Think Like a Marketer

Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro Before They Learn, They Have to Care Hi friends, After a recent webinar, I did what every normal person does after speaking for an hour. I read the chat log like it was a crime scene investigation. And it told me exactly where L&D is getting stuck. Not in the theory. Not in the models. Not even in the course design. The problem starts earlier. It starts with the invitation. Course titles that sound like tax forms. LMS descriptions nobody reads....

Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro Marketing = Memory Making Hey there, Quick question: What do marketers and L&D pros have in common? More than you'd think. Both are trying to get attention, make something stick, and change behavior. The difference? Marketers can't force anyone to pay attention. Nobody's "required" to remember a brand the way employees are required to sit through compliance training. So marketers had to get creative. They reverse-engineered how memory actually...

Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro A better way to stop managing learner emails manually Last week, an L&D manager told me she spent six hours manually sorting learners into email lists. Six hours she didn’t spend improving onboarding or designing better learning. When I asked why she didn’t automate it, she said: “I thought automation was just for marketing people.” That misconception is quietly exhausting L&D teams. I wrote a short article for Australian Institute for Training &...

Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro Why Readability Is a Quiet Superpower in Learning (And why your learners will thank you) Most learning doesn’t fail in the design phase.It fails in the sentences. We’ve all seen it: clean ideas wrapped in dense, corporate prose that feels like wading through wet cement. I’ve lost count of how many drafts I’ve opened that looked more like legal filings than learning. Here’s the part we don’t talk about enough: Readable writing = learnable writing....

Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro You're Drowning in Requests. Here's Your Life Raft. You just spent three weeks building a killer course. Learners are actually finishing it. And now your stakeholder wants something new. From scratch. By next month. Here's what nobody tells you: you're sitting on a goldmine of content that could be working way harder for you. That course isn't just a course—it's a dozen blog posts, a month of social content, three infographics, and a workshop...

Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro Your input = our thanks (plus a discount) Hey there, Quick question: What happens after someone completes one of your training programs? If you're like most L&D professionals, you've got a pretty solid ending. Maybe a summary slide. A "knowledge check" quiz. Perhaps even a certificate they can print out (that'll definitely end up in a drawer somewhere). But here's what you probably don't have: A clear instruction about what to do next. And that's...

WE HIT #1 ON AMAZON! 🎉 Plus: Why Your Learners Check Out in 30 Seconds (And How to Stop It) We hit the #1 spot for New Releases in Amazon's Training category. The response to "Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro" has been incredible. But what's really got us fired up isn't the ranking—it's hearing from readers who are already transforming their programs. People are taking these marketing principles and seeing real engagement improvements. Teams that used to struggle with attendance...

Now Available for Pre-Orders Our fortnightly updates Your training programs are about to get a marketing makeover. Our new book, Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro, just hit pre-order status and ships May 27th! When an L&D legend like Karl Kapp says this book will "change the way you think about developing instruction forever," we don't take it lightly. (Though we might have done a little happy dance. Okay, a big one.) Inside, you'll discover how to: Capture attention like the best...

Podcast Launch + Secrets of Click-Worthy Titles Our fortnightly updates Mike here with a quick update that I'm excited to share. Bianca and I have been busy spreading the word about bringing marketing magic to L&D, and wow - the conversations have been incredible! We just wrapped up some a great podcast session with Connie Malamed (The eLearning Coach). We really dug into some juicy topics about transforming L&D using marketing strategies. Speaking of exciting content... we're giving you a...

View online Unlocking Your Learner's Brains: The Science of Engaging Training While many learning professionals focus on content and delivery, the real key to effective learning lies in understanding how people actually process information. And it all starts with attention. Grab Attention Instantly: Why First Impressions Are EVERYTHING Here’s something that should change how you think about learning design: Research shows that people form first impressions in just 50 milliseconds (or less)....