Remember how cool (well, maybe this is just me) PowerPoint presentations were when they first arrived on the presentation and training scene? Suddenly hand-drawn graphs and charts seemed crude and outdated. But now...when someone begins a presentation and you notice in the bottom of the screen that there are 50 slides, you want to slide, out the door? The PowerPoint presentation no longer complements the presentation; it IS the presentation. And after about 10 slides, trainers may begin to lose their audience.   Take a “Train the Trainer” workshop. Believe me, I was a lackluster trainer who could have benefited from not only this kind of workshop but also a “Toastmasters” class, which teach people who are not natural public speakers to get the class interested in what you're saying, helping you to project your voice, and get the class motivated to learn. Mix it up. Don't ditch PowerPoint altogether, but use it as an accent, not a crutch. Be able to do your training even if the lights went out. Throw in anedotes from previous trainings to amuse the class, but if you're not a joke-teller, skip the knock-knock jokes and stick with the script. Ask people about how they will use their new knowledge – people love to talk about themselves and this provides the class an opportunity to get involved. If the class is mum on the subject, move on to something else. Each group is likely to be different, so you can't depend on every class to play out in the same way. Show a movie (clip). Ten minutes max. This is an effective technique when you've seen someone else make a point that you want to make, but they sum it up so nicely. Warning: Do not do this after a lunch break. As soon as you see one head hit the desk, it's lights on! Bring snacks. You don't have to break the bank or give your class a sugar rush and subsequent sugar crash, but it never hurts to have some crackers and cookies to share. Practice! Loved ones make great test subjects for trying out your newest material. Remember, people, even those who want to be in the training, have different ways that they learn best, so using a mix of techniques will give a little something for everyone and keep the course participants on their toes.