If your company already prioritizes customer education, odds are good you’re familiar with both in-person instructor-led training (ILT) and virtual instructor-led training (vILT). Both have pros and cons, so how should you choose between them?
We know it’s critical to pair customers with the training method that best suits their learning styles and preferences; otherwise, they might just tune you out. But with vILT and digital learning becoming increasingly popular since the pandemic, should you embrace it wholeheartedly and disregard ILT entirely?
We’re here to help! Below, we cover the differences, benefits, and use cases for both ILT and vILT so you can determine what’s best for your company and its customers.
Understanding ILT (Instructor-Led Training)
Instructor-led training (ILT) involves face-to-face instruction where a product specialist leads a group of learners in a physical or classroom setting.
Since ILT occurs in person, educators can easily teach their customers about their products, promptly answer their questions, and build stronger relationships with them. Participants generally appreciate the immediate feedback and personalized support they receive from instructors. ILT’s structured environment also helps them stay engaged and focused.
ILT is particularly effective for complex products or services that benefit from in-depth discussion, demonstrations, and practical exercises because customers can directly engage with the material and the instructor.
Despite all these benefits, there are some considerations to keep in mind as you weigh different options. For instance, ILT requires a physical location.
This travel requirement often incurs costs and creates logistical challenges for your business, while attendees must make arrangements to attend the session, which can deter their participation.
Another potential downside of ILT is that it’s hard to scale. In other words, it limits the number of people who can participate (because they all need to fit in the physical space) and restricts them to a specific geographic location. This makes it difficult to accommodate large or geographically dispersed groups.
Exploring vILT (Virtual Instructor-Led Training)
Virtual instructor-led training (vILT), on the other hand, uses technology to deliver live, interactive teaching sessions remotely. Participants can join from anywhere with an internet connection.
As virtual communication tools have evolved, so has vILT, offering flexibility and convenience by eliminating the need for attendees (and even educators) to be physically present.
In addition, online training is cost-effective. Unlike ILT, it minimizes travel and accommodation expenses while scaling effortlessly to handle larger groups.
Remote training also broadens access to diverse expertise because instructors and participants can participate from anywhere, enriching the learning experience with different perspectives and specialized knowledge.
On the other hand, for vILT to work, customers must have a reliable internet connection and some working technical knowledge. Unfortunately, technical issues, including audio and video problems, unexpected crashes, platform glitches, and compatibility issues, can easily derail attendees and prevent their participation.
Instructors must also be innovative and charismatic to keep customers interested and motivated to learn. Too many offline distractions can negatively impact training effectiveness.
When to Choose ILT Over vILT
Certain situations make using ILT advantageous compared to vILT. For example, in-person instruction is preferable when customers need to interact directly with the instructor to practically apply the skills they are learning.
When a company wants to physically demonstrate its product, ILT is generally the preferred method because attendees can actively participate under direct supervision to ensure their proficiency and safety.
Cohort learning is also especially effective in an in-person setting. This occurs when a group of learners progress through a course together. Being together in person allows for dynamic discussions, the immediate clarification of concepts, and real-time guidance from teachers, all of which can be hard to replicate with virtual training methods.
In these contexts, ILT improves learning outcomes through immersive experiences and cultivates a deeper understanding of complex products, ideas, and practical applications. It is preferred when customer education requires hands-on participation and direct engagement.
When to Choose vILT Over ILT
vILT is ideal in scenarios where flexibility and accessibility are important. For example, it effectively educates customers worldwide by eliminating geographical barriers and allowing participants to join from anywhere.
vILT is also advantageous in industries where the product is rapidly changing, and customers need to be frequently updated on changes to the product, such as software-as-a-service (SaaS). In this case, the information must be disseminated quickly and in an easy-to-understand manner.
Similar industries, such as technology, where ongoing updates are commonplace and scalability is crucial, also benefit significantly from e-learning. It guarantees timely and consistent product training across multiple diverse locations at once.
Blending ILT and vILT for Optimal Results
So, who says you have to pick one method and use it exclusively? No one! You can switch between the two or offer a blended learning experience that combines the strengths of both methods.
To recap, ILT benefits include:
- Direct interaction
- Instant feedback
- Tailored support
- Hands-on practice
- Structured environment
Meanwhile, the primary vILT advantages are as follows:
- Scalable
- Cost-effective
- Flexible and convenient
- Broader range of instructors
- Lacks geographical limitations
When implementing a hybrid model, you can leverage ILT’s personal interaction and hands-on practice alongside vILT’s accessibility and cost-effectiveness. The key is to tailor the delivery of your customer education program to fit your exact needs.
For example, a technology company might start with an ILT kickoff session to educate new customers and host several workshops to showcase its products. It might then transition to vILT for its ongoing training modules, covering software updates and future changes to the product, allowing customers to participate from different locations at their own convenience.
To develop your own blended learning strategy, follow these steps:
- Analyze customer education needs and your available resources.
- Consider your goals, audience, and constraints to determine the optimal mix of ILT and vILT. For instance, complex products benefiting from practical applications might best suit ILT, while more theoretical or frequently updated content can be covered through vILT.
- Balance in-person and virtual sessions to maximize training effectiveness, ensuring the blend is cohesive and aligns with your overall objectives.
Implementing a hybrid approach ensures comprehensive customer education that is interactive, adaptable, and convenient.
Enhance Customer Education With Thought Industries
Whether adopting an ILT, vILT, or a hybrid model, businesses that implement customer education programs minimize churn and improve CSAT. Contact Thought Industries today to learn more about its dynamic, experiential, and award-winning external learning platform—and how it will benefit your retention rate.
In collaboration with Thought Industries, use ILT and vILT to maximize the effectiveness of your customer education program for years to come.
