Learners LOVE virtual trainers who do these 6 things

It’s easy to lose sight of this.

Especially when we’re leading an online training, and we’re staring into the dark abyss of a webcam lens, or a “gallery view” full of cameras that are turned off.

There are actual human beings on the other end of those webcams! So how do we connect with them as real, live people?

If we can do that, they’re way more likely to stay engaged in our training, retain what we’re teaching them, and gain the benefits of applying it.

So follow these 6 tips, and you’ll be a trainer that people LOVE learning from…

1. Get mentally prepared to engage participants

Which of these self-care activities do you find most lifegiving?

Aromatherapy, visualization practices, yoga, taking a walk, time in nature, soothing music, breathing exercises, journaling, art therapy, getting a massage, meditation, watching a movie, reading a book, taking a warm bath, laughing, having a warm drink, etc.

To help you get in a positive state of mind that will help you engage learners, how might you begin incorporating one or more of these self-care activities into your pre-webinar routine?

2. Appeal to all five senses

Sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste.

By appealing to each of them, you’ll create an experience learners will remember, which will help them retain the content.

For our three-day workshops, we send learners a resource box ahead of time with lots of different sensory items, such as Play-Doh, candy, scented markers, chips, chocolate, bendy animals, playing cards, highlighters, flags, stickers, etc.

That said, according to the Montessori learning method, there are more than five senses we can appeal to when teaching. Check out this article for more information.

3. Mix up your webinar platform tools

Here are six staples that will help you engage your learners…

1) Chat box, 2) typing tool, 3) draw tool, 4) stamp tool, 5) polls, 6) breakout rooms.

Use them often, and your learners will remain attentive. But as you do, keep these two questions in mind…

Which tool do you tend to overuse? Which one do you want to challenge yourself to begin using more often?

Variety key to keeping learners engaged, so mix it up and keep them guessing!

4. Incorporate energizers

You know what a zoned-out face looks like.

If you see that on a participants’ webcam, or if you simply aren’t getting much response in the chat box, you’re probably past due for weaving in an energizer.

We need to regularly re-engage learners’ brains with a mental energizer and/or a physical energizer that gets them up and moving and their blood flowing.

5. Give praise and encouragement

You as the trainer aren’t the only one who can give this out.

If you send learners a resource box ahead of time, include a sheet of stickers. That way, participants can award stickers to other participants who contribute to their learning experience. Then you can give out prizes at the end of class to people who collected the most stickers. If you don’t send a resource box, participants can simply collect tally marks in their workbooks.

You can also hold raffles at the end of class, offer prizes to participants for filling out feedback forms, etc.

6. Make them laugh

How do you follow Will Smith in the snow?

You follow the fresh prints.

Hopefully you can come up with funnier jokes than this.

Be sure to keep an eye out for other blogs in this series, giving you 19 MORE TIPS to help you become a more engaging virtual trainer!

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