Challenge

The Center for Payments, representing ten financial associations, wanted to strengthen the instructional design and facilitation skills of its training team. While participants had experience creating and delivering training, much of it relied heavily on slides, lacked consistent engagement strategies, and did not always transform complex or “dry” content into memorable learning. They needed a tailored workshop that would provide practical strategies for designing effective training and delivering sessions with confidence and clarity.

Solution

The Center for Payments partnered with TrainSMART to deliver a customized Beyond T3 Workshop. The program was carefully designed to address trainer considerations such as:

  • What learners need to say, do, and learn from each session.
  • How to reduce reliance on slides by using the notes section strategically.
  • The importance of reviewing and refining training content for maximum impact.

The highly interactive session included hands-on activities and real-world examples. Participants explored key areas such as:

  • The importance of instructional design and how to apply it immediately.
  • Techniques to transform dry content into engaging stories.
  • Creating visually appealing slides that support — rather than replace — the trainer.
  • Building engagement points to keep participants active and involved.
  • Chunking content into digestible pieces for better learner retention.
  • Using continuous improvement methods to refine training before delivery.

Results

By the end of the workshop, participants walked away with:

  • A firmer grasp of instructional design principles.
  • Practical methods to engage learners through questioning, visuals, and activities.
  • Confidence in creating slide decks that tell a story without overwhelming the audience.
  • A repeatable process for reviewing and refining training content before delivery.

Impact

The Center for Payments’ training team is now equipped to deliver more impactful learning experiences for its member associations. Trainers reported greater confidence in balancing instructional design with delivery, leading to more engaging and practical sessions.

One participant shared:

“This workshop gave me practical strategies to take our content beyond the basics. I feel more confident creating engaging slides and keeping our members actively involved in learning.”