The seismic shifts of going virtual

- Initiating sales training in a virtual environment is not simply taking what you're used to doing face-to-face, and moving it in front of a webcam. Making our sales training skillful and efficient in the virtual space means embracing a new paradigm. This new paradigm may include letting go of the ways we used to read the room or being less reliant on trusty training decks. Research confirms that when trust is built in-person, the brain releases Oxytocin, the neurochemical responsible for empathy. Oxytocin, dubbed the moral molecule, makes people more trustworthy, generous, charitable and compassionate. Without the ability to smell each other in an online environment, at least not yet, we must work harder to build connection, and foster engagement. Let's look at how to take common face-to-face training practices, and reinvent them for virtual and hybrid training. These were developed in collaboration with Maggie Chumley, facilitator and coach. The first is icebreakers. In the old face-to-face paradigm, you would have the ability to bond in the hallways, break bread and engage in icebreaker exercises to deepen the connection but in the virtual paradigm, meaningful and structured tools like chat-based best weekend moments can foster a sense of unity, intimacy and connection. Participants can share an image of a recent trip, home improvement project or even hold up their favorite pet for the camera. The second practice is attention and engagement. In the old paradigm face-to-face, it was easier to grab, hold, and keep the learner's attention. In the virtual paradigm, you must change the emotional state. Focus on eliminating distractions, and incorporate the five senses through online tools and interactions. Your presentation slides is the third training practice that's changed. With the old paradigm, slide decks are a visual tool to create structure, provide information and share pretty pictures. Slides are a quick way to show data, introduce terminology and create a plan. I want to encourage you to rethink slides for the virtual paradigm. We send articles, videos, and key concepts asynchronously before we meet on video. We use instant polls, and paste succinct instructions and main points in the chat. If we do use slides, we must practice screen share or invest in a switcher to ensure a seamless transition. Reading the room. Old paradigm. Looking at faces, body language, and asking provocative questions to see if people are participating, and digesting information Because humans are complex, and require time to integrate, and incorporate ideas and perspectives, we need to see if the ideas are landing. Virtual paradigm. We read the room virtually by inviting thumbs up, and down. Check-in, polling and sampling. We allowed the people in the room to read each other through small and rapid impromptu conversations in breakout rooms. Number five, the bagels and coffee. In the old paradigm, we used to have to lure attendees into our trainings with bagels and coffee perhaps a free lunch or even a late afternoon wine and cheese. In the new paradigm, we need to get a little bit more creative. Think about sending a Starbucks card or incentivize contest winners with deliveries of hot soup, cookies, or even fine wine. Arranging the furniture. In the old paradigm face-to-face, as trainers were very purposeful about how we set up the furniture in the room. Do you want round tables? Shall it be classroom style? We have the ability to physically move furniture. In virtual paradigm however, sure each participant can arrange their seats in the most comfortable and productive manner for themselves, but we can also do something else. We can select gallery view to see everyone at once or speaker view to simply focus on the speaker. No furniture moving is required, and yet such a shift in the way the virtual space feels is paramount in the virtual world. The truth is, when I first made the shift to virtual training and virtual interactions, I couldn't wait to get back face-to-face. I couldn't wait to hug people, shake their hands, and share bagels and coffee with them. But what I've noticed is that with the right tools, and the right training, and making the paradigm shift to a virtual world, you can meet more people, build trust and enhance your training efforts.