How Can We Make Refresher Trainings More Engaging for Our Team?

Dear All,

I am currently working in the .com industry, specifically in the client servicing vertical, as a training coordinator. We regularly organize refresher training sessions on our services to enhance knowledge about our offerings, how to effectively convince clients, and the benefits of our services.

New recruits already possess basic knowledge as they undergo a 7-day induction training before starting their roles. Recently, we have observed a significant decrease in attendance during these refresher sessions. It appears that some may be losing interest or feeling that they are already knowledgeable enough.

I seek your assistance in improving our training sessions and identifying potential reasons for their lack of interest. I want to emphasize that they have completed basic training and are actively working on the services. The refresher sessions involve senior personnel discussing the services to enhance their ability to communicate effectively.

Regards,
Meetu Singh

In my opinion, any training program works on the following principles:

a. Participants need to be convinced that they are gaining new knowledge.

b. If it seems repetitive, the enthusiasm will decrease. Therefore, there needs to be a connection. Try developing new role-plays. You will have to think outside the box.

Regards,
Rajesh Mehta

Thank you, Mr. Mehta, I got your point; exactly the same is happening with us. However, management wants to organize trainings based on services only because they want to see a sudden rise in revenue and sales. We could incorporate some behavioral training as well, but that may require professional trainers, and we do not have that budget. In refresher trainings, we ask vertical heads or regional heads of the certain service to lead the program, and they can only discuss a particular service or product as they are proficient in service selling.

One thing I noticed is that participants are salespersons and are very occupied with work, continuously pursuing their revenue targets. Hence, they are reluctant to come to the corporate office and invest their time as they believe they might have other meetings to attend.

Developing a Positive Attitude Towards Training

So, what kind of training program can we consider to develop a positive attitude towards training?

Thanking you,
Meetu

As a matter of fact, we conduct many training programs in our training center with internal trainers. Good attendance is a problem there too. Contrarily, attendance is not a concern for external trainers conducting trainings at our training center. This may be one potential cause at your organization. You can try with external trainers. "Ghar ki murgi dal barabar (Hindi)" syndrome may be at play.

Hi Meetu, If it's the sales team, then you have your work cut out for you. But you will tread into uncharted waters for that. For the next training, do something drastic and opposite of what your objective is.

The underlying fact that every salesperson believes like gospel is, "Company is not bothered about our feedback and the voice of the customer." Now it's your job to prove them wrong. In the next session, encourage them to speak, tell them it's a new initiative by management to reach out and hear what the client says (who better person to answer than the sales team). Allow them to vent out their feelings for some time. Note all the points consciously and let them feel that it is a two-way street. You will see them warming up to the task in 15 minutes. Once it's done, and by then you have their complete attention, it is the time for you to launch your actual program. Ask for their ideas and suggestions. Hope that should work.

Cheers, Rajesh

Really Sir, it may be a potential reason for taking our trainings casually. But at this point, we do not have the budget to invite external trainers. Whoever is taking the sessions now are proven professionals of our company. However, as they are also sales professionals and not certified trainers, they may be unable to conduct lucrative programs. Though they have tremendous knowledge of the subject, perhaps when it comes to transferring that knowledge, they may not be found effective.

So, can we provide them some input to make the program attractive and engaging? Or how can we understand what repels participants? Although I take feedback at the end of the program and they always give satisfactory ratings, nothing is coming out as to why they are losing interest.

Regards,
Meetu

The Importance of Knowledge Transfer

Why do we have to transfer knowledge? Is it because the organization wants it, or because the employees want it? Knowledge transfer in a one-way manner is a very ineffective way of communication. There is a Chinese proverb that says, "The teacher appears when the student is ready." If your employees are not ready for knowledge inputs, it is important to find out why. Once they are ready, no matter how boring the trainer or training may seem, they will learn. It's the truth.

Dear Meetu,

You may try the following:

- Keep the duration of refresher training to 1-2 days.
- Share some feedback (pre-evaluation) before starting the session so that the employee knows why he/she is required to attend.
- Also, you may follow the style of "ask rather than tell" (ask questions and make them explain).
- You can also ask them to prepare presentations based on previous sessions, make them present, and finally summarize.
- Add some activities.
- Provide chocolates/gifts to candidates/groups who present well, etc.

Hope it helps.

Regards,
Kanika Kapoor
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