Less yakking, more skiing

According to PSIA people learn 10% of what they hear, 40% of what they see and 80% of what they do. So why do instructors spend so much time doing something that doesn’t really stick?

Instructors complain frequently about trainers talking too much and then we turn around talk too much to our students. The cycle of too much yakking must cease!

I don’t need to know the when, why, how, where and what of the whole lesson at the beginning. Only tell me what I need to know right now. “Try this” is one of the best ways to start a lesson. Then add in the why, pepper in some how and keep the show moving with when.

Keep tweaking your script to make it tighter and punchier, especially when you’re teaching something new. If you spend less time rambling, you can spend more time practicing.

If you spend less time explaining, you’ll have can spend time giving individual coaching. You can have a more lasting and beneficial effect on your students and give way better customer service.

You will find people who want lots of explanation, get them to ride the chair with you. You will have people who zone out, engage them by asking questions and doing static activities during your explanations.

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