Have you hired someone to develop online training programs for your organization? Maybe you develop training yourself and are wondering if you could improve a few of your skills. But which ones? And, are there tools of training and development you should know about, or have they flown under your radar?
In this article, you’ll get the answers to all these questions. We’ll share some of the necessary training skills trainers should have in order to transfer knowledge and enjoy a successful career in the training business.
The essential skills for trainers:
  1. Advanced research skills
  2. Strong communication skills
  3. Flexible organization skills
  4. Enthusiasm for lifelong learning
Then, we’ll recommend some of the best tools for training that trainers can use to simplify workloads as well as enhance their courses.
The must-have tools for trainers:
  1. Content authoring tool
  2. Video editing software
  3. Social media
  4. Learning Management System
Let’s dive in.

The essential skills for trainers

Every trainer needs to have a number of skills as well as training development tools to be effective. Let’s look at this training skills list that includes soft and hard skills.

1. Advanced research skills

One of the most important hard skills a trainer should master is internet research. We’re not referring to basic searches everyone can do to find the name of the actor who was in “Kindergarten Cop”. We’re talking about advanced and analytical research.
For example, do you know how to use Boolean operators and symbols in your searches? If not, start honing this training skill by making a habit of using “and” & “or” & “not”. Or use quotation marks “-” to tell your favorite search engine to ignore a term before it. This type of advanced searching can narrow or broaden your results so you can get the most relevant. The key is to find relevant and reliable content for your training.
Naturally, another effective training skill you’ll need is the ability to evaluate and validate websites as well as critically assess research papers. To check if a website you are referring to is authentic and not fake or a duplicate, is to browse through all menu items and check the “last updated” date at the footer of the webpage.

2. Strong communication skills

Sure, you can be the best researcher on the planet. But if you don’t have the right trainer qualities and skills, you won’t be an effective trainer. Communication skills are critical for trainers as they can make or break the learning experience for learners.
Can you imagine a trainer that isn’t good at explaining concepts? Or one that doesn’t pay attention to the concerns of a learner? These are all barriers to learning. And the responsibility rests with you — the trainer.
So, to be an inspiring and engaging trainer, you should be adept at listening, questioning, explaining, and giving feedback. These training skills can be practiced over the course of a career – as long as you know they’re important. And keep improving them as often as you can.

3. Flexible organization skills

One of the most certain facts about the training business is that you’ll never have everything you want at the same time. Whether that’s time, money, resources, or the good parking spot, you’ll need to be flexible but organized.
Strong organizational skills will get you far. Skills like managing your stress and time will help you stay calm and on track. As will organizing tasks in such a way that they’ll save you both time and effort. Another effective training skill that’ll keep you organized is problem-solving. If you’re able to come up with workarounds without getting caught up in the problem, you’ll be a great trainer!

4. Enthusiasm for lifelong learning

Learning never stops for a trainer.  As a part of the training industry, you are essentially required to develop lifelong learning habits.
Part of the reason is to keep up to date with changing trends and best practices in learning. Another reason is to be able to empathize with your learners and put yourself in their shoes.
Sometimes the trappings of daily work make it easy to forget what it’s like to be learning something new. There’s fear, there’s trepidation, frustration, excitement, and indifference. And to be an effective trainer demands that you take a learner’s perspective.