Why run virtual training?

The virtual world has skyrocketed this year with many of our working days being online. But have we been slow to start running virtual training sessions? This Summer, your team needs to freshen up your old skills, while building new ones with virtual training success. We need virtual training to ensure our team is evolving and developing. If we don’t brush up on our teams’ skills we will be left behind in today’s market that is always changing. Also, let’s not forget working remotely can be new, so maybe your team will need training on some technical aspects of their new working life. Virtual training also allows your team to get to know people outside of their department, which can be difficult in a virtual world.

But we’ve all sat behind the screen ready to engage in some new learning activity, excited to gain new skills. However, we’re asleep within 5 seconds because our trainer doesn’t use exciting virtual training ideas. They sit in front of their screen, talking at the camera without interacting with their audience.

Don’t fear though, we’re here to save the day with the Top 5 Tips to Run a Successful Virtual Training Session.

Our Top Tips:

Cameras On

Nobody wants to log on to training and see a bunch of blank screens talking. It’s always nice to put a face to the name, so do that by turning your camera on. If you’re sitting in the training with your camera off, everyone else will do that same so make sure to set an example.

Of course, you can’t force your colleagues to turn their cameras on but make sure you encourage them. Send out an email before to let them know it’s an interactive training with cameras on if possible. The prior warning will make the virtual training more successful and avoid people logging on with bed hair!

There are many benefits of turning your cameras on. It helps to avoid screen fatigue and also makes the meeting feel more similar to physical contact. Your team will be able to see hand gestures and facial expressions so they can build a better relationship with each other.

Ice Breakers

You wouldn’t talk to a stranger without introducing yourself, right? The same applies to a virtual training session so, allow your team the chance to get to know one and other.

Try some icebreaking activities so your team feels at ease with each other. A light-hearted game will break the ice and get your team thinking. It’s a good idea to use breakout rooms for these games so your team can get to know individual people better.

The more interactive the game the more success for your virtual team training. But don’t overcomplicate things either, sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Make sure to outline the games on your agenda so that your team has the chance to think about the game before you begin. Prizes are always a good way to bring out people’s competitive side!

Use Visuals

Not only does a picture speak a thousand words, but it’s also a thousand times less boring on a virtual training call!

You can use different video sharing tools or presentation software to give the information to your colleagues. Having a visual of the virtual training session will help your colleagues to remember the new information too. Here are some ideas of visuals you could use:

• Use a shared whiteboard such as Miro. You and your colleges use can use brainstorming techniques to share ideas at the same time.
• Make a PowerPoint before the event that you can also share with your colleagues after. Make sure to use as little font as possible and a lot of figures and diagrams.
• You could share a Youtube video to make your virtual training a success. The video is a new change of voice so it will keep your colleagues attention for longer.

Use an interactive virtual platform

The success of your virtual training will depend on the virtual platform you run it on. Not all virtual event platforms are the same, so you’ll need to choose one that will allow a lot of interaction. You want your colleagues to be able to speak and participate in the training so they will be as engaged as possible. Here are some features your event platform should have:

• Polling
• Virtual tables
• Breakout rooms
• Q and A features

There are many interactive features offered by different event platforms. For example, Remo has customizable floor plans that will take your virtual event to a whole new location. You could run your training on a virtual beach to change up your scenery and create a sense of excitement around your training.

Collect Feedback

You can never improve on your training if you don’t ask for feedback. A post-event virtual training is a good idea for the success of your future events. This also gives your team the chance to ask questions about the training. Following up is a nice touch to make sure that your team feels appreciated.

You can use your virtual event platform to give your team a virtual survey at the end of the event. Try to keep the feedback anonymous so your team will be honest about the success of the virtual training.

How do I use these tips?

Now that you know our top 5 tips to run a successful virtual training session, you’re ready for virtual training. These ideas are great for spicing up your remote meetings and for team building. Of course, you need a virtual events platform to host remote meetings. Not all virtual event platforms are the same so make sure you select one with engaging features. At Remo, we have an engaging platform that will allow you to use these ideas. You can take a look at the product yourself with our guided tours. We also have a free 14-day trial so you can try our product before making a commitment.