Product Training for the Technical Expert

24The Structure of Hands‐On Learning: An Executive Summary

Overview

Designing training correctly is critical for the success of any training event or program. Product experts must be involved in designing product training. Their involvement, however, is often limited to delivering content. Content is key, but it is not king. This section helps subject matter experts understand content’s role in the design process.

Chapter 8 is a pivotal point in the book. Most experts, when asked to prepare for teaching a class, will immediately begin compiling the content. That is similar to finding out you are going on a trip and immediately packing the car. There are important things that the traveler must find out prior to packing the car. They must know where they are going, who is going with them, and what they will do when they get there. Only with those questions answered can one pack the car with confidence that they are bringing the correct material.

It is also important for experts to question whether training is the solution to the problem or not. If a salesperson sells your product as a solution to a problem it cannot fix, it will make your product look bad when it fails. The same is true with training. The worst possible advertisement for training is to promote training as the solution to a problem it cannot fix. There are many problems training cannot fix. Quality issues, motivation issues, pricing, and so on, might all be reasons a product is failing or not selling. Training may ...