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Overview (Child)

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Ever seen a code of laws up close? It’s a thing to behold. The online version of the first book of the <a href="http://www.dutchcivillaw.com/civilcodebook01.htm">Dutch Civil Code</a> alone already has a word count of over 79.000 words, spread across 20 chapters and 462 articles. And all that text also contains very specific legalese. Intense.Government and legislative lawyers obviously need to stay on top of all these laws. They also need to be able to interpret and contextualise them, in order to provide sound advice. Being able to do so requires more than just a law degree. At law school, the fun’s just getting started.Even after graduation, lawyers need to keep honing their skills and expertise. To do so, government and legislative lawyers follow training programmes like the ones hosted by the Academy for Legislation.In today’s Training Improvement Story, we show you how the Academy for Legislation took a pre-existing masterclass and turned it into a successful, meaningful <a target="_blank" href="https://www.anewspring.com/learning-concepts/blended-learning">blended training</a> programme. This allowed them to offer learners a proper learning experience, both online and offline.

Challenge 1: There is a high demand for courses, but experts have little time to train in their already busy schedules.

Challenge 2: Making blended classroom masterclasses is the solution, but there is a lack of expertise to do so.

Solution: In collaboration with SMEs, Training Improvement Engineer Puck created strong learning content and helped turn the course into a blended format via aNewSpring.

Result: 70% of the learners activated their online learning environment three days before the course started and they rated the e-learning with an 8,2.

Looking for a sneak peek? Here's a list what you'll read about in this training improvement story:

A quick glance

The organisation

The top training institute for legislative lawyers

About Academy for Legislation

The Academy for Legislation focuses on building training programmes that help legislative lawyers stay up to date with contemporary legal knowledge. Together with the Academy for Government Lawyers, they are the Dutch national government’s number one training facility for legal experts.Legislative and government lawyers have a wide range of responsibilities. Consider things like giving legal advice, handling objection and appeal cases, drawing up contracts, but also writing and implementing laws and regulations. To do these things well, they need to be aware of all the latest legal developments.

Huge demand

Huge demand for training skills of Dutch government experts

We spoke to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannekebezemer/">Hanneke Bezemer</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/renske-kersbergen-tiemens-814a1a107/">Renske Kersbergen</a>, Training Coordinators at the Academy for Legislation, about their current challenges, what’s currently going on at the Academy and how all of this led to a renewed collaboration with aNewSpring.This collaboration took the shape of turning an existing masterclass into a blended learning journey. This masterclass, ‘Ruimte in Regels’ (“Relaxing/Stretching the Rules”) is an initiative and instrument of the governmental organisation Professionals for Customisation in Multi-Problem Cases (<a href="https://maatwerkmultiproblematiek.nl/">PMM</a>). We’ll get back to this in a bit, it’s a nice story. Promise!First of all, it’s important to note that the Academy for Legislation has access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise, in-house as well as externally.Despite the enormous amount of expertise at the Academy’s disposal, subject matter experts – who often contribute to these training programmes outside their regular jobs – face considerable time restraints.

Hanneke Bezemer: “We’re experiencing huge demand from ministries and implementing agencies to develop these training programmes. Sometimes, getting access to the right training providers proves to be tricky. Not all of these subject matter experts are able to teach more than once or twice a year, as giving training is added to their regular workload.”It seems that, in order to meet the high demand for legal training programmes, other, more scalable training methods are required.

Expertise at scale

Offering relevant expertise at scale

For the most part, the Academy of Legislation’s training programmes take place in the classroom. But training in person puts pressure on the schedules of the people teaching the courses.Renske Kersbergen: “We experimented with an online training facilitated by aNewSpring around ten years ago for the first time. Back then, we ran the course quite a few times, but eventually stopped using it.”Some five years ago, the Academy decided they wanted to pick up blended learning once more. This learning type consists of different forms of learning, which learners can experience both online and offline.When the pandemic forced people to become more accustomed to interacting online, their plan gained momentum. The next challenge: getting all the involved stakeholders aligned on how to proceed.

Stakeholders and experts

Collaboration between multiple stakeholders and experts

In order to successfully launch this completely new blended learning project, it was crucial to make sure several stakeholders were on the same page.Apart from training coordinators Hanneke and Renske, initially, subject matter expert <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-van-tienen-6544114a/">Frank van Tienen</a>, lawyer at <a href="https://pelsrijcken.nl/">Pels Rijcken</a>, was also closely involved with the project.As for SMEs that would eventually be teaching the courses? That would be Karolien Runia, lawyer, labour expert and customisation coordinator at the <a href="https://www.uwv.nl/">UWV</a>, and Saskia van Muiswinkel, director of the National Portal for Customisation and Multi-Problems at PMM.Add Puck Onnekes, Training Improvement Engineer at aNewSpring, and we were looking at a true all-star team to make this blended learning dream come true.The plan? Turning the pre-existing, successful masterclass ‘Ruimte in Regels’ into an enriched learning experience, with both online and offline elements. This masterclass is one of many instruments PMM offers in their professional development pillar. The reason for adding e-learning to the course was that they would now be able to reach a wider audience.

From masterclass to e-learning

Turning an existing masterclass into successful e-learning

The masterclass ‘Ruimte in Regels’ was developed for lawyers and policymakers at municipalities and in the national government (policy and executive organisations), whose day-to-day jobs involve delivering customised solutions.In order to help households dealing with multiple problems (‘multi-problem households’), it’s often necessary to come up with custom solutions. Legislative and regulatory bodies try to facilitate these types of customised solutions to the best of their abilities.But in some situations, the rules don’t provide enough wiggle room, or the combination of several rules only makes problems worse. It may also happen that, although the space for customisation is there, it’s not used optimally. That’s about it for a quick contextualisation of this (rather complex) legal topic.The main challenge when redoing the masterclass was: how do we turn an in-person learning journey into one that partially takes place online, in the most thorough way possible? And how do we make sure this online experience improves the in-person part of the training?

Collaboration aNewSpring

The decision to work with aNewSpring

Because the Academy for Legislation’s team had already worked on an online training with aNewSpring before, the organisation was once again included in the procurement process.Hanneke Bezemer: “We were actually in touch with several parties. But we had access to and were familiar with the aNewSpring learning journey platform already, which we found to be very user-friendly.”The final deciding factor? “There was a financial component, but we also very much appreciated the open, pleasant communication we had with aNewSpring from the start. Besides, the extra service provided by Training Improvement Engineer, Puck, played a large part in our decision.”Turning the ‘Ruimte in Regels’ masterclass into blended learning didn’t happen in a day. In order to create the very subject-specific e-learning, Puck needed to align with the Academy of Legislation’s subject matter experts.

The right learning content

Creating the right learning content, together

Initially, a bit of searching was necessary to discover the optimal collaboration among Puck, the training coordinators at the Academy, and subject matter experts Saskia and Karolien.What was everyone expected to do, specifically? What’s the best division of roles? How do we ensure the subject matter experts’ unique knowledge is best applied in the online experience of the e-learning?One of the stakeholders involved is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/karolien-runia-93b75217/">Karolien Runia</a>, customisation coordinator at the UWV, an organisation that has to deal with a lot of legal customisation. Karolien had prior experience at the UWV with a well-designed e-learning, which also included a complimentary workshop.For her, an online learning journey like this was nothing new. Karolien: “I already had a positive attitude towards using e-learning. It’s efficient and it saves trainers like me time commuting. Besides that, it allows you to reach more learners and speeds up the learning process.”Karolien was very appreciative of the collaboration with Puck. “The whole process was organised efficiently. We had some back and forths on the content itself. But I really enjoyed the collaboration. It was directed properly.”

Aside from Karolien, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/saskia-van-muiswinkel-59795313/">Saskia van Muiswinkel</a>, the other subject matter expert and trainer for the ‘Ruimte in Regels’ masterclass, also mentioned she thoroughly enjoyed the collaboration.Saskia is the director of the National Portal for Customisation and Multi-Problems at PMM. This organisation offers an entrypoint at the Dutch national government for professionals that get stuck on complex case work. The ‘Ruimte in Regels’ masterclass is one of the PMM’s instruments.While Saskia was new to using blended learning, she’s convinced of its benefits: “It’s efficient, especially in case of a training like this that depends on a heavy theoretical framework. And with a mixed group of learners like those attending the Academy of Legislation’s courses, it helps when people can learn at their own pace.”This mixed group of learners partially consists of lawyers that could work through the learning content quite quickly. At the same time, this group could also use the course to get an enriched learning experience through video content and extensive reports on things like the parliamentary inquiry into Fraud Policy and Services.“But learners who aren’t as familiar with the course content can now absorb it at their own pace,” Saskia explains. “I find that a very positive characteristic of the blended learning approach.”She also warns that customisation, the masterclass’s topic, is a field that’s rapidly developing. Meaning it’s essential to try to keep the e-learning up-to-date as much as possible, and to keep an eye out for any changes in legislation.

As subject matter experts, Karolien and Saskia mainly contributed in areas that e-learning participants encounter in practice. Especially when it comes to legal matters, practical guidance and real-world examples are very helpful. Sometimes even crucial.Saskia: “When you’re dealing with heavy theory, article number such and such of the Dutch General Administrative Law Act, I personally feel like I need to hear: who are we talking about, exactly? Give me a concrete example. Which is why Karolien and I included both case studies and examples from jurisdiction when we were building the e-learning.”Ultimately, Puck Onnekes was responsible for building the content for the online learning journey. Quite the challenge, since, prior to the collaboration, she hadn’t really come into contact with the topic of custom solutions in administrative law before.Puck: “I had documents and slides at my disposal that had previously been used during the masterclass, but not much of it could be included directly. This meant I really needed to rely on the knowledge of the experts. It was an amazing challenge, which led to quite a few in-depth discussions.”According to Puck, the results don’t lie. “You clearly notice how the e-learning contributes to the in-person part of the masterclass. That was the goal we wanted to achieve together.”

Apart from the collaboration between training coordinators, trainers/subject matter experts and the Training Improvement Engineer, the success of a learning journey wholly depends on the way it’s received by learners. How did these learners experience the new, blended format for the ‘Ruimte in Regels’ masterclass?

A more effective masterclass with happy learners

First, let’s give you some more context on the ‘blended’ aspect of the new masterclass. One of the additions of blended learning was through aNewSpring’s survey feature.This feature made it possible to ask learners preliminary questions like: “What is your opinion on custom solutions in administrative law?” They were also presented with a specific example and asked whether they would opt for a custom solution in this case.Previously, these questions were part of a digital intake process, already. The format of this intake was amended using aNewSpring’s survey feature.Hanneke Bezemer: “We combined the original intake with the survey feature, giving us centralised access to the answers. This gives everyone involved an easier overview of the results. You can simply download all the answers as an export, which means you get insight into the results at the click of a button. It’s amazing.”The Academy for Legislation exports these results, which are very easy to extract from aNewSpring’s learning journey platform. This gives trainers Karolien and Saskia a good overview of their learners’ answers. Karolien: “Apart from that, it’s convenient to be able to see at what percentage learners have completed their e-learning.”Saskia: “It can be complicated to give direction to the groups we train, because of big differences in the basic knowledge individual learners possess. Which is why it’s so important to know who completed the e-learning, before the masterclass kicks off.”<h3>Importance of the data</h3>She also mentions how it’s important to get a good grasp of learners’ attitudes to the specific topic of custom solutions in administrative law, and how often they encounter this in their day-to-day jobs. This facilitates a group conversation on the topic of custom solutions, right from the start of the course.Data shows that at least 70% of the learners activated their online learning environment three days before the course starts. And there were also two moments in which learners were asked to evaluate the course. These showed they considered the e-learning to be a valuable addition, with an average grade of 8,2.

Saskia: “The in-person part of the course is quite brief. With the survey feature, we could get a clear picture of who would be attending the course. Not just their names and job titles, but also what their perception of custom solutions in administrative law were. We can use that information to get group conversations going during the in-person part of the course.”It turns out the online part of the learning journey was a huge enrichment of the in-person part of the masterclass. Apart from the added efficiency created by merging the intake and the original survey questions, the masterclass itself also became more effective due to the use of blended learning.

What’s next?

Futureproofing traineeships, potentially by adding e-learning, too

So, what’s next? What does a future collaboration between aNewSpring and the Academy for Legislation look like? Are there any other blended learning projects planned?Hanneke Bezemer: “First of all, this revisited masterclass is the first time we’re offering a long-term course that partly takes place online. We don’t have any concrete plans for similar projects at the moment.”“Right now, we’re focusing on our traineeships. What will those look like in the future? How can we make sure they’re future-proof? We’re not sure whether e-learning will play a part in those, but we are having those discussions.”Puck is also aware of these internal conversations. She knows what’s going on at the Academy, and is ready to assist and advise where needed in her role as Training Improvement Engineer. Especially when there are questions regarding what type of learning content is or isn’t suitable for an online approach, her expertise can be of great use.As far as an iteration on the ‘Ruimte in Regels’ masterclass is concerned, Saskia van Muiswinkel has some ideas of her own: “The e-learning currently consists of quite a lot of reading material. I’d love to know whether it’s possible to make this even more interactive. I’m curious as to the possibilities. I’m sure they know all about what’s possible over at aNewSpring.”

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Customer Story

Customer Stories

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training improvement

In this Training Improvement Story, the Academy for Legislation took a pre-existing masterclass and turned it into a successful, meaningful blended training programme.

Academy for Legislation: The ideal blend of online and offline learning

The ideal blend of online and offline learning

Academy for Legislation

&quot;In the end, we trained 75 different groups, had 1,725 learners, there were 256 master classes, 1,260 certificates and the knowledge clips were viewed 33,335 times.&quot;Impressive figures shared by Tele&#039;Train at the 2020 aNewSpring Awards.

The learning journey

Blended curriculum for the Ministry of Internal Affairs

&quot;Learning happens when you are surprised and amazed,&quot; says Hilde Dijksterhuis. A blended curriculum was developed for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and it was built around four master classes, each lasting a half-day.Due to the amount of information, aNewSpring opted for a learning journey that includes several aspects: a knowledge test regarding legal information, a knowledge forum where questions can be send to experts that are answered within 24 hours, and the MemoTrainer app.An ideal route has been mapped out for employees that best prepares them for the master classes and the final result.

The result

<h3>The result</h3>With this learning journey, Tele&#039;Train made learning dry laws and regulations more interesting by making optimal use of the possibilities of aNewSpring. Think of different learning forms such as video, animation, knowledge quizzes via the MemoTrainer, online knowledge clips, blogs and assignments.

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workplace learning

With this learning journey, Tele'Train has given dry laws and regulations a new look by making optimal use of the possibilities of aNewSpring.

Tele'Train: Dry laws and regulations given a new look

Dry laws and regulations made interesting

Tele'Train

Let’s be honest—many of us have experienced those impersonal, one-size-fits-all training sessions that feel more like box-ticking exercises than actual learning. The rise of &#039;Netflix for learning&#039; models, where users choose and consume self-paced courses, seems convenient at first.However, the reality is that this often lacks the engagement, coaching and real-world application necessary for true professional growth. Companies frequently find that this model doesn’t deliver significant results, leading them to search for more customised and impactful learning solutions.

Blended approachPersonalised learning addresses this issue by customising the experience to fit the specific needs and preferences of customers and learners. Instead of choosing e-learning only, many training providers take a blended approach: combining elements like self-paced online activities with individual coaching, hands-on activities and live sessions. This approach encourages a deeper connection to the material. This way, professional development becomes a more meaningful and effective process.But how do you create training that is more engaging, personalised and has that human touch, while still keeping it scalable? That’s exactly where training provider Cambiana makes the difference.

Cambiana

Cambiana is a training and coaching company that designs personalised leadership and team development programmes for businesses of all sizes. They offer learning experiences that are adaptable and flexible, available as fully online, face-to-face sessions or a combination of the two.Cambiana’s programmes cover a wide range of subjects, including communication, change management, teamwork and personal growth. The company operates globally, offering training in multiple languages and focusing on measurable results that help organisations and individuals see the impact of their learning. Since they started in 2011, Cambiana has worked with over 75,000 learners around the world.

The challenge

Impersonal & unstructured learning paths

Cambiana’s founder, Gaëlle Piernikarch, was ahead of the curve, realising the potential of technology to improve learning even before the pandemic hit. She recognised a growing demand for training that is flexible and personalised—learning journeys that not only teach skills, but also lead to long-term behavioural change.However, the early versions of their training were not as flexible as they envisioned them to be. The company&#039;s initial digital tools didn’t fully deliver on their promise. The standard e-learning options available at the time were not adaptable or engaging enough.

The difficultiesFirst, there was no coherent and structured learning path for learners, particularly when combining self-paced activities with live sessions. This lack of structure made it difficult for learners to navigate their journey and ensure consistent progress. Without a clear, integrated path, learners often got lost on their journey, struggling to connect the different components of their training.Additionally, creating customised versions of each course for different clients was a hassle. Customisation, such as adding industry-specific examples or case studies, was time-consuming and inefficient. The old platform did not easily support tailoring content to the specific needs of individual clients, making it challenging for Cambiana to deliver personalised training at scale.The platform also lacked a variety of didactically sound learning activities. Key elements like reflection exercises, feedback activities and other interactive tools—essential for deep learning—were either missing or difficult to implement. This restricted the ability to fully engage learners and drive long-term behavioral change.

The concept

Focus on personalisation

To solve this problem, Cambiana developed a new approach to training, focusing on flexibility, engagement, and personalisation. They created a learning journey, in which they use a dynamic blend of e-learning modules, personal coaching sessions and interactive exercises aimed at supporting the growth and development of every learner. This approach combines the convenience of on-demand learning—where learners can go through material at their own pace—with live sessions that provide real-time interaction and support.

A human touchAt the heart of Cambiana’s method is personalisation. Every learning journey is customised to fit the individual needs and goals of learners, whether they are new leaders, experienced executives or team members looking to develop new skills. Using technology and insights from personal assessments, the company ensures the training is relevant, effective and aligned with the learner’s career growth.Cambiana also recognises the value of different training methods and offers a balanced approach. While &#039;Netflix for learning&#039; models might offer convenience with self-paced e-courses, they often lack engagement, relevance, and human connection. Cambiana counters this with a personal and motivating approach, ensuring that learning is not just consumed but truly absorbed and applied. Their e-courses provide the flexibility of short, manageable sessions that fit into a learner’s daily routine, ideal for those who prefer a self-paced style.However, Cambiana understands that many learners still appreciate the human touch—a key element missing from many standard e-learning platforms. Bringing 20 people together for in-person training can be challenging. So, the company has designed programmes that customise to specific roles, industries or company needs, combining e-learning with personal coaching and reflective sessions. This hybrid approach creates a thorough and effective learning experience that not only transfers knowledge but also ensures measurable outcomes. Cambiana continues to coach learners across multiple courses, supporting their growth as they progress in their careers.

Cambiana came to aNewSpring in search of a training improvement engine to power their ambition to create engaging, adaptable and personalised learning journeys for their clients, and it proved to be the perfect fit. With its modular setup and wide range of interactive tools, aNewSpring gave Cambiana the flexibility they needed to design dynamic learning programmes that could easily be customised and scaled.The learning journey platform now allows them to offer a seamless blend of various learning activities in a clear, organised timeline. This ensures that learners always know what to expect, making their progression through the course more intuitive and structured. No more learners lost in the labyrinth.

Going beyond simple knowledge transferThey can also easily create multiple versions of the same course, tweak content to include industry-specific examples or case studies, and even combine existing modules to build entirely new, personalised training experiences. That means more happy customers and heaps of time saved, that can now be invested in helping individual learners succeed.Moreover, the platform’s variety of interactive tools introduced a greater range of didactically sound activities, such as reflection exercises and feedback sessions. This enriches the learning experience, improving knowledge retention and encouraging the practical application of skills. As a result, Cambiana’s training programmes now foster significant professional growth for participants in various business environments, going beyond simple knowledge transfer to drive lasting behavioural change.

Strong sense of community among learners

Cambiana’s new approach has delivered impressive results. Learners report gaining practical skills and knowledge that they can apply directly in their roles. They also feel more confident and better equipped to tackle challenges at work. These outcomes are reflected in the positive feedback collected through mid-term and end-of-programme evaluations, which show high levels of engagement and satisfaction.

Learner testimonialsOne participant praised the training structure, noting: &quot;Modules are clear, structured. The material isn&#039;t overwhelming, and it&#039;s self-paced. The training gives clarity on what are the important topics to work on.&quot;In the Becoming a Leader course, Cambiana asked their learners if they would recommend it to their network, and all of them responded with a resounding &quot;YES&quot;.Additionally, a client highlighted the impact of the program on leadership development, saying: &quot;The recruiting aspects and the reflection on your personal leadership focusses were particularly impactful.&quot;Learners particularly value the personalised support they receive throughout their training journey. This has helped Cambiana create a strong sense of community among their learners, even in online settings. By mixing technology with human interaction, they ensure that learners are not only learning but also building meaningful connections with coaches and fellow learners.

Cambiana has been nominated for the 2024 Training Improvement Award.

About the training

The impact of Cambiana’s programmes goes beyond knowledge transfer. Learners experience real behavioural changes and understand how to apply what they’ve learned in their everyday work, leading to improved team dynamics and stronger leadership skills. The company tracks these outcomes using both quantitative measures, like retention rates and qualitative feedback, as well as qualitative feedback, ensuring that they continuously improve their offerings based on actual results.Cambiana even sees customers who had switched to one-size-fits-all training libraries return, seeking the relevance, personal touch and meaningful interaction that those solutions lacked.

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Many training providers opt for a blended approach, combining online learning with coaching and live sessions. But how can you make training more engaging, personal, and scalable?

Cambiana: Empowering growth through personalised Learning Journeys

Empowering growth through personalised Learning Journeys

It probably sounds familiar: the material you heard during lessons in secondary school often went in one ear and out the other. No matter how passionately a teacher spoke about their subject, the theory didn&#039;t stick for long. Because, let&#039;s be honest, how much do you still remember about the French Revolution?Many professionals find themselves in a similar situation after attending training sessions throughout their careers. Despite the dedication of trainers, the lessons often fail to leave a lasting impact. Sales Academy recognised that their sales training wasn&#039;t sticking with their learners either. It was time for a new strategy. They developed a ‘glue’ in the form of a hybrid learning journey designed to make the knowledge stick.

Interactive learning experiences for sales professionals

Sales Academy

Sales Academy is a training provider for sales professionals. Their blended training programmes focus on improving sales skills and building strong customer relationships. Key training topics include customer acquisition, retention, development, negotiation, and sales management.

The problem

The learning content doesn't stick with learners

For years, Sales Academy delivered sales training in a traditional style: half-day or full-day sessions held on-site, where the trainer addressed the theory and facilitated exercises with the learners.While learners often returned to their workplaces feeling highly motivated, feedback frequently indicated that there hadn’t been any significant changes for learners in their work practices. The new knowledge and skills failed to stick, and they fell back into old behaviours.One-time training sessions resulted in learners quickly forgetting what they had learned.

According to Arja van der Valk, founder of Sales Academy, people tend to fall back into old habits because it feels safe. Telling learners how to do things differently during a one-off training day has little effect. As soon as the sales professionals leave the classroom, they return to their familiar way of handling clients.The challenge, therefore, lies in changing a habit. This cannot be achieved with a single training day, which is often even perceived as &#039;annoying&#039; by learners because it interrupts their daily work.Sales Academy had previously experimented with e-learning, but this was initially unsuccessful. Their first experience with online learning was uncomfortable: it often felt complicated and the dynamic was lacking. As a result, they tried a different approach: covering the theory in two online training days and providing feedback on learners&#039; skills during live sessions.Unfortunately, this approach also faced difficulties. Learners became tired from sitting in front of the computer all day and struggled to absorb the information.

An unforgettable hybrid training

Although the first experiment with online learning was unsuccessful, Arja and Nicoline didn&#039;t give up and kept looking for the glue to make their sales training stick. In 2023, they created a new design and started testing several training programmes. They made adjustments based on extensive feedback from their learners and this now forms the core of their 2024 curriculum.The two days of online theory were split up in parts that were smaller and more manageable, resulting in a great combination of microlearning and preliminary theoretical education.

Convenience is keyAccording to Arja, a platform that puts learners&#039; convenience first was a necessity to achieve this. Learners prefer a flexible learning environment that allows them to learn when and where they want, without their working day being interrupted.Sales Academy stumbled upon aNewSpring through one of their customers. The platform fit their needs: it&#039;s user-friendly for both learners and the people who develop the training. Splitting up the training into smaller sections turned out to be easy. It helps learners absorb the material better, while still maintaining have a clear overview and knowing exactly what is expected of them. On top of that, the shorter sessions minimise the chance that they get tired easily or even drop out.

By addressing the theory online, there are numerous opportunities for practice and feedback during the live sessions. The combination of online and offline learning builds confidence in learners: they are better prepared, know what is expected of them and have the space to make mistakes while practicing. Confidence grows through preparation. Additionally, learners feel more engaged and motivated due to interactive assignments and microlearning.

Sales actorsDuring the live sessions, Sales Academy employs sales actors to create authentic practice scenarios. Learners role-play customer situations to refine their sales skills and gain confidence in the new approach. They also receive immediate feedback on what works well and what could be improved.Additionally, Sales Academy offers client simulation sessions, where two sales actors mimic customer interactions. Learners give the actors directions on how to handle the scenarios, based on what they&#039;ve learned.

The Sales WhispererTheir latest concept is the Sales Whisperer Show: a powerful learning experience for larger groups that reflects the daily practice of sales with humour and lightness. Learners receive practical tips that are &#039;whispered&#039; to them. These tips are often packaged in playful acronyms that are easy to remember. These small, clever reminders assist in improving sales results and boost the ability to engage with customers.

Discover more about the Saleswhisperer

This combination of practical tips and realistic exercises ensures that learners not only gain knowledge but also grow in their role as sales professionals. The training provides not only new information but also the confidence to apply that knowledge in practice. And that is exactly what you need to succeed in the world of sales.

One percent better every day

Intensively practicing the knowledge and skills enables learners to apply those more effectively in real-life situations. They now have permanent access to sales knowledge in their pockets, allowing them to refresh their understanding whenever and wherever they need it. The different content formats are highly appreciated, as they are adapted to personal needs.Feedback from learners indicates that the new approach is effective. “We want people to get one percent better every day,” says Nicoline Huizinga, L&amp;D Consultant at Sales Academy. “And we apply that mindset to ourselves as well. That’s why we continuously seek feedback and adapt our programme based on that input.”

Sales Academy has been nominated for the 2024 Training Improvement Award.

Arja and Nicoline about the training

Sales Academy continues to innovate and improve. It remains essential to inspire and engage learners, so they can apply the knowledge gained and avoid falling back into old habits. With continuous feedback loops and a commitment to on-the-job coaching, Sales Academy ensures that the learning experience remains dynamic and that learners actively participate. The transition to blended learning journeys not only makes the training more effective but also contributes to the ongoing development of sales skills.With their innovative approach and focus on continuous improvement, Sales Academy illustrates that more is needed than just transmitting knowledge for learning to truly stick.

Sometimes, the material doesn’t stick with learners. This was also the case for Sales Academy until a new hybrid approach transformed their training into an unforgettable experience

Sales Academy: Unforgettable sales training

Unforgettable sales training with a hybrid learning method

Gilde-BT specialises in IT, outsourcing and training. They have developed a preboarding concept based on virtual reality and e-learning, which is used before the onboarding process begins. This helps the company and the new employee avoid misunderstandings and ensures a uniform training that also complies with safety regulations.

Chaotic onboarding, heavy workload and misconceptions

Hiring new employees can be quite draining for companies. Not only do they need to be recruited, but also onboarded and given the appropriate safety instructions. This puts pressure on existing staff and can lead to inconsistency when different people are responsible for the entire process. Moreover, the risk of new colleagues burning out is often higher than desired, as there may be a discrepancy between expectations and reality. This is why it&#039;s important to be able to present a complete and accurate picture.

Gilde-BT specializes in IT, outsourcing, and training. They have developed a preboarding concept based on virtual reality and e-learning, which is used before the onboarding process begins.

Customer stories

Academy for Legislation: The ideal blend of online and offline learning

Customer stories

Tele'Train: Dry laws and regulations given a new look

Cambiana: Empowering growth through personalised Learning Journeys

Sales Academy: Unforgettable sales training

Gilde-BT: Preboarding based on VR and e-learning

Moos + Spike: Supporting palliative care providers through blended training

Ontwikkelpad: Creating effective online training as an independent trainer

Oktober: An online learning journey for those who are not yet online

SPV: Making the Netherlands a safer place through blended training

Voluyt: Practical training to independently identify and resolve bottlenecks

CowSignals: Through online preparation and follow-ups to valuable contact moments

Training for stress-resilient emergency drivers

Academy for Legislation: The ideal blend of online and offline learning

Calco: training IT-experts with blended learning and brain principles