Training learning

Been a long time since I rambled about here, having been caught up with a variety of things at work and otherwise coupled with a strange writer's block. So here's a bit about somethings that happened over the past few months.

I got an opportunity to conduct training for a group of customers on our product. Working on this consumer lending product-Summit since 2 and half years with this consumer lending product i've learnt that,like anything that wants to survive does, it keeps changing. Having said that and considering it has been a maintenance project since approximately 30 years now, there have been a great deal of changes customized for a number of customers and then the core release too!
As if that is not enough, there is a vast range of functional areas in Summit. You only just begin to understand what these are and go on to understand how any individual process works in business and in the system, when boom! the entire network of all the interlinked areas blasts in your face.. It is enough to gives nightmares to many-a experienced people.
So there was a lot of preparation involved since this was my first shot at customer training on customer premises, given i would not have any help available in case of a stuck-up. Right from preparing the presentations to mock sessions and the works.
At the end of it I was still a bit nervous and not entirely confident, which mostly happens because of the stage fear, even when there is all that knowledge. So i went on to the first day of training all prepared in the most corporate way possible and yet from inside i felt quite school-girlish (when i would stand before the class for a recitation perhaps?)
There were things that went well and that would've gone much better.. Here are some experiences and learning:

1) Preparation is the key: Areas where i had prepared thoroughly i felt much more confident even when i was asked questions that i didn't have answers to immediately.
Anticipating questions and planning for answering these also goes a long way specially if you are cause in a spot!

2) Planning perfection: There were times when i thought i was going to run out of training material or just finish much earlier than planned, which would be a bummer cause customers were paying for my time.
Thankfully relying on some common sense and thinking on my feet helped here to create some exercises on the spot and keeping them engaged.

3) Effective execution: Presentation skills, clear concise communication are very important. The confidence you exude, your poise, eye contact, everything about your appearance and the way you conduct yourself matters. This does not mean you've to be a beauty contest winner (thought it might help if the audience is full of trolls;)), however being presentable is utmost necessary. Being able to communicating exactly what you want will be clear if you have a feedback mechanism in place. Asking question, keeping a look out for specific reactions from the audience can get you the feedback. Also being able to tweak the method of communication also works wonders!

4) People skills: Do we need to play by the principle that customers are god? Well not quite, but also not by the thought that they are total idiots! Mostly the will tend to have done their homework. Even if in the instance where there are some questions asked which have seemingly obvious logical answers, you can't make them feel they have asked something stupid. Even in the case a question is being repeated, it can be answered in different ways. Patience is the key and making them feel comfortable with the idea of asking questions. But that does not mean you let them sit on your head! You have a presentation to complete after all! :)
Understanding every person in the target audience, and how you will handle them so that they are not let down and neither are you, is important for a successful well communicated presentation.

I think these are the most repeated set of instructions given to any person about to make a presentation/public speaking whatever you want to call it. But till the time we actually experience it in front of customers, where the entire image of your company is at stake, we don't quite understand its importance.. :)

Hoping there will be some more learning in the future! :)