Six Secrets of Successful Train the Trainer Programs

Train the Trainer programs are one of the most important ways to ensure everyone who teaches your training courses has the tools they need to be successful. To work well, these course facilitation programs should act like a movie trailer: Give important highlights, show what audiences need to know and focus on the big picture.

But knowing what to include — and how to build the experience you desire — is easier said than done. Mess up the pace or cut the wrong details, and your audience will end up feeling lost or bored. Fear not! After years of trial and error, we’ve found the secrets to building an awesome, effective Train the Trainer program. Include these six tips, and your trainees will be ready to share knowledge in no time.

1. Level your training

Few experiences are more frustrating than attending a class where the content is either too advanced or too simple for you. So, don’t let that happen in your Train the Trainer program!

Before the course begins, know exactly what level or range of levels the participants represent, so you can customize the content for them. To ensure you’re teaching to your audience, start by determining:

• The audiences they’ll be instructing
• The key information they do not know
• The details you skip over or touch on briefly
• The learning objectives you should focus on

2. Demonstrate how to make classes relevant and fun

Historically, people aren’t super jazzed to attend accounting and auditing trainings, so your program needs to wow your audiences to engage them. When starting your session, avoid this type of introduction: “Welcome to [your presentation title], and today we’re going to learn [your topic].” With such a blah welcome, your attendees’ eyelids will droop before you even start the first slide — mine were just writing that intro!

Ultimately, if a Train the Trainer program is dull, your learners will become dull presenters. People replicate what we see. So, if you’re dull, they’ll see this as the standard to reach for in the industry. Don’t let that happen! You can set a good example by providing:

• Immediate details proving the course will make their jobs or lives easier
• Real-world stories of why this information matters
• Timely examples from the news or current events
• Candid discussions, rather than canned talking points

3. Teach the highlights, not the whole course

When you’re leading a Train the Trainer program, the temptation is strong to just show attendees “how it’s done” by leading them through the whole course. Whatever you do, don’t do this! You’ll immediately bore your audiences — and they won’t absorb the information they need.

Instead of teaching everything, provide a quick overview of the materials and a high-level course breakdown. Share the course’s structure, from its length to the number of topics and subtopics. Then, walk through the materials and provide:

• Key themes of important slides
• Help with topics that trainers and attendees often struggle with
• Advice on the subjects they should study the most
• Tips for making exercises more effective and engaging
• Guidelines for how much time to spend in each section

4. Master case study best practices

Case studies are one of the most important parts of any training program, so understanding how to facilitate them properly is critical. But many trainers miss this powerful learning opportunity by having participants simply read the prompt, do the work, find out the answer and move on.

But without conversation about the case study, everyone will learn less than they could have — because people acquire skills by doing, not just listening. A successful Train the Trainer course must give learners the tools to drive engagement by understanding the following concepts:

• Where to focus the debriefing to maximize learning
• Why to expect a long pause when you ask the first question
• How to be patient in silence and avoid spoon-feeding answers
• How to encourage answers and give positive feedback
• Why to document the conversation on a flipchart

5. Share the difference between instruction and facilitation

Anyone who teaches an accounting or auditing course to their peers is probably a pretty bright person. And many see their trainer role as purely about disseminating knowledge. So, they can easily get caught in the instructing trap and spend most of the classroom time talking at the attendees, rather than helping them join the conversation.

Your Train the Trainer program should give everyone the tools to become expert facilitators, rather than just knowledgeable instructors. Spend time focusing on:

• Why facilitating is more effective than instructing
• Tips for encouraging participants to learn from each other
• Ways to ensure everyone in the classroom has a voice
• How to recognize when you’re instructing and should be facilitating

6. Rock your evaluations

We recommend that Train the Trainer programs not only give people tools for excelling in the classroom but also provide ways to continue developing their skills each time they teach. Understanding how to capture and use evaluation forms is one of the best ways to foster this long-term learning.

Of course, everyone who facilitates trainings wants good evaluations. And while the majority of feedback that trainers receive reflects the job they did, some strategies can help drive more positive results — and identify gaps in their training skills. The most successful Train the Trainer programs teach attendees to:

• Talk about the post-class test and evaluation early in the day
• Ask for verbal feedback before the course ends
• Hand out the evaluation during the course
• Save time for people to complete evaluations before leaving, if possible

Learning to facilitate a Train the Trainer program is a very specific skill. But with these six secrets, you will be on your way to success! Want input on how to improve your Train the Trainer programs? Let’s talk!

About GAAP Dynamics
We’re a DIFFERENT type of accounting training firm. We view training as an opportunity to empower professionals to make informed decisions at the right time. Whether it’s U.S. GAAP, IFRS, or audit training, we’ve trained thousands of professionals since 2001, including at some of the world’s largest firms. Our promise: Accurate, relevant, engaging, and fun training. Want to know how GAAP Dynamics can help you? Let’s talk!

Disclaimer
This post is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as official accounting guidance. While we’ve ensured accuracy as of the publishing date, standards evolve. Please consult a professional for specific advice.