Flexible Microlearning Training Program Improves Employee Readiness

Challenge

The purpose of Telefónica Vivo is “digitizing to bring closer.” Telefónica Vivo is a leading company in the telecommunication and digital services market with over 5.5 million connected homes and companies in Brazil.

For the Brazilian B2B market, Vivo has a portfolio of more than 120 services and products, supported by more than 1,000 Business Managers (BMs). BMs are responsible for commercializing this portfolio, facing the challenge of identifying and offering the best solution for each customer. Low completion rates for technical and synchronous training delivered in 2022 necessitated a more flexible and engaging approach for the extremely busy BMs.

Solution

In partnership with Vivo’s training team, GP Strategies developed the company’s largest B2B eLearning certification path for upskilling, just-in-time learning, and mobile learning. Together with the Vivo Go To Market (GTM) team, GP organized the learning paths for BMs by pillars, in which each course addressed a Vivo product or service.

The goal of the training program is to:

1. Deliver training about the company’s B2B portfolio that BMs can access anytime, anywhere.
2. Increase training completion rates through a fully online program with knowledge pills and a track organized by products and services.
3. Encourage training access on BMs’ mobile phones so they can fit the training into their busy work schedules and external activities.
4. Enable BMs to identify the benefits and differentiators of the Vivo products and services that are ideal for their clients; increasing sales conversion.

Each course for the B2B Training Program contained four to six educational objects, taking an average of two hours of the learner’s time. The courses included one-pagers, digital magazines, infographics, animated videos, podcasts, interactive activities, gamification elements, exercises, and assessments. In 2023, Vivo and GP developed 65 courses across ten pillars, comprising over 130 hours of training.

The courses were available on the company’s LMS and accessible via desktop or through a mobile app. Learners could choose their training and revisit that content as many times as needed.

The partnership developed the mobile-first content with accessibility in mind, including features such as using appropriate language, optimized contrast and color, subtitles, digital audio reading availability, and digital reading by sign language interpreters (app integrations).

A communications plan promoted the program’s launch through Vivo’s internal digital channels with video teasers, emails, presentations, and stickers.

The program allowed business managers to broaden their knowledge range, feeling that training was truly a work tool. It was a game-changer in the go-to-market area and improved the company’s results.”

Renata Netto, Telefónica Vivo’s training lead

Results

The B2B Training program provided mobile-first learning with a microlearning experience to facilitate the learner’s journey based on problem-solving and situational awareness with practical, real-world applications. Vivo BMs could access and consult their training at any moment, so a BM could easily and quickly prepare for a sales visit by reviewing the content and identifying the best approach for their client.

The courses launched in April 2023 to all Telefónica Vivo’s BMs in Brazil, and the results were extremely positive:

• Average training hours per employee grew exponentially from four hours in 2022 to 65 hours in 2023—a growth of 1,525%.
• The number of BMs trained rose year-over-year from 432 to 989.
• Training completion rate improved from 36% to 92.95%.
• Learner assessment scores averaged 90 out of 100.
• 2023 learner evaluations scored the training at 4.85 out of 5.
• The average B2B user’s monthly mobile logins increased from 80 before the program to 189 after the program.

The B2B Training program not only provided knowledge but also directly impacted business outcomes with extraordinary sales growth. BMs closed an average of 30 opportunities per month before the program, a success rate that increased 222% to 97 closed opportunities per month after the program. Vivo recognizes the program as a benchmark in training and outcomes within the company, serving as inspiration for other departments seeking to optimize their development programs. Its exemplary journey highlights the importance of investing in mobile eLearning strategies to achieve sustainable success in an ever-evolving marketplace. The program, already in phase two, has integrated new courses for 2024.