Companies maintain an edge in their industries by keeping staff well-informed and well-trained. While the need for effective business training appears self-evident, the content and presentation must not only hold the attention of one’s audience but must also provide the participants with essential take-home points to remember.
Up-to-date review of regulatory issues, liability, new technology and changing customer bases are just some topics effective management and non-management business training must provide. Be it a hall filled with people or individual participation through a web-based seminar, effective business training must first identify the intended and actual audience, address their weaknesses and deliver timely, accurate information.
Informative, well written visual aids help support what the speaker is saying. The aids serve as tools to assist the speaker, who focuses on the main points rather than simply dictate what is on the screen. Good public speaking skills are essential and often accompanied by audience participation to encourage interest and retention. Modern presentation tools, such as webinars, can easily track one’s record of participation to assist in managing effective business training.
Self-paced training can also be effective, especially for large groups apt to encounter scheduling conflicts. Such training does present its own challenges and presents little opportunity for rapid feedback or questions. Properly executed, however, self-paced training is a valuable and effective business training tool.
Regardless of media, a variety of elements are common to effective business training.
Being prepared with the knowledge and structure of a natural flow of information is critical. Participants bore easily and then retain little if the topic is too cut-and-dried. Plan to have a beginning, middle and end to the presentation with carefully organized content in every step.
Good preparation includes making certain that one’s presentation equipment is all present and functioning, that the environment is comfortable and not distracting and that sound amplification is used even if you feel that all can hear you. Few will admit to problems hearing or seeing a presentation, especially if they feel that it’s fine for everyone else. Speak as if you’re addressing the rear-most group. Have some water at the podium and take decongestant ahead of time if needed.
Rehearse the presentation for flow, timing and errors. Should something unexpected occur remember that adage that the show must go on! Don’t apologize, just pick up and move on. Being familiar with one’s presentation will be more relaxing and will exhibit the confidence and authority in the speaker that the audience needs.
If handouts are to be used, distribute them prior to speaking as they would otherwise become distractions.
Speak to the audience. Are they professional? Laypersons? A mixture – you need to hold the interest of all. One successful and effective method is to interject personal experiences to illustrate key points while avoiding being opinionated.
Be conscious of your mannerisms, posture, dress and orientation. Don’t stare at the screen or down to your feet – look at and engage the participants. Don’t block the view of participants by standing in front of the screen or cramming too much information onto a given poster or slide.
Color, rather than stark monotone, is more interesting for visual aids. Avoid very bright or very dark aids with use of light, colored background. Keeping a few lights on helps the audience stay awake and provides them with light should any wish to take notes.
Speak slowly and clearly with no undertones.
Provide yourself with cues for moments such as to when to interject something, when to pause for emphasis, when to engage the audience with a question.
Offer to address off-topic, overly-specific or critical comments “off line” so that the presentation may continue to hold interest for all.
Finish EARLY and allow some time for questions.
The true measure of effective business training comes with results over time. The audience, not the presenter, would be the best metric of this.
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