Thierry Rouffet, a freelance purchasing negotiation trainer, has been using Klaxoon since 2017. Throughout the year, he trains groups of people from a variety of different backgrounds: buyers, product managers, market development managers, senior managers and marketing assistants.

When he started using Klaxoon, Thierry set himself several goals. One was particularly important to him: to get participants involved before their course even begins. He considers this opening phase as a very important part of a course, because all the members of the group are wondering what they can expect. It is important to create an atmosphere conducive to learning, and establish values of respect, trust, listening and sharing.

Klaxoon sets the tone for the course

A few days before the classroom training session, Thierry invites his participants to log into a Network. There, they are asked to complete two activities:

• A Mission, where they will communicate their expectations and evaluate their knowledge;
• A Board (formerly Brainstorm), where they will get to know the other participants before they even meet face to face.

Sharing resources and activities in a Network

A Network is a private workspace within Klaxoon. Thierry sets one up for each training course he runs. It allows him to put all the resources and activities for the participants in one place. The participants can also use it to share content, and to communicate with Thierry and the rest of the group.

Evaluating knowledge and identifying expectations using a Mission

A Mission is a multi-stage activity where participants can discover content and answer questions in Quizzes and Surveys. They progress through the Mission at their own speed and collect points. Thierry uses it to evaluate participants’ knowledge and identify their expectations.

       
• During this first stage, Thierry uses a video to introduce himself and explain how the course will work. All he needs to shoot the video is his smartphone. The video helps all the participants to understand what they can expect to learn from the course and how it will run.

       
• During the second stage, Thierry asks the participants to complete a Survey on their expectations. There are six types of questions he can use: single choice or multiple choice, unstructured comment, rate on a scale of one to five, rank and categorize. The idea is for him to adapt his course before he begins and deliver exactly what the participants need.

       
• The next stages take the form of Quizzes. The principle is simple: one stage per topic. The participants can track their own scores as they go through the stages, and Thierry sees the final result. This enables him to tailor the course content to the group’s level of knowledge.

Building team spirit with Board

Thierry encourages the participants to get to know each other via the Board app. The participants are invited to take part in an icebreaker called “What would you be?” by submitting six ideas and placing them in a table. For example:

• A photo or drawing that represents you
• Your job
• If you were a city, which one would you be?
• If you were an everyday object, what would you be?
• If you were a drink, what would you be?
• If you were a time of day, what would you be?

The participants watch the various portraits take shape and see what they have in common. They start building up rapport before they even meet.

We all like to know who we’re going to be working with! Thierry Rouffet

On the first day of the course, rather than going round the table and asking people to introduce themselves without creating any real interaction, Thierry displays the Board and draws parallels between different participants’ responses. This sparks a conversation and the participants share anecdotes. There’s no need for formal introductions: they feel like they know each other already. From the very beginning of the session, the whole set-up encourages sharing.

A course focused on the participants

Before the classroom session begins, 80% of participants are engaged

With Klaxoon, Thierry’s courses are smoother, more social and have a better pace. The days of a trainer delivering a monologue while the participants watch are over! And the process begins a few days before the course starts.

By using Mission and Board, Thierry can have the participants engaged and involved before they even arrive at the training venue. Out of each group of around ten people, at least eight take part in the pre-course activities.

A friendly atmosphere that encourages learning and communication

With Klaxoon, Thierry ensures that his course is focused on the participants. Who are they? What is their level of knowledge? What are their expectations? By communicating with them and collecting valuable information before the course starts, he can make a connection right from the very beginning.

People learn better when they’re enjoying themselves. And with Klaxoon, they enjoy themselves all the time! Thierry Rouffet

An extra 45 minutes to discuss take-aways

Thierry estimates that with Klaxoon he saves 45 minutes just on the round table. He uses this time at the end of the course to talk to participants about what they have learned and how they can put it into practice day to day.

Klaxoon’s competitive advantage

Klaxoon gives Thierry a genuine competitive advantage. Quite simply, it means he is perfectly placed to meet the demands of today’s market using an approach that blends classroom training with face-to-face individual sessions and self-managed distance learning. It is also very easy for Thierry to show the work participants have completed during the session to training decision-makers.