Before building content, identify the real training needs. Do not start with “What courses should we create?” Start with “Where are customers getting stuck?”
Customer Training Discovery Questions
Use these questions with customer success, support, sales, implementation, product, and customer-facing teams.
Business Outcome Questions
- Which customer behaviors predict retention?
- Which product actions correlate with long-term adoption?
- Which customer segments need the most support?
- Where do customers fail to reach value?
- Which onboarding gaps create downstream support tickets?
- Which features are underused but highly valuable?
- What customer questions repeat most often?
- What customer mistakes create implementation delays?
Audience Questions
- Who are the primary customer learner groups?
- Which roles influence adoption?
- Which roles administer the product?
- Which roles need executive-level reporting?
- Which learners are technical vs. non-technical?
- Which users need certification or proof of completion?
Content Questions
- What content already exists?
- What content is outdated?
- Which live sessions are repeated frequently?
- Which help articles could become microlearning?
- Which product workflows need video demonstrations?
- Which topics require assessment or certification?
Delivery Questions
- What must be self-paced?
- What should remain live?
- What needs to be available just-in-time?
- What needs to be assigned automatically?
- What should be grouped by customer segment?
- What should be available publicly vs. restricted?
Measurement Questions
- What should customers be able to do after training?
- What product usage data should improve?
- What support metrics should decrease?
- What satisfaction indicators should improve?
- What reporting does leadership need?
- What evidence will prove the program is worth continued investment?
Customer Training Priority Matrix
Use this matrix to decide what to build first.
| Training Need | Customer Pain Level | Business Impact | Build Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blocks onboarding | High | High | Build immediately |
| Reduces support tickets | High | Medium/High | Build next |
| Supports expansion | Medium | High | Build after core adoption |
| Improves confidence | Medium | Medium | Add to ongoing enablement |
| Nice-to-know content | Low | Low | Keep as optional resource |
Rule of thumb: Build training first for the moments where customer confusion creates cost, churn risk, delay, or lost value.