Expectation: Your trainees will all understand exactly why they are in your training session and will be happy and eager to learn.

Reality: Your trainees may not understand the point of the training session, and feel as though it is a waste of time.

Consider the last time you did volunteer work. What was the attitude of the people around you? I’d imagine it was probably pretty positive, as everyone chose to be there.

Nothing can make training more enjoyable than having a group of people who truly want to be there. But training isn’t always voluntary, and your participants may not always be too keen on it.

This is why focusing on impact and communicating benefits is so important. Communicating the value of your training programs is something that can be built up in the weeks leading up to your training to build anticipation. Alternatively, if you find yourself in a boardroom with a room full of trainees you’ve just met, you can build up the excitement in your training by communicating the value in your training just before you deliver it.

When communicating the impact of your training workshops, discuss specific factors that will benefit your trainees professionally and perhaps personally. Consider how the training could help your participants advance in their career. Could it help people take on new tasks or roles? If so, there could even be other advancements such as increases in pay or benefits, as training adds value to participants as corporate professionals.

When communicating the impact of corporate training, consider what sort of perks will resonate most with your participants. This will help them stay motivated and truly reap the benefits of the workshop.

Learn more about getting your participants excited for training with our blog post.

Expectation: You’ll be able to use the same training methods for every training session.

Reality: Your training tactics will directly depend on the specific needs of your trainees.

Corporate training is not a consistent template, even if you’re teaching the same topics. Your trainees will have different needs regarding training delivery and format.

When teaching a group of individuals, everyone will have different ways that they encode and retain the information they are being given. There are four main learning preferences that trainers should be aware of when preparing their content. They are visual, audio, reading, and kinesthetic learning. Many people fall under one or multiple of these categories. Like how each individual you are training is unique, the way they learn most effectively is also unique. Being able to understand the main learning styles and how to accommodate them in your workshops can make you a better trainer so you can meet your organizational goals effectively.

By understanding people’s learning types and how to incorporate them, you can reach the majority of your participants. Our training materials have various types of formats to accommodate different learning styles such as PowerPoints, quizzes, flip chart notes, and exercises. We also have add-on options for video companion kits and self-publishing books. This range of training formats allows you to adjust your training to your participants’ needs.

Expectation: You won’t have to do anything else once your training session is finished – your job is done.

Reality: Seeking out feedback and knowing when additional training is necessary is part of your role as a trainer.

It’s easy to think that your job is done once the training session wraps up.

If you think you shouldn’t have to do anything post-training session, I would ask you to consider how much time you spend leading up to your training workshops preparing for it?

Sure, you (hopefully) have fast-tracked your training materials with outsourced material. But you have also had to prepare, practice, and deliver your training. Not to mention arranging all the other logistics that come with putting on an effective workshop.

All these things are as important as the actual training session, and what you do after matters just as much, too. This means quantifying the success of your training. Knowing how to analyze and evaluate your training workshops helps you understand what makes a good training session and improve in the future. Check out our blog post on how to develop and distribute trainee feedback surveys.

Expectation: Part of being a corporate trainer means pulling all-nighters creating content from scratch.

Reality: You should be spending a couple of hours adding anecdotes to the training content you already invested in.

If you’re new to training, you probably thought that all these other trainers you have seen made all their content from scratch. Odds are (if they are smart with their time) this isn’t the case.

White label training materials (such as ours) allow you to complete content development in the most optimal way without having to spend countless hours researching, analyzing, and implementing it. If you need a better understanding of this type of training content and its benefits, check out our blog post on debunking myths about buying white label.

With over 170 different training topics, simply pick the training workshop you need, and easily customize it with your own knowledge, preferences, anecdotes, and branding. Outsourcing your training content allows you to work smarter, not harder while still having the ability to incorporate your industry expertise. Check out our blog post to learn more about how you can effectively customize your outsourced training materials.

Conclusion

Hopefully, if you are a seasoned trainer, you are able to relate to some of these scenarios. And if you are a new trainer, keep these in mind going into your next training session. Preparation is knowledge, and knowledge is power.

What are some of your corporate training “expectations vs. reality”? Let us know in the comments below!