{"id":75324,"date":"2022-01-27T09:46:10","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T14:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/?post_type=magazine&p=75324"},"modified":"2022-01-27T09:46:10","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T14:46:10","slug":"the-power-of-creativity-in-learning","status":"publish","type":"magazine","link":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/magazine\/winter-2022\/the-power-of-creativity-in-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Creativity in Learning"},"author":34,"featured_media":75305,"template":"","tags":[29576,29578,29575,29577],"class_list":["post-75324","magazine","type-magazine","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-entertaining-and-accessible-training","tag-making-training-memorable","tag-the-role-of-creativity-in-effective-training-design","tag-training-that-sticks","global_topic_tax-content-development","global_topic_tax-sales","magazine_issue_tax-winter-2022","magazine_article_type_tax-feature"],"acf":{"sponsored":false,"gated":false,"gated_content_type":"","file_attachment":null,"gated_content":"","form_instruction_header":"To access the full article, please fill out the form below:","pardot_html_embed":"","author_override":true,"author_name":"Shaun McMahon","author_image":"","author_bio":"Shaun McMahon is the president and founder of Illuminate<\/a>.","excerpt":"For sales training program developers, this is clearly the time for fresh methods of delivering complex training information that truly sticks. ","main_content":"Sales has always been a challenging field, and it hasn\u2019t gotten any easier.\r\n\r\nOver the last two years, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic \u2014 from social distancing to remote work to changing business models \u2014 have presented many new impediments to sales professionals, regardless of sector or specialty. And there\u2019s another issue that we\u2019re all facing: Sales goals continue to rise.\r\n\r\nFor sales professionals working in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industry, today\u2019s landscape is even more daunting. Health care professionals already stressed by COVID-19 are busier and more difficult to reach than almost anyone. When a life sciences sales professional does get the opportunity to discuss a new medication or updated prescribing information, it\u2019s likely to be a brief and distracted interaction.\r\n\r\nSalespeople can\u2019t afford the luxury of getting back to a prospect tomorrow with answers to the questions they pose today. They need to know their stuff, in the moment. Convincing a doctor to consider a new drug has always required the ability to speak about that medication with confidence and competence. You can\u2019t inspire trust if you can\u2019t speak with certainty. A successful life sciences sales professional speaks fluently about how their product addresses a disease or condition and possesses a thorough understanding of the wider competitor marketplace. There\u2019s a lot to learn.\r\n\r\nYears ago, if you were a sales representative engaging in the learning process, you might recall the thump of a large box landing on your front steps. This box was filled with bulging binders containing reams of information about your product. It was your duty to review this dense medical information and commit to memory as much as possible before your team\u2019s product launch meeting. Even then, we knew that this method was not ideal \u2014 but with limited alternatives, it was standard practice.\r\n\r\nOver time, however, advances in technology have provided fresh and more engaging methods for training program developers to present challenging curricula, beginning with online quizzes and video presentations.\r\n\r\nTraining program developers have built upon these new approaches, parsing and packaging dense curricula into smaller modules and more entertaining frameworks that are more appealing to learners. By introducing fun and fresh methods of learning, users are encouraged to engage in training more often, and can establish a base of knowledge much sooner, opening up the opportunity to effectively build upon it.\r\n\r\nThere\u2019s another key benefit to including fun surprises in your training program, beyond generating interest. It turns out that the most effective programs for enhancing memorization present materials in unusual formats, filled with unexpected moments. This strategy is validated by scientific research<\/a> demonstrating that \u201cnovelty enhances memory.\u201d\r\n\r\nFor sales training program developers, this is clearly the time for fresh methods of delivering complex training information that truly sticks, placed within training platforms that encourage incisive, on-the-spot thinking. It\u2019s time for creative solutions.\r\n

Training On the Go<\/h2>\r\nNotable recent methods for presenting information in more creative, entertaining and accessible ways include:\r\n