Top Tips From 60 Trusted Virtual Trainers... (Fun is important!)

We create magic by standing in front of people and sharing our passion while sharing the knowledge we’ve acquired… doing so enables us to utilize all our intrinsic motivators and all our strengths, in my case my top 5 – activator, includer, learner, individualization, and empathy.

As the classroom world rapidly transitions to the virtual world, there is something important about maintaining our ability keep that magic alive; not only by using the functionality of the technology but also the evolution of our delivery style and approach to engagement overall.   

A couple of Saturdays ago after talking to lots of trainers that have historically focused on classroom training, we decided to help make the transition to virtual a bit easier by pulling together a little article called “10 Top Tips To Help New Virtual Trainers (By 10 Trusted Virtual Trainers)”.  After a few hours of calling our clients (which include the best trainers and training vendors in the world) that little article had to be changed to “30 Top Tips”.  Fast forward to today and Course Conductor has just published the full report called “60 Top Tips to Help New Virtual Trainers, By 60 Trusted Virtual Trainers”. 

We create magic by standing in front of people and sharing our passion while sharing the knowledge we’ve acquired… doing so enables us to utilize all our intrinsic motivators and all our strengths, in my case my top 5 – activator, includer, learner, individualization, and empathy.

As the classroom world rapidly transitions to the virtual world, there is something important about maintaining our ability keep that magic alive; not only by using the functionality of the technology but also the evolution of our delivery style and approach to engagement overall.   

A couple of Saturdays ago after talking to lots of trainers that have historically focused on classroom training, we decided to help make the transition to virtual a bit easier by pulling together a little article called “10 Top Tips To Help New Virtual Trainers (By 10 Trusted Virtual Trainers)”.  After a few hours of calling our clients (which include the best trainers and training vendors in the world) that little article had to be changed to “30 Top Tips”.  Fast forward to today and Course Conductor has just published the full report called “60 Top Tips To Help New Virtual Trainers, By 61 Trusted Virtual Trainers”. 

As a virtual trainer for 9 years, and as the lead Virtual Training Assessor at Course Conductor I spend my time attending multiple virtual training sessions every day to evaluate them, so reading through all 60 of these virtual training tips from my fellow virtual training experts was genuinely a lot of fun for me. 

As I was doing so, I realized that one of the common themes coming out of all of these virtual training tips was actually about having fun and enjoying yourself.  As any trainer will tell you, this is crucial in the classroom, and so too is it crucial when you’re delivering a virtual training course.  In fact, I would say it is even more important because you have to put so much more effort into engagement overall when you’re delivering a virtual class.

Here are a few of the Course Conductor verified Trusted Trainers that mentioned the importance of creating fun and interest to foster participation, engagement, enjoyment, and to connect people to one another and to the learning.

Build in polls, breakout sessions, use whiteboards, ask people to draw on screen, unmute people (yes, allow people to speak), annotate, add some extra fun activities in.

Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself as you use all of these tools - you will mess up, you will delete all annotations (accidentally, of course), you will lock people in breakout sessions - it's all cool - make a joke out of it. I guarantee it will make the experience more enjoyable!

Keep in touch with everyone by using a game. Inspired by the planning poker of Scrum, when I run the classroom courses, I provide cards with the letters A, B, C and D necessary to answer the questions at the end of each topic. Everyone answers independently by putting the card that corresponds to the answer covered in front of them.

For virtual courses, I ask everyone to prepare their own cards and raise them in front of the camera, only at my request.

In this way, the playful aspect is maintained and also the competition. Everyone must participate.

In the virtual environment we may be deprived of visual cues, and we may also be deliberately rationing voice contributions. In absence of these cues, we need new tools to support participation from delegates making different behavioral choices.

I suggest that delegates improvise a personal call-sign. When else can you be addressed as Maverick for the day?! It’s harmless and it’s fun but the origin of this approach was enabling members of a unit to present a distinctive voice in a situation where colleagues may not be physically present.  It supports engagement and builds confidence.  

The other thing that struck me as I was reading through the report is the overall sense of togetherness.  I can’t remember the last time I have been part of such a large group of trainers that have all come together for one purpose.  In this case the purpose being to help and support fellow trainers.

If you’re new to virtual training, this report will be invaluable for you.  If you’re already an experienced virtual trainer it will be a nice reminder for you too.  You can access the report from here:

Course Conductor Virtual Tips

As well as working with trainers and ATOs to award them with Course Conductor’s Trusted Virtual Trainer verification; the other side of my role is to provide support for the virtual training community, especially those trainers that are making the transition to virtual training today.

In addition to the great work that APMG International is doing with helping virtual trainers, the Course Conductor “Virtual Success Program” includes a Train The Virtual Trainer Course,  Virtual Training Office Hours (a small group session twice per week), a rapidly growing and supportive Virtual Trainer LinkedIn Community, and guides on things like getting started with virtual training.

If you feel any of these would be helpful for you, you will be welcomed with open arms in our supportive and friendly Virtual Trainer community:

Join here: https://bit.ly/VirtualTrainingCommunity

I hope you enjoy the report and I thank the team at APMG International for their ongoing partnership and collaboration with Course Conductor.

I wish you, your business and your family good health and look forward to connecting with you.

Nicole

www.courseconductor.com