Reimagining a coaching platform to produce better client ROI
With programs and data aligned to client goals
OVERVIEWMy role
Research
Product Design
Team
VP, Product
3 Engineers
Company
Lingo Live
BRIEFCapture and report on more meaningful ROI data so that Lingo Live coaching programs expand faster
Overview
Lingo Live is a B2B coaching company that provides one-on-one leadership coaching for new managers. Business success depends on clients who are Learning & Development leaders at their companies proving ROI to their leadership teams to expand their programs.
Why did this project exist in the first place?
Program and account expansion rates were below expectations, so our CEO asked the product team to “refresh” the client dashboard. Instead, we ended up reimagining of our entire platform and client onboarding journey.
What did users say?
We interviewed 7 prospects and clients and found that it was hard for them to tell whether programs were creating business value, and the platform wasn’t helping. In addition to this, engagement was hard to track, it was unclear what learners were working on, survey data was unconvincing, and the reporting on it was hard to understand. Underlying all this, programs weren’t aligned to client goals.
And on the internal side, account managers were buried in the manual work of creating ad hoc surveys and reports.
We introduced 5 main features: a program designer, survey builder, results pages, engagement pages, and a coachee notebook.
OUTCOMES0150% faster growth
Shorter average time for an account to expand (10 months to 5 months)
0260% larger expansions
On average due to increased perception of value and business impact
0344% higher survey response rates
Resulting in more robust and meaningful program ROI data for clients (13% to 57% completion)
OVERVIEW01
Program Designer
This feature sets programs up for success with a structured, repeatable launch process.
Lingo Live Admin capturing client information for a new program.
02
Survey Builder
This feature ensures the team asks the right questions of the right people at the right times.
Lingo Live Admin creating a survey for a new program.
03
Results pages
This feature shares meaningful data is a way that’s easy to understand and use.
L&D Admin reviewing survey responses segmented my data type.
04
Engagement pages
This feature makes it easy to track sessions and surveys to prevent waste and strengthen data.
L&D Admin checking to see whether she has unused sessions she can reallocate.
05
Coachee notebook
This feature helps admins make sure programs are on-track while preserving a coaching safe space.
L&D Admin reviewing coachee notebook for in-depth content information.
Let’s go into each one in more detail. Shall we?
01Program DesignerSet programs up for success with a structured, repeatable launch process
Lingo Live Admin capturing client information for a new program.
The problemUnfocused programs. Our platform didn’t support aligning programs to client goals, which could be a key differentiator.
The goalFocused programs. Set clients up for success by ensuring programs are consistently structured to achieve client goals.
The solutionA structured, repeatable launch process
The checklist functionality prompts account managers to collect program goals, recruiting plans, and other strategic information from before a program launches—every time.
A record of incomplete information
Designing a program involves multiple conversations and a lot of thought. The “mark step complete” functionality allows account managers to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
“Sometimes clients aren’t sure of the value coaching will provide to the business, but once I walk them through the program design process on the app, they’re like, ‘Oh, okay. I get it. This is great!’ It really speeds things along.”
Kyle, Head of Strategic Accounts (Lingo Live Admin), Lingo Live
02Survey Builder
Ask the right questions of the right people at the right times
Lingo Live Admin creating a custom client program survey.
The problemUnconvincing data, unscalable process. Account managers had to create reports manually, and the data did not measure ROI well.
The goalConvincing data, streamlined process. Collect data that measures ROI well and automate some of survey creation.
The solution
Before-and-after comparison
The survey builder requires admins to create surveys before the program launches so they can start measuring right away. This sets a baseline for comparison and the regular cadence of surveys allows them to flag issues and address them proactively.
Asking effective measurement questions
To measure progress well, surveys needed to ask the right questions. We created reusable question groups comprised of best-in-class measurement questions organized by topic to make the process simple and scalable.
Estimated 20-30 customer success hours saved per quarter
Lingo Live Customer Success team members estimated this feature would save them time and free them up to do more nuanced analysis and make thoughtful and impactful client recommendations.
03Results pagesShare meaningful data is a way that’s easy to understand and use
L&D Admin reviewing survey responses segmented my data type.
The problemUnconvincing, unscalable ROI reporting. Account managers had to manually assemble reports and clients couldn’t easily report ROI to their executive teams.
The goalClear, compelling, and scalable reporting. Share data automatically in a way that allows admins to focus on what is relevant to them in the moment
The solution
Simple program updates
The results page provides L&D clients with charts they can screenshot and drop into presentations for leadership teams as well as specific survey responses from individual coachees—both common desires that surfaced in user testing.
Better data segmentation for faster tracking
Admins can focus on the impact area that matters most to them in the moment—whether it’s engagement or business results. They can also drill down to see individual responses to get additional context.
“The new platform is helpful for rolling up metrics to the leadership team. And it’s nice if you have a senior leader who wants more context because you can go to the individual level right there.”
Kara, Auth0 (Client, User Interviewee and Beta User)
04Engagement Pages
Make it easy to track sessions and surveys to prevent waste and strengthen data
L&D Admin checking to see whether she has unused sessions she can reallocate.
The problemLack of engagement visibility. Clients couldn’t easily track session usage and survey completion.
The goalSelf-service engagement tracking. No more tedious back-and-forth. One place to get immediate visibility into unused sessions and incomplete survey data.
The solution
Simplified activity tracking
I updated our engagement pages to automatically display participant activity and survey completion, allowing L&D Admins to ensure they don’t waste any sessions, and internal managers to save time on manual reporting.
Better survey accountability
L&D clients can also easily see who hasn’t submitted their surveys and nudge them. And a nudge from a client team member is a more effective way accountability tactic than one from an unfamiliar Lingo Live team member.
“The new design makes it so much easier to stay on top of sessions and surveys and prevent waste. It would be a total life-saver.”
Merritt, Abstract (Client, User Interviewee and Beta User)
05Coachee NotebookHelp admins keep programs on-track while preserving a coaching safe space
L&D Admin checking to see whether she has unused sessions she can reallocate.
The problemLack of content visibility. Clients couldn’t tell what coachees were working on and whether it was providing business value. The coaching felt like a “black box.”
The goalResponsible content and progress sharing. Provide visibility into coachee work and progress without breaching confidentiality of the coach/coachee relationship.
The solution
Separate content for separate audiences
After each session, coaches write up a note on progress and next steps for the coachee and an update for the admins. Coachees have a record of confidential encouragement and recommendations. L&D admins get a clear picture of what topics coachees are working on and whether they’re aligned with program goals.
A home for coachee information.
Coaches, coachees and admins can track a coachee’s session usage, goals, survey completion, and feedback all in one place.
“Having two separate notes makes it easy to frame the work so the company’s team can see the value. For example, a ‘celebration journal’ for the coachee becomes an ‘exercise in training success mindset’ for the company.”
Tatyana, (Coach, Internal team member)
LEARNINGS
01User research is critical
When we listened to our users, we realized that our planned solution was totally inadequate. If we had more time, I would have tested each feature with users and iterated on them.
02Business goals are key
On the other hand, it wouldn’t matter how much our clients loved our platform if it didn’t cause them to expand their programs eventually, we wouldn’t be able to provide those programs anymore.
03Knowledge is progress
Many of these features did not ship while I was at Lingo Live (due to an acquisition by a larger learning company), but the learning was valuable, and we definitely would have built on it if we continued.