The Trainers Toolkit – a guide to successful training

Being able to maximise training and conduct a successful course is all part of the preparation, from making the initial welcome call to creating a unique training plan. A trainer wants to be sure everything is captured and ready before embarking on their training journey.

Before you leave the office, do you have everything you need?

If you were ever a Boy Scout or a Girl Guide you know you need to ‘be prepared’. What exactly do you put in a Trainers Toolkit?

Planning your journey

It’s a given to take down details of where you are going but what do you do if the trains are late or you are lost? Always take with you at least 3 contact names, emails addresses and mobile numbers. Why 3? What happens if your first named contact is busy setting up the training room and your second contact is helping? Taking down a choice of numbers helps you track down the right person or be able to pass a message on. It’s hard avoiding traffic nightmares but you can make life a little easier for yourself by leaving 30 minutes earlier than planned. It’s always a bonus if you are early and can spend those extra minutes in your favourite coffee shop going over your agenda once more!

Training Guides

What happens when your guide is too big? Many a time we have packed numerous guides into our suitcase, more so than clothes! Let’s be honest, guides tend to stay on a shelf and gather dust or act as a monitor stand so why not bring everything you need on a data stick? Small and light a USB drive can hold recruitment software training guides, presentations and handouts which can easily be transferred to your delegates. A PDF training guide also acts as an interactive training tool, allowing you to locate topics quickly. And it gives you more space for your clothes!

What’s the time?

These days most people will refer to the clock on their phone to keep track of time but is this appropriate for your training course? Having a trainer constantly look at their mobile phone can give the impression they don’t want to be there or they are focussed on something deemed more important. It’s very distracting for delegates and can misled them into thinking it’s alright to check emails, Facebook and other such activities during the session. Instead, make a small investment in a simple watch. Alternatively, check the clock on your workstation if the screen is visible. As the trainer you can easily sneak a look at the time without getting distracted or distracting others.

No Ink?

Always take with you a couple of whiteboard pens as you never know when these will be needed. There is nothing worse than turning up for a course and all the pens in the offices have dried up or they are all one colour. Introduce a range of eye catching colours to help draw the attention of your audience!

Goodies

Bringing along sweets is always a good idea in training and not for selfish reasons! You can use these treats as a much loved sugar boost after lunch or prizes for all the fun games you have prepared. Nothing encourages delegates more than a nice bar of chocolate!

Business Cards

At the end of a course it’s nice to hand out a business card but what if you haven’t got one? A more popular way to communicate now is through Social Media. Whether its business or personal, chances they have an online profile is high. Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn are easily accessible from smart phones or other mobile devices so why not find, follow and share with your delegates online and you can guarantee they will follow you back.

Each Trainers Toolkit is different – what’s in yours?