SaaS companies face a critical challenge: ensuring their customers receive effective training that aligns with their evolving needs and expectations. 

As SaaS products mature, there is increasing demand by customers for live training, because users want practical, hands-on training with personalized interaction, immediate feedback, and real-time support.

This can only be done through instructor-led training. Self-service videos and tutorials just aren’t cutting it.

Users need to be able to achieve their business goals with the software. Without understanding the ins and outs of the software and staying up to date on new features and applications, they cannot work effectively. When they have the tools and training needed, they perform better and remain loyal customers.

Houston, we have a problem

When there’s no structured instructor-led training program in place, customers turn to their Customer Success Managers (CSM) to get personalized assistance. Soon enough, CSMs find themselves swamped with time-consuming 1-on-1 training sessions. In fact, research shows that over 30% of their time is spent training customers in this unstructured, unscalable way.

This is a huge drain on company resources.

In her brilliant book “Onboarding Matters” Donna Webber writes: “CSMs are too often the ones delivering product training. Loading CSMs with training responsibilities leads to adding more CSMs every time your customer base grows. That means margins won’t grow, no matter how many new accounts you close. Eventually, your leaders put a stop to hiring new CSMs because it’s just too expensive.”

Clearly, this is not the right approach to training at scale.

SaaS companies need to buckle down and start implementing an effective customer education program that supports its users’ needs and benefits the company’s bottom line.

VILT - the golden standard of scalable customer training

Enter virtual instructor-led training (VILT) – a scalable solution that addresses the shortcomings of traditional training methods. VILT offers personalized, interactive experiences that engage users and drive better outcomes. 

Unlike generic conferencing solutions, dedicated VILT platforms provide a premium hands-on training experience. An interactive virtual classroom allows learners to engage with instructors in real-time, practicing on the software and receiving personalized coaching—all within the same platform. Instructors gain a granular view of learners' activities, ensuring high-quality engagement and timely assistance.

Companies utilizing VILT platforms like Strigo’s report over 80% engagement in sessions – a significant increase compared to generic meeting platforms. And, there's a 30% increase in customer satisfaction, which leads to tangible business outcomes such as reduced support tickets and higher customer satisfaction scores.

Effective training can be a game-changer for SaaS companies. By embracing VILT, companies can answer market demand, elevate their training programs, drive better customer outcomes, and position themselves for long-term success.

To learn more about Strigo's customer education solution for SaaS, and get a demo and free trial, click here.