In the past, the training process involved sitting in a room and listening to your manager explain the role. You might take coffee breaks and have lunch, but you always had to be on-site. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has changed. Virtual training has often become the norm.
What is Virtual Training?
Virtual training is the process of training your employees online. They can be anywhere in the world. As long as they have technology equipment and Wi-Fi, they can log in and participate in your training program.
Virtual training is conducted through an online platform designed to replicate the in-person training experience. You can conduct synchronous or asynchronous training sessions, some of which may involve live video or recorded presentations.
Many virtual training programs include self-paced learning elements and training conducted while being guided by your sales manager.
Best Practices for Virtual Training
1. Be prepared: Before the virtual training session, you should prepare. Knowing your content well will be the first step.
2. Have a backup plan: Despite preparation, you can’t be ready for every possible issue. That’s why you should have a backup plan for common problems – whether that’s getting someone on a Zoom call, having a backup internet plan, or carrying chargers for your technology.
3. Start with high energy: Training can be boring, whether virtual or in-person. Your trainers should be enthusiastic and engaging right from the start. A good host knows how to handle awkward silences and sets the tone for interaction. Your trainers should be energized and lively to capture the participants’ attention.
4. Make it interactive: I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in some totally awkward Zoom meetings. It’s easy for participants at home to turn off their cameras and not pay attention to your training session at all. The best way to capture attention is to make it interactive and engaging. Think about your content and how you can make it interactive – conduct polls and virtual quizzes, encourage participation, share sales strategies, practice business calls, and answer questions.
5. Provide your audience with all the information they need: Before joining the virtual training session, communicate with participants about any expectations. Should their cameras be on or off? Should they prepare anything? Should they be muted? Will you use chat or have a breakout session? When your audience is prepared, you will ensure the success of your training.
6. Use multiple content styles: We know that trainings are not effective when they are heavy on text and lectures. That’s why you should implement different content styles. It makes it more engaging for the audience, and they are more likely to remember what they learned. It should include images, videos, and examples (perhaps by sharing your screen) to keep things interesting.
7. Turn it into a game if possible: 67% of learners agree that game-based learning is more engaging and motivating than traditional classes. This might mean hosting live challenges and offering prizes for winners.
8. Schedule breakout sessions: With virtual training, there’s no limit to the number of participants you can include. However, the more people there are, the harder it is to encourage participation. To overcome this challenge, schedule breakout sessions for high-quality group discussions. You can have participants solve problems and complete activities in 10-minute breakout sessions.
9. Include a Q&A session at the end: Regardless of the type of virtual training you’re conducting, it’s important to leave space for audience questions. You should encourage attendees to write their questions in the chat. You can also encourage participants to ask questions as they come up, fostering great real-time conversation.
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Ask for feedback and improvement: Always ask for feedback from your audience. Then use that feedback to improve your training. This usually means going back to something in more depth or comments about the platform itself. You won’t have an effective virtual training session if you don’t ask for feedback.
How to Train Your Team Virtually
1. Think about the structure of the training session: Before you can create the content for your virtual training session, think about how to organize the topic. Consider the subject and jot down ideas on the best way to convey this type of information. This will be the outline for your training session.
2. Create high-quality content: Once you have your outline, it’s time to create valuable, high-quality content. You may need to create videos, design worksheets, and draft discussion questions. Then you’ll need to create the presentation slides that you will use to go through all this great content.
3. Include breaks in your agenda: If you haven’t included breaks in your outline, add them now. Providing ten-minute breaks after an hour and a half is best practice. Many training sessions run all day with back-to-back presentations. Give attendees the chance to stand up, stretch, grab a snack, and use the restroom.
4. Prioritize engagement: Once you have your content ready, run the session. See how interactive and engaging the materials are. There may be sections where you can add more opportunities for participation. Be sure to note these areas. If a particular section of training doesn’t feel optimal, think about the interactive tools you can use to make it more interesting.
5. Upload and build your virtual training platform: Once that’s done, it’s time to upload your training to the virtual training platform you are using. If you are not using a Learning Management System (LMS) and are only presenting via Zoom, you might be able to skip this step. This step will largely depend on the LMS you are using.
6. Promote your virtual training program: Now that everything has been built, it’s time to promote your program. Whether the virtual training is internal or external, whether you need to reach out to mandatory attendees or try to get sign-ups through email and social media.
Starting virtual training
Virtual training is not going anywhere. These sessions can be more interactive than in-person sessions, enhanced by technology that makes your sessions fun and interesting. Start planning your virtual training program today, and soon you’ll have an outstanding program.
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