One of the most important decisions when switching to virtual training is utilizing reliable and robust technology that’s easy to use. Create dynamic scheduling and maximize engagement with Cvent’s mobile app, and manage training sign-ups with Cvent’s user-friendly registration. Then, pair it with a software that will allow for easy and secure access, as well as allow users to listen to audio and watch video. There are several feature-rich online meeting platforms that can complement your Cvent virtual tools such as Zoom, GoToWebinar, WebEx, and Join.me.

Icebreakers help in building a human connection, and can be especially useful when you run online trainings. Get the session moving with an interesting icebreaker. Create a trivia game on the training topic and see what participants already know, or encourage everyone to show up with a virtual background from their favorite movie or something else they're passionate about. This is a great way to get the conversation started and settle people's nerves.

Great content will win in every medium – so you can keep the slides you would have used offline, with just a few small tweaks. Put the main takeaway as the header on each slide, in a complete short sentence. Emphasize key points by highlighting the text, and use bullet points instead of paragraphs. Use high-quality images that are applicable to the topic. You might consider adding some memes, as humor can help keep online audiences engaged, or adding some Mad Lib-style fill-in-the-blanks.

Maintain a calm, charismatic, and informative tone throughout the training. Encourage learners to ask questions, share their experiences, and collaborate. You may consider enabling your webcam and even asking the attendees to do the same. While not everyone wants to show their face on camera, it will keep everyone engaged and ensure that they're at the computer for the duration of the training. Call on participants who have not yet volunteered to answer any questions, to let them know you do see them, and that their opinion matters.

It can be enticing for your participants to work on other projects during the session now that you’re not together in person, so at the beginning of the online training, ask everyone to shut down all other programs, including their emails, and put away their devices. Moreover, show your attendees how to ask a question by walking them through the hands-up button, chat pane, or polling. Let your attendees know beforehand if there will be questions or quizzes during the presentation, so they can be prepared to be focused.

Breakout rooms are very valuable, especially in the formulation of ideas, and allow for true creativity and application of what is taught. Consider including 4-10 participants per "room" to maximize engagement. Once done, make sure to have all groups present back to the whole training class. GoToMeeting, Adobe Connect, and Zoom are examples of platforms that allow you to create breakout rooms.

Using the chat feature within your video tool is a convenient alternative to pausing for questions. You can also get attendees to respond to a question, especially participants who tend to be shy about speaking up. Although, in order to stay focused on your slides, if possible, dedicate a member from your team to monitor the chat window and filter the questions. Adobe Connect, WebEx, and Zoom are examples of platforms that offer a chat feature.

Polls are a great way to ensure your attendees are involved and giving feedback real time. You can create polls to quiz participants’ knowledge and their understanding of a topic. It can also be a great way to create competitions or measure engagement. For example, you can create a contest and award points for every correct answer. The attendee or team with the maximum points at the end wins a "virtual prize," such as an Amazon or Starbucks gift card.

Teaching your attendees through illustration will bring great results online, as it does in person. A virtual whiteboard is a blank screen and it can be used to type, write, or draw upon with the available annotation tools on the program. For instance, at the beginning of the session, you could divide the participants into two teams and ask them to list their learning objectives from the training. Attendees can then type on screen to brainstorm their ideas. Tools like Miro make this quite easy to do.

Attendees are less likely to be distracted if they know they'll have 10-15 minutes to themselves at the end of the session. Resume your session after a break with an activity – a quiz, poll, or something of the sort. This will make sure that attendees are engaged, again. During breaks, use a placeholder slide with music, as well as a countdown timer.

Tip: Make sure to mute your microphone as well as pause the recording at the start of each break and turn it back on when you resume.

Arrival times for online trainings are rarely consistent, largely due to connectivity and log-on issues. But that does not necessarily mean that you should frustrate the people who joined on time: make their time well spent! For example, hold a poll that your on-time audience can answer, which leads into the training topic.

Slide after slide of data, even if organized in bullet points, will only disengage your attendees. Instead, select the least number of slides that will get the job done. If you have too many slides, you will feel pressured to go through them all and may move too quickly for your attendees to retain the information. For example, if you have 30 minutes for your training, 25 slides is far too many. Try to limit yourself to 5 or so slides of content, and 5 slides of engaging activities.

If you don’t actively engage your audience, they won't pay as much attention and the training might not be as fruitful as you’d hoped. Acknowledging your attendees and encouraging them to participate will make them feel involved. For example, put aside a few minutes and get to know your attendees better by asking a yes/no question and having everyone raise their hand for a yes.

We’ve already mentioned how breakout rooms can help with brainstorming ideas, but they’re also a meaningful way for attendees to connect with one another. Once you have your attendees split into different breakout rooms, make sure that each room has a list of guiding questions, as it will give your participants a sense of purpose for their communication and dialogue with one another.

In addition to the breaks listed above, create moments between each of your sessions to make sure your attendees are not bored or zoned out. This will also capture their attention and make the entire session fun and engaging. For example, do a quick chair yoga or meditation session to keep everyone’s minds sharp.

As we noted above, be sure to mix it up with sharing a few slides, ask for input via text chat and then request for an attendee to come off mute and elaborate on their response. The topics of discussion should be related to your training.

Encourage attendees to have their video turned on, as this will create an immediate connection. Get comfortable using your webcam and also use it briefly to introduce yourself. Skype, Zoom, WebEx, and most other modern virtual meeting platforms, have the option to include video.

Virtual training requires that you manage group interaction. Encourage your participants to interact in the chat window, and in breakout groups.

At the beginning of the virtual session, set the expectations. Review the basics like how to use the chat window for responding to questions, writing on whiteboards, raising their virtual hands, and voting in polls. Basically, prepare for technical issues.

Use slides where it makes sense. But don't feel the need to keep them up the entire time you're talking. When you're telling stories, let the participants see you, and only you. And be sure to speak in an engaging manner — hand gestures and facial expressions are a great way to do this.

While there are many ways to connect with your audience, such as polls and questions, the key is to do it at regular intervals. If you don’t engage with your attendees every 10 or so minutes, they will have the tendency to lose interest.

Try not to schedule sessions that go longer than 1.5 hours. For a virtual session, ensure that you go through all the material to cover and only add pieces that would be best suited for a trainer-led virtual session. Don’t ever go longer than 90 minutes without a break — 75 is even better.

When presenting slides, avoid reading each bullet-point word for word. Instead, provide a short summary of the slide by paraphrasing. What works best is if you can also tell a story or give an example that will help bring the text to life.

Try fewer words and more image-rich slides to help bring your story or learning elements to life. Watching relevant visuals while listening to a story helps participants process and retain the message. If you have text in your slides, know that your audience is reading them and not listening to you. If necessary, give them time to read.

Not everyone is an expert in virtual meetings. Don’t distribute attendees to small groups without preparing them for the assigned activity, or without telling them what's about to happen.