-women-technical-training-positions-key-companys-success/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Research results have been consistent over the years: Promoting the smart women in tech that already work for you – and hiring more of them – is key to corporate growth, in terms of both innovation and profitability. If you want to turn your training department into a competitive advantage, get our latest free e-book.

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### 5 Technical Hurdles to Investigate Before Migrating to the Cloud

> Before choosing a provider, consider these five key networking capabilities to avoid delays and frustration during migration.

- Published: 2018-06-14
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-technical-hurdles-investigate-migrating-cloud/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Commodity cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft and Google have spurred widespread adoption with generic offerings, but AWS, Azure and Google Cloud can’t fit every enterprise’s needs. If you’re planning to migrate complex on-premise applications to one of the giant clouds, you’ll likely face some kind of capabilities gap. Let’s say you want to leverage the cloud to immediately extend the reach and ease of delivering demos, POCs, and training for your on-premise cybersecurity, data management or firewall applications, or to speed development of new features, or the resolution of customer support issues for that matter. You need to be especially cautious because these types of applications likely employ multi-faceted networking features – features known to spark questions, delays, and frustration during the migration process. Before you mire your team in what might ultimately prove a costly, time-consuming or an utterly impossible project, you’d be wise to consider these five key networking capabilities that public cloud providers typically do not support. For more on choosing a public cloud provider, download our white paper, “Why Public Cloud Providers Are NOT One Size Fits All. ” Specialized needs that cause trouble in public clouds: Network customization: The networking elements and structures you rely on for your on-premise applications will cause you headaches in a generic cloud environment. Maybe you spread your subnets across multiple noncontiguous CIDR blocks; implementing this approach in the public cloud could mean you have to re-architect everything – both your application and its documentation. Promiscuous mode: Many network security...

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### How to Escape the Glass Cliff with Cloud-Based Training

> Training is the best way to improve corporate performance and combat the “glass cliff” women face, ensuring that more women advance to leadership positions.

- Published: 2018-06-07
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/escape-glass-cliff-cloud-based-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

You’ve heard the statistics about the lack of women in corporate leadership positions. This one puts it in stark relief: According to The New York Times, the number of women leading Fortune 500 companies fell to 24 this year, after hitting a record high – of only 32 – in 2017. Even when women reach top leadership positions, they are often set up for failure. This is the phenomenon known as the “glass cliff,” which suggests that “while women are now achieving more high profile positions, they are more likely than men to find themselves on a 'glass cliff', such that their positions are risky or precarious. ” Originally described in 2005 by Michelle Ryan and S. Alexander Haslam at the University of Exeter, the “glass cliff” phenomenon could explain the drop in women leading Fortune 500 companies. The pair also studied how companies on the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index performed both before and after appointing a male or female board member. The findings may surprise you (or maybe not): “The study revealed that during a period of overall stock-market decline those companies who appointed women to their boards were more likely to have experienced consistently bad performance in the preceding five months than those who appointed men. ” In other words, this suggests that boards were only willing to take a risk on appointing a female board member after finding themselves in an incredibly difficult environment. These women were more likely to enter a challenging environment than...

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### Training: The Secret Sauce to an Ironclad Cyber Defense

> Our infographic uncovers the scope of the cybersecurity crisis & outlines the best ways to keep your staff in top shape to harden your cyber protection.

- Published: 2018-06-06
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/training-secret-sauce-ironclad-cyber-defense/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

The threat from cyberattacks is very real and can endanger your business continuation. Nearly half (46%) of UK businesses and almost one-third (29%) of US businesses report having experienced a data breach in the past year. And the damage can be huge. In fact, the 2017 Official Annual Cybercrime Report published by Cybersecurity Ventures and sponsored by Herjavec Group, estimates cybercrime damage to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021. To put that in perspective, that is more than Japan’s entire GDP output last year. While organizations today have the luxury to choose from a great many tools to protect their data and infrastructure, they still must deal with the biggest weakness in their cyber defense - their employee base. You see, cybersecurity is, most of all, a people issue. Strengthen your team's cyber resilience with virtual IT training labs People need to know how to avoid opening phishing emails and clicking on suspect links that let threats into networks. They also must be aware of the latest threats, know how to properly manage their vendor solutions, and be armed with hands-on experience defending their networks in realistic environments. Thus it is more critical than ever for CISOs and those in charge of cybersecurity at businesses and institutions - big and small, to do everything possible to build and reinforce the security skills and knowledge of both technical and non-technical employees. While non-technical staff can be best served with basic and frequent high-level training, satisfied mainly through communications, videos, and tests...

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### CISOs: Train Your Way to Stronger Cyber Resilience

> The key to combatting cybersecurity threats lies with employees. CISOs must provide on-the-job training that educates teams to protect against attacks.

- Published: 2018-05-30
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cisos-train-your-way-to-stronger-cyber-resilience/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

Chief information security officers (CISOs) face a growing array of challenges. The proliferation of ransomware, vulnerabilities from the Internet of Things (IoT) and other threats seem to constitute the problem. But beneath these concerns lies a root issue: securing the enterprise is a people problem. This means that CISOs need to focus on employees as much or more than on vendor tools and solutions. Do your employees have the right skills to combat cybersecurity threats? Are they updating their knowledge at the same rate cybercriminals are updating their attack patterns? And how can CISOs attract talent for all those unfilled roles in a competitive talent market? In a research survey by ESG and ISSA, 96 percent of respondents agreed that cybersecurity professionals must keep up with their skills to avoid creating organizational disadvantages against cyber foes. And yet, organizations are falling behind when it comes to training. Download “Under Attack! How CISOs Should Respond to the Cybersecurity Crisis” Cybersecurity professionals report wanting more resources to improve their knowledge, skills and abilities. They’re not getting it in undergraduate programs – as of a 2017 Cyberbit study, none of the top 10 computer science programs in the United States required cybersecurity courses for degree completion. Less than one-quarter of the cybersecurity professionals polled in a McAfee report said they felt higher education gave them the skills they needed in real-world cybersecurity jobs. That leaves it to CISOs to deliver the on-the-job training that attracts, retains and educates teams to protect the enterprise...

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### Under Attack! How Chief Information Security Officers Should Respond to the Cybersecurity Crisis

- Published: 2018-05-29
- Modified: 2023-06-27
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/attack-chief-information-security-officers-respond-cybersecurity-crisis/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Cyber security

Securing the enterprise is a people problem that needs immediate attention. Download the free e-book Under Attack! and get a comprehensive examination of the training strategies needed to strengthen lines of defense across the enterprise.

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### Palo Alto Networks Ignite ’18 USA Is All About Hands-On Training

> Like CloudShare, Palo Alto Networks firmly believe there’s no substitute for learning by doing. That’s why they are offering thousands of opportunities for attendees to get hands-on experience with their products and services during the event to see how they work against today’s most sophisticated threats in real-life scenarios.

- Published: 2018-05-23
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/palo-alto-networks-ignite-18-usa-hands-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Palo Alto Networks' Ignite cybersecurity conference has kicked off in California. More than 4000 security professionals will descend on the Anaheim Convention Center for the 4-day event, billed as “Hands-On Disruption. ” Ignite ’18 will cover the latest on network security, endpoint security and cloud security. This valuable highly technical event features: 100+ technical sessions with expert speakers Ultimate Test Drives, hands-on technical labs and advanced workshops 1:1 networking and problem-solving opportunities with product experts, partners, and peers Like CloudShare, Palo Alto Networks firmly believe there’s no substitute for learning by doing. That’s why they are offering thousands of opportunities for attendees to get hands-on experience with their products and services during the event to see how they work against today’s most sophisticated threats in real-life scenarios. And of course, their belief in hands-on learning extends throughout the year as well with many hands-on courses. We always learn a lot when attending Ignite and are excited that CloudShare’s virtual labs will be involved in supporting this great event for the 4th straight year!

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### Need to Speed Time to Resolution for Enterprise Software Support?

> With organizations highly reliant on enterprise software, your customers’ satisfaction is greatly dependent on your technical support services.

- Published: 2018-05-21
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/need-speed-time-resolution-enterprise-software-support/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The Answer is in the Cloud With organizations highly reliant on enterprise software, your customers’ satisfaction is greatly dependent on your technical support services. If this pressure isn’t enough, the growing complexity of software products and customer environments means technical support teams face unprecedented challenges recreating and solving customer issues on a daily basis. Nevertheless, there’s no need for customer support managers to stress. Read on and you’ll see that it is possible to close more complex technical issues in less time and still keep your costs under control –regardless of the level of complexity of your application and your customers’ environments. First, Let’s Review Some of the Challenges Encountered by Your Tier 2 and Tier 3 Teams: The Dreaded Time Sink The problem is, that no matter how skilled your support teams are, when they spend so much of their time handling non-core tasks, such as creating, configuring and replicating offline versions of your customers’ environments, or worse yet, travelling to customer sites, that’s time that’s not spent actually solving their issues! These non-core tasks pose a substantial delay in problem resolution time, which may, and often does, have a negative effect on customer retention and company revenues. Quality and Agility If your support team uses on-premise labs for problem resolutions, then more challenges arise. When you have multiple physical labs, chances are they are not exactly identical as those labs keep getting manually configured over time. Because they are not exactly the same, some issues might appear to...

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### A Mother’s Day Tribute to Women in Training

> The women who put their energies, skills, and love into educating others and helping them succeed in life, and their jobs, provide more than just an important service to the students, they provide a great value to businesses and the community as well as.

- Published: 2018-05-14
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/mothers-day-tribute-women-training/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

The occasion of Mother’s Day provides a great opportunity to salute those moms who have gone into the important field of education, training, and learning and development - in both public and private sectors. The women who care enough to educate others and pass on needed skills – both hard and soft – in a world that is getting more complicated and technical by the minute. At risk of being politically incorrect, it seems the “mother instinct” of caring and patience has begotten a gift to teach. Because teaching is more than rote memorization, it also involves relating to students and inspiring and motivating. These are the qualities that set apart outstanding teachers and instructors. The women who put their energies, skills, and love into educating others and helping them succeed in life, and their jobs, provide more than just an important service to the students, they provide a great value to businesses and the community as well as. But women who have chosen the dual roles of being professionals in the education field while raising a family deserve special recognition. Being a working mom is not easy from anyone’s perspective - from the single mother in your neighboring cubicle to the likes of Anne-Marie Slaughter, Sheryl Sandberg, and Sallie Krawcheck, who have written about it in books and articles. While women are well represented in many parts of the education and training sector, they are still underrepresented in management areas. As women increasingly entered the workforce, teaching was one...

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### Virtual Training and LMS Integration:  A Partner Success Story

- Published: 2018-05-10
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/virtual-training-lms-integration-partner-success-story
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Administrate wanted a partner who could not only provide their customers with a robust, full-featured training lab platform but who could also easily integrate with Administrate to provide both trainees and administrators with seamless and efficient experiences.

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### On a Groundhog, a Mole and a Cyber Range

> CloudShare visited the team at the New England Cyber Range (NECYR) – an independent cyber range and security training facility with deep expertise in cyber warfare training, threat modeling and courseware development and participated in a live cyber-range training exercise.

- Published: 2018-04-24
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/groundhog-mole-cyber-range/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

The beginning of February this year brought along bad news for warm-weather fans: beloved groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow. The famously prophetic creature returned to his den shortly after emerging early that February morning. With his behavior, the groundhog indicated that winter would stick around for another six weeks. Unfortunately for the sun lovers, winter did stick around this year. Meanwhile, a few hundred miles away in New England, an entirely different animal took on a different prediction task in the form of a mole. Not just any mole, one of our own, CloudShare account executive, Mitch Goldstein. Mitch visited the team at the New England Cyber Range (NECYR) – an independent cyber range and security training facility with deep expertise in cyber warfare training, threat modeling and courseware development, and participated in a live cyber-range training exercise. The participants were trained on how to handle advanced cyber warfare activities and were required to complete an end-to-end incident response plan. The NECYR training included skills like network forensics, incident training, vulnerability research and reverse engineering, open source data collection, intelligence production, and more. Here is where Mitch was tasked with his new role (the mole). You see, the cyber range experts needed a mole for their training scenario. They secretly chose Mitch to be the insider threat - playing the part of an ill-intent systems engineer who had become vengeful after an argument over pay and responsibility.  They transformed CloudShare’s honorable Mitch into a villain and had him maliciously inject the...

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### The Most Up-to-Date Guide to Fast & Effective Technical Support in the Cloud

- Published: 2018-04-20
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/date-guide-fast-effective-technical-support-cloud
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership



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### The 5 Stages of Spring Cleaning for IT Training Pros

> Discover the 5 stages of IT training optimization & dive into some key tactics that can help IT training pros develop an effective training machine.

- Published: 2018-04-02
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-stages-of-spring-cleaning-for-it-training-pros/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Spring cleaning - how bad could it be? How many times have you found yourself with gloves on, mop in one hand and bucket in the other, standing in your kitchen telling yourself, “Alright, champ – this isn’t going to be so bad. Easy breezy. ” Don’t fool yourself. Everything looks quite dandy from the outside, but when you get into the nitty-gritty of the task and open the cupboards and closets, utterly unmotivated and with the feeling of DOOM. Believe it or not, IT training managers, at one point or another, have most likely felt the same way when it comes to the orderliness (or lack thereof) of their training programs. With spring already with one foot in the door, let’s take a look the 5 stages of “spring cleaning” for your company’s training programs and dive into some key tactics that can help you and other IT training professionals develop a spotless and effective training machine. Stage 1: Align Yourself Emotionally We’ve already allotted you the 5 minutes you needed for a quick panic-session after you’ve undergone the realization that your training program is in dire need of some effective optimization. It’s understandable - it’s all too easy for an IT trainer, or any professional in a goal-oriented business, to find themselves overwhelmed by the lack of efficiency, organization and ROI in their own programs. So, how do you overcome the panic and start moving forward? The answer is by focusing on your OKRs (objectives and key results) or...

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### What Do AWS, Microsoft, Google and…Easter Bunnies Have in Common?

- Published: 2018-03-29
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/aws-microsoft-google-andeaster-bunnies-common/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

As lavish and masterful as they are, cloud kingpins, AWS, Microsoft and Google, should stick with laying eggs instead of growing chickens when it comes to IT training... and I’ll tell you 5 burning reasons why. With Easter nearby and gorgeous chocolate eggs lasciviously catching my attention when I pass the chocolate boutique near my office, I get nostalgic about traditions and holidays. Yet, I sometimes wonder how this feast of chocolate and egg hunts came to be. Truth is, the symbolic meaning of Easter eggs is a bit far from and more symbolic than the festive activity of devouring delicious sweets that will soon spike my blood sugar levels. It’s a known fact that bunny rabbits are energetic, master breeders, usually giving birth to big litters of babies. Which cloud-learning solution should you use for your training? A guide to understanding the options open to you. As such, the legend of the Easter bunny was born, hundreds of years ago to be more exact. While the exact origin of the legend is a clouded mystery (no pun intended), the Easter bunny and its decorative eggs have become a well-known icon of new life during Easter Season. How does that connect to AWS, Microsoft and Google, you may ask? These “lavish companies”, with AWS leading the way, did bring new life to IT organizations with the cloud providing businesses the ability to provision resources rapidly, seemingly controlling costs, driving innovation and more. There is no doubt that these giants laid...

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### How to Prevent Your Cyber Range Training from Becoming a Caboodle

> While you might not be able to solve the global cybersecurity crisis on your own, you can take responsibility for skilling up your organization.

- Published: 2018-03-07
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/prevent-cyber-range-training-becoming-caboodle/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

A recent CSO Online article provided a quick overview of cybersecurity skills shortage data gathered from various sources. Data that stood out to me included: 45 percent of organizations claim to have a problematic shortage of cybersecurity skills. 70 percent of cybersecurity professionals say the cybersecurity skills shortage has had an impact on their organization. When asked to identify factors that contributed to past security incidents: 22 percent said their cybersecurity team was not large enough for the size of their organization. 18 percent stated that the cybersecurity team cannot keep up with the workload. More than two-thirds (67 percent) of cybersecurity professionals claim they are too busy with their jobs to keep up with skills development and training. According to employees surveyed, the skills shortage has led to an increasing workload on existing staff, the need to hire and train junior employees due to the lack of experienced talent, and a situation where the cybersecurity staff spends most of its time on emergency issues and very little time on proactive strategic planning or training. Alarming, I would say! It is clear that in aggregate, many organizations are understaffed, lack different types of advanced cybersecurity skills, and are too busy to provide their staff with enough time for continuing education to keep up with the latest threats. In my world... that’s called a caboodle... just a big caboodle... and untangling that caboodle isn’t going to happen overnight. But a caboodle is a caboodle and the gap increases every day; the need...

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### How Software Vendors Can Get a Leg Up in Customer Success

> Uncover the secret your customer success team needs to know in order to improve productivity and time to resolution and overall customer experience.

- Published: 2018-02-28
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/software-vendors-can-get-leg-customer-success/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Customer support is an important aspect of the customer experience, and we all know how important the customer experience is to customer success. According to a 2016 research report by NewVoiceMedia, US companies are losing $62 billion a year due to poor customer service. The report also reveals that almost half (49%) of customers switched vendors to escape poor customer service. The stakes are even higher for enterprise software vendors as each customer contributes a larger share of their total revenues. In addition, while a consumer can function fine without their favorite pair of headphones for a day or week, enterprise customers typically have business riding on their enterprise software. Any downtime can cause them lost business and lost revenues. With so much riding on today’s enterprise software, when your customers encounter issues, they need them resolved as soon as possible. If your solutions are delayed because your skilled support engineers are spending hours or days of their time recreating and configuring customer environments instead of beginning the troubleshooting process, then chances are that you should be looking for a smarter and more efficient sandboxing solution. You need to provide your support teams with the tools and technologies that enable them to work quickly and efficiently, and to collaborate across oceans and time zones so you can provide true 24/7 support. Providing the right IT test labs is a critical piece of the puzzle. Drawbacks of On-Premise Test Labs On-premise test labs not only require a large hardware and maintenance...

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### CloudShare 2017: A Knockout Year in a Trending Business

> In 2017, CloudShare established relationships with 200+ new customers and partners and delivered continuous innovation and uncompromising customer support.

- Published: 2018-02-22
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-2017-knockout-year-trending-business/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

I believe Franklin D. Roosevelt was not far from the truth when he said: “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort”. 2017 was by far the most rewarding year for CloudShare. As VP of Marketing for the company, I can truly say that nothing makes me prouder than becoming the leading specialized virtual IT labs provider for the full application lifecycle - from sandbox environments for development to sales enablement, training and customer support. Through the unwavering efforts of our team during the year, we established relationships with over 200 new customers and partners and delivered continuous innovation and uncompromising customer support. With our fiscal year just ended and January gone, I am glad to see we are poised to make 2018 a success and deliver timely solutions to answer our clients’ needs. It’s no secret that cloud migration picked up steam in 2017. According to the RightScale 2018 State of the Cloud Report, “AWS is no longer the runaway leader as Azure has grown rapidly and is now a close second, especially among enterprise users. ” Forrester predicts that 2018 will mark the year where we’ll pass that magic threshold of more than 50% of global enterprises relying on at least one public cloud platform to drive digital transformation and delight customers. While the cloud wars are going strong, and as enterprises comprehend the complexities in going cloud native, they are realizing the need to prioritize and manage their cloud migration according to...

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### 5 Signs to Know When the Right Training Lab Solution Comes Along

- Published: 2018-02-14
- Modified: 2023-07-11
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/5-signs-know-right-training-lab-solution-comes-along/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Did You Meet Your True Love Training Lab Solution Yet? Upgrading or searching for the right cloud-based platform for your online training program is somewhat like dating: researching the web to find reviews about the platform; looking for additional screenshots to make sure the one on the homepage is not just a one-time photogenic mishap; flirting with the sales rep... However, there are times when you just know the right platform has come along. "You had me at 'hello'" "It's never that easy," is what they always say, right? You never know if the first date is just a front, or whether what you see is really what you get. Anyway, love at first sight only exists in the movies, or in 19th-century European novels. Or, maybe it just boils down to a complicated scientific explanation of neurons and chemical reactions flowing through our veins, devoid of any resemblance to romance. But, many people say love at first sight does happen, despite the evidence to the contrary. At least, there are plenty of people who claim to know for sure that the person standing in front of them is "the one. " So, is love at first sight truly possible? Here are a few signs to help you know for sure when the right cloud-based training lab comes along. Loves you as you are. Those training labs that don't ask you to change anything in your existing infrastructure. If your training lab can't accept you the way you are, then...

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### How Multilingual Capabilities Deliver Smooth Virtual Training Experiences

- Published: 2018-02-13
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-goes-multilingual-deliver-smooth-virtual-training-experiences/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

German and Japanese Added to CloudShare’s Growing List of Languages In today’s globalized world, many training professionals and organizations know that delivering a better-localized experience is key to increase traction for their businesses. In fact, Nelson Mandela expressed this beautifully when he said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. ” Despite the fact that it is often overlooked, providing students with a localized viewer experience is a significant step in the right direction for training organizations wishing to gain a competitive advantage. And yes, sometimes, it’s not only about hearts... localizing your training solution enables you to: Expand your global reach to non-English speaking countries. Remember, English is “only” the third largest language by a number of native speakers, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.   Demonstrate cultural sensitivity. Being able to navigate, understand, and interact with the instructor in their native tongue automatically puts the learner in a “cultural comfort zone,” enabling them to concentrate better on the content you are delivering. Increase training revenues. Every additional language added to your training offering has the potential to increase sales. Think bottom line when you add two, even three, languages to your global training offering. Gain a step up on competitors. In today’s competitive environment, multilingual solutions give you the opportunity to effectively target new markets and provide training on your products and services to a much amplified and diversified audience....

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### 2018, The Year of Cloud and AI: Predictions from CloudShare’s CEO

- Published: 2018-01-23
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/2018-year-cloud-ai-predictions-cloudshares-ceo/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

The cloud has been a major force in reshaping enterprise IT. In 2018, however, cloud will truly demonstrate just how much disruption it is capable of dishing out. Joined by rapid advances in AI, even traditional enterprises will be able to reach more customers, partners, and employees, and provide them with a much richer, more personalized digital experience. AI will fully permeate the digital experience. AI and machine learning are improving at an exponential rate and we’re already seeing these technologies have a huge impact in areas such as high-speed trading, complex networking, consumer preference prediction (such as Spotify and Netflix recommendations), voice recognition and natural language processing (think Alexa and Siri). But, there’s still plenty of room for AI to grow. According to a study by Narrative Science, 38% of enterprises use AI today, a figure they expect to nearly double to 62% by next year. In 2018, we’ll see AI even more fully permeate the digital experience. Customer service bots, for example, will improve dramatically, solving tier 1 and, in many cases, tier 2 customer issues without ever giving away that the customer service representative is an algorithm instead of a person. Large IT networks will achieve significant milestones in becoming “self-healing,” with artificial intelligence fixing issues long before any human being realizes they even exist. Customer preference predictions will move beyond video and music recommendations to a wide array of consumer goods and services, and it will be scarily accurate. But my biggest prediction is this: most...

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### CloudShare to Showcase Leading Virtual Training Labs at Learning Technologies 2018

- Published: 2018-01-10
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/cloudshare-showcase-leading-virtual-training-labs-learning-technologies-2018/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

We’re pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at Learning Technologies 2018 (Twitter handle #LT18uk) – Europe’s leading showcase of organizational learning and the technology used to support learning at work. CloudShare virtual lab experts will be on-site at booth R1 for visitors to experience its rich features and ease-of-use firsthand, and to discuss the latest research. CloudShare’s specialized training cloud enables software and IT trainees to learn and practice on realistic environments in a no-risk atmosphere. No longer hampered by the need to operate, maintain or move complex on-premise labs, cloud-based labs enable training departments to expand their global reach and teach more courses, increasing revenue while minimizing overhead. In addition, CloudShare’s ease of use and specialized training features reduce the need for IT support and enable training teams to focus on course development, rather than on technical and administrative issues. Lee Berkman, virtual training labs expert at CloudShare states, “At Learning Technologies 2018, visitors will be able to see how they can easily deliver and scale their training and start reaping benefits immediately. We will also be providing copies of insightful research on Virtual IT Training Labs from the learner’s perspective done in conjunction with Training Industry. ” If you want to see how easy and comfortable it is to train with CloudShare, or would like to learn about the latest research from actual IT trainees, or just like to have a chat with one of our team, then come and join us.  

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### Top 7 CloudShare Training Features That Boost Your ROI

- Published: 2017-11-22
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/top-7-cloudshare-training-features-boost-roi
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training

With commodity clouds offering complex pricing models, missing specialized training features, and sometimes even lacking the necessary network feature to support an exact replica of your complex environment, it's no wonder ROI isn't exactly booming. But specialty virtual training labs are meant to save your organization time and money, and CloudShare's training solution is built around that goal with unique features that ensure you get the return you need. Take a look at our top 7 features that boost training's ROI for so many of our customers.

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### InnoTech College Provides Hands-On Software Training Using Virtual Labs

- Published: 2017-10-22
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/innotech-college-provides-hands-software-training-using-virtual-labs
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training

By using CloudShare's virtual training labs solution, InnoTech College has achieved concrete benefits including, quick class setup, custom-tailored solution, better student experience, and flexible functionality and customized templates.

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### The Atlassian Success Story: How to Drive Revenue & Reduce Costs with Virtual Training Labs

- Published: 2017-10-10
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/atlassian-success-story-drive-revenue-reduce-costs-virtual-training-labs
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Learn how Atlassian has grown its training program with a combination of live virtual classes and recorded training - both with hands-on labs.

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### The Economics of IT Training Labs

- Published: 2017-10-03
- Modified: 2023-08-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/economics-training-labs
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training

When it comes to fulfilling your need for software training labs, you have options. The new report is concise but delivers a detailed examination of the costs of training delivered via on-premise labs, commodity cloud providers and specialized virtual training providers.

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### Virtual IT Training Labs Report

- Published: 2017-09-18
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/virtual-it-training-labs-report
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### MuleSoft's Support Team Increases Productivity & Speeds Time to Resolution by Leveraging CloudShare's Specialized Virtual IT Labs

- Published: 2017-09-17
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/mulesofts-support-team-increases-productivity-speeds-time-resolution-leveraging-cloudshares-specialized-virtual-labs
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training

MuleSoft has achieved multiple benefits by using CloudShare's virtual IT labs solution, including increased speed of support resolutions, cost control, ease of management, increased collaboration, and increased resolution quality.

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### 15 Tips to Deliver More Effective Software Training

- Published: 2017-08-03
- Modified: 2023-06-13
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/15-tips-deliver-effective-software-training/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Virtual training

LMS company, Administrate, and virtual training labs company, CloudShare, join forces to help you improve your software training. Get access to exclusive secrets to achieving new levels of training performance.

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### The Forgerock Success Story: How to Boost Software Training with LMS & Virtual Training Labs

> 70% of companies don’t integrate their training systems – leaving a lot of room for improvement. Kevin Streater, VP ForgeRock University, created a fully integrated cloud-based training solution that grew their training business from zero to over $1 million in one year, without increasing staff.

- Published: 2017-07-31
- Modified: 2023-11-10
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/forgerock-success-story-boost-software-training-lms-virtual-training-labs
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training

70% of companies don’t integrate their training systems – leaving a lot of room for improvement. Kevin Streater, VP ForgeRock University, created a fully integrated cloud-based training solution that grew their training business from zero to over $1 million in one year, without increasing staff. Anchored by LMS and virtual labs, the solution continues to scale with the same headcount as the company has grown to a $100 million business.

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### LMS & Virtual Training Labs: Good Alone, Spectacular Together

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%. Enjoy it.

- Published: 2017-07-24
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/lms-virtual-training-labs-good-alone-better-together
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Virtual training

When was the last time you achieved spectacular virtual training results? Kevin Streater, VP ForgeRock University, created a highly efficient training organization by integrating state-of-the-art cloud-based training platforms. This helped ForgeRock cut lab creation time by more than 90% and grow its University business from zero revenue to more than a million dollars within a year, without any increase in staff.

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### Kevin Streater, VP ForgeRock University, Grows Business 10x with Virtual Training Labs

- Published: 2017-07-11
- Modified: 2023-08-23
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/kevin-streater-vp-forgerock-university-grows-business-10x-with-virtual-training-labs
- Formats: Case Studies, Videos
- Use Cases: Virtual training



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### [Infographic] Training: The Secret Sauce to an Ironclad Cyber Defense

- Published: 2017-06-06
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/brochures/training-secret-sauce-ironclad-cyber-defense-2
- Formats: Brochures
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

The threat from cyberattacks is very real and can endanger your business continuation. Nearly half (46%) of UK businesses and almost one-third (29%) of US businesses report having experienced a data breach in the past year. And the damage can be huge. In fact, the 2017 Official Annual Cybercrime Report published by Cybersecurity Ventures and sponsored by Herjavec Group, estimates cybercrime damage to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021. To put that in perspective, that is more than Japan’s entire GDP output last year.

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### Identity Management Company Cuts Lab Creation Time by 94% with CloudShare's Training Lab Solution

- Published: 2017-05-04
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/case-studies/identity-management-company-cuts-lab-creation-time-94-cloudshares-training-lab-solution
- Formats: Case Studies
- Use Cases: Virtual training

How does a top-end digital identity management solution, which manages billions of digital identities worldwide, scale up their training abilities six-fold in just a few short months?

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### 35 Best Practices to Wow Your Audience and Close More Sales

- Published: 2017-04-18
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/ebooks/35-best-practices-wow-audience-close-sales/
- Formats: eBooks
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

How to Optimize Your Software Demos: 35 Best Practices to Wow Your Audience and Close More Sales is packed with advice covering the all-important discovery process, effective sales tactics, the right way to prepare for your demo, and more! This e-book presents a detailed review of every facet of conducting software demos with actionable advice you can use to increase your success.

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### Webinar - How to Create the Winning Recipe for Software Demos

> Watch our webinar titled %%title%%.

- Published: 2017-03-26
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/webinars/webinar-how-to-create-the-winning-recipe-for-software-demos
- Formats: Webinars
- Use Cases: Sales enablement



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### Docker 1.13 – What’s New Including Docker Prune Features

> Docker-engine 1.13 latest updates. Read about Docker system prune, learn about Docker container & images prune, plus what’s new about the rest of the features.

- Published: 2017-01-31
- Modified: 2024-11-20
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blogdev-testwhats-new-docker-1-13/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Docker-engine 1. 13 is officially out. Let's see what's new. Prune all the things! Before we begin, let us first express our gratitude to Spotify with a moment of silence, as we bid farewell to docker-gc. It has served us well, to the point where it's hard to imagine a Jenkins setup without it. Its official replacement is prune, which has got to be one of the most awaited for features in recent Docker history. No longer will our build machines and long-running instances become clogged up with the dusty remnants of obsolete containers and images. docker container prune will delete all stopped containers. docker image prune will banish all dangling images to beyond the wall. Add -a to get rid of all unused images (ones with no containers running them). docker volume prune will dispatch volumes to their eternal resting place at /dev/null. docker network prune does the same for networks. And, of course, one prune to rule them all: docker system prune is the thing we're all going to be running as an hourly cron job instead of docker-gc. $ docker system prune WARNING! This will remove: - all stopped containers - all volumes not used by at least one container - all networks not used by at least one container - all dangling images Yes, please! Bonus: docker system df Pruning is a lot more fun when you can see the impact it has on disk space. $ docker system df TYPE TOTAL ACTIVE SIZE RECLAIMABLE Images...

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### The 2017 3-Part Cloud-Based Training Lab Checklist

- Published: 2017-01-25
- Modified: 2023-04-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/2017-3-part-cloud-based-training-lab-checklist
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training

Cloud-based IT labs offer potentially dramatic benefits to training teams: instant worldwide scalability, cost control, the ability to directly connect with students and more. But how can you make sure you choose the vendor that will keep you in the game? Download this training checklist for 2017 and test yourself on 3 critical factors.

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### How to Resolve the Cyber Security Professional Shortage

- Published: 2017-01-12
- Modified: 2023-08-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/resolving-training-challenge-cybersecurity-staff
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Virtual training, Cyber security

The shortage of cybersecurity professionals is getting worse - by 2020, 15% of cybersecurity positions will be unfilled! Download this industry whitepaper to discover New approaches to train your cybersecurity staff to improve their effectiveness

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### Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT)

> VILT - Virtual Instructor-Led Training - offers a virtual training environment guided by the expert hands of a professional educator or veteran in the field

- Published: 2016-12-20
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/virtual-instructor-led-training-vilt-cloudshare/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Virtual training

So you have a fork on hand? Well, get one, cause classroom training can be stuck with it. The olden days of onboarding are done and it's time to consider the next step. The most cutting-edge experiments in the field are happening within the scope of cloud based training that's bringing a host of new benefits to the workplace. But even within this e-learning environment, there are multiple levels of automation to choose from and each company must determine its individual needs. If employees need a quick update on a subject they're already well familiar with, full automation would be ideal, cutting out the cost of an instructor. There are some topics, however, where human instruction and input will still be pivotal. That's where Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) comes in. The VILT Advantage VILT offers a virtual training environment guided by the expert hands of a professional educator or veteran in the field. Perhaps most well-known among the general public for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS), or even educational video series' on YouTube, VILT programs can be built to meet any need and utilize a mix of old and new components that have proven to be significant leaps forward in onboarding. Perhaps most successful for the implementation of a VILT is a solid grasp of the technology involved, spearheaded by the cloud. With this knowledge, facilitators can reach more students than a traditional classroom environment and it can all happen with ultimate convenience on a desktop computer at home or even...

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### The End of the Travelling IT Salesperson

- Published: 2016-12-15
- Modified: 2023-08-15
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/the-end-of-the-travelling-it-salesperson
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Stop wasting precious IT sales time & start adapting to IT-as-a-Service (ITaS) to cut costs, boost sales demos & make an impact on your bottom line.

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### How to Give a Killer Sales Demo and Knock Your Audience Off their feet

> Read our whitepaper about %%title%%.

- Published: 2016-08-18
- Modified: 2023-07-06
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/resources/whitepapers/how-to-give-a-killer-sales-demo-and-knock-your-audience-off-their-feet
- Formats: White Papers
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Even if you're a rock star sales engineer, if you want to knock your audience off their feet you really need to use a sales demo platform that engages them.

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### When is The Right Time to Offer a Sales Demo?

> Do you often find yourself swinging and missing? CloudShare compiled a list of 4 tips to identify that perfect moment for a sales demo presentation.

- Published: 2016-04-13
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/when-is-the-right-time-to-offer-a-sales-demo/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

When is the right time to offer a sales demo? 4 tips. Good luck finding the sweet spot - that perfect time to give a potential client a live product sales demo. There is no formula for this important step and presenting your sales demo too early or too late could be the difference between a sale and a loss. Sales engineers need to be flexible, patient and prepared, as each customer requires a slightly different approach that can evolve over time. Do you often find yourself swinging and missing? CloudShare compiled a list of four important tips that can help you identify that perfect moment for a sales demo presentation no matter the clients or their needs. Join the buyer's journey Remember that trip to India last year? You may have stayed in a nice hotel and soaked in the pool as often as possible, but you also became slightly more aware of a different culture, and different people on a journey entirely different than your own. Approach your potential buyers in a similar way by understanding where they stand in the buyer's journey. While it’s almost always a bad idea to present a demo during your first discussion with a client, it's critical in that time to grasp how they found your product and how he/she hopes to utilize it. The potential buyer most likely wants several key questions answered in an explorative process that eventually leads to the solution that meets their needs. Don't be too afraid...

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### [Tip]: Can I use Visual Studio 2013 Community Edition to develop for SharePoint and Office 365?

- Published: 2015-01-24
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/tip-can-i-use-visual-studio-2013-community-edition-to-develop-for-sharepoint-and-office-365/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

Well, this was the question I made myself when I was creating a new virtual machine template for CloudShare’s pre-configured environment templates. Basically, by default Visual Studio 2013 Community Edition doesn’t come with the Visual Studio 2013 Tools for Office installed... but of course, you can install them in your SharePoint & Office 365 development environment.   If you don’t have one yet, I recommend to try one of the SharePoint 2013 development environments available at CloudShare’s ready made preconfigured environment template library. Just a quick note, as they are already pre-configured, all the configuration, installation, maintenance and licensing are set for you so all you need to do is spin up the farm and you got yourself the development environment in less than 10 minutes!   So, let me first remember two basic URLs you should have into account when thinking in developing for SharePoint 2013: https://msdn. microsoft. com/es-es/library/d2tx7z6d. aspx http://blogs. msdn. com/b/visualstudio/archive/2014/03/03/announcing-office-developer-tools-for-visual-studio-2013-march-2014-update. aspx Once you are ready, the next step is to install the Office Developer Tools in your development box: Browse the download link for the Tools ( Office Developer Tools for Visual Studio 2013 – March 2014 Update) so the Microsoft Web Platform Installer is shown. As you know, the Web Platform Installer allows you to install the latest versions of your favorite development tools. In the case of the Office Developer Tools, you will see that the last available version is the November 2014 one. Once you have installed the tools, if you open Visual...

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### Installing Visual Studio 2015 Preview Step by Step in a CloudShare Environment!

> Learn about the installation process for Visual Studio 2015 Preview from CloudShare with straightforward and easy-to-follow steps

- Published: 2014-11-29
- Modified: 2024-04-07
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blogcloudshareinstalling-visual-studio-2015-preview-step-by-step-in-a-cloudshare-environment/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Sales enablement

(Last updated in 2018) As you know, Microsoft is currently working in a new version of Visual Studio named Visual Studio 2015. It is currently available as preview in this URL. In this article I will show you how the installation process from CloudShare for Visual Studio 2015 Preview is quite straightforward and easy to follow: Want to save money on SharePoint and have less overhead for general support and maintenance? Talk to our experts! The first thing you have to do is browse the Visual Studio 2015 download page and there click the Get it now button in the Visual Studio Preview tile. Once you click the Get it now button, you will be redirected to the Visual Studio Online login page where you have to type your credentials there. Then, the Visual Studio downloads page is shown. Just click the download arrow for Visual Studio 2015 Preview. When the download dialog is displayed in your PC, just download the Visual Studio 2015 Preview installer and run it so the installation process is started. In the next screen in the installation wizard, simply select all the components you want to install and click the “Install” button. At this moment, you have to be very patient :-) since the installation process will take “some minutes” to download and install all the components in your PC. During the installation process, you will be requested to restart your PC so the Visual Studio 2015 Preview components can be successfully installed. When the...

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### SharePoint 2013 Disaster Recovery- Creating, Testing and Maintaining the DR Plan- Part 3

- Published: 2013-11-30
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sharepoint-2013-disaster-recovery-creating-testing-and-maintaining-the-dr-plan-part-3/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

This article is 3 of 4 articles that cover creating, testing and maintaining a SharePoint DR plan. These articles are from a chapter extract from the book: Microsoft SharePoint 2013 Disaster Recovery Guide.   Creating an Effective Disaster Recovery PlanNow that you have an inventory of each of the components of your SharePoint environment identified threats to the key components of your environment, the next step is to develop your SharePoint DR plan. One thing you should never do is create your SharePoint DR plan in a vacuum. This means you should not develop your SharePoint DR plan without input and feedback from other key stakeholders whether they are IT stakeholders or business stakeholders. Your SharePoint DR plan should be part of a larger business continuity plan (BCP) which is typically driven by business stakeholders. The BCP will identify what sites and components within the SharePoint environment are most critical and what the acceptable levels of downtime are for these items. The BCP should also contain the plan for communicating any downtime to the end users. Identifying Key StakeholdersThe first step in creating an effective SharePoint DR plan is to define the overall scope of the plan and to define the key components that must be restored in the event of a disaster. Having a well-defined scope and knowing the key components will allow for a more productive process of developing your SharePoint DR plan. You begin by working with the key stakeholders within your organization that would be affected...

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### Update VMware Tools on CentOs Linux

> Upgrade VMWare Tools on CentOS 6.3 Using GUI: Update VMware Tools on CentOs Linux

- Published: 2013-03-25
- Modified: 2024-04-02
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/update-vmware-tools-on-centos-linux/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

What is VMWare Tools and why do I need to install it on the guest operating system? VMWare strongly recommends installing VMWare Tools on the guest operating system in order to prevent the loss of important functionality. The VMware Tools package has various essential features such as synchronization of time in the guest operating system with time on the host, support for drag and drop functionality, copying and pasting between guest and host, and improved mouse performance in guest OS. I decided to write this post for those who are not very familiar with Linux systems or prefer using Linux systems with GUI. This is a short guide explaining how to upgrade (or install) VMWare Tools on the CentOS 6. 3 operating system using GUI. In order to determine whether your VMWare Tools are up-to-date, navigate to the virtual machine in VMWare vSphere client -> Click on Summary tab -> General Right click on the Virtual Machine -> Guest -> Install/Upgrade VMWare Tools The Install/Upgrade VMWare Tools wizard will open. Click on the Interactive Tools Upgrade option. This will mount VMWare Tools installation files onto the server. Open your CentOS 6. 3 virtual machine via console mode and log in. Right click on VMwareTools-8. 6. 10-913593. tar. gz -> Extract to... Wait a few moments until the Reading archive process is finished. Specify a folder to extract the installation files to. The extracting files from archive to the chosen folder process can take 2-3 minutes. Open the vmware-tools-distrib folder. Double...

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### HTTP 500 Internal Server Error Explanation & How to fix

- Published: 2013-01-12
- Modified: 2024-04-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/http-500-internal-server-error-explanation-how-to-fix/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Once in a while I encounter an error that doesn't provide any helpful information. This is exactly what happened the other day when I opened my SharePoint 2013 site . I had previously provisioned my SharePoint Server 2013 farm using CloudShare’s pre-configured  templates, that come ready with automated package installation, and snapshots. The lab set up was simple and fast and took me under 5 minutes to provision and under 1 minute to restore it from hibernation. Avoid Future Errors - Use Virtual IT Labs for SharePoint I was happy and satisified with the ease! That quickly vanished when I came to open my site, only to find out that the website cannot display the page due to an HTTP 500 Internal Server Error!  How annoying ? ! First thing I tried to do is open SharePoint Central Administration, to see if I get the same error message. Strangely, I was able to open Central Administration without any errors.   I opened IIS Manager to make sure SharePoint - 80 Application Pool was running, and I noticed that SecurityTokenServiceApplicationPool application pool was stopped.     I started SecurityTokenServiceApplicationPool application pool, refreshed my SharePoint site but that didn't resolve the issue. I opened IIS manager and noticed that SecurityTokenServiceApplicationPool was stopped again. In that case, best thing to do was to open IIS events log and check what's going on with SecurityTokenServiceApplicationPool application pool. The IIS event log showed the warning ID 5021: The identity of application pool SecurityTokenServiceApplicationPool is invalid. The user name or password that is specified...

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### SharePoint Templates: Site Templates for SharePoint 2013

> SharePoint 2013 site templates - get the biggest variety of SharePoint templates. Choose the right template for your business needs on CloudShare

- Published: 2012-12-06
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/sharepoint-templates-site-templates-for-sharepoint-2013/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

(Last updated in 2018) SharePoint 2013 offers a vast variety of out-of-the-box site templates. One of the success factors of your SharePoint deployment is choosing the most suitable site template that meets your business needs. I've been asked many times which site template can serve particular required needs and what differs one template from another, so I decided to write a quick overview of all the available SharePoint 2013 site templates and their common uses. I've also prepared a SharePoint 2013 environment configured with all site types for some hands-on experience. Collaboration Site Templates   Team Site - The most common SharePoint template, mainly used by teams to collaborate, organize, create, and share information and documents. Blog - a site on which a user or group of users write opinions and share information. Developer Site - this site template is focused on Apps for Office development. Developers can build, test and publish their apps here. Project Site - this site template is used for managing and collaborating on a project. Project site coordinates project status and all additional information relevant to the project. Community Site - a site where the community members can explore, discover content and discuss common topics.   Enterprise Site Templates   Document Center - this site is used to centrally manage documents in your enterprise. eDiscovery Center - this site is used to manage, search and export content for investigations matters. Records Center - this site is used to submit and find important documents that should be...

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### How to Install and Configure Exchange 2013 Server

- Published: 2012-08-22
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-install-and-configure-exchange-2013-server/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

To complete the trend, and build on the growing collection of new Microsoft 2013 templates, I started working on an Exchange 2013 Server template, and documented the fun Here! The Exchange 2013 template and permalink will allow you to start exploring how you can use the latest version of Exchange, and see how it integrates with the fresh Microsoft Stack being released. Exchange 2013 showcases better integration with SharePoint and Lync, Social Integration, better compliance and eDiscovery, and much more. Before you jump in, I have also created this permalink with Exchange Server 2013 RTM installed and configured, so you can save yourself the effort. Exchange Server 2013 has been released and has a lot of new features and improvements. In this post I will cover the installation process of Exchange 2013 Server and basic configuration which will enable you to send and receive emails in your organization and over the internet. What do you need to know before we begin? Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 consists of these server roles: Mailbox server role - This role stores mailbox data, performs processing and covers up for client connections that are proxied by the Client Access server. Mailbox servers can be organized into back-end clusters that use database availability groups. Note: If you are installing a multi-server environment this role is recommended to be installed first. Client Access server role – This role accepts mail from and delivers mail to other mail hosts on the Internet. This role also proxies connectivity for...

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### Integrating SharePoint & Azure with CloudShare (Part II)

- Published: 2012-06-21
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/integrating-sharepoint-azure-with-cloudshare-part-ii/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Last week, I explained how to integrate SharePoint & Windows Azure with CloudShare (read the full post here). Today, I will show you how to integrate Windows Azure Marketplace data in SharePoint 2010 sites through a Business Connectivity Service (BCS) connector. The BCS connector is created in Visual Studio 2012 RC (VS 2012 RC) and deployed to a SharePoint 2010 farm. Before we begin, I recommend that you review the definition and goals of the Windows Azure Marketplace on its web portal. It is defined as, "an online market for the buying and selling of finished Software as a Service (SaaS) applications and premium datasets. The Windows Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative cloud based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use. " In order to integrate the Windows Azure Data Marketplace with your CloudShare SharePoint 2010 farm, you will need to create a Windows Azure Marketplace account. This can be done using a Windows Live ID. Once you have signed in, the first thing you should know is how to integrate available data in the marketplace. I will use the dataset, “2006 – 2008 Crime in the United States. ” This can be integrated with our applications easily by referencing the service with the data: https://api. datamarket. azure. com/data. gov/Crimes/ Windows Azure Marketplace allows you to subscribe to datasets like this one and evaluate the information that has been populated: Once we have added the dataset to our Windows Azure Marketplace account, we...

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### How to integrate Team Foundation Server with SharePoint

- Published: 2012-06-11
- Modified: 2023-05-24
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/how-to-integrate-team-foundation-server-with-sharepoint/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

Team Foundation Server 2010 is a product that manages the software development process throughout the IT lifecycle. You can use TFS server to manage your source control, tasks, bugs, storage of build, and test results. Today, I am going to show you how to integrate Team Foundation Server with SharePoint. Access my TFS server integrated with SharePoint now. Although TFS 2010 has its own web access portal, integration of TFS with SharePoint Server 2010 enables your development team to use various helpful features. Each project has its own Project Portal, which provides document management, web publishing, project collaboration, build information, reporting status of the project, and more. It doesn’t matter whether you already have TFS and SharePoint installed and configured in your network, or if you are installing it from scratch. In order to use these features, you need to choose the “Extensions for SharePoint products” option on TFS installation media. I would like to note that TFS needs SQL Server Reporting Services in order to generate the Project status reports and dashboards. If you still don’t have SSRS, please install before continuing with the integration process. Instructions on how to do so are available here. In order to control the integration options between our servers, we need to access the Team Foundation Administration Console. Navigate to your Start menu -> Team Foundation Server 2010 -> Team Foundation Administration Console. First, I will introduce the most important tabs and options in the administration console regarding SP configuration. Afterwards, I will...

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### How to Setup SSRS in SharePoint Integrated Mode

> Here is a short guide to explain how to configure SSRS to be in a SharePoint Integrated mode. Start using SharePoint’s features now!

- Published: 2012-06-01
- Modified: 2023-07-16
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blogcloudsharehow-to-setup-ssrs-in-sharepoint-integrated-mode/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

I installed a SharePoint farm with a SharePoint 2010 SP1 Enterprise server and SQL Server 2008 R2. Check it out here: https://use. cloudshare. com/Pro/ShareEnv/XW55HPP70RLL After I finished the installation and configuration of my new farm I realized that I did not install SQL Server Reporting Services in SharePoint mode or in native mode. Uh – Oh! Luckily, that’s an easy thing to fix. I went to add features to my existing SQL installation. In the feature selection screen I chose install Reporting Services. Want to save money on SharePoint and have less overhead for general support and maintenance? Talk to an expert now! When I got to the Reporting Services configuration screen the only option available was, “Install, but do not configure the report server. ” But, I did not panic. That did not mean I wouldn't be able to configure the SSRS to be in a SharePoint Integrated mode. I've decided to write a short guide to explain how to configure SSRS to be in a SharePoint Integrated mode. 1. After the SSRS installation process finishes on your SQL Server click on Start -> Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 -> Configuration Tools -> Reporting Services Configuration Manager. 2. Choose the Server Name and Reporting Services instance and click on Connect. 3. The following screen is important because it shows us the status of your SSRS server. When you finish your configuration process you can go back to this screen and see the Report Server mode will be set to...

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### How to share files between your local PC and a CloudShare Environment!

> Here are the options for sharing and copying files between a CloudShare SharePoint environment and a PC - Learn how to Transfer Files from Cloud to Computer.

- Published: 2011-11-23
- Modified: 2024-04-03
- URL: https://www.cloudshare.com/blog/blogcloudsharehow-to-share-files-between-your-local-pc-and-a-cloudshare-environment/
- Formats: Blog
- Use Cases: Thought Leadership

One common request when you are working with a remote SharePoint 2010 environment (either virtualized or not) is the ability to easily share or copy files between your local PC and the server machine. For instance, It’s quite probable you need to transfer a certain amount of files from your SharePoint 2010 environment to the local PC when you want to make a backup of all the SharePoint 2010 artifacts (WebParts, Event Handlers, Workflows,... ) you have been developing and testing during the last weeks. Want to save money on SharePoint and have less overhead for general support and maintenance? Talk to our experts! So, the question around the corner when you are using a CloudShare SharePoint 2010 environment is this one: What are the possibilities I have for sharing files with my local PC? Fortunately, as I will explain in this article, there are quite a few possibilities and the recommended one is the great Cloud Folders capability included in CloudShare offering. So, let’s go to the point and review the options we have for sharing and copying files between a CloudShare SharePoint 2010 environment and a local PC: Copy & paste files between environments, what means to use RDP access to CloudShare SharePoint 2010 environment, just make a copy of the desired files and paste either in the local PC or in the server. This approach usually has performance problems when copying files, especially when you are trying to move big files or a great amount of small...

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