The dos and don'ts of a successful virtual training
The dos and don'ts of successful virtual training
Whether you are training a team of volunteers, onboarding a new sales manager or teaching your staff about new digital software, it’s most likely that you will have to do so virtually. While managing online training can seem like a daunting task, if done properly, it can help your organization save time and resources. In this article, we’ve compiled some tips to help ensure your next online training is successful.
Do choose the proper virtual training platform
As the organiser, you want a system that is relatively user-friendly for your speakers and attendees. Think about the user journey and try and make the path from signing on, to participating in discussions, or taking a live poll as smooth as possible. Another thing to consider when weighing your platform options is the value of having a dedicated webcast technician during the training to assist your attendees should they experience any trouble during the event. This eliminates the need to halt training, wasting valuable time, to deal with technical issues.
Don’t schedule training sessions that are too long
Virtual training content should be available in small, consumable pieces. This way participants can quickly learn and implement their training in their day-to-day practices. Try not to schedule sessions that go beyond 90 minutes, and that should include the Q&A component.
Do inform attendees about the meeting platform ahead of time
Set the training expectations before the meeting begins. Send an email out the day before the meeting to review the basic tools available to the attendees like how to use the chat window for asking questions, writing on whiteboards, raising their virtual hands, and voting in polls. Make sure you add the particulars of who they can contact in case they have any technical issues.
Don’t present more than 10 minutes without interactive engagement
People can only focus on a presentation slide deck for so long before they tune out and start multitasking, especially if they are training at home. Try incorporating games, small group activities and live-polling to your training program – at regular intervals – to keep your participants motivated. If you don’t interact with your attendees every 10 or so minutes, they may begin to lose interest.
Do send a survey after the virtual training
Sending a post-training survey to the participants to find out how much information they’ve retained helps to gauge whether or not the training was successful. However, asking for input on the training itself is just as essential. Feedback can help you determine their level of engagement and understand their experience using the virtual training platform.
The goal of any training session is to capture the participant’s attention, keep then engaged and help them retain what they have learned. Much like in-person training, virtual training requires an engaging facilitator to ensure that the meeting is properly planned, informative, and fun. Choosing a virtual meeting platform that is user-friendly to both the host and to attendees will ensure that attendees get a great virtual experience.
If you’re still unsure about how to proceed with your virtual training or are looking for a full-service virtual meeting platform, please contact Erinn Young, Conference and Event Services Manager, OBA Conference Centre.