Training Industry Magazine - May/June 2019 - 45

Nothing ensures the success
of a new endeavor as much
as intentional coaching.
In the article, "Learning and Memory:
How Do We Remember and Why Do We
Often Forget?" published by BrainWorld
Magazine, Kenneth Wesson notes,
"learning experiences become more
memorable when social-emotional
memories are part of the learning event,
which is why cooperative learning is
such a powerful memory-enhance."
A human teacher is a necessary
component of that cooperative, social
learning environment.

Component 3: Application
and Reinforcement
If the forgetting curve is correct, and
learners have only days before they
forget half of what they've learned, the
learning experience must extend beyond
the workshop itself; just as importantly,
the application phase must begin
immediately. After all, we only have a
matter of days! In this way, e-learning
apps, digital reminders and every other
technological tool we can dream up
are equipped for reinforcement and
motivating the learner to apply these
new skills.
That being said, it is crucial that
participants are applying new behaviors in

their intended way as they move into the
application phase of the learning process.
In Andy Hunt's book, "Pragmatic
Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your
Wetware," Hunt points out that people at
a lower skill level tend to overestimate
their own abilities by as much as 50%.
This can be a problem when sending
someone with newly acquired (and
likely, lower) skill set out to practice new
skills. If they are unable to perceive their
own progress clearly, it can be difficult
to actually progress. It is easy to practice
something incorrectly, even with the
best of intentions, without the help of a
coach. Whether that coach is a manager,
colleague or the original facilitator,
nothing ensures the success of a new
endeavor as much as intentional
coaching. A learner must continually
have another person with whom they
can ask questions, express frustrations
and share success stories.

The Human Factor
With all that neuroscience continues
to teach us about how we learn, when
it comes to sales training, we must also
consider what "sales" is.
Sales is a social science and an emotional
art; at its heart, it's the process of
building relationships with clients and

customers while guiding them through
the frequently emotional waves of the
buying process. A sales professional
is like a doctor whose essential job it
is to guide a patient from a problem
to a solution. More than simply
understanding the technicality of the
solution, though, the doctor must also
have the social and emotional means to
understand the patient.
We might call this "the human factor."
We might also call it empathy, trust,
confidence, patience, intuition or,
simply, the ability to deeply connect
with another human being. While there
are multiple areas in which we can, and
should, celebrate the effectiveness and
convenience of e-learning and digital
resources, teaching that critical human
factor is simply not one of them.
The bottom line is this: If the question
is "is training worth the cost?" the
answer is, "only if the participants are
effectively trained."
Caroline Murphy is the president
of Acclivus Corporation, a global
performance development firm. Acclivus
"R3 Solutions" refers to the only fully
integrated curriculum designed to help
organizations build strong relationships,
produce optimal results and generate
profitable revenue. Email Caroline.

T RAIN IN G I N DU STR Y M AGAZ INE - UNDERSTANDING YOUR LEARNERS 20 1 9 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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https://www.brainworldmagazine.com/learning-memory-how-do-we-remember-and-why-do-we-often-forget/ https://www.brainworldmagazine.com/learning-memory-how-do-we-remember-and-why-do-we-often-forget/ https://www.brainworldmagazine.com/learning-memory-how-do-we-remember-and-why-do-we-often-forget/ https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine

Training Industry Magazine - May/June 2019

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