I have dealt with a number of topics in my articles. From workplace romances to workplace failures, I have talked about them all. But there are those who feel that I have been neglecting a very important part of the workforce – the trainers - talented men and women, who have devoted their careers to training new employees. Trainers, I personally believe, are an important part of any company because they are directly responsible for the future growth and performance of their organization.

In this article, I have tried to put together the 7 most important characteristics of good trainers. These 7’Cs will help you conduct successful training sessions for the recruits of the company.

1) Character

By character I mean the professional credentials and credibility of the trainer. Training as a career choice is different from all other professions. You need to have a passion towards training your disciples to success especially since you, as a trainer, would be responsible for several young enthusiasts’ career. A trainer faces his acid test when his students undergo their final evaluation. Therefore, a good trainer is one who considers his job a lot more than merely a source of income. If you actually start believing that you are doing more than just earning your salary, you would be able to influence and impress your students a lot more effectively.

2) Command on the subject

The second most important trait that is important for a trainer to have is a thorough grasp of his subject. Needless to say, a trainer with an imperfect knowledge about his topics is jeopardizing the careers of his students, and such a person soon loses the respect of his class. The only way you can effectively grab the attention as well as the respect of the trainees is to convey to them that you indeed have a superior knowledge of the subject.

3) Communication Skills

Paraphrasing the tagline of the IBM ads - its one thing to have a grand vision and quite another to bring it to life. Similarly, its one thing to have the necessary qualifications and expertise of a subject and another to be able to communicate your knowledge to an audience effectively! Some trainers lose the respect and interest of their audience despite their superior knowledge of the subject because they lack the confidence and the communication skills to connect with their students.

4) Control

It often happens that a discussion heading towards a certain topic swings to something entirely different, which distracts the attention of the class and leads to a wastage of valuable time. Now, it is the trainer's job to be on the driver’s seat and ensure that everyone is on the same wavelength. This takes not only confidence but also a lot of subtlety and tactfulness to keep the trainees focused on the subject.

5) Contact

The trainer must be capable enough to address the needs of every individual participant in his class. He shouldn’t allow himself to get carried away by the superior understanding and grasping prowess of a few bright students and neglect the needs of the rest of the flock. Every individual is different, as far as intelligence is concerned, so the trainer needs to ensure that everyone is progressing at the same pace and nobody gets left behind.

6) Clarity

A good trainer is one who is able to make his subject as simple and interesting as possible. His language should be stimulating but prosaic. There should be no element of ambiguity. If the topic under discussion is challenging and complicated, the trainer try to go slow and be patient enough to repeat himself as many times as needed.

7) Charisma

Nobody is interesting in listening to the droning drivels of a boring dud. No matter how important a topic you seem to be discussing, if you don’t have a charismatic personality, people simply won’t listen. Period! A successful trainer is one who is able to enthrall and captivate his students with his words. Being charismatic and dynamic will dramatically improve the trainer's acceptability and likeability amongst his audience. They then won’t have to make an effort to listen but will listen despite themselves, and will keep up with everything that’s being taught to them.