The Secret Formula Behind Every Great Training Course (That Nobody Tells You)
Get your training off to a flying start with these 5 essential steps
When I told my Mum that I designed and delivered professional training in my job, she said:
"Don't you just get them all in a room and tell them what to do? That doesn't sound very hard."
Thanks, Mum!
But I can see her point.
From a student's perspective, you walk in or log on, and the trainer tells you things. Simple things, one step at a time.
There's a bit of a laugh around a quiz question or an activity. One of the students may need some help or can't download a document. But the time ticks along pleasantly, and everyone learns.
Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.
But like anything else that looks effortless from the outside, you need to know what you're doing when you're putting together a course.
Otherwise, you'll end up with a brain dump of everything you know about the topic, no way to assess whether anyone's learned anything, and a lot of stressed students who wish they'd canceled and spent the time doing their laundry instead.
Learning to create a structured training session for effective training delivery was a revelation to me when I started out.
I thought I had to create a course from start to finish in one go. I had no idea how to do that, and frankly, the idea scared me.
Learning the steps involved in creating a training session helped me enormously.
It's far better for the learners, too.
A well-designed course makes all the difference in engaging participants and enhancing their learning experience. No one wants to waste their time in a shambolic training session. Or pay for one.
Training courses consist of segments. Each segment has its job, and today, we're looking at what happens at the very beginning of your course, which is, of course, the most important part.
Why?
Because it sets the tone for your trainee's experience, right from the start.
And this includes getting your learners through the door in the first place.
1. Getting your trainees through the door
In my days as a Learning and Development Manager, I booked myself onto a presentation about providing literacy training to employees. I was researching how we could raise the literacy of some of the workforce.
The presentation was in a nearby conference center, and I set off on foot. I walked into the building expecting to see a sign telling me which room to go to.
There was nothing on the events sign, so I went to the reception, but no one knew anything about the presentation.
I checked my invite. I was in the right place, on the right day, at the right time.
I walked around that conference center for 45 minutes, asking staff and random passers by if they knew anything about a literacy presentation.
A bit like Barbarella looking for Duran Duran, only with less sexy outfits.
I never did find that presentation. It turned out the joining information had told me to go to the wrong building.
I can't remember the provider or the topic of the promised presentation, but I do remember that I couldn't find it.
Always make sure that your students can easily access your training:
Face-to-Face sessions:
Make sure your attendees can get into the building easily.
You don't want all your participants locked outside the building and ringing your colleagues, saying they can't access the lift until 8:30 a.m. If this happens, multiple people will look for you and tell you all about it, which is not a good look.
To avoid this, arrange for someone to greet your trainees, get them signed into the building, and show them essentials like the toilets and kitchen.
If it's a large group, consider keeping your participants outside the training room until you're ready for them.
It's difficult to complete your set-up with ten trainees all asking you questions at the same time because they are keen and have arrived 30 minutes early.
If need be, ask a colleague to look after them until you're ready. If you want to be fancy, have coffee and tea waiting for them when they arrive.
Above all, make sure your students are made welcome when they arrive, rather than feeling like they've turned up on the wrong day to the wrong place.
Online sessions:
Running a course online can also present problems. Use the waiting room feature to control when participants join the training and who enters it.
You don't want people hearing sensitive information they shouldn't be party to or delivering training to people who haven't paid for your course.
Allow time for phone calls, messages, or emails from people who've clicked the wrong link or whose internet connection is down.
No matter how many messages you send about joining instructions, it's inevitable that sometimes people get in a muddle and click the wrong link.
Takeaways:
Make sure that you've considered all the logistics of how your trainees will get into the training room, whether it's a real one or a virtual one.
No detail is too small to consider — if it can go wrong, it will go wrong!
2. Make Your Trainees Feel Comfortable from the Start
When you let your trainees into the room, make them welcome. Greet them, smile, say hello, and introduce yourself.
Have some questions ready to ask about their journey, whether they could find the building, or if it was easy to log on.
Keep the atmosphere light and friendly, as some of your participants may be nervous about being in a learning environment.
Ask the trainees to introduce themselves, explain why they're attending, and describe what they hope to gain from the session.
Getting a friendly, chatty rapport with your attendees right from the start will set the tone for the rest of the session.
Takeaways:
Create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere from the start.
Encourage participants to introduce themselves and share their expectations for the course.
3. Logistics & Compliance
The housekeeping part of a course may not be glamorous, but it keeps you compliant.
Every country has rules about safety, privacy, Diversity, and inclusion, so follow the laws that apply to your session.
Some of your attendees will want to know the structure of the day, so cover that, too. It will make them more comfortable.
Face-to-Face sessions:
Show your participants key locations like the toilets, kitchen, and fire escapes.
Explain practical details like the course schedule, break times, guest speakers, and lunch arrangements.
Confirm all the dates and times if the course is over a few weeks. Some of your participants will be easy-breezy and won't care, but some will need to know what will happen.
Now is the time to check or confirm dietary requirements.
It's good practice to ask if anyone has any dietary, medical, or access requirements in the joining instructions, but it's worth checking in the session in case something has been missed.
One man I worked with didn't drink tea or coffee, and he would always complain about there being nothing for him to drink at courses. I always made sure there was orange juice in the in-house courses he attended so that he would be thinking about the course, not the strongly worded message he planned to write on his feedback form.
If your attendees are worried about there being nothing to drink or their dairy intolerance or food allergy, they won't be listening to you.
Online:
It's much easier for an online course as you don't have all the food and location issues to address.
However, your learners will benefit from knowing how long the course will run, whether there are breaks and whether it's OK to duck out if they need the loo.
Takeaways:
Follow your country's compliance laws
Give your students the course logistics
Check on dietary requirements
4. If you don't control the session, someone else will
The presenter must take charge of the room in any presentation or training session. You'll likely have some strong characters in your sessions, and if you are too wishy-washy, they'll take over.
That's why you need to set clear ground rules. For example, keep phones on silent, speak one person at a time, keep to time, and ensure that what happens in the room stays in the room.
If you don't set ground rules, you are giving your audience permission to run amok, which isn't fair to students keen to learn.
For example, the rule of one person speaking at a time helps you contain the talkers and gives space to the quieter students.
Make sure you know what you'll say though, when people break the rules. Have some phrases ready.
When you're setting ground rules in your session, keep it light. No one wants to feel they've fallen under the rule of a petty tyrant, even if it's for an hour.
Just say that there are a few ground rules that will make the session flow more easily and ask if everyone agrees.
People are unlikely to object.
Explain expectations around participation, too. The more interactive your session, the more effective it will be.
If you're online, ask your students to keep their cameras on, engage in the chat, use the raise hand function if they want to speak, and stay muted to minimize background noise.
Takeaways:
Decide what ground rules you need and ask participants to agree.
Keep it light and collaborative
5. Be clear about what the purpose of the course is from the start
Now that you've got your trainees happy, relaxed, and aware of what will happen in the session, kick off with the big picture.
Tell your students the course objectives, why it matters, and what they'll gain from it.
It's important that your learners know why the course applies to them, so give them a few practical examples to help them relate what they are about to learn to their real lives.
Ask participants about their familiarity with the content — this helps you gauge their experience and adjust your delivery. For example, when I taught Train the Trainer courses, occasionally I'd get an ex-teacher in the session.
After my initial reaction of, "Oh shit!" I could recognize their experience and involve them by asking their opinion or sharing their expertise.
Make sure you explain the structure of the session and tell your learners about the course modules.
Expect questions.
Participants often want to clear up queries about the course content, structure, times, and dates.
Yes, you've probably sent out extensive joining information, but we are all human, and we often forget or misunderstand what we've read by the course launch.
Takeaways:
Tell the students what they will be able to do at the end of the course and why it matters to them
Gauge familiarity with the content to adapt your delivery and engage experienced participants.
Allow time for questions
Summary
Though your students and my Mum think running a training course is simple, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes.
Part of that work is designing the course structure, starting with:
Getting your students in the door
Making them welcome
Ensuring you are compliant
Explaining what will happen in the session
Going over the course objectives
Answering questions
When you get these bits right, you create an environment where participants feel comfortable, engaged, and ready to learn.
If you want to grow your career or business, you must present well and create short workshops, maybe even courses. Subscribe to L&D Rocks to learn how.
And if you found this article helpful, please like, comment, restack or share. It helps me help more people and makes me feel warm and fuzzy too!
great voice ..awesome to listen to.