Should You Get Coaching Skills Before Training Others?

When you're running a training session, knowing your material isn't always enough. What often makes the biggest difference is how well you connect with people. It's about more than just teaching, it's about listening, encouraging, and making space for questions that aren't on the slides. This is where coaching skills can really help.

In training the trainer programmes, people often start by learning how to deliver content. But if you've built some coaching experience first, you may be more ready than you think to support others with clarity and confidence. Whether you're helping a new hire settle in or trying to lift a team that's lost a bit of energy, the way you ask, listen, and respond can really shape the outcome. Let's look at how coaching might fit in before or alongside your training work.

What Coaching Skills Bring to a Trainer's Toolkit

Coaches aren't just good at talking, they're great at listening. That skill alone can shift how a training session goes from start to finish. Trainers with coaching experience often

• Ask better questions. Instead of leading with answers, they use open prompts that invite thinking and reflection. This keeps learners active rather than passive.

• Listen without rushing. Trainers who've spent time coaching are more comfortable with silence and give people space to find their thoughts.

• Shift the tone of group discussions. Instead of feeling like a lecture, sessions can feel more like a shared space where ideas and questions are welcome.

We've noticed in many sessions that when trainers use these coaching techniques, the energy in the room lifts. There's more engagement, fewer glazed-over eyes, and better retention of new information. Whether you're running formal training or quick refreshers on the job, that kind of connection makes a difference.

Understanding the Difference Between Coaching and Training

Some people think coaching and training are the same, but they're not. Training often starts with a set goal (here's what you need to know or do). Coaching is more about helping someone figure things out for themselves.

Now, in many trainer roles, both skills are useful. Let's say you're delivering mandatory training. That needs facts, structure, and a clear path. But during follow-up, you may find coaching more useful. It allows room for someone to reflect, ask questions, or explore why something isn't clicking yet.

Blending both can lead to stronger results. When learners feel involved in the process, they're more likely to learn something and use it back on the job. It's not just about getting through slides or ticking off topics. It's about helping people shift how they think or work. Sometimes, a coaching pause in the middle of a fast-paced session is exactly what helps that happen.

When You Might Need Coaching Skills First

There are times when it helps to have coaching skills before stepping into full trainer mode. If you're a new manager leading small sessions or someone who's moving from doing the work to showing others how to do it, coaching can give you a useful foundation.

Here are a few signs coaching might make a good first step:

• You're often asked to support people one-to-one before formal training comes into the picture.

• You feel ready to help a team grow but don't yet feel confident standing in front of a group.

• Your work involves helping people build confidence, change habits, or work through tricky situations.

Coaching can help you build patience, empathy, and trust, all things that feed directly into training success. It also boosts your own confidence because it pushes you to listen well, think clearly, and respond with care. Once you've had some coaching experience, leading a group feels less intimidating. You know how to centre the people in the room, not just the information on your slides.

Spotlight on Training the Trainer Courses

Having coaching skills is helpful, but strong training needs more than that. That's where training the trainer courses come in. They take what you bring (your experience, your coaching mindset) and shape it into something that works in front of a group.

Courses focused on trainer development help you

• Learn how adults take in and remember new ideas.

• Structure content so it's clear, practical, and easy to follow.

• Manage group energy and deal calmly with common speed bumps, like off-topic questions or quiet learners.

Target Training Associates offers ILM-accredited Professional Trainer Techniques (PTT) courses that blend coaching and training best practices for real, lasting results. Participants are supported by experienced master trainers who help them recognise the difference between instruction, questioning, and guided reflection.

One thing we always say is that being a good trainer isn't about speaking louder or having flashier slides. It's about knowing how people learn and shifting your style to meet them where they are. Coaching and training skills can build on each other. The coaching groundwork makes the training delivery more natural, responsive, and respectful of each learner's pace.

Coaching and Training Together: A Powerful Match

When you bring coaching and training together, you create space where people feel heard, supported, and ready to learn. You give them tools, but you also make sure they have time and space to make those tools their own.

We often think of roles in boxes (trainers train, coaches coach). Many of the best communicators blend both. Especially with team dynamics shifting in the autumn months, and new expectations falling into place, the ability to switch between guide and teacher is something worth building.

No group is the same, and no session goes exactly to plan. The more tools you have, the more able you'll be to respond in the moment. That's not about being perfect, it's about being real, prepared, and open. Coaching gives you that. So does training. Together, they give you a bit of extra lift when it matters most.

Elevate your ability to connect and inspire through effective training with a blend of coaching and presentation skills. Our ILM-accredited programme offers hands-on experience to bolster your confidence and keep your sessions engaging and productive. Explore how training the trainer at Target Training Associates can provide you with the tools and mindset needed to make a real impact. Join us to transform your approach and become a more dynamic leader in any training environment.