This week I listened to an episode of the *Customer Educated* podcast with guest Dan Braithwaite, Senior Director of Product Training at MediaOcean. He shared valuable tips for structuring effective Instructor-Led Training (ILT) programs.

See some of my takeaways below that I hope our Gainsight CE customers can inject into their ILT sessions! 

1. Tailor Your Training to the Audience:
   If you have the space to get personal, understand your attendees' backgrounds—how long they’ve been in their role, their industry, and whether they’ve used the product before. Ensure you create a welcoming environment and build community with an icebreaker.

2. Focus on Key Topics:
   Avoid overwhelming users with too much information. Focus on 3-4 essential topics, that you address in a beginning agenda, based on what users need in that moment of their customer journey (e.g., previous user feedback, common support tickets, etc). 

3. Engagement Through Interaction: 
   Dan uses a “tell me, show me, let me try, let me explore, let me review, test me” framework: explain the concept, demonstrate it, let users practice, and allow them to explore potential challenges. Dan’s trainers are highly experienced and can adjust the session in real-time, dedicating extra time to topics that require more attention based on the audience's needs

4. Optimize Scheduling:
   Offer multiple training sessions around the beginning of the customer’s journey instead of ad hoc scheduling. This makes it easier for both trainers and learners to align their availability.

5. Measuring Success:
   Measure engagement during the session with real-time feedback and follow up with a 30-90 day post-session surveys. Monitor product adoption afterward to track the impact of the training too.

6. Wrap Up with Key Takeaways:
   End the session with highlighting memorable moments to help attendees remember the most important information and provide them with relevant resources to refer back to.