15 Virtual Training Best Practices: Level Up Your Training

The virtual training session you're hosting is about to start. You take a deep breath as you glance at your notes. The stakes are high: your team’s output depends on this training. You remember the last time they sat through virtual training. Boring slides. Zoned-out faces. And then a bunch of questions afterward. The training didn't stick.

But what if this time could be different? What if this virtual training session was actually fun? 

It's possible. And we're going to show how. In this guide we'll cover 15 virtual training best practices you can apply to your next training session. Whether you're training employees, customers, or external stakeholders, these virtual training best practices will take your training to the next level.

What is Virtual Training?

Virtual training is a great way to deliver educational content and build skills. Unlike traditional in-person training, it uses technology to create an interactive learning environment. It connects people remotely and fits diverse schedules. Virtual training can include live webinars, pre-recorded videos, interactive modules, and real-time discussions.

Virtual training is more than just a video call with slides. When done right, e-learning can feel like a real classroom. It allows for instant feedback, Q&As, quizzes, and attendee interaction. Tools like virtual whiteboards, live chat functions, and screen sharing make virtual training more engaging.

Virtual Training that Works

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Benefits of Virtual Training

Virtual training offers many benefits that can improve the learning experience.

Convenience of Virtual Training

Convenience is a major perk. You can schedule sessions at times that work best for your audience. They can also access training materials at their own pace if they’re pre-recorded and revisit the content as needed for review and reinforcement.

Virtual Training is Cost-Effective

Virtual training is also cost-effective. It cuts expenses for travel, accommodations, and physical materials. This makes it a budget-friendly option.

Works for Different Learning Styles

Not everyone learns the same way. But virtual training brings in multiple styles of learning - visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Virtual training lets everyone engage in a way that works for them. This meets the needs of today’s diverse workforce.

Virtual Training is Measurable

Enhanced tracking and reporting are big advantages as well. When you use platforms like Contrast for virtual training, you can easily monitor attendance and engagement rates to see what kind of impact your training made. This data-driven approach allows you to identify areas where attendees might struggle, enabling you to address these issues promptly.

15 Virtual Training Best Practices

We're here to make your next virtual training session a success. Every day companies use our platform to run virtual training for their employees and customers. We've picked up some lessons along the way and have compiled them all into this list of virtual training best practices.

Define Clear Training Objectives

To make your virtual training better, start by setting clear objectives. Having specific goals helps you stay focused. It also makes sure you deliver relevant content that resonates with your audience.

For example, if you’re conducting  virtual training on effective communication in a remote work environment, your objectives might look something like this:

1. Establish Guidelines for Our Company's Remote Communication Tools: Participants will learn when and why they should use email, Slack, or Asana.
2. Boost Interpersonal Skills: Attendees will learn techniques for maintaining clear and concise communication.
3. Improve Conflict Resolution: By the end of the training, participants should be comfortable handling conflicts and misunderstandings in a virtual setting.

Setting clear objectives lets your attendees know what to expect from the training. These objectives also create a roadmap for structuring your training content. It's going to help you stay organized and on track.

Prepare Engaging Training Content

Once you have clear goals, the next most important thing is creating engaging training content. Start by understanding your audience's needs and interests. Use this information to create training content that feels like it speaks to them personally.

Mix up your materials to keep things interesting. Use videos, slides, and interactive activities. This variety helps maintain engagement and makes virtual training more enjoyable.

Keep your training content clear and concise. Avoid long paragraphs and complex jargon. Break information into smaller, digestible chunks. Like these sentences.

Include real-life examples and stories. This makes the content relatable and easier to understand. Always aim to connect the material to your audience's everyday experiences.

A great example of engaging training comes from Contrast customer, JigSpace. They include live demonstrations and applications of what they're teaching for their attendees. IInstead of just talking or showing slides, they actively demonstrate. This gives participants a clear sense of what’s being discussed.

Choose the Right Virtual Training Platform

Choosing the right platform for virtual training makes a big difference. Not every platform will meet your specific needs. It's worth spending time researching your options.

We built Contrast to make webinars and virtual training sessions more fun. We've got all the features you'd expect in a modern webinar platform, but we spend a lot of time focusing on interactive features like live polls, Q&As, and chat functions.

Think about the technical capabilities and limitations of your audience as well. Is the platform user-friendly for everyone? Conduct a trial run to make sure. With Contrast, you can create a free account and train up to 30 registrants per month.

Remember, the training platform is your stage. And you want to look good up there. Look for platforms that have great branding options and dynamic layouts to keep things interesting on-screen. No one wants to sit through a virtual training session that's just like every other boring Zoom call.

Interactive Elements

Create opportunities for interaction during your session. This can be through polls, Q&A segments, or prompts for the live chat. Our data shows that only 30% of webinar hosts use live polls to engage their audience. This virtual training best practice is a no-brainer because you can be better than 70% of your peers just by including a poll.

Our Q&A and polls features are intuitive to use. With polls, you can ask attendees questions and display the results on-screen and in-chat.

Try to create space for open dialogue and encourage participants to share questions. Our Q&A tool lets you highlight questions from the live chat to focus on. This makes participants feel heard.

Encourage participation by asking open-ended questions. Give attendees time to think and respond, ensuring they feel valued and heard. This active engagement can make the training more dynamic and memorable for employees.

Make Your Virtual Training Consistent

Consistency reinforces learning. This is an important virtual training best practice: you need to do it regularly. Instead of scheduling sporadic sessions, establish a routine for virtual training. Whether it's monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly, a regular schedule helps build a learning culture within your employees and team.

A consistent training schedule also gives employees or customers a chance to plan their work around these sessions. They'll know when to expect it and can prepare questions or topics they'd like to discuss.

For example, you could create a series of virtual training webinars that gradually build on each other. This structured approach helps learners absorb new knowledge in chunks. As they advance through the modules, they’ll retain more information and apply it effectively in their roles.

One of our customers, Figures, shows how to break down complex topics into manageable chunks in this training webinar. Instead of one overwhelming session, Figures created a series of videos to cover salary bands.This approach kept participants engaged and helped them better understand and apply the knowledge

Use Feedback Loops

Gathering and implementing feedback drives continuous improvement. At the end of your virtual training, use surveys or feedback forms to capture attendee thoughts. Ask them what worked, what didn’t, and what they’d like to see in the future.

I love this virtual training best practice for a few reasons:

1. Finds areas to improve
2. It shows people you care
3. You can match content to audience needs
4. It encourages ongoing learning
5. It helps you build stronger relationships with attendees

Go deeper: 5 Proven Post-Webinar Survey Questions for Quality Feedback

Use Visual Aids Effectively

Visual aids can significantly enhance the learning experience by making complicated information easier to digest. These include infographics, charts, and diagrams that break down key concepts visually.

With Contrast you can share multimedia like videos and charts on-screen easily. And of course, you can share your screen. offers helpful tools for incorporating visual aids seamlessly into your training. Here's an example from one of our own webinars. I use diagrams and sticky notes from whiteboard tools like Miro or Figjam instead of traditional slides so that I can walk through ideas in a more visually interesting way.

Kick-off with an Icebreaker

This virtual training best practice is all about lightening the mood. Training is for humans. And humans like having a good time. A good icebreaker sets a positive tone for your virtual training session. It can be a lighthearted quiz, a fun game, or an interactive activity that encourages everyone to participate right from the start.

Here are five fun icebreakers that will set a positive tone and get everyone participating:

1. Two Truths and a Lie: Each host shares three statements about themselves — two are true, and one is a lie. Use a poll to get attendees to vote on which one they think is the lie. This game not only breaks the ice but also helps attendees learn interesting things about the hosts.
2. Would You Rather: Pose a fun "Would you rather…" question to attendees For example: Would you rather teleport anywhere or be able to read minds? This can lead to some interesting conversations and laughs in the live chat, setting a relaxed atmosphere.
3. Emoji Check-In: Have participants describe their current mood using only emojis. This quick visual check helps you adjust your approach for the session.
4. Trivia: Host a short trivia quiz related to the training topic. This shows how much your audience knows about the topic.
5. Caption This: Show a funny or interesting image on-screen and ask attendees to come up with captions in the chat. This can spark creativity and laughter, making the session more enjoyable.

Create Follow-Up Materials

After training, provide follow-up materials to reinforce the lessons learned. This can be a recording of the session, downloadable resources, or additional reading materials.

Contrast automatically records your training webinars in the highest quality and makes them available at the same link as the live session to make it easy to find.

We also have built-in AI tools that let you create additional content from your training webinars. Our Clip Ai tool automatically finds the best moments of your virtual training webinar and cuts them into short clips. This makes it easy to share highlights and key takeaways.

Our Repurpose AI tool adds another layer of value. It transforms virtual training webinars into other types of content you might need like training manuals, blog posts, SOPs, and email courses. It takes the key insights and information from your sessions and repurposes it into different content formats. This enhances the overall impact and reach of your training efforts.

Use Analytics to Improve

This virtual training best practice is all about making the best use of your data. Measure the outcomes of your virtual training. Tools like Contrast provide detailed analytics on attendance and engagement. Dig into these metrics and your attendee feedback to refine your approach based on what you learn.

For example, by analyzing drop-off points in the session, you can identify where participants lose interest or disengage. A significant drop-off might indicate the content is too complex or not engaging enough. You can then adjust your material or presentation style next time.

Additionally, look at which segments had the highest engagement. This shows what resonates most, so you can focus on those areas in future training.

Provide On-Demand Training Resources

In addition to live sessions, offer on-demand training resources to complement remote learning. Recorded videos, step-by-step guides, and additional reading materials let participants learn at their own pace. They can revisit these resources anytime to reinforce the material and clear up doubts.

A well-rounded virtual training program goes beyond webinars. It incorporates e-learning platforms and uses diverse materials like e-books, case studies, infographics, and guides. This variety caters to different learning preferences. It makes sure everyone has access to the format that works best for them.

Offer Certificates and Incentives

Certificates of completion or professional development credits can serve as valuable incentives. They acknowledge participants' efforts and add a sense of accomplishment.

 For example, a B2B SaaS company could create a certification program for their product. Participants who finish training and pass an online test earn a certificate showing their expertise.

This certificate adds value to their resume, showing skills and knowledge to employers or clients. Offering incentives like badges, discounts, or special access can also boost participation and completion. These rewards motivate learners and build a community of certified experts who advocate for your product.

Follow Up on Training

Following up on training reinforces learning and keeps the momentum going. After your virtual training session, sending a series of well-crafted follow-up emails can make all the difference. This isn't just about saying thank you—it's a good way to solidify the knowledge you just shared.

1. Reinforce Key Points: In your follow-up email, recap the main points covered during the training. Highlight essential takeaways and remind participants how these concepts can be applied in their daily roles. This helps to cement the knowledge and keep it top of mind.
2. Provide Additional Resources: Include links to the recording, relevant articles, or future sessions that can deepen their understanding.
3. Request Feedback: As covered, get their opinions and suggestions regarding the training session.
4. Highlight Next Steps: Clarify any further actions that participants should take. This could include objectives to focus on, tasks to complete, or upcoming training sessions to look out for.
5. Celebrate Achievements: Recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of your attendees. Acknowledging efforts boosts morale and encourages continuous learning.

Virtual Training that Works

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Add Gamification to Your Virtual Training

Gamifying elements of your training can boost engagement and make learning fun during your events. Things like point systems, badges, or leaderboards create a competitive yet enjoyable environment. Gamification can motivate participants to engage more deeply and retain information better.

For instance, during a training webinar, you could implement mini quizzes via polls at the end of each segment. Participants can keep score themselves and you can encourage them to share their scores in the chat. 

Invest in Quality Equipment

Good-quality audio and video equipment are important. Clear sound and high-definition video make a big difference in training. Invest in a good microphone and camera, and make sure you have a stable internet connection to avoid technical problems.

Using a high-quality webcam like the Logitech BRIO can provide sharp and clear video. A reliable microphone like the Audio-Technica ATR2100X-USB makes sure your voice is heard clearly without background noise.

You can find more info about this here: Webinar Essentials: What You Absolutely Need for a Successful Webinar

Challenges of Virtual Training

You'll be ready to crush it with this list of virtual training best practices, but we don't want to sugarcoat it - virtual training can be challenging. Understanding these obstacles can help you adapt. Let’s dive into some common challenges of virtual training and how to address them.

Technical Issues

Technical difficulties can disrupt even the best-planned virtual training sessions. Issues like poor audio quality, lagging video, software glitches, and unstable internet connections can hinder the flow of your training.

How to Overcome:

1. Test Equipment: Conduct a technical run-through before the actual session. Test all equipment, including microphones, webcams, and internet connections.
2. Backup Plans: Have a backup plan for common issues, such as a secondary internet connection through your phone's hotspot or a backup laptop.
3. Technical Support: if possible, make sure a teammate is on standby to troubleshoot or jump in if something goes wrong during the virtual session.

Participant Disengagement

Maintaining engagement in a remote learning environment can be challenging. People may get distracted by other tasks, especially if they're in a familiar, home setting.

How to Overcome:

1. Interactive Elements: Use interactive elements ato keep participants engaged.
2. Frequent Breaks: Incorporate short breaks to prevent burnout.
3. Dynamic Content: Use varied formats and on-screen layouts, such as videos, quizzes, and role-playing exercises, to keep the content dynamic and interesting.

Time Management

Virtual training sessions for employees can sometimes run longer or shorter than intended, affecting the schedule and pacing.

How to Overcome:

1. Structured Agenda: Create a detailed agenda and stick to it. Outline the time allotted for each section.
2. Time Warnings: Give time warnings a few minutes before transitioning to the next topic.
3. Pacing: Adjust your pacing based on participant feedback and engagement levels. Be flexible but aim to stay on track.

Conclusion

Creating an engaging virtual training session is within your reach. By following these virtual training best practices, you can make your training exciting and effective. Start by setting clear goals and choosing the right platform. Add interactive elements and fun games to keep everyone interested.

Remember, it's not just about sharing information—it's about making it stick. Use the right tools, ask for feedback, and keep improving your approach.

With good planning and execution, your next virtual training session can be a success. It can help your team remember what they learned, feel motivated, and perform better.

You can put all of these virtual training best practices into action easily with Contrast.

Create a free account and try it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

FAQ about Virtual Training

What is the ideal length of virtual training?

The ideal length of a virtual training session can vary based on content complexity and audience needs, but generally, the sweet spot is around 45 minutes to an hour. According to our data, sessions that run for this length tend to have higher engagement and lower dropout rates. It's long enough to cover material comprehensively without overwhelming participants.

How to make virtual training more fun?

To make virtual training more enjoyable, mix in elements like interactive polls, breakout sessions, and fun quizzes. Start with an icebreaker activity to set a lighthearted tone. Use media like videos and interesting visuals to keep attention. Include real-world scenarios and encourage active participation through discussions and role-playing exercises. These strategies make the session lively and help everyone learn better through fun and interaction.

When should I use webinars for training?

Webinars are great for training large, dispersed audiences. They are particularly useful for onboarding new employees and customers, delivering compliance training, and providing updates on new products or policies. Plus, they can be recorded and repurposed, offering flexibility in how and when your audience can access the training material.

Virtual Training that Works

Start for free with up to 30 registrants. No credit card needed.

Start for free