This is newsletter #1 in the series. I encourage you to take your training to the next level and become a Mike Holt Certified Instructor. Click on the coupon at the bottom of this page.
 An instructor has the awesome responsibility of transferring knowledge to students to help them understand the value of education and how it improves their work and life skills, resulting in a more productive and satisfying life.
Establish A Relationship
A great instructor forges relationships and sows seeds of information that students will remember for many years. Do you remember the name of one of your grade-school teachers?
In any presentation the instructor is establishing a relationship and two things are happening simultaneously: the instructor is making a commitment to help students learn, and the students are evaluating the instructor’s ability and commitment to them.
Whether you’re presenting in a classroom, at a seminar, a business meeting, or any other setting, the basic needs of your listeners are the same. The audience needs to understand you’re there to share, help, counsel, provide wisdom and inspiration, and maybe leave them with something that can change their lives. The dynamic of presenting is a partnership rather than a performance, a linkage rather than a confrontation, coming closer rather than pulling apart.
Even though you’re the instructor, it should be all about the audience. Through slide design, content, nonverbal behavior, engaging questions, and appropriate silences, the instructor should send the message that “this presentation isn’t about me or my thoughts, it’s all about you.”
The relationship begins before the class does. Meet and greet your participants before class. This helps break the ice as well as providing you with an opportunity to gauge the students’ prior exposure to your topic. The subject of your opening sentence should be about your students.
From your opening, let them know what the common goals are. Be sure to define the beginning, middle, and end of your presentation so everyone will know what you’ll be talking about.
If you’re doing a class for another organization, be sure you know what the objectives are and what they want you to cover. If possible, get a copy of their flyer and review it carefully. Try to find out as much as possible about the knowledge level of the students and their learning needs so you can provide the right level of instruction and the right focus for your audience.
Your objective isn’t to “run the show” but to cover appropriate material to aid students in the learning process so they can succeed.
Get the Student Involved
Get students involved by asking questions that relate to their situation. Get into their heads. The more times “you” or “your” are used in your presentations, the easier it is to build a relationship with them. Use phrases such as:
- “As you see on this table…”
- “You’ve probably installed this…”
- “Now as you look at the photo…”
Pay attention to the listeners’ eyes and body language. Doing so will tell you whether or not you’re connecting with them, and if they’re interested and understanding the information you’re providing.
Build the relationship
Concentrate on building relationships. If you can communicate to each student that their feelings are important, you can begin to develop a relationship. “Look, I understand how you’re feeling. I know what it’s like to feel the way you do right now. I’ve been there.”
There has to be a willingness to go the extra mile, and to extend yourself on the student’s behalf. Doing so will demonstrate that you care about them and you’ll find them returning to future classes.
Try to be sensitive to their feelings, let them know that you really want to help and expect to see them again. To spark a long-term relationship, the instructor must immerse himself or herself in the concerns of the students. When the instructor says, “I know how you feel,” the students must believe it!
- If you’re bored and drift through the process, they’ll drift with you.
- If you’re having a good time, they’ll smile and enjoy themselves with you.
- If you like and respect them, they’ll like and respect you.
Use real-life examples to which your students can relate when explaining concepts. This not only drives home a point, but it makes students feel like you’re speaking directly to them. They’re hearing a story or a situation they may have faced in their own lives. If you share experiences that expose your own weaknesses and vulnerabilities, they’ll identify with you.
A student once asked me, “Mike, how do you show your vulnerability yet be seen as a knowledgeable instructor or at least worthy of teaching the class?” This is an important point! You’d better be ready to teach the class! 100 percent! And realize there’s stuff that you’re teaching that you don’t totally 100 percent know. You must be willing to recognize it! If you have a student who you know is more knowledgeable about the point you’re presenting, ask that person to explain it. This allows you to become more of a facilitator and engage your students in the topic.
Remember that it isn’t all about you—be honest! Knowing what you don’t know is just as important as knowing answers to questions. It’s better to say you don’t know than to try to fake it and be wrong. This approach adds credibility to you as an instructor and to your presentation.
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