Posted by Kristine Rice on Mon, May 14, 2012 @ 11:08 AM
We’ve got the final winners in our Mystery Giveaway Days!
A big round of applause for
Bloomingdale Park District for MEDIC First Aid and
CPR and Safety Classes of Rhode Island for ASHI, the winners of a Physio Control AED.
We appreciate everyone’s interest in the giveaway. As always, thanks for your support of ASHI and MEDIC First Aid!
PS: Be sure you are opted in to our electronic communications, so you won’t miss our next promotion.
CPR and AED awareness week is right around the corner, you never know what we will be giving away next!You can opt in by going to the
TCM and clicking TC Options.
If you need assistance please contact us at 800 447 3177 – we’re happy to help!
Kristine Rice, Marketing Programs Manager
Posted by Kristine Rice on Thu, May 10, 2012 @ 11:01 AM
Our Mystery Giveaway Days continue, with Wednesday’s awesome prize of a LIFEPAK CR PLUS AED Trainer W/ Remote, Cable, Charging Unit, Case & 5 Sets of Electrodes
Our ASHI winner was Hawaii Educational Life Support Programs from Kaneohe, HI and Renes Aquatics from Desert Hot Springs, CA was the lucky draw from MEDIC First Aid.
You still have until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time TONIGHT to play.
Whenever you purchase $100 of materials from now through May 10, 2012, you'll be entered into our drawing for our daily prize. Prize values are at least $250 each.
Time is running out!
SNEAK PREVIEW: There’s a rumor going around the office that tomorrow’s big prize is a Physio AED!
To play, just use promo code MYSTERYMAY when ordering.
Visit our online store or call 800 447 3177 and stock up on supplies today!
The promotion runs from May 8 until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on May 10, 2012. Only purchases of $100 or greater will qualify to enter the giveaway drawing. Only one drawing entry per customer per day. Drawing entries are not available for prior purchases. Total of 3 prize giveways. Prizes valued at $250 or greater. Winners will be contacted by phone.
Congratulations to our winners and be sure to enter to win for tomorrows drawing!
Kristine Rice, Marketing Programs Manager
Posted by Kristine Rice on Wed, May 09, 2012 @ 05:15 AM
Stock up on supplies for CPR and AED Awareness week and get entered to win a MYSTERY gift!
2 days are left, you can still be a WINNER!
Thanks to everyone who participated in our Mystery Giveaway drawing! Yesterday’s awesome prize was a Philips Onsite AED Trainer, and I’m happy to announce our winners:
Our MEDIC First Aid winner is Alert Medical Training Inc of Fresno, California.
Our ASHI winner is Action Safety Training of Newport, Kentucky.
In case you don’t have the promotion details, here they are again:
Stock up on supplies for CPR and AED Awareness week and get entered to win a MYSTERY gift!
In celebration of CPR and AED Awareness week (June 1-7) ASHI and MEDIC First Aid are offering mystery giveaways.
Whenever you purchase $100 of materials from now through May 10, 2012, you'll be entered into our drawing for our daily prize. Prize values are at least $250 each!
To play, just use promo code MYSTERYMAY when ordering.
Visit our online store or call 800 447 3177 and stock up on supplies today!
Here is the fine print: The promotion runs from May 8 until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on May 10, 2012. Only purchases of $100 or greater will qualify to enter the giveaway drawing. Only one drawing entry per customer per day. Drawing entries are not available for prior purchases. Total of 3 prize giveways. Prizes valued at $250 or greater. Winners will be contacted by phone.
Congratulations to our winners and be sure to enter to win for tomorrows drawing!
Kristine Rice, Marketing Programs Manager
Posted by Corey Abraham on Mon, May 07, 2012 @ 08:20 AM
For many years, I acted as the in-house Master Trainer at MEDIC First Aid. So I had the opportunity to teach the two-day Instructor Trainer course, offer courses to make new Master Trainers at our conferences, and also do some local training around the Eugene area. So, it’s not a long shot for me to think that many of you reading this may have been in one of my classes or taken a class from one of the Instructors I trained.
I removed myself from that role a few years ago. I was conducting an IT course in Eugene and one of my former students was in the class. At break, she approached me and said something along the lines of, “I was in your class a few years ago and you seemed much more enthusiastic.” The comment took me by surprise.
What I realized, though, after really thinking about it was that I wasn’t enjoying teaching and it was starting to show. I wasn’t doing the customers, program, process, or myself any justice. At the time, I was happy to move on to another role in the organization.
Now that I’ve had a few years to reflect on my teaching days, I realize that there are things that I really miss about teaching. I’d like to share those with you.
- The interaction with customers, those people that made the commitment to spend two days in an IT class. I formed some strong bonds with students especially those that became Master Trainers under my tutelage.
- Those “aha” moments that inevitably happen during class. When something really clicks for the student or a group and you can see it all over their faces.
- The bonding of a group of students. It’s great to see a group that doesn’t know each other on the first day become an inseparable cohort by the end of class. I’ve had classes that trained together years ago that still get together at conferences and other functions for a group catch-up session over dinner and drinks.
- The in-depth knowledge of the training programs and their nuances that really make an instructor feel like he or she owns the course and has the ability to turn it into something that is truly unique.
- The unavoidable nerves that come with getting up in front of a group of strangers to present.
Those are a few of the things I miss about teaching. I would love it if you would share a few of the things that you love about teaching and what keeps you going day in and day out.
Please use the comment section below to share!
Corey Abraham, Director of Sales
Posted by Nancy Vandoren-Liebig on Fri, May 04, 2012 @ 10:26 AM
In a time where we are totally inundated with unnecessary hoopla—really, Justin Bieber’s crazy tweets make the news????—it’s refreshing to hear about our Training Centers and Instructors participating in more worthwhile events. Bringing awareness to life-saving CPR/AED skills or even more, honoring heroes that have used these skills to save a life seems like something more newsworthy than Bieber tweets!
A long-time ASHI Instructor/Training Center Director shared with me his idea for recognizing these everyday heroes. He’s coordinating an event slated for the first week of June, which is national CPR Awareness week. Using local resources and partnering with a local theme park, Mat Giachetti, owner of LifeForce USA, is hosting his second annual Heroes Dedication event. The afternoon features a keynote speaker, all-you-can-eat BBQ lunch, and awards presentation right there at the theme park. You can check out the details about the New Jersey-area event in the documents linked below.
CPR/AED Awareness Sponsorship Form
NJ - Hero Response Form (5/18 deadline)
Not only does this celebration bring awareness to the impact of CPR/AED training but it gives the community a chance to hear these real hero stories. I’m sharing Mat’s event with you in hopes that you all will share what you are doing in your area and together we can do more to promote CPR Awareness not only the first week of June, but all year round.
By golly, if you are in that area, go buy a ticket and attend the event or nominate a hero to be recognized!
What are you doing this year for CPR Awareness week?
Other than following Bieber tweets I mean…!
Leave your comments below...
Nancy VanDoren-Liebig, Director of Client Services
Posted by Jeff Myers on Thu, Apr 26, 2012 @ 01:06 PM
Last week, we started talking about student behavior and by your responses to the post, it sounds like many of you have experienced these behaviors in some of your students. Let’s dive back into the information pulled from the California Nurses Association and look at another set of behaviors that are often present in the classes we teach.
The Know-it-All – For those Harry Potter fans, Hermione Granger probably comes to mind. Know-it-All students seem to know just about everything about just about everything. Whenever questions are asked, they have the answers. It’s not uncommon for them to toss out their qualifications or credentials as they are making their point and after a while, other students start to roll their eyes whenever the Know-it-All students speak. Be sure to acknowledge comments made that add value to the discussion, but don’t allow Know-it-All students to take over discussions. Allow them to express their thoughts and then move on. These students like the spotlight and may require some individual attention during breaks.
The Griper – Gripers often make valid points, but they are looking for immediate resolution and when that doesn’t happen, they tend to continue to press their points. To be able to move on, be sure to validate the appropriate point and let them know that while the point may not be able to be resolved during class due to the time pressures of staying on track, further discussion can happen during a break or after class.
The Introvert – Students who are Introverted may be hesitant to get involved in discussions and may be among the last to jump into skills. Group practice sessions can also be uncomfortable for introverted students. It’s important to find ways to engage these students, which may be as simple as making eye contact with them, asking questions that they likely know the answers to, and providing lots of positive reinforcement. And while we should do what we can to protect students who are introverted, we still need to assure they remain active participants in training, so they leave the course with the confidence to put their skills to use.
The Extrovert – Students who are extroverted are generally more outgoing and at ease in group settings, so they tend to be more active participants during training. Unfortunately, “active” isn’t always a good thing if they routinely carry on side conversations with other students. Try to avoid embarrassing them if possible, but by making eye contact and asking their opinion on a topic may be all that is needed to refocus their attention back to the course. Another effective technique is to slowly walk over to where the side conversation is taking place and ask a question of another student in that area of the classroom. As real estate agents often say, “Location, location, location”, and our presence near the talkative students normally ends the side conversation. Silence is an amazing deterrent to students who want to chat. Side conversations tend to end quickly when the “talkers” realize they are the only ones doing any talking. If all else fails, it may be a good time to take a break and have a private conversation with the students chatting each other up.
The behaviors we’ve looked at in these last two posts are by no means all-inclusive, and if we’re lucky, our students will rarely exhibit any of these behaviors. However, when faced with one of these challenging interactions, we can deal with it and move on.
And as a reminder, be sure to take a few minutes to share your suggestions about how you’ve worked with Know-it-Alls, Gripers, Introverts and Extraverts during training with your fellow instructors by using the “Click here to write comments” button below.
Jeff Myers, Vice President – HSI
Source: California Nurses Association, AIDS Train the Trainer Program for Health Care Providers (1988)
Posted by Corey Abraham on Tue, Apr 24, 2012 @ 06:37 AM
Regardless of the type of Training Center you run, either entrepreneurial or corporate, you may find yourself in a position of selling your services as an ASHI or MEDIC First Aid program provider to a decision maker.
Half the battle is getting the initial conversation and drilling down into what drives your customer’s decisions regarding training (their “pain points,” as they are known on our Sales Team). The other half is turning the information you gather into a sale.
One way to promote your program offerings and services is through the use of “value drivers,” those special qualities, solutions, or differences you can provide and which will make the whole training process easier for your potential customer.
We use a number of value drivers that have been proven over time and which the entire HSI sales team has used to great success. I’d like to share them with you:
1. Customer Service
Fast, friendly, and easy. Customers can order online or call in to our call center to place orders or get technical and regulatory assistance directly from our headquarters. How does YOUR customer service set you apart from the competition?
2. Quality products
We offer medically and educationally sound training programs that are widely accepted by regulatory agencies in the US and internationally.
3. Flexible offerings (traditional classroom, blended learning)
Customers can choose between traditional classroom and blended training options as well as digital vs. print books and cards to meet their training needs.
4. Return on investment
Higher student to instructor ratios allow companies to train more people in an equivalent or even shorter amount of time than is possible with some competitive offerings, bringing customers more value for their dollar
Before you decide which of these “value drivers” may or may not work for you in the future, be sure to research how you have handled sales calls in the past. For instance, have you taken into consideration the feedback you’ve received from your customers? Remember that “History is a great teacher,” so don’t hesitate to take that information, along with other analytics from the past, and turn it into unique value drivers that work for your business today and into the future.
Let us know if these tips add value to your business. Got questions? Leave them in the comment section below!
Corey Abraham
Director of Sales
Posted by Jeff Myers on Thu, Apr 19, 2012 @ 09:00 AM
While researching this post, I happened upon some great information from the California Nurses Association that provides insightful suggestions for dealing with a variety of student behaviors. Let’s take a closer look at these behaviors that undoubtedly we’ve all run into at one time or another. Each of these presents its own unique challenges that could lead to some degree of disruption during training.
The Rambler – Ramblers are easy to recognize as they tend to wander off topic frequently and find it difficult to focus in on the specific topic being discussed. To refocus the rambler, try restating the relevant points; ask how the point the rambler is trying to make relates to the topic being discussed; or direct questions to the rest of the students who have remained on topic.
The Sharpshooter – Sharpshooters are the students who try to shoot us down or try to trip us up. Though it can be difficult, it’s probably best to simply ignore the behavior rather than engage in a drawn out discussion over something that likely has little relevance to the topic. Another effective technique is to redirect the question back to the group to initiate a discussion. In the end, it’s OK that we don’t know the answer to every question, and in these instances we can research the question –if it is relevant to our discussion – to find the answer.
The Heckler – Hecklers are students who tend to disagree with everything. Even when they don’t verbalize their feelings, their body language is a dead giveaway that they see things in an entirely different light. Arguing with hecklers only makes things worse and this may incite the ire in other students, so avoid being drawn into an argument. This is another situation that tossing the comments back to the group may be our best way to handle the heckler. Hopefully, the group will debate the comments amongst themselves while we stand back and play referee and work to direct the debate toward its proper conclusion. If the heckler has some positive points in his argument, point these out. It might also be helpful to offer to discuss things further with the heckler at a break. In the end, though, it may necessary to “agree to disagree”, so we can move on with class.
As we’ve discussed in previous posts, students are ultimately responsible for their own behavior during training, however, we have a job to do and managing issues that might arise falls to us. Using the tips discussed above may just make handling these issues a bit easier.
Look for some additional tips on student behavior in my next post, but until then, be sure to share your suggestions about handling the Rambler, the Sharpshooter and the Heckler with your fellow instructors by using the “Click here to write comments” button below.
Jeff Myers, Vice President – HSI
Source: California Nurses Association, AIDS Train the Trainer Program for Health Care Providers (1988)
Posted by Kristine Rice on Thu, Apr 12, 2012 @ 12:09 PM
with Mobile ASHI Instructor Liz Vidad
Today’s blog post introduces another of our wonderful ASHI Instructors, whose commitment to saving lives inspires all those she meets. Her smiling face surrounded by CPR manikins is a well-known sight to Lake Havasu, Arizona residents. You can’t miss it—it’s wrapped onto the side of her van, also known as the “Manikin Mobile.”
Liz Vidad is an ASHI-approved, one-woman, traveling CPR and first aid Training Center. “My vision in becoming a Training Center is to meet the needs of my students where they are, both logistically and through educational methodology,” she said.
Liz was originally trained in CPR after she became the first woman in her community to be accepted into the Marine Corps in 1977. Ever since, her training stayed with her through her time as a police officer, a safety officer for the fire department, and an AED coordinator.
“To date, I personally know of two students I have trained in CPR who have saved a family member,” Liz said. Both of the victims survived with no residual medical problems. “And the saves from choking are too numerous to count.”
However, not all of her use of training had good outcomes.
“I performed CPR while I was a police officer on Thanksgiving of 1985,” Liz said. The patient did not survive but something important still had a positive influence on her. “I will never forget the grieving mother saying, ‘Thank you so much for trying. At least someone cared enough to try.’”
Liz incorporates that statement into the ASHI classes she teaches to provide students an insight into the heart of a family member left behind.
As her own traveling Training Center, Liz uses a van outfitted with all of her equipment so she can go to the students instead of having the students come to her. Last year, her husband had the van wrapped with the photo from Liz’s business card of her surrounded by manikins.
The Manikin Mobile is stocked with everything from ASHI books, cards, and key chains for students to keep, to a 32” TV/DVD system. She has enough manikins and AED trainers for each student to practice with during class.
Why does she keep teaching CPR and first aid after all these years?
“If I can empower someone to take action in a medical emergency, there is a chance to save a life,” Liz said. “Education is power!”
I would love to hear your marketing tips for your training business and your motivation for teaching (maybe we will contact you for a newsletter article)!
Kristine Rice, Marketing Programs Manager
Posted by Nancy Vandoren-Liebig on Thu, Apr 05, 2012 @ 10:47 AM
Paperless Magic with the Online Application Wizard
Make the Instructor application process even easier - save some trees and $$$ by using the online Instructor application in your Training Center Manager (TCM). You’ll find it in the TCM Instructor Admin tab; select Manage Instructors and go to the Instructor Application tab.
The online app saves you some processing time as well. Instructor authorization cards are mailed the next business day and you receive their registry number instantly.
Who needs paper when you have the Internet? To learn more, call our tech support team at 877 440 6049 or sign up for our next FREE webinar:
April 18, 2012
10-10:30 a.m. Pacific Time
Prefer the paper app? No worries. The most current ASHI and MEDIC First Aid printable application versions are always available on our website at "Become an Instructor".
Are you using the online wizard?
What do you think of it?
Post your comment below!
Nancy VanDoren-Liebig, Director of Client Services