How to Convince Your Manager to buy DataCamp for Business

Important data questions to answer

Doing a bit of research is key to framing your pitch since you’ll have to justify using DataCamp in your workplace with reasons that are aligned with your organization’s goals and learning culture.

Some questions to ask at this stage are:

• How is my organization/team currently using data? What technologies do we currently use (Python, R, SQL, BI tools, Spreadsheets)? Related to this, are there any we are planning to or could adopt?

• Does my organization have a data strategy or data transformation plan? Most organizations understand the importance of being more data-driven, but many do not have the tools or skills in place to help them achieve this goal. If your organization has announced a data transformation strategy, where does talent transformation fit into the picture?

• How does my organization currently approach upskilling? Is there a learning and development budget? Is this decided via personal budget or through a centralized learning and development team? Have you used a training provider for data skills in the past? If so, what was the result, and why did that result come about?

The answers to the questions above can help you prepare a case that’s in line with your company and team’s goals. For example: If your workplace already has a data-driven culture, frame your pitch in terms of learning on DataCamp being the next step in becoming more data-driven. If your organization doesn’t yet have a data transformation plan in place, upskilling on DataCamp can be an excellent opportunity to start building one.

According to NewVantage Partners, 99% of organizations are investing in AI and data science, but only 29% have their training goals. The biggest reported obstacle to becoming data-driven is a lack of data skills and culture.

Structure your pitch

Depending on your organization’s culture and size, the format this step can take can range from a quick pitch in the office to a structured proposal encapsulated in a document. Either way, keep it concise and to the point.

1. Here are a few ways you can structure your pitch.

Explain why DataCamp would be useful for your team

It’s always important to articulate why purchasing a new tool or upskilling solution would be beneficial for a team or organization. Here are a few items you can cover to explain why you’re pitching DataCamp.

Draw on personal experience

If you’ve ever used a personal DataCamp account and found it valuable, discuss what skills you’ve acquired throughout your learning journey and how they helped you improve in your current work. This will help connect potential learning outcomes to your organization’s objectives.

Discuss the benefits of data upskilling

You can find a lot of information on the DataCamp Resource Center, explaining the importance of gaining data skills across all types of teams. However, it’s important to discuss the importance of data upskilling depending on the tooling stack you use and where you sit in the organization. Here are a few valuable resources you can share:

Data science tool-based resources:

• 3 reasons why all teams should learn SQL
• 3 reasons why all teams should learn R
• Why Your Company Needs Python for Business Analytics
• How Tableau Helps Your Organization Achieve Greater Data Insights

Data science team-based resources:

• How financial analysts can leverage data skills
• Becoming a data-driven marketer
• Four Ways Your Team Can Start Leveraging Data Science

Connect data upskilling to your organization’s strategy

Your organization likely has plans to become more data-driven and to transform into a data organization. Most often than not, talent transformation and enabling members with data skills are vital components.

DataCamp offers courses in most major data tools and concepts and can help teams and organizations progress in the data literacy spectrum. Take a look at the datasheets section for quick resources you can share with your team and explore DataCamp’s case studies to see success stories of organizations across all industries transforming their data skills.

2. Explain the value of DataCamp for Business

After highlighting why DataCamp for Business would be beneficial for your organization, it’s great to provide an overview of some of the features DataCamp for Business offers.

According to Accenture and Qlik, employees who identify as data-literate are 50% more likely to feel trusted and empowered to make better decisions.

DataCamp for Business provides teams and organizations with a single platform to assess, learn, apply, and experiment with data. Our online platform allows learners to gain the data skills they need at their own pace anytime, anywhere—from conceptual non-coding essentials to data science and machine learning. There's no software installation or download required. Learners watch short video tutorials and complete hands-on coding exercises in a risk-free environment that allows them to start working with their preferred tool and topic right in the browser. This modern learning approach is why we achieve average course completion rates of 60%, significantly higher than traditional online course providers.

DataCamp's proven learning methodology provides a cyclical process for learning and retention.

Here are some key features to highlight:

• An interactive learning experience that enables anyone to assess their data skills through timed assessments, acquire new skills through interactive courses that provide custom feedback, and retain and apply their knowledge with guided and unguided projects. All in the browser—with no installations required.
• A best-in-class content library for data science skills. DataCamp offers more than 350+ courses, 10+ assessments, and 90+ projects—delivered by leading data scientists in industry and academia.
• Pre-tailored learning paths designed to give you all the necessary skills in data science, data analysis, and more. Managers can also assign custom learning tracks and assignments, making it easy to create a curriculum tailored to your organization’s business and technology challenges.
• For managers, simple team management—you can centrally manage all aspects of your account from your Enterprise dashboard, with no installation required.
• Easily visualize your organization’s data skill development through DataCamp’s learning leaderboard, which enables you to track everyone’s learning progress, report on the impact of your learning program, and see how you are progressing toward your goals.

Right-click to copy the link to this video and share it with your manager.

If you need more proof, you can copy and paste the following sentence directly into your pitch: DataCamp is trusted by more than 2,000 organizations and by more than 80% of the Fortune 1,000. Companies that learn with DataCamp, including Google, Uber, Allianz, HSBC, and Novartis, enjoy 6x higher completion rates than the industry average.

3. Discuss pricing

Of course, your boss will need to know how much DataCamp will cost—here’s how you can discuss these points:

• DataCamp’s Professional plan is our annual membership for businesses. Starting at $300 per seat (2 seats minimum), you can upskill your team or organization for less than the price of a cup of coffee per person per day.
• We also offer more advanced features in our Enterprise plan. If you would like to find out more about this, you can schedule a free demo with us.

If you feel a more thorough proposal is needed, you should still cover these points but now you can go into a little more detail around the benefits and return on investment of data upskilling. Here are some resources you can use:

Discuss additional flexibility and convenience of DataCamp for Business, such as:

• Compatibility with Learning Management Providers, including Degreed and our integration into single sign-on services.
• Our professional data science certification for businesses.
• The provision of a customer success manager, who will consult with you on your organization’s objectives and recommend learning content to fast-track your team’s success.
• Employees at companies with high internal mobility typically stay for twice as long as companies without, so achieving this through data upskilling can be a great way to retain employees and reduce recruitment costs (LinkedIn 2021 Workplace Learning Report)

Did you manage to convince your boss? Get your team started with DataCamp for Business today!