How to prepare for and evaluate an LMS demo

More and more companies need an effective LMS for employees who may not traditionally be in the office, working remotely or from different locations. On the other hand, as employers compete for the best new hires, they want to make sure they are hired most effectively, as surprisingly, 14.8% of new hires leave after the first six months.

To find the ideal LMS that meets those needs, you must first have a firm grip on your needs as a business. Read on to learn more about LMS demos, why you need them, how to prepare them, and finally, how to evaluate the LMS product from the demo.

Whether you are a first-time LMS buyer, an experienced LMS practitioner, or something in between, chances are you are reading this article because you know your training program will face challenges. A learning management system can help transform an organization, but like any tool, it also depends on how you use it. We have seen:

To start selecting an LMS for the benefit of your organization, find a vendor you want to work with and organize a demo of their software.

As an entrepreneur or manager, you know resources are limited. It is also important to use your resources wisely. For example, you would never make a major equipment purchase for your business without researching what's available.

Adding a learning management system to your company's learning ecosystem is important to every current and future employee and manager. You want to take the time to choose the best product.

Not all LMS platforms are the same. While many may share similar features, the way features work may not be the same on all platforms. And even if the features are similar, it won't benefit your business if you don't fully understand its capabilities.

As part of your LMS market research, set up a learning management system demo to gain valuable insights into the platforms you care about. But you also want to make sure you're ready for the demo and have a way to evaluate the product - more on that later.

The LMS provider is likely to cover a lot during the short time they demonstrate their LMS platform. The key to getting the most out of your LMS demo is being prepared. Most demos last between 30 and 90 minutes, which can seem like a blur, especially if you're not familiar with learning management systems.

While the LMS rep providing the demo can really talk about the product for that long, you need more of what they have to say in the script.

As part of preparing your LMS demo, we recommend that you provide the company with a list of your needs and expect them to show you how their platform can help meet those needs. You want to understand how the LMS product provides customer support to you and the program administrators. Make sure you can see in the demo how LMS helps you achieve training goals and solve training challenges.

One of the most important parts of getting an LMS for your business is how you prepare. The more you understand your demo needs, questions, and expectations, the more effective the time will be.

Take the time to prepare for an LMS demo by thinking and planning. Many companies stay with an LMS for a longer period of time. Please note that you will have a long-term relationship with this provider and wish to have complete confidence in their customer service.

Not all vendors treat demos equally. You want to ask what is offered in a demo and even indicate what you need to see from the company. Have a clear idea of what you think the LMS should do for you. Consider this two-part list, what the product must have and what it would be nice to have. Then ask the supplier to show you how their product meets these two requirements.

Your business should have an idea of how you will use an LMS, as this will help the demo, vendor show you how their product can meet your needs. Think about who should be part of the demo.

In addition to discovering and reviewing the features, there are also some questions to ask during the LMS demo. For example, you may want to discuss LMS implementation timelines, platform training, and post-purchase support. In addition to the questions, as part of the planning process, consider who within your company should be involved in the process.

When organizing your LMS demo, there are two different user groups to consider: the group that should use it—the students or users—and the trainers and administrators who work with the platform.

You want to evaluate different platforms, such as Green LMS, to make sure they meet the needs of your organization. What will the knowledge and experience of the LMS provider be like with each product? To what extent will the LMS provider provide you with customer support and training as you work with their platform?

Your users will view the LMS product through a different lens than perhaps education administrators, the IT and technology team, or even managers.

Therefore, it is helpful to have representatives from your company who will use the LMS to evaluate the product demo.

This group can evaluate how the LMS meets their needs. Do they get answers to their questions? Is it easy to use? Will the system engage them when they need it to learn? Take detailed notes during each of the platform demos you and your team run. At the end of each LMS demo with the vendor, you will have a second meeting with your stakeholder team to discuss the most recent demo, while it is still fresh in your mind.

Training administrators need to have a different level of understanding of how the platform works. It is recommended that this group see how the product provides customer support when they are working on it.

They will have to consider how to enter the information they need to be part of the LMS and whether it does all the things they need in a way they can understand.

Finally, the training administrators group should evaluate whether the product provides the functionality those employees need within the LMS.

Another essential consideration is who should be present at the demo itself. You want to consider the business stakeholders who will ultimately make the purchase decision. You also want to consider who your users will be. Your future users can provide insights into decision-making that admins may not consider.

You can also include key management team members who are directly interested in purchasing an LMS. They can consider the needs of their departments as part of the LMS demo assessment.

As you explore the platform demos, you should have a system for evaluation. Therefore, it makes sense to know in advance what each demo will be about. Not only will you be prepared for the details covered, but you will also be able to assess the speaker's ability to conduct a meeting.

Many companies will create a spreadsheet listing their needs. As the LMS demo progresses and you learn how features solve your training challenges or benefit your organization, you can "score" functionality on a point scale. It is important to define the scale demo with your team and to keep the scale and demo rating system consistent across all presentations. It's also helpful to have debriefing meetings with your team to discuss how they scored a demo at the end of each demo. With your scorecards calculated and everyone's notes filled in, you can then select your favorite LMS platforms.

After narrowing down key LMS choices and understanding each platform better, you may need to schedule follow-up meetings or phone calls to get answers to specific questions.

At this point, however, you are ready to discuss the hiring and contracting of services and the timing associated with the implementation.

You already understand that your company needs help with training. You know that an LMS platform can help you train new and current employees, keeping them informed and well-trained.

How their platform meets your business needs and goals

How they will support you and your team after the first purchase

If they provide value-added services such as LMS deployment, managed LMS services, or course development

Are you ready to consider an LMS demo? Start your research with a Green LMS demo! Want more information on evaluating a demo first? Our friendly team can help you create an evaluation plan to help you get started on your research.

Contact us today and we'll get back to you within three business hours to start finding an LMS for your business.  Find More About LMS for Education, Corporate LMS, Online Course Creation, Services LMS for Trainers, LMS for Partner Training, Digital Content Development

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