Train the Trainer Bootcamp: Hands-On Advanced Trainer Skills

Focusing on the trainees prior to class even starting ensures you help them feel safe and excited about learning from you.

Focusing on the trainees prior to class even starting ensures you help them feel safe and excited about learning from you.

To connect with your audience, even before you say a word, you have to make an impressive physical impression.

Even before you start class, you want to make a brief announcement five minutes before class starts to put your trainees at ease and make them feel safe even more than they already are after your individual welcomes.

Many trainers take such care with the content of their training and don't spend much time thinking about the first impression they make when they come onstage.

Many trainers take such care with the content of their training and don't spend much time thinking about the first impression they make when they come onstage.

Many trainers take such care with the content of their training and don't spend much time thinking about the first impression they make when they come onstage.

Transition to them, tell them why you want their name/role, get them to write down their goal(s) and listen well.

Transition to them, tell them why you want their name/role, get them to write down their goal(s) and listen well.

Show them the takeaways and summarize them in one sentence.

Adult learners' greatest fear is looking foolish in front of their peers. That's why you want to set boundaries and expectations. If you tell them predominantly what you will do (boundary), you're much more apt to get compliance and keep your rapport intact.

Write a lesson hook for the first chapter that you teach. Start with WHY, then say WHAT.

Oral reviews are some of the best ways to ensure the concepts that you have taught get stored in their long-term memory so that they are able to go out tomorrow and apply what you taught them.

Most trainers simply tell trainees to take a break, and then start up again when they get back. There are a few key subtle nuances you can do to make your breaks more exciting and dynamic without losing the focus of the class.

Most breaks are for you the trainer to take some quiet personal time and recharge your batteries. The first break one exception. This is a prime opportunity for you to walk and talk with people that you have not connected with yet or with trainees you have identified during introduction and welcome time as “problem” people.

Your trainees will also feel good if they feel good about you. It's important to endear yourself to the class. You want everyone to be thinking, I like this trainer. What a warm, smart, interesting person.

Your trainees will also feel good if they feel good about you. It's important to endear yourself to the class. You want everyone to be thinking, I like this trainer. What a warm, smart, interesting person.

Take thirty minutes to prepare for your presentation on the following key tasks you learned in sessions one through three of this program. Then split up into classrooms of up to six trainers in each room.

You have to show your trainees that in order to get the information they've come to hear, they have to listen to you. This advice seems deceptively obvious. I tell it to people who've come to me for training advice and they nod in agreement, as if to say, “Got it.” But they haven't.

One of the best ways to keep your trainees engaged is to ask the right types of questions.

One of the best ways to keep your trainees engaged is to ask the right types of questions.

One of the best ways to keep your trainees engaged is to ask the right types of questions.

Determine when you want your audience to do something, and use directionals to get them to do it.

You can and should target every learning style in every topic at some point. If you can train in a way that reaches all four styles simultaneously, you will be much more likely to keep your entire class attentive. I have discovered one tool that will help you do just that. I call it agree and see if you're right.

You can and should target every learning style in every topic at some point. If you can train in a way that reaches all four styles simultaneously, you will be much more likely to keep your entire class attentive. I have discovered one tool that will help you do just that. I call it agree and see if you're right.

One of the best ways to keep them following along with you also happens to be a great way to make your trainees feel you wrote the training just for them. It's referring back to the hooks that captivated them in the first place. This is also a great way to re-engage your trainees.

The buddy system is for those few trainees who just can't follow along. That's what the person sitting next to them is for. That person is called their “buddy” and is a lot more convenient for the “slow” trainee than you are. You're in front…the buddy is right next to them. So, why not use them?

If you are training in a system where each trainee has their own computer screen, then inevitably, there will be some trainees that fall behind on their screens. Another great way to make sure trainees are following along with your screen is to work the room.

Etch-a-Sketch is a note-taking feature of training materials for key ideas and important details presented during a lesson. Instead of having trainees take notes in the margins and whitespace of companion and workbook pages, etch-a-sketch gives them structured boxes and targeted areas on which to take notes.

Etch-a-Sketch is a note-taking feature of training materials for key ideas and important details presented during a lesson. Instead of having trainees take notes in the margins and whitespace of companion and workbook pages, etch-a-sketch gives them structured boxes and targeted areas on which to take notes.

The majority of trainees need visual instruction; by some estimates, only 15-20% of people can learn through auditory mode alone. Using visual aids immediately reaches out to the remaining 80-85% of trainees. They are extremely useful for promoting discussion and are often useful when teaching profound concepts.

The majority of trainees need visual instruction; by some estimates, only 15-20% of people can learn through auditory mode alone. Using visual aids immediately reaches out to the remaining 80-85% of trainees. They are extremely useful for promoting discussion and are often useful when teaching profound concepts.

A benchmark check is a way to determine if trainees understand a very difficult concept that requires leading and synthesis in order for them to fully grasp it. While leading questions help them understand, benchmarks find out if they do.

A benchmark check is a way to determine if trainees understand a very difficult concept that requires leading and synthesis in order for them to fully grasp it. While leading questions help them understand, benchmarks find out if they do.

Imagine going into a room making eye contact with a person, smiling, and giving a wink to make that person feel comfortable. Now pretend you're talking to that same person on the radio. Without being able to rely on facial expression or body language, using your voice alone, how could you welcome someone and put him or her at ease?

Imagine going into a room making eye contact with a person, smiling, and giving a wink to make that person feel comfortable. Now pretend you're talking to that same person on the radio. Without being able to rely on facial expression or body language, using your voice alone, how could you welcome someone and put him or her at ease?

Imagine going into a room making eye contact with a person, smiling, and giving a wink to make that person feel comfortable. Now pretend you're talking to that same person on the radio. Without being able to rely on facial expression or body language, using your voice alone, how could you welcome someone and put him or her at ease?

Whether you are tutoring someone one-on-one or training to a classroom of one hundred, before you've said a word, people have made some kind of judgment about you. And while your superficial appearance is important—what you're wearing, how fit and groomed you are, and how attractive you may be—they determine what kind of a trainer you are based on cues that are far more subtle.

Whether you are tutoring someone one-on-one or training to a classroom of one hundred, before you've said a word, people have made some kind of judgment about you. And while your superficial appearance is important—what you're wearing, how fit and groomed you are, and how attractive you may be—they determine what kind of a trainer you are based on cues that are far more subtle.

One of the best ways to use what you've learned about tone and body language is when you want to show enthusiasm with your class. This is especially helpful when you're teaching software. Just like a sincere smile, you can't fake enthusiasm. It has to be sincere.

One of the best ways to use what you've learned about tone and body language is when you want to show enthusiasm with your class. This is especially helpful when you're teaching software. Just like a sincere smile, you can't fake enthusiasm. It has to be sincere.

It's one thing to get great information on keeping them engaged, following along, understanding and using effective body language and tone. It's another to make it stick.