The Training Telephone

I’ve designed and delivered lots of sales training in my career.  I was frustrated by high testing scores that followed my training sessions and the low (rock bottom) retention scores 90 days after the workshops concluded. So, I dared a group of sales trainees to help me create a support program that resulted in scores that increased over time.  Well, they agreed to help, on the condition they could be totally honest.  It was only through their honesty that I learned what worked and what didn’t.

I wasn’t naive enough to believe that they would be using their workbooks for reference when they left class.  Lugging around a sales training workbook for reference was out of the question.  So, with their help, I designed a trunk-load of DVDs, CDs, and PPTs for their laptops. After 30 days they said no, thumbs down to my efforts.  The design of the support materials had merit but they didn’t like taking their  laptop unless they were making a presentation.  So, now what?

One sales person mentioned that the only technology she carried at all times was her cell phone, why couldn’t I make something that would work on the cell phone.

So, with their guidance I chunked the sales info even further.  I followed their recommendations  to the letter resulting in 10 audio/video segments 2 – 3 minutes in length, delivered to their cell phones.  Guess what, the 30 day feedback was all thumbs up.  The best part, their retention scores and sales interactions began to improve.  The reason, they had just what they needed, where and when they needed it. 

After using the information for reference over time it became committed to memory and easy to apply successfully.  I also found this to be a sound practice for field service and field techs.  I’m now working on applications for several other jobs. Give it a try, it works.

The Short Attention Span Learner

With all that we know about today’s learner I still experience training that must have been designed in the 1950’s.  Trainers droning on and on believing that class participants are hanging on their every word.  Hanging maybe, but not on their every word certainly.

I think of the bloated content that I used to deliver years ago and think of how hard I was making it for students to absorb and retain what I was teaching.  Today we add multimedia to the bloated script and call it interactive, well maybe, but I think overload is overload no matter how it’s delivered.

As trainers we need to know that our students need to do something, apply something, create something, or discuss something about every 5 minutes during a session. I’m a big fan of 5 minute Instructional Design.  Chunk your information down to its essence then give it to the class in small digestible chunks.  Create an activity for the students after every chunk and let them apply the learning.  I know that seems like a lot of work for the instructional designer but I’ve seen it work, time and time again.