When I was in college (a long time ago…seriously…pre-internet) I double majored in English Education and Theatre. The theatre bit allowed me to see the backstage version of some really great shows. When you stand in the wings, you get to watch a show unfold just a few feet away. It’s so dark it’s hard to see the stagehand beside you, but you know she’s silently freaking out, holding safety pins in her mouth and wearing rolls of tape as bracelets. Behind you, the guy playing the lead is going to miss his cue because he’s making out with the prop girl and if he would just for two seconds act as well on stage as he did with Trish we wouldn't be playing community theatre, we’d be on tour and I would be….wait a minute.
The point is, the view from the wings is cool, but if you really want to experience the show the way it’s meant to be seen, you can’t do it from backstage. You have to quit standing in the wings and take a seat in the house.
I see the backstage version of Eloqua University courses all the time. I get to watch classes evolve from scripts to dress rehearsals. When they go live, I watch your feedback on Topliners like a crazy producer after opening night. This view from the wings is cool, but it doesn't let me see what you see. For that, I have to take a seat in the house.
I recently enrolled in two classes the same way our All Access Education Pass holders do. I started with the E10: Fundamentals Introduction. It’s a self-paced or WBT (Web Based Training) course. After enrolling, I got an email with WBT and ILT (Instructor Led Training) info in the same note. Remember, I come from backstage, so I know this is a “feature” of our new Learning Management System, but I added it to my list of “things that could be better” anyway.
Here are some other things I've learned:
- Two classes aren't enough. Watching Eloqua U from the wings for over a year, I’m no stranger to Modern Marketing, but taking the Intro WBT and Fundamentals of Segmentation from Chetan Bhakri showed me how much I have left to learn.
- Eloqua University students are the best. I’m a career educator. I’ve taught everyone from high school seniors to database administrators and I’m always impressed by a class full of marketers. In Eloqua U classes, people manage to learn and improve their professional skills all while keeping the chat window entertaining.
- Undivided attention pays off. At first I thought I’d shut off my Email entirely but then we used our Email accounts to test Eloqua functionality (one of those things you miss from the wings). Still I kept focus and learned more as a result. I enjoyed reading Sterling Bailey's post that mentions this very thing.
It would be great to reserve box seating and spend all my time as a student, but there’s no pause button on my day job. Which is true for all Eloqua U students. So I’m going to keep slipping from backstage into the audience whenever I can. In fact, I’m working toward earning the 2014 Eloqua Master title officially. I won’t go all the way to Luminary because quite frankly I don’t deserve it ;-) That title is for practicing marketers. I’m an educator who is fortunate to work in the field of marketing. While I own Marketing for Eloqua University, it’s really the fabulous Kristin Farwell who is our marketer. Speaking of…Kristin Farwell you should go for Luminary – what do you think?
When I attended Chetan’s class, I shut down digital interruptions, but I realized I needed something to block the walk-up traffic. If you have the same problem, feel free to print and use one of these Do Not Disturb signs.
While I’m walking this path, I appreciate any advice from those who are already 2014 Masters. I’ll continue to share what I've learned and we’ll continue to improve Eloqua University accordingly. As always, please let me know what you think we can do to enhance your learning experience and I hope to see you in class.