The first 30 minutes of your training program
The First 30 Minutes of Your Training Program
- Free Trainer Tips
- /
- Last Updated: 07 October 2021
- /
- Hits: 6854
“When are we actually going to start learning? How long will this thing last?” (impatience)
“What am I doing here? I already know this stuff. Does the trainer really know what she’s doing?” (competence)
“I don’t think that I’m going to like this trainer. I wonder what the trainer thinks of me?”(compatibility)
“Is he really interested in solving my problems? I wonder if what I say will get back to my manager?” (trust)
“Who will handle my regular work while I’m here? Should I keep my cellphone on ? When can I check for messages?” (out-of-session concerns)
These are the kinds of questions that go through your participants heads as soon as they are inside the training room about their involvement with you and the training program.
The first thirty minutes is the most important part of any training program. Any progress you make towards establishing rapport with your group can go to waste if you are not careful during this first half hour which is actually a “grace period” during which any overt hostility or antagonism will be submerged under a veneer of politeness, watchfulness, and, reserve. It is during this initial segment of time, however, that participants decide how they perceive you, what role they expect to play during the training program, how you will cover the content, and what they intend to accomplish during the course and after covering the training material.
As a trainer, it’s your responsibility to make sure that each of the concerns mentioned above is resolved positively during the first thirty minutes of your training program.
Knowing the first thirty minutes of your training sets the tone for the entire program, try following these tips for making a positive first impression on your group and get them more receptive to your training materials and key learning points of the courseware you will be covering:
1. Impatience:
Begin the session promptly at the time previously announced for the start of the course. Work to focus the group on the course objectives, trying to hook the participants’ interest on to the course content as opposed to what time they will be released for breaks and lunch.
2. Competence:
Don’t assume everyone in a course needs exactly the same content delivered to the same degree. Assess the range of participants’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes, either as part of a formal needs assessment or during informal conversations before the session. Opening exercises also can be used to explore participants’ skills more fully. Let the participants know you are confident in your abilities without pretending you have all the answers or the final word, and never pretend you know more than you really do.
3. Compatibility:
Neutralize the traditional teacher-pupil relationship as quickly as possible during the opening moments of a training program. Let participants know your purpose is not to preach at them, but instead to interact with them. Establish a community-like atmosphere in which contributions from the group are welcomed and supported by you and by the other members of the group.
4. Trust:
Emphasize that you respect confidentiality. Show the participants you want to hear what they have to say and you will be responsive to their needs.
5. Out-of-session concerns:
Allow the participants the opportunity to speculate about how the training program will affect their work. Begin to establish the transition from the session back into the real world during the first, not the last, hour of the program. Set some rules around electronic communications by determining as a group whether cell phones should be on or off.
32 Full Courses & 6 Mini Courses
Get all available programs
& save ...!!
Price: $4499.95 $2995.95
Great Value For Money
Read More+ |
The Presenter-Trainer Package®
Train The Trainer
Presenting With Impact
Price: $359.95 $299.95
SAVE $59.95
Read MoreRetail Excellence Series®
3 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1
Frontline Retail Selling Skills
Retail Sales Planning & Forecasting
Passionate Retail Experts
Price: $539.855 $349.95
Pay for 2 Get 1 Free
Read MoreSales excellence series®
3 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1
Sales Management
Professional Selling Skills
Sales Territory Planning & Routing
Price: $539.855 $349.95
Pay for 2 Get 1 Free
Read MoreCall Center Excellence Series®
4 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1
Handling angry and difficult callers
Call control
Find a way to say YES!
Successful telephone debt collection
Price: $719.95 $449.95
Pay for 2 programs and Get 2 programs Free
Read MoreCommunication Excellence Series®
4 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1
Communicating with clarity and impact
Negotiating for results
Conflict resolution
Presenting With Impact
Price: $719.95 $449.95
Pay for 2 programs and Get 2 programs Free
Read MoreCustomer Service Excellence Series®
5 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1
Vision, Energy & Passion To Serve
Pathways to service excellence
Find a way to say YES!
Passionate Retail Experts
Setting others up for success
Price: $899.75 $599.95
Pay for 3 Get 2 Free
Read More
Instant Download
Training packages
Price: $199.95 $179.95
No matter who you are, we all have 168 hours each week. Your ability to best utilize those 168 hours will ultimately determine your success. Using self-discovery, hands-on activities and innovative concepts, throughout this high energy training program, participants will learn how to get better control of their time and their life in general.
Price: $199.95 $179.95
A highly engaging one-day training program packed with a plethora of fun activities and games focusing on the key characteristics of high performing teams.
Price: $199.95 $179.95
All you need
to deliver a great training!
Our training material packages come with all you need to provide
a professional and accelerated learning solution with
High Impact
Power Point Slide Deck
To support immersive learning, a high impact professionally designed power point slide deck to engage trainees at all levels.
Student
Workbook
A comprehensive reference workbook you can give out to your class participants as a quick future reference.
Trainer
Guide
With step-by-step clear directions with tips and suggestions on what to say and how to present each slide.
Activity
/Exercise Sheets
Various training material and support documents to help you both explain and debrief the different exercises, activities and games Plus a fun final Jeopardy style review game as a fun ending for your training program.
Additional
Support Documents
To ensure you have all you need to deliver a complete and professional training program, additional supporting documents are included with each full course material package. From training evaluation forms to 5 different certificate templates that you can edit and hand out to your participants at the end of your training.
Job Aids
& Forms
Specific forms designed to extend and reinforce the training that participants can utilize back on the job to help them apply the new learned concepts (Select training material packages)