Tips for Trainers— How to Ensure Successful Training

1. Tips for Trainers—How to Ensure Successful Training

2. Introduction If you are worried about being nervous when presenting your workshop materials, you may feel better knowing that you are not alone.

3. Introduction • Presenting or speaking to an audience regularly tops the list in surveys of people's top fears… more than heights, flying or dying • Put another way, "Most people would prefer to be lying in the casket than giving the eulogy" Michelle Ray

4. Introduction • A common physical reaction to speaking in public is a release of adrenaline and cortisol into our system, equivalent to drinking seven cups of coffee • The 'fight or flight' impulse takes over • Don't worry, your audience wants you to succeed • They're glad it's you up there and not them • All you need to do is follow the guidelines we will discuss, and everything will be fine • Don't try to get rid of the butterflies, just get them flying in formation

5. Objectives We are going to: • Review some presentation fears • Discuss how to deal with them • Share tips for adding dynamics to your workshops

6. Not knowing the answer Not being able to “think on my feet” Feeling unprepared Difficult person in the audience Having a group of duds Inadequate facilities or faulty equipment Losing my place while presenting Workshop time management Boring the audience Not meeting expectations Top Fears of Presenters

7. Fears Inherent to NASFAA Workshop Format • They will doubt my credibility • Telling a member of the audience that their understanding of a topic or issue is incorrect • Confusing the message with the messenger • All your news is old news • Overwhelming the audience

8. How to Allay Those Fears • Be prepared • Know your material • Practice your presentation • Have a back-up plan

9. How to Prepare • Think about your audience, your aims, their expectations, the surroundings, the facilities available, and what type of presentation you are going to give (lecture style, informative, participative, etc.) • Decide what you hope to accomplish, to inform, to demonstrate and to prove, and maybe to persuade • How do you want the audience to react?

10. How to Prepare • Use the materials that NASFAA has provided • Know these materials • If you have questions ask NASFAA before your first workshop • Thinking about these things will help you ensure that your presentation is going to achieve its purpose

11. Preparation Good preparation is the key to confidence, which is the key to you being relaxed Good preparation and rehearsal will reduce your nerves by 75%, increase the likelihood of avoiding errors to 95%, and let's face it, your audience will know if you've not done it

12. Know Your Material • You don’t have to be a content expert, just be familiar with the material • Anticipate questions • Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know, but I will find out the answer to your question and get back to you.”

13. Practice Your Presentation • Present your material to your co-workers • Practice your presentation with your family • Practice in front of a mirror • Video tape your presentation and critique it

14. Before the Presentation Know the Facility • If possible, get to know the facility in which you're teaching and arrive early enough to do a test run of your equipment • Depending on your environment, you may need to make some last minute adjustments to your presentation

15. During the Workshop • Create a comfortable atmosphere • Get to know your audience • Special needs • Learn your audience’s expectations

16. Establish a Comfortable Environment • Good presenting is about entertaining as well as conveying information • People retain more if they are enjoying themselves and feeling relaxed • Use active listening skills • Maintain a positive attitude • Maintain an air of respect and openness to discussion

17. Get to Know Your Audience Are workshop participants primarily: • Neophytes • Non-financial aid professionals • Experienced professionals • Experts

18. Get to Know Your Audience Focus on and assess their: • Comfort level with material • Years of experience • Draw on audience strengths

19. Audience with Special Needs Visually impaired Be directionally specific—left, right, up, down, east, west, north, south Overheads should be read out; do not assume everyone can read Not all colors can be easily seen; they may be pretty but not necessarily easy to read

20. Audience with Special Needs • Hearing impaired • Face the audience • Do not cover your mouth or any part of your face • Stay out of the shadows, stay in the light • Speech should be slow and clear but do not exaggerate • No shouting

21. Learn Your Audience’s Expectations Immediately after polling the audience you should: • Explain the workshop objective(s) • Review the agenda • State the goals to be covered • Review the issues and topics that will not be addressed and provide participants with resources or other options

22. Set Ground Rules • Start and stop on time • Set and adhere to breaks • Respect each other • Foster a comfortable environment

23. Set Ground Rules • No side bar conversations • Turn pagers and cellular telephones to vibrate • Questions • Parking lot • “Ask it” basket, etc.

24. Presentation Dynamics Add variety to your presentations by: • Changing your physical position • Using props • Varying the instruction strategy • Playing games • Using different methods of application and feedback • Rewarding audience participation and feedback

25. Props • Use props and pass them around if you can • The more senses you can stimulate the more fun your audience will have and the more they'll remember • The use of visual aids generally heightens retention of the spoken word by up to 70%

26. During the Presentation • Watch your audience • Check their body language • When an audience is engaged: – They sit forward and face you – They make eye contact

27. Step 1: Introduce Session Step 2: Present Content Step 3: Administer Application Step 4: Monitor Performance Step 5: Provide Feedback Step 6: Summarize Session 6 Step Presentation Strategy

28. Remember the Four Cardinal Rules for Successful Presentations • Establish a comfortable environment • Know your audience • Use active listening skills • Know your material

29. Tips for Trainers Thank you!If you have questions or require additional assistance, please contact Susan Luhman at 202-785-6972 or send an e-mail to luhmans@nasfaa.org