Wouldn't it be powerful to know exactly how learners are engaging with your product after completing training or earning a certification? Using Gainsight’s PX application, our Education team gained deeper insights into how our eLearning courses and instructor-led events influence customer behavior.
The results were compelling. Across the board, users who participated in training demonstrated higher engagement with the CS product. With every trained Segment, we observed increases in both product retention and feature adoption. In this context, product retention measures how often a user returns to use the product after initial engagement.
We decided to focus on various cohorts of customers who had completed specific courses, learning paths, or certifications. To begin, we exported learner data from our LMS as CSV files and uploaded them as individual Segments in PX. Using PX Analytics' Retention and Feature Adoption Reports, we filtered these Segments to track and analyze user behavior. By comparing each Segment to All Users, we could see the tangible effects of training.
For this analysis, we concentrated on our longest-running and most comprehensive dataset: CS application training and product usage.
Below are some of the key findings from our analysis, and the corresponding report in PX:
Certified CS End Users exhibited a 21-27% higher rate of product usage, while Level 1 Admins showed an impressive 28% increase in the 12 months preceding July 31, 2024.
Users from Accounts that received Custom End User Training in 2023-2024 had a 36% higher product retention rate* compared to All Accounts, and feature usage** was 36-52% higher compared to All Users in the 12 months preceding July 31, 2024.
Notes:
*Product retention rate is the % of users that return to the app in subsequent periods (eg. 100 users use the app in the first period. If 85 of them use the app in period 2, the retention rate is 85%.)
**Feature usage refers to C360, Dashboards, Home, Timeline, and Success Plans
Feature Adoption Comparison
We also discovered a clear correlation between eLearning completion and product retention:
- End Users who completed six or more courses on Gainsight University between March and June 2024 returned to the CS app 17% more frequently than All Users.
- In a specific analysis of the Timeline feature, End Users who completed our Timeline course in May 2024 had an 87% adoption rate of this feature.
Live training events were similarly impactful:
- Admins who attended Pulse Academy Live (PAL) Admin 200 in May 2024 returned to the CS product 41% more than All Users, and Accounts with these Admins saw a 33% higher retention rate compared to All Accounts.
- Our condensed Admin Lite Training, introduced in Spring 2023, showed that Accounts with an Admin who completed this training returned to the CS app 36% more frequently between April 2023 and June 2024.
The data is clear—customer education has a measurable impact on product engagement and retention. By leveraging Gainsight PX, we can see the direct benefits that well-structured learning experiences provide, from increased product usage to stronger feature adoption. As we continue to refine our training programs, these insights will guide us in delivering even more impactful education to drive customer success.