Making the Crucial First Impression at a Training Session

"You gotta have a gimmick" - a classic line from Gypsy saying to make it on Broadway everybody needs to stand out, be different and take the limelight by storm.  In much the same way when we as HR/Training Professionals "go on stage" to deliver training we need to establish ourselves and make the best impression possible

  
Imagine the scene - you are in a room with several of your colleagues, likely against your will.  You have work piled up from yesterday and the emails aren't stopping.  What is it?  A sales call?  A productivity meeting? No - worse - it's a training session!  This is the scenario that we as corporate trainers and HR professionals find ourselves in on a daily basis - a huge hurdle to climb even before any training begins. Today we will dive into the realm of how we as trainers can overcome this, engage our participants and enhance the transfer of training.

 
Set the mood before participants enter

Think of a silent room, poorly lit with no presenter or media there to welcome you.  Now, think of a room with the lights on, upbeat music in the background and a warm greeting at the door.  Which would you prefer?  It is always a good idea to warm the room and greet your trainees in an upbeat and hospitable manner.  One idea that I saw was a rolling presentation about the news, events and functions the company was holding in the background prior to delivery.  This was a great way to quickly gain the focus and attention of all as well as deliverable valuable information and a unique way.


Dress and act the part

Human beings make first impressions typically within 30 seconds of seeing somebody and they are likely to see you before you start to speak.  Having an organized, professional and affable demeanor will go a long way towards creating an environment conducive to a transfer of training.  First impressions are very difficult to overcome but I prefer to think of it as a positive - this way you can start off in a great position even before you begin delivery.


Start off with a bit of humor or the lighter side of yourself

Participants in most training sessions expect the content to be delivered in a lecture-style setting, especially if the material is only expected to be absorbed at a knowledge or comprehension level.  Starting off with a small joke or laugh is a great way to break the ice, add a dimension to your presentation and engage your audience in an unexpected way.  Studies also show that there are physiological and psychological benefits from extra oxygen being sent to key parts of the brain via laughter so take full advantage!


Explain why the training is relevant to your participants - "What's in it for me?"

Within the first 3 minutes of any session all participants should know what the training is about, what are the objectives (ABCD method is recommended) and, most importantly, why is it important to your audience.  If it is clear that this training will be beneficial to them, whether it be financially, career-related, or for whatever reason, you are far more likely as a trainer to have that quintessential buy-in that will help your sessions accomplish what you intended it to

As always this is just a few suggestions and ideas from my experience and am welcome to ideas, suggestions or criticisms.  Feel free to post and tell your friends!

Kevin
@kcoynehr