You’ve built a beautiful training program. The content is polished, the slides are sharp, and the activities are thoughtfully designed. But before you launch it live to your learners, there’s one step you shouldn’t skip—the dry run.
Whether you’re designing Instructor-Led Training (ILT) or Virtual Instructor-Led Training (vILT), running a pilot session is not just a “nice-to-have. Instead, we believe it’s a strategic move that can save time, money, and your training’s overall success.
At Zenith Performance Solutions, we never underestimate the power of a dry run. In fact, we’re currently testing out content for two clients using this approach, and the benefits are already clear.
Let’s dive into why dry runs are critical in both in-person and virtual learning environments.
What Is a Dry Run (or Pilot)?
A dry run, sometimes called a pilot session, is a trial run of your training program delivered to a small, representative group before a full rollout. It simulates the full experience, things like timing, activities, delivery methods, so you can evaluate the course in action and make improvements.
What You Can Learn from a Dry Run
Here’s what a well-structured pilot can uncover:
· Clarity of Content: Are the learning objectives clear? Is the content digestible? Are there any gaps or redundancies?
· Timing Issues: Are you rushing through content or running short on time for key discussions or activities?
· Activity Effectiveness: Do breakout sessions or small group activities engage the learners as intended? Is technology supporting or hindering participation?
· Facilitator Readiness: Does the facilitator feel confident with the flow and delivery? Are they supported with proper tools, guides, and slides?
· Technical Glitches (especially in vILT): Are there issues with breakout rooms, screen sharing, polls, or learner access that need to be resolved?
· Learner Engagement: Are learners actively participating and staying focused? Are your strategies to keep them involved working as planned?
How Dry Runs Save You Money
It might feel like an added cost to conduct a dry run, but the ROI is undeniable:
· Reduces Risk of Rework: Fixing issues after a full rollout is far more expensive than tweaking before launch.
· Improves Facilitator Efficiency: A more confident facilitator means smoother delivery, less time off-track, and better use of training time.
· Prevents Tech Headaches: Technical issues can frustrate learners and undermine the credibility of your program. Catching them early helps avoid costly re-training.
· Boosts Learner Satisfaction: Learners who find value the first time around are more likely to apply what they’ve learned and return for future programs.
· Strengthens Business Impact: A more effective training from the start means better knowledge retention, skill application, and performance improvements.
Other Benefits of a Pilot Session
· Stakeholder Buy-In: A dry run gives decision-makers a sneak peek and builds confidence in the investment. If they are then attending the actual session, they can help be your champions during that delivery.
· Trainer and Producer Practice: Especially for vILT, where facilitators work alongside a producer, rehearsing the choreography of switching slides, launching polls, and managing breakout rooms is essential.
· Real-Time Feedback Loop: You can gather quick insights from your test audience to improve wording, pacing, and flow before you ever go live.
· Custom Adaptation: Dry runs help you see where you can tailor content to different learner audiences, industries, or use cases.
Final Thoughts: Test, Tweak, Triumph
Whether you’re delivering in a conference room or through a Zoom window, a hybrid of both, a dry run is your best chance to test assumptions, refine delivery, and protect the learner experience.
Think of it as your quality control checkpoint. It’s how you go from good to exceptional. And in a time when learning professionals are expected to demonstrate impact, that difference matters.
At Zenith, we believe that thoughtful testing isn’t just about preventing failure. It’s about setting your training up to soar.