Six ways to become an online training superhero

• Posted 09.07.2021
• 3 Minute Read

With many questions surrounding the immediate and long-term future of in-person training, ensuring the effectiveness of online training is more important than ever.

But here’s the elephant in the room: 99.9% of your online learners are either peeking at their phones, completing other tasks, or both while you deliver a program you have put your soul into.

As with any training offering, no matter the delivery vehicle, it starts and ends with quality content. Tips for transforming training into learning abound, but we’ll touch on just six quick ways transform you into an online training superhero.

1. 1. Take a different approach. With in-person training, you’re a dynamo. You move around, you engage, you do an impromptu dance when the moment calls for it. You can even make your PowerPoint come alive. However, you have less of that going for you online. Therefore, every visual and word must support—and not duplicate—what you’re saying. Be honest with how interested, or disinterested, your learners are likely to be.
   2. Ask more ahead of time. When your learners sign up for training, are you asking them anything beyond their name and contact info? Sure, nobody likes to fill out a long registration form. However, one or two questions about what attendees would find most helpful during training can make the difference between leading a snooze-fest and online training superheroism.
   3. Put more effort into interaction. It’s difficult to feel connected to others in any virtual meeting or training session. Employ creative ways to get everyone involved and off their other devices. Perhaps ask for a fun fact during registration. Use the responses to help everyone connect.
   4. Send a little information ahead of time. Do you like putting together a packet of info that no one will read? Please say no. Still, including downloadable files in confirmation and reminder emails helps prepare your trainees. That is, if you don’t overdo it. Minimally, include the agenda, which should indicate how much time is allowed for each section, the timing of breaks, etc. Then do your best to stick to the schedule unless everyone is so engaged that it’s natural and productive to extend a little past the stop time.
   5. Use polling. Every virtual meeting platform has some way to poll participants. You can browse add-on apps that also can help. Ask anything from an icebreaker at the beginning to more serious questions throughout.
   6. Follow up. A day or two after, survey your attendees on what benefits they gained from the training. What helped most? What would they like to see done differently? Would other training delivery methods, such as recordings, complement the live training?

Here’s tip 6 1/2: Keep silly bizspeak out of your presentation. Please, for the love of all that is right and good in the universe, do not say anything about a “bio break.”

That’s your fast six-ish ways to become an online training superhero. You may have other ideas to share. If so, contact us any time at Learning Stream. We would also love to show you the many ways Learning Stream can help.