Corporate trainers have a difficult task. They must deliver outstanding quality training to teams, and often in a very limited timeframe. To be successful, there are several skills that all trainers should possess, as well as a few supplementary tools to make things a little easier. In this post, we'll be looking at those essential skills and training tools, as well as the mindset required to make good professional trainers.
9 essential trainer skills you need to have
There's an almost inexhaustible list of skills that could conceivably be useful for corporate trainers. However, the ten we're about to list are arguably the most important and those that every trainer should aspire to develop if they don't already possess.
1. Communication
Communication skills are critical in any profession, but perhaps no more so than in the training world. After all, you may have all the appropriate information at your disposal, but if you can't convey it in a way that's accessible and intuitive, how can you expect people to learn? That's why, of all the skills trainers need to have, effective communication is among the most essential skills.
It might sound obvious, but a good trainer knows how to deliver a training session. Whether that's in-person or through online training, that information simply has to be communicated in an effective way. It's the stumbling block of many aspiring trainers; they have the ability, the passion, and the subject knowledge ready to pass on – they just don't know how to impart it.
2. Research
Advanced research skills for corporate trainers are the only way to deliver a deep understanding of the topic at hand. It ensures that relevant and reliable content is delivered in new and engaging ways. Explaining concepts is one thing, but a trainer needs to be able to hold group discussions and share their knowledge base to deliver good training, even in high-stress situations with lots of questions. Research skills are the secret weapon of successful corporate trainers.
With so many options for corporate training, how does a trainer stand out from the crowd? Research, research, and then research again. Be the expert you'd want to learn from, and then surpass even that. The more research you do, the better your learning materials will be, and the more valued you’ll be by your trainees.
3. Time management
Time management skills are vital for any budding trainer. What good are training sessions if you only ever get a third of the way through, leaving trainees to catch up on the rest of the information themselves without the help of you, the trainer? Corporate trainers need to be disciplined with their time and stick to their scheduling wherever possible.
Lax schedule management is something of a slippery slope, and once you start to let things slide, it's very difficult to regain that sense of control. If your scheduling is thrown out of whack, then it can have a knock-on effect on all areas of your training; you become more stressed, you're unable to offer the kind of interpersonal tuition you'd like, and you haven't got the time to be as creative or inventive with your training as you'd like to be.
The 'fun' aspects of training, like having open-table discussions with your trainees and bouncing ideas from one to another, can only occur if that's built in as part of a disciplined schedule strictly adhered to. In other words, lay the foundation, keep to the foundation, and then the elevated levels of training can flourish. Self-management skills form part of the key skill set of discipline, improving your learning outcomes significantly.
4. Creativity
Your training sessions, no matter how potentially 'dry' the topic (though this is, of course, subjective in the first place), should never be devoid of creativity. Some people naturally like to learn, and that's great; for them, they'd probably commit themselves to a training program and get what's intended out of it, no matter how the course is laid out.
Not everyone is like that, however. Learning is harder and more of a slog for others, and so your best chance as a trainer to get these trainees genuinely engaged with your materials is to inject creativity into the core of your training delivery. It's easier said than done, of course, but thankfully, as we'll come onto, there are a host of tools for trainers (like graphic design and video editing software) that enable creativity without too much effort.
5. Training design
A well-designed training course is like a house built on stone. Front-loading your efforts in terms of making sure you create the best course possible from the off will have you reaping greater benefits in the long run. The better designed your training, the less likely things will go wrong, and the more time you'll have to focus on your participants' learning rather than the structure or progress of the course itself.
6. People management
Training is fundamentally a social discipline; you're relaying information to other people and trying to do so in a way that makes it as easy to grasp as possible. At certain times, your training might require group work or perhaps back-and-forth interactions. This can invite potential conflict, and it's crucial that you, as a trainer, know how to diffuse situations if they ever get too heated.
Conversely, if the buy-in for training doesn't seem to be there, you need to be able to find a way to whip up some enthusiasm without alienating or patronising your participants. People skills, particularly people management, are among the most pivotal training skills.
7. Adaptability
Problem-solving skills are important for corporate trainers because, as much as we'd like it to be the case, things go wrong and unexpected challenges do arise from time to time. That's why being adaptable is so important for trainers; it's undoubtedly one of the most essential training skills.
Trainers need to be able to think on their toes and often improvise. Learning to take such hurdles in your stride won't just benefit your abilities as a trainer, it'll apply to life more broadly, too.
8. Being organised
Strong organisational skills are imperative for trainers. You need to be able to manage your learning content (including creating, delivering, and editing), your ongoing courses, upcoming programs, client prospecting, your own learning and development, and much more besides.
If you're not organised, then you're going to come unstuck quickly. Like with poor time discipline, the effects of poor organisational skills tend to compound other errors, which in turn makes it harder for you to be organised, and so on and so forth in a vicious cycle.
9. Active listening
Training is as much about a person's ability to take in information as it is about their ability to teach and convey knowledge. There's a difference between hearing the words your trainees are saying to you and really listening to them.
If you're thrown a curveball and are not authentically engaged with the person asking the question, you're unlikely to give a comprehensive answer and may lose the confidence of that particular trainee. By contrast, if you show you're listening attentively, use body language to convey your engagement, and really focus on taking in what's being said to you, everybody benefits as a result.
Note: this skill is clearly more relevant for in-person learning than it is for online courses.
5 essential training tools for trainers
Developing these essential skills for trainers may be easier said than done; however, there's a wide array of training tools for trainers you can use to boost these key skills further. These include:
1. Learning management system
Utilising learning management systems is a must for trainers in today's corporate world. A learning management system allows course providers to create and deliver their courses, manage the trainees and workload, and create virtual classrooms in which the learning can take place; this enables participants to learn either from the office, from home, or wherever else in the world they may happen to be.
Elearning authoring tools help standardise and automate processes for trainers in a manner that increases efficiency without ever compromising on the quality of the learning itself.
A learning management system is one of the best tools that helps trainers understand learning needs and create learning paths for their students. It takes the problem-solving aspect out of online training by allowing trainers to create engaging videos and development programs. Advanced content authoring tools open opportunities for sharing multimedia files and knowledge to deliver training without compromising communication skills.
2. Project management tools
There's a vast array of project management tools out there. Whether you choose Asana, Wrike, Trello, ClickUp or any other well-known project management system, you can keep your training better organised regarding scheduling, workflow management and session plans.
These tools can take a little bit of time to get used to, but the long-term gain far outweighs any short-term frustration when familiarising yourself with the tool. Plus, when you think back to that time management skill, which we've already outlined is crucial for trainers, it's made so much easier when you get to grips with one of these project management tools.
3. Graphic design tools
There are many different types of learners out there, including reading/writing, kinaesthetic, auditory and visual. Some people's brains are wired in such a way that the learning penny drops far more easily when looking at a graph or visual example than they do reading three pages on a technique. Graphic design tools, like Canva or Adobe Express, can help you create more visually engaging course content. Even mastering PowerPoint to its full potential can make a big difference to how effective your teaching can be.
4. Video editing tools
Video editing tools can help elevate training courses to the next level; whether it be to edit together supplementary materials for your in-person training, or to create an entirely video-based e-learning program, developing skills with video editing software can add both professionalism and quality to your training program. Popular video editing tools to consider include Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, iMovie and Corel VideoStudio.
5. Social media management tools
Modern trainers and their resources need to be visible and accessible via more channels than ever before, and their digital presence in terms of social media platforms is no exception. Developing your social media presence as a corporate trainer has the following benefits:
- Accumulate potential new clients in the form of followers.
- Provide value-added content on top of the information contained within your training programs.
- Comment on topical and dynamic issues as and when they happen to showcase industry relevance.
This isn't an exhaustive list by any means. However, it gives you an idea of just how beneficial the likes of LinkedIn, X and Instagram can be for trainers. If maintaining an active social media presence doesn't come naturally to you, then don't worry because there are plenty of easy-to-use scheduling tools you can utilise to help you keep on top of regular posting. These include Hootsuite, Buffer and SocialBee.
How to become a better trainer
By understanding these skill sets and making use of tools to support and elevate your training, you'll put yourself in a good position as a corporate trainer, but you can always get better. There are three main areas in which you can improve your craft, and these are as follows:
1. Invest in training programs and qualifications
The best way for trainers to stay on top of their profession is to invest in new qualifications and knowledge so that they know all about the current and future trends in e-learning. The further ahead of the curve you can stay as a trainer, the sharper and more finely-attuned your training programs will remain.
2. Boost your soft skills
Don't ever underestimate the importance of soft skills when it comes to how you deliver training. Think of this example; when you look back to school, were there any teachers you particularly liked or remembered? Those that really stayed with you even into adulthood?
If there are, the chances are they'd be the ones who listened well, those who heard your questions, concerns and ideas and dealt with them in a personal and thoughtful way. Sure, they were almost certainly very knowledgeable, but those softer skills really elevated them in your eyes. The primary soft skills include interpersonal skills, teamwork and leadership.
3. Get feedback from your trainees
Training is a two-way street. Yes, the main goal is for your trainees to meet their learning objectives. However, that's not to say there's no room for you to learn from your training participants, too. You can look for feedback from your trainees both during and after the training program; do they think the training objectives were laid out well? How well was the training delivered? Are there areas that could be improved upon?
So, there you have it, the vital skills you need to become a good trainer, as well as some tools to help you get there. If, however, your organisation needs support and guidance to develop new skills in the workforce, talk to us at Plus UTS to find out how we can help.
