Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022 - 60

your team's product launch meeting.
Even then, we knew that this method was
not ideal - but with limited alternatives,
it was standard practice.
Over time, however, advances in
technology have provided fresh and
more engaging methods for training
program developers to present
challenging curricula, beginning with
online quizzes and video presentations.
Training program developers have
built upon these new approaches,
parsing and packaging dense
curricula into smaller modules and
more entertaining frameworks that
are more appealing to learners. By
introducing fun and fresh methods
of learning, users are encouraged to
engage in training more often, and can
establish a base of knowledge much
sooner, opening up the opportunity to
effectively build upon it.
There's another key benefit to
including fun surprises in your training
program, beyond generating interest.
It turns out that the most effective
programs for enhancing memorization
present materials in unusual formats,
filled with unexpected moments. This
strategy is validated by scientific
research demonstrating that " novelty
enhances memory. "
For sales training program developers,
this is clearly the time for fresh
methods of delivering complex training
information
that
truly
sticks,
placed
within training platforms that encourage
incisive, on-the-spot thinking. It's time
for creative solutions.
TRAINING ON THE GO
Notable recent methods for presenting
information in more creative, entertaining
and accessible ways include:
* Placing product
and
prescribing
information into game formats, from
true/false and multiple-choice quizzes
to matching pair puzzles and more,
is a great way to encourage repeat
play. The uploading of training
games to phones and other mobile
devices makes it easy for learners
to advance their knowledge at any
time, in any place. Online games can
| 60
also incorporate audio, video, charts
and photos in dynamic ways that will
more easily cement the material into
the learner's memory. We are also
able to monitor a learner's answers in
real time and tailor the game to their
specific areas of weakness.
* eLearning, where participants once
passively scrolled through curriculum
screen-by-screen following audio
prompts, is now a much more robust,
mobile-friendly offering that includes
customizable and interactive content,
video and animation, the ability for
learners (and trainers) to review their
progress and other appealing and
fun features.
Even when the pandemic
is behind us, changes to
how, when and where we
work may be lasting.
* Role-play is another arena where
new approaches allow for greater
impact. For one, consider employing
professional actors (or " simulators " )
to perform with your learners.
These spirited encounters, filled
with unexpected roadblocks, often
produce unanticipated solutions and
ensure a productive session that hits
all necessary marks. Using simulators
allows managers to fully engage as
an observer and do what they do
best: coach.
* Sales representatives can also take
advantage of technology platforms to
record and submit role plays to their
manager, who will review messaging
strategies and provide further
coaching and feedback. Research
has found that learners, on average,
record up to five times prior to
submitting for review. This desire, to
make their practice sessions perfect,
is invaluable.
* A virtual training facility is a very
innovative method of framing
content that can be shared remotely
(a requirement that we've all come
to recognize during the COVID-19
pandemic). Building virtually means that
you have limitless opportunity to insert
engaging features that will combat
screen fatigue and keep learners
actively interested. In this setting,
learners arrive for a videoconference
session by " entering " a building and
traveling down virtual hallways before
clicking to join their meeting. Between
sessions, they can travel throughout
their online world and explore additional
features, from company and product
information shared via clickable " wall
tiles " to private " meeting spots "
for
one-on-one chats with colleagues or
trainers, and almost anything else you'd
like to add. And of course, you will
maintain the beneficial novelty factor by
continuing to introduce new features.
* To effectively advocate for their
product, sales
professionals
have a thorough understanding and
must
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/learning-by-surprise/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/learning-by-surprise/
Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022

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