07 Oct Keeping It Personal: The Benefits of In-Person Training
As a result of recent developments in video chat, screensharing and online learning, there is no shortage of opportunities for digital education. Instructors from around the globe can be digitally teleported to a student or customer’s screen in milliseconds. However, the ability to conduct digital instruction does not mean that it is always the ideal option. In fact, in-person training is often the smartest bet, especially when it comes to complex, big-ticket items that utilize advanced technology. Not only can this method of training be far more effective than digital resources, companies that offer the in-person approach often possess more faith in their products than those who don’t by providing an opportunity for real-time scrutiny from customers.
Hands-on Interactivity
It may seem obvious, but the importance of this element cannot be stressed enough. When a practice buys a complicated product, there is simply no substitute for learning the nuances and intricacies of its operation face to face with a proficient instructor. Instructions and FAQ sheets can be helpful for the construction of a desk or a new set of headphones, but when it comes to a highly evolved piece of medical technology these simple documents can easily fall short. The in-person trainer can lead by example, demonstrating the functionality of the equipment in action and answering complex, multi-part questions that customers couldn’t ask even the most impressive instructional video. Training approaches can be better adjusted and tailored to individual needs, questions, and concerns.
Focus
In-person training allows both parties to be fully present and focused on the task at hand. The learning experience with digital resources can be rife with distractions, and the ambiguity of language can often cause a customer more confusion than they had initially. Face to face instruction does not present the same opportunities for distraction that an online webinar might.
Adaptability
While in-person training is designed to educate customers, it can be similarly enlightening for the training technicians themselves. Since they interact with customers so often, they can leverage their accumulated insights into a world-class lesson plan for customers. A large company likely wouldn’t update their online digital resources or instruction manuals every time they received a few similar user-submitted questions online. However, training technicians can respond and adapt to common questions, resulting in compounding improvements to the content and responsiveness of their training. The best trainers and educators are great at listening to and learning from their audience.
When your practice makes an investment in new technology it’s critical to utilize the new product to the highest degree possible in order to expedite and maximize ROI. Don’t rely on confusing user manuals and unhelpful instructional videos and hope for the best; make sure you purchase from manufacturers who offer live in-person training. It’s a personal touch that adds value to your investment.