Trainer talk: warm, authoritative, direct
Rewrite a flat paragraph in trainer talk that addresses the learner directly.
Why this matters
The same paragraph can sound like a contract, a TED talk or a friend giving advice. The third one is what works. Here is how to land it.
Four rules
- Use "you", not "we" or "learners" — address one person.
- Use contractions — "you'll" not "you will".
- Use active voice — "choose the option" not "the option should be chosen".
- Use device-neutral verbs — "select", "open". Never "click on".
Flat: Learners should now click on the next button to proceed to the activity, where they will be asked to consider the implications of feedback.
Trainer talk: Open the next activity. You'll see three scenarios. Pick the one closest to your own work.
Try it
Rewrite this in trainer talk: "Participants are now invited to reflect upon the strategies presented in the previous section and to evaluate their applicability to their own organisational context."
A working answer might be: "Look at the three strategies you just saw. Which one would land in your team this week?"
One thing to take back to work today
Take one paragraph you wrote this week. Rewrite it for one reader, in active voice, with contractions.