How you open your training session can be a critical factor in how much your learners retain from the class. But some details need to be covered, especially if some of your attendees are unfamiliar with the layout of the space. So how do you cover some of those "housekeeping" items without losing that critical opening?
If you would prefer to have all electronics silenced during your class, have a poster reminder on the floor of the classroom so people cannot miss it. Perhaps create a drawing of a cell phone with a polite request to silence all electronics.
One minute before your official start time, let those who have already gathered in the room know that class will begin in two minutes so now is a good time to get a beverage or go to the restroom. This also is a natural time to give directions to where those things may be found.
You also want to encourage on-time behaviors so reward those who show up early with extra nice-to-know information. Some suggestions could be an activity such as a jargon word find or a scrolling slide show with information about the presenter as well as some fun content-related cartoons.
