Training that is forgotten, is no training at all.

Whether you are teaching a child a new skill, or conducting on the job training, or are a corporate trainer yourself, using the following memory retention techniques will strengthen the learning.

Help participants relax. People who are stressed, with negative thought and worries racing through their heads will not remember much.

Make the training relevant to the lives and work of the learners. They are more likely to pay attention and remember.

Create a strong structure throughout the training. By using a logical flow and grouping similar themes together participants can better understand the training.
Try remembering the following list: plate, knife, pencil, dog, desk, goat, mixer, toaster, elephant, pen, bowl. It becomes so much easier when grouped.
Animals: Tiger, dog, goat, elephant
Kitchen items: Plate, knife, mixer, toaster

Start powerfully and finish powerfully. Use words that make a strong impression in your introduction and conclusion. Also use this opportunity to offer the key concepts in a condensed form. The beginning and ending of any list, presentation and conversation are more easily remembered.

Reinforce your message with strong visuals. Use either a relevant slide or a physical object. So if you are training people on a new recruitment and selection process, you may bring in a fishing net, to show that you will be very selective.

Involve people, through, exercises, role plays, and questions. Taking active part, makes a bigger impact on the mind and enhances memory retention.

Above all enjoy the training yourself. Your enthusiasm is infectious, and gives a strong signal that the subject matter is of high value, worth remembering.

To discover more techniques that add power, to your training join one of our leading Programme Directors Photis Eliades on Train the Trainer June 12th.