Using Zoom to Train Merchants on Magento

We know a picture’s worth a thousand words, but that value increases exponentially when it includes a live screen share tutorial!

Most of us learn better by doing, but following along with a video or book presents its own challenges. You can’t just stop a question when something puzzles you. You may need to send an email and wait for a response — and if you’ve only got a small allotment of time to learn something, that wait can really slow you down.

Offering interactive learning to merchants via a video conferencing platform like Zoom provides the perfect solution. By working together, you can show them live how to navigate the Magento dashboard. They can then “play along” on their end, ask questions and get answers in real time.

The biggest benefits?

• Fewer frustrated merchants and fewer questions after the fact.
• You’ll see more clearly the areas where they struggle so you can provide on-the-spot assistance, tips and recommendations.
• Merchants will feel more confident about using the dashboard and feeling empowered to keep their own sites up to date.

Zoom Training Best Practices

1. If your merchants have already begun to investigate the dashboard, ask them to email changes or questions prior to your Zoom meeting. You can use their questions to customize the training session to address specific needs and concerns.
2. Build in opportunities for your merchants to try specific tasks. If they do a screen share, you can follow along and offer suggestions as you watch them.
3. Set expectations ahead of time, including the goals of the session, expectations participants should meet and the level of participation you expect.
4. Go heavier on the interactive elements to encourage that participation. Provide opportunities for the merchants to complete an online task or activity that requires them to practice something you’ve just reviewed.
5. Provide real-life context and stories, and use real scenarios (including those from merchant emails if you’ve received any) to highlight learning opportunities.
6. Pose questions that encourage participants to reflect on the topic, possible issues they might encounter or hypothetical tasks they might need the dashboard to achieve.
7. Maintain that engagement by drawing participants’ attention to the tools and site changes they can do easily from the Magento dashboard offers — and how best to maximize those benefits.
8. Keep class sizes small to allow everyone a chance to participate. Many industry experts say that five is the magic number. If you’re working with larger groups, break it into smaller sizes of two to three people so each merchant has a chance to practice and offer input.
   
   Pro tip: It might benefit both you and your clients to conduct one-on-one tutorials in Zoom. That way, you’ve communicated all the info to one person, that person can ask all the questions they have, and then train the rest of their staff.
9. Know your audience! Some of your merchants may be more familiar than others with the Magento dashboard. Match your pace to the knowledge of your audience; speak clearly, concisely and enthusiastically.
10. Offer plenty of opportunities for feedback, questions and suggestions — and after the session concludes, ask participants what they liked/didn’t like about the training. Invite them to share suggestions for future improvements.
11. Record the Zoom meeting and send the link to the meeting participants for future reference.

If you want someone to reap the highest benefit from a product or service you provide, it makes sense to offer training. Virtual training platforms like Zoom encourage interaction. Participants can ask questions and get immediate answers in real time.

And most of all, when your clients know they can depend on you to support them as they navigate unfamiliar systems, they’ll keep coming back as their needs change.