In this three-part series, we are getting back to the basics, and perhaps looking at them in a new way. Helping adults learn is a unique skill that you or the trainers you work with have, no doubt, refined over time. The first article addressed the importance of environment and tone in the training environment.

In this installment, we will walk through a smorgasbord of techniques for establishing, building and maintaining engagement and interest.

Building and Maintaining Interest

• As you know, much of the success or failure of a training session is based on the ability of a trainer to establish, build and maintain interest. Let’s look at some tactics that will get you there.

Anecdotes

• Use anecdotes as a way to illustrate your point in a quippy manner. This is one way to reiterate the information you are trying to convey. Remember to keep notes in the margins of your lecture outline, so a good anecdote opportunity doesn’t get lost in the moment.

Movement

• Movement is one of the surest ways of keeping trainees interested in your message. There is something relaxing and engaging about a presenter who moves around while talking. Take advantage of this simple tactic.

Pace

• While both fast and slow talkers offer advantages in their presentations, the speakers who can embrace both have an advantage.

Handouts

• If timed properly, handouts have the ability to focus trainees’ thoughts when you need to clinch down on the main message, skill or process.

Getting Personal

• Add trainees’ names to your discussion or examples. This subtle but effective tactic can perk up the ears of your audience. Who wants to be day dreaming when their name could be mentioned at any moment?

Visuals

• Visual aids will kick life into even the dullest curriculum. Remember, however, that to emphasizing everything means you are emphasizing nothing. Use your visual aids to emphasize the content that really matters.

Questions

• Creative questioning will keep your learners engaged. If their ideas can be added into the discussion, trainees are sure to engage.

Group Activities

• We all know the power of the “break-out session” but it is worth mentioning again here. Time the small group activity to give you maximum benefit, both from the standpoint of engaging trainees and repeating the main content of the session.

Mix up Your techniques

• You are a facilitator, a lecturer, and a content-area specialist. Use all of these roles within your session to keep people engaged.

Music

• Playing carefully chosen music as trainees enter the room helps set the tone for your training session. You can do the same thing during break-out sessions or activities to set the pace and tenor of your session.

Enthusiasm!

• This point seems obvious, but is so critical that I saved it for last. There can be a tendency to participate in the sarcasm that your audience may have regarding the training topic, in order to create a bond—a mutual dislike for whatever the process or skill at hand. Don’t be tempted. Instead, cut through the sarcasm by showing your sincere enthusiasm for the content.

Refresh your training sessions or the sessions of the trainers in your department by using a combination of the above approaches. The next article will build on this one by addressing ways to improve your overall training quality.