How To Begin a Training Course With The Right Impact

Any successful training course needs tailored content that meets the needs of the delegates.

And it should include interactive elements to help delegates remain engaged and focused.

But no matter how well a course is put together on paper, it is only as effective as the person delivering training.

Whether it is in-house training or for an external audience, trainers only have one opportunity to make the right first impression and convince delegates the course is worth their time and effort.

So, how can you begin your course with the right impact?

This is something I explored with Dan Boniface, head of training at The BCF Group and one of the expert tutors on our Train the Trainer courses.

“You want to set the scene and get engagement levels high from the start,” he said.

“Trainers often think the first impression starts when they get up and do their introduction.

“But it starts a long time before that, from the moment you first meet your delegates.

“At The BCF Group, it starts the moment they come into our buildings. We want to ensure they feel welcomed and met by a friendly face.”

What about if someone is delivering an internal training course? Isn’t that trickier?

Dan said: “Even if you know your delegates, it is still about making the training course a welcoming and safe environment for them.

“If you don’t do that, they are less likely to engage, interact, open up and have honest conversations, especially those who are a bit more introverted.

“We need to think about our first impressions from the first minute and be aware of the judgement people may be making of us, the room set up and the atmosphere.

“We want people to feel safe and secure and relax into the training.”

So, you’ve made your delegates feel welcome. It’s time for the training to start.

How do you ensure the course begins with a bang?

Dan said: “Starting your course with impact is vital for getting early engagement.

“We often see people start a training course with something like ‘Welcome to my health and safety course. My name is Dan, and we will be working on...’.”

“That doesn’t bring people into the room mentally.

“If we start on a boring note, people will expect the rest of the training to be dull.”

Many of us will be able to picture that turgid scene. We’ve all been there.

What should trainers do instead?

Dan suggests there are three excellent alternatives.

Ask a question

A question makes people sit up. They realise they will be challenged and asked to put their thoughts forward.

“I tend to start our Train the Trainer courses with a question,” Dan said.

“It will be an open question – like ‘What is the best thing about training?’.

“And then it is about the power of silence.

“People are typically not as chatty at the start of a course. But someone will fill that silence and start to talk.

“Then, within a few minutes of the training course starting, you have filled the room with lots of conversation and engagement. People are feeling relaxed and that they are in a safe place.

“All you’ve done as a trainer is ask one simple question.”

The way the question is asked is pivotal.

Dan said: “It has to be an open question.

“If you asked, ‘Do you like training?’, you will get a yes or no response and will not open up the conversation.

“If you ask what the best thing is about training or what they love about delivering training, you will get honest responses and start people talking.”

The question needs to be relevant to what is being taught.

“On a train the trainer course, I know we will be talking about skillsets and knowledge that trainers need,” Dan said.

“So, the question needs to get the ball rolling and allow me to join in the conversation and start teaching.

“Within five or 10 minutes of a Train the Trainer course starting, our delegates are learning something.”

As we are talking about questions, I had one for Dan. How long do you leave that silence he mentioned? Because it could feel awkward.

He said: “When you ask a good question, someone will fill the silence because people are uncomfortable when there is supposed to be noise, but no one is saying anything.

“The key as the trainer is to hold out a little longer than feels comfortable.

“If there is no response after 10 seconds, don’t jump in and give the answer. Hold on another five seconds and, most of the time, you will get a response.”

And if you don’t?

Dan said: “You can either rephrase the question or you can address it to someone specifically.”

Facts and figures

Surprising facts and figures can help bring a course to life at the start.

Dan said: “I recently trained a delegate, who worked in security, about a code of conduct they have to use and that came about because of 9/11.

“I taught him how to start his session with that fact, and it was a great way to get people talking. It is something people relate to and they understand the enormity of what happened.

“And from there, he could get to the code, which may not have been the most exciting topic, but the 9/11 fact had given it more meaning and value.”

Storytelling

Another great way to start is with an impactful story.

But Dan suggests you tread carefully.

He said: “They are an excellent way of building early engagement and showing delegates the training will be fun, even if it is on a serious or sensitive subject.

“My recommendation is that if you are a good storyteller, tell the story. If you struggle with it, that may not be your best starting point.

“It is vital to know what you are good at as a trainer. You must reflect on your training and know what works best for you.

“If you start your course with an approach you are not great at, you will have to work extra hard to build trust with your delegates.

“I know with my coaching background, I’m good at asking great questions. So, I typically start with a question because it extracts information from others.

“We have other trainers who are excellent storytellers, and they will start with a story.”

If you are a good storyteller, road-test your story before you use it in a course.

“Test it first,” Dan said. “Run it through with a colleague. Or, even better, film yourself and watch it back. That’s a technique we often use in our Train the Trainer courses.

“As you become more experienced as a trainer, you have more stories to tell, and you will probably use them multiple times across different courses.”

Make it practical

Once you have made that initial impact, build on the delegate engagement in the learning process by quickly introducing something practical, dynamic and interactive.

“The sooner you do this, the better,” Dan said.

“Choose something the delegates will find challenging but not uncomfortable.

“Around 20 years ago, early in my management career, I went on a leadership course.

“Right at the beginning, as the ice-breaker, the trainer got us to act out some scenes from a film.

“It was horrendous. I would say 90 per cent of the people in the room did not enjoy doing it.

“I don’t mind standing up and talking to 200 people, but acting out a scene is not for me.”

And that start had a significant impact on Dan.

“I spent the rest of the course worrying about the next activity and what I would be asked to do because, if that’s the starting point, surely it will only get worse,” he said.

“To this day, I can’t remember the content of that course.

“So, it is crucial you pitch impact at the right level for the group we are working with.

“We want to challenge people, but it has to be within something they are willing to do.”

The BCF Group’s Train the Trainer courses start with an early practical session, within around the first 15 minutes.

“We do an exercise around personal objectives,” Dan said. “And that allows us to bespoke the session in the moment to meet the needs of delegates.”

Momentum

Once you’ve got your training course off to a compelling start, you must keep the momentum going.

Dan said: “You need to continue to keep learning dynamic and inspiring throughout the rest of the course – trust is delicate and can be easily broken.

“You have to keep your energy levels up and think about how you are bringing the content to life.”

Need more help? Our Train the Trainer courses equip trainers with the skills and confidence to deliver engaging training courses.

And we’ve made the training even more practical and hands-on.

The two-day course is now packed with six opportunities to deliver and facilitate sessions.

And because we include a camera technician on the training, you can instantly watch your performance back and receive feedback from our expert tutors.

Click here to learn more about our Train the Trainer course options.

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