VILT Biggest Challenges Of 2023 And How To Overcome Them

In this era of new technologies and an immense amount of data available, the vital part is to stay organized and provide value. 

Virtual Instructor Led training gained popularity among users during Covid and does not seem to stop being in demand. In fact, VILT is currently more in-demand than traditional ones due to the variety of benefits they offer. 

But not everything is so colorful; you may face certain challenges while hosting VILT; therefore,  this article will review the possible ones and provide optimal solutions for each. 

So, if you are ready, let’s start! 

What is virtual instructor-led training? 

Starting off with the definitions is classics, let’s go! 

Virtual Instructor-led training is the same instructor-led training, with the only difference being that it is hosted in an online setting. VILT implements various tools necessary for a practical session in an online format. 

For instance, the same whiteboards are online; presentations are presented through screen share. And the trainer, instead of talking in front of the crowd in the room, is speaking from his chair in front of the computer. 

Plus, it is worth mentioning that virtual training is currently highly in-demand. 

Things to consider before starting your VILT program 

Before you get started with your VILT program, we suggest that you consider several aspects. 

For instance, first of all, how comfortable are you working in an online setting? Or what’s the level of your technical skills? Or even whether or not you have the necessary tools and equipment available for hosting high-quality virtual training. 

So, let’s actually take a look at everything in the correct order. 

1. Consider whether or not virtual setting classes are working for you, do some research, learn & grow as a specialist.
2. Do you have a laptop, web camera, or good phone camera for live & pre-recorded classes? What about a high-quality microphone? Visuals & Sound are quite essential for nowadays users. Most virtual trainers offer high-quality audio and visuals, so if you want to be part of the competitive market, you must provide these essentials. 
3. What platform or tools will you utilize to ensure the quality of your virtual training? Do you have design and video conferencing tools in mind? For this point, we recommend getting a platform on which you can host your full-featured educational website and offer integrations for live, course-building & design tools. 
4. Also, consider the pricing of your training. It depends on a variety of factors, including your expertise in the field the training is about, your experience as a trainer, the value of your course, and the format (live training, pre-recorded & self-paced)

Also, before the creation of the program itself, consider the goals & outcomes of the program. First of all, it will help you clarify why a student should purchase the program, and secondly help you in marketing the training. 

Consider including additional resources, material & readings into the program, as well as ensure enough quizzes, polls & engagement elements. 

7 challenges you face as a virtual instructor 

Virtual instructor-led training is in-demand, and that is a fact. However, that does not mean that every single instructor reaches their audience. 

There are certain challenges you may face throughout your journey. But the key is to be patient and find solutions to those rather than give up on your dream. 

This section will review most virtual instructors’ top 7 primary challenges. Plus, we will discuss possible solutions for those. 

Getting first Clients 

Getting the first clients is one of the most challenging parts of starting out. 

Where to get them? How should I convince the client that my training is what they need? 

New customers may choose a trainer that already has experience or previous customer reviews because all of that is automatically associated with security & safety. But you should not give up at this stage. Why? Because all of these famous trainers with huge client bases were beginners at some point. 

Solution

So, here is the solution for you. These tips will help you to find your first clients for virtual training.

• Grow your online audience by implementing various paid & organic marketing strategies. For instance, open a blog, SEO-optimize the posts and  regularly post on social media channels. Also, create and advertise lead-generating landing pages. Even a YouTube channel can be of great help. 
• Even if you never had any clients share your certifications as testimonials. If you have clients, even just a few, ask them to write reviews and display those on your website. 
• Join Facebook groups and other social media communities where trainers are “hanging out.” By joining, you will gain more information about current market trends and grow your network. 

The most vital piece of advice is to come up with an optimal marketing strategy & content plan. Also, research the market to know who your target audience and clients are. 

Keeping the Audience Engaged

Another major challenge that virtual instructors face is keeping the audience engaged. 

The thing with online classes and sessions is that there are lots of distractions. Students can easily get distracted when they get a notification or simply scroll through social media while listening to the training on the side. 

As a result, they do not acquire all the knowledge you try to convey. Therefore, the reviews or results may not be impressive, which can affect your reputation as a trainer. 

So, as an instructor, part of your responsibility is to keep students engaged. And down below, you can get acquainted with tips to do so. 

Solution

• Quizzes & tests. When your students know there is an upcoming quiz or test through the “default” human brain setting, they automatically become more attentive to the studied material. 
• Incorporate online whiteboards & visually pleasing interactive presentations. First of all, it will help you to explain the material more efficiently. Secondly, most of us are visual learners, so it is easier to acquire new material or even take notes when presentations with slides that outline the session’s main concepts. 
• Q&A sessions. It is an unbelievably powerful tool. Through having Q&A sessions during training, your students will be encouraged to ask questions and start discussions. 
• Have short surveys or polls after each session to collect feedback or as a funny icebreaker question. 
• Pay attention to your body language and voice intonation.
• Certifications to keep students motivated to study

Lack of Visual Elements Incorporated into Virtual Training

The lack of visual elements is another challenge. You may think it is enough to lecture students, but it truly is not. 

As mentioned in the paragraph above, in order to keep students engaged, you need to incorporate presentations, whiteboards, and various other visual elements. However, the creation of all these can be time-consuming and even hard if you do not have design or technical skills. 

Solution

Yet, living in this advanced technology era and having an immense amount of tools available, the solution to this dilemma is also simple. 

Instead of learning design from scratch, simply use Canva. Canva for education is an incredible design tool that offers affordable design solutions for you. 

You can use pre-made presentation templates and customize those, add effects and make them truly dynamic. Or you can create presentations or other graphics from scratch using pre-made elements. 

Also, you can watch a few Free YouTube Tutorials on how to utilize PowerPoint and create mind-blowing presentations with it. 

Technical Issues

One more dilemma is Technical Issues that may occur before or throughout the training session. For instance, you might lose the internet connection; the video conferencing app may stop working due to some back-end technical issues, and so on. Even your equipment may break down. 

Solution

However, there is no need to panic. Most of the technical issues are easily fixable. If something breaks down, call services, and you will once again have machinery that functions well in a few hours. 

If internet access is lost, always have extra mobile data to host the training with it, or let your clients know that it will be rescheduled. 

Simply put, you can always find easy and accessible solutions related to technicalities in this era of digitization. 

Organization 

If there is a lack of organization in content & training material, then there will definitely be a lack of efficiency. 

Therefore, you need to ensure that your training material is well organized. 

Solution

First and foremost, decide the purpose of your training. Afterward, write learning objectives, then outcomes. 

Finally, choose the format, whether it is pre-recorded or live, maybe mixed? 

According to format and purpose, create a schedule and decide on topics for each session. 

Finally, choose additional materials to share with learners, a platform to host the training and engagement tools to incorporate. 

Platform Choice 

Choosing the right platform can be hard. First of all, there are quite a few available. Secondly, some of them are quite pricey for beginners. 

Plus, as a beginner, it may be hard to distinguish between the right platform for your business. 

Solution

Choose a platform with enough features to establish an online teaching business and further expand it. 

The platform of your choice must have functionality for live lessons, marketing, payment collection, and quiz/test creation. Besides, it must offer a website builder and course builder to ensure you are equipped with enough customization features. 

One of the best platforms for virtual instructors that offers everything you need is Uteach. Other alternatives include Thinkific and Kajabi. 

Communication 

Finally, the last major challenge faced by the majority of virtual instructors is related to effective communication. It can be a bit harder to establish clear communication online compared to an offline setting. 

Solution

Everything depends on your perception. Just make sure to stay positive and open. Work on your body language & intonation, and ask questions to encourage discussions. Also, set some classroom rules that promote values of respect & equality to avoid conflicts. 

Difficulties your virtual students encounter 

Knowing what difficulties your students face will help you to approach the problem from new perspectives and make their experience a lot better.

So, let’s take a look at those. 

• If it is a pre-recorded training that allows self-paced learning, many students encounter inefficient time management issues. 

You can help them resolve this by sending automated email notifications throughout the week to motivate them to continue learning or incorporate reward systems throughout the course. 

• Not receiving feedback on time.

Students must receive feedback on progress on time or answers to their questions as soon as possible. They encounter the issues of demotivation or inefficient learning if they do not receive those. 

So, check your notifications and answer student questions even if the training is pre-recorded. An efficient resolution can be to create open discussion chats where even students can answer one another’s questions and simply moderate them from time to time.

• Getting bored

In this dynamic industry, students can easily get bored, and this challenge stands in their way of learning. Therefore, help them out and incorporate interactive elements into your training. 

Bring your training to a new level 

Now, it is time to stop hesitation and enter the online world.

Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced instructor who wants to start an online business, we have the perfect solution for you. 

Uteach is the ultimate platform for virtual instructors, coaches, course creators, and online educators. It offers affordable pricing plans and an incredible amount of useful features. 

You will get to build your website & courses as well as take control over payments and marketing all from one place, saving a great amount of money and time along the way. 

So, if you plan to start and expand a training business, then get started now; this is the perfect timing for you. Every challenge can be resolved, and success awaits you!

Start for FREE