Train the trainer for subject matter experts is a program that turns technical and functional experts into effective internal trainers. It covers how adults learn, overcoming the curse of knowledge, designing short sessions with ADDIE, running hands-on labs and evaluating learning. Bodhih runs it over 3 days in person or 6 × 3-hour virtual sessions, ending with teach-back certification.
- Recommended: 3 days in person, or 6 × 3-hour live virtual sessions, customised to your experts
- Level: Foundation · In person · Live virtual · Blended
- Designed with the ADDIE model and customised to your context
- Offered by Bodhih since 2008 to 2,000+ organisations across 7 regions
Also known as: SME to trainer program, SME train the trainer, internal trainer development, subject matter expert training skills
Where and how: train the trainer for subject matter experts certification as an in-person workshop in Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata; as a live online course; or delivered overseas in Dubai, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Last reviewed by Siddharthan VGJ, Founder · Bodhih Training, Bengaluru
Why organisations are building SME-led training
Much of an organisation's most valuable knowledge sits with a few experts, not in courses. As products and tools change faster, companies increasingly ask those experts to train colleagues, customers and new joiners.
Expertise does not automatically make someone a good trainer. Bodhih's Train the Trainer program is ranked among the global top 7 in the Train the Trainer market by London-based research firm Technavio, and this version adapts that approach for busy experts.
What participants will be able to do
Think like a learner again
Recognise the curse of knowledge and see your topic through the eyes of someone new to it.
Design tight, focused sessions
Use a simple ADDIE-based template to plan a session around what learners must do, not everything you know.
Explain complex ideas simply
Use analogies, worked examples, chunking and visuals to make technical content clear.
Run hands-on practice
Design demos, labs and guided exercises that let learners try skills with support before working alone.
Handle questions and groups
Manage mixed-ability groups, tough questions and senior participants with confidence.
Check that learning happened
Use quick checks, practical tasks and feedback to confirm learners can apply what you taught.
Who should attend
- Engineers, architects and technical leads who run knowledge-transfer sessions
- Product, process and domain experts in GCCs and IT services firms
- Specialists in healthcare, pharma, manufacturing and finance who train colleagues
- Senior professionals joining an internal faculty or academy
- Experts who train customers, partners or channel teams
- New joiners' buddies and on-the-job trainers
Program outline
Recommended design, customised to your context after a short needs analysis.
01From expert to trainerModule 1 · 90 min+
- The curse of knowledge and expert blind spots
- How adults learn: relevance, experience and practice
- Novice versus expert thinking
- Your strengths and gaps as a trainer
02Designing a session with ADDIEModule 2 · 3 hours+
- Quick needs analysis with the requester and learners
- Writing performance-based objectives
- Action mapping to cut content to what matters
- Lab: a one-page session plan for your own topic
03Making complex content clearModule 3 · 3 hours+
- Chunking, sequencing and cognitive load
- Analogies, stories and worked examples
- Simple visuals and slides that support, not replace, you
- Lab: explain one hard concept in five minutes
04Hands-on labs and demosModule 4 · 2.5 hours+
- I do, we do, you do
- Designing guided exercises and troubleshooting tasks
- Running labs in person and on screen
05Delivery and group managementModule 5 · 3 hours+
- Voice, presence and pacing for non-trainers
- Questioning to check understanding
- Handling tough questions and mixed-ability groups
- Virtual delivery essentials
06Evaluating and improvingModule 6 · 90 min+
- Quick knowledge checks and practical assessments
- Collecting useful feedback
- Iterating your session after each run
07Teach-back and certificationModule 7 · 3 hours+
- Deliver a 20-minute session from your own expertise
- Video and peer feedback against a delivery rubric
- Personal development plan as a trainer
Sample training plan: 3-day hands-on design
This three-day design turns busy experts into people who can teach what they know. Each engineer, specialist or product expert works on a real session they must deliver, so the program ends with ready-to-run training. They explain a hard concept to a novice in five minutes, cut content to what learners must do, design a hands-on lab using demonstrate, guide and release, and handle tough questions from mixed-ability groups. On day three they deliver a filmed 20-minute teach-back for certification.
Participants can see their topic through a newcomer's eyes and plan a focused session on one page.
- 09:30–10:00Draw it for a ten-year-oldEnergiser
- 10:00–10:45The curse of knowledgeDiagnostic
- 11:00–11:30How adults learn, fastConcept burst
- 11:30–13:00Scope it with the requesterReal-play
- 13:45–15:00Cut the deckHands-on lab
- 15:15–16:45Order mattersGroup challenge
- 16:45–17:30One thing I will stop doingReflection
Participants can explain a complex idea simply and design a lab that moves learners from watching to doing.
- 09:30–10:00Analogy speed-datingEnergiser
- 10:00–11:00Explain it in five minutesMicro-teach
- 11:15–12:15Slides that support youHands-on lab
- 12:15–13:00Demonstrate, guide, releaseDemo & practice
- 13:45–15:00Design your labBuild sprint
- 15:15–16:30Questions from the floorRole-play
- 16:30–17:30What landed todayReflection
Participants can manage a mixed group, check learning and deliver a 20-minute teach-back to certification standard.
- 09:30–10:00Voice and paceSkill drill
- 10:00–11:00Did they get it?Hands-on lab
- 11:15–12:45Teach-back, round oneMicro-teach
- 13:30–15:00Teach-back, round twoMicro-teach
- 15:15–16:15Watch yourselfFeedback round
- 16:15–17:30Ready-to-run session and 90-day planAction planning
Every session’s activity, timings, outputs and materials, plus pre-work, a 90-day reinforcement plan and how impact is measured. Free, emailed to you instantly.
Recommended: 3 days in person (09:30–17:30), or 6 × 3-hour live virtual sessions, plus 30-, 60- and 90-day follow-up on real sessions delivered. A sample design: every Bodhih program is customised after a short needs analysis.
How long is the SME to trainer program?
The recommended design is three days in person, from 09:30 to 17:30, or six live virtual sessions of three hours each for experts with busy schedules. It is followed by 30-, 60- and 90-day check-ins on real sessions delivered. A shorter version is possible for experts who already run sessions.
What activities are included in the SME to trainer program?
Experts work on a real session they must deliver. They explain a hard concept to novices in five minutes, cut a heavy deck down to a one-page plan, design and test a hands-on lab with a troubleshooting task, face tough question cards and deliver a filmed 20-minute teach-back scored for certification.
How we deliver it
Your topic, your session
Every expert works on a real session they will deliver, so the program produces ready-to-run training.
Teach-back practice
Participants deliver short segments repeatedly and receive specific, observable feedback each time.
Respect for busy experts
Templates, checklists and short virtual sessions keep the time commitment realistic for people with day jobs.
Customised with ADDIE
Bodhih tailors examples and labs to your domain, whether software, engineering, healthcare or finance.
Tailored versions
For GCCs and IT services
Focuses on technical knowledge transfer, code walkthroughs, tool demos and onboarding bootcamps.
For manufacturing and operations
Emphasises on-the-job instruction, standard work, safety training and shop-floor demonstrations.
For customer and partner training
Prepares product experts to train clients, distributors and channel partners with confidence.
How we measure impact
We evaluate train the trainer for subject matter experts across the first three levels of training evaluation (reaction, learning, behaviour). A pre and post assessment of training-design knowledge can run on AssessAll, and each final teach-back is scored against a delivery rubric. At 30, 60 and 90 days, L&D and managers review each expert's live sessions using learner feedback, knowledge-check results and observation, showing whether the new internal trainers are delivering clear, practical training.
Pair this program with AssessAll, Bodhih’s AI assessment platform, for pre- and post-program skill measurement.
Frequently asked questions
How do you turn a subject matter expert into a trainer?
Start by helping the expert see the topic from a beginner's view, then give them a simple way to plan sessions around what learners must do. Add practical tools for explaining complex ideas, running hands-on practice and checking understanding. Most importantly, give them repeated practice with feedback. The SME to Trainer program is built around these steps.
Why do experts often struggle to teach?
Experts have automated much of their knowledge, so they skip steps, use jargon and underestimate how hard things are for beginners. This is often called the curse of knowledge. They may also try to cover everything they know. Train the trainer for subject matter experts tackles these habits directly through design tools and practice.
How is this different from Bodhih's standard Train the Trainer?
The standard Train the Trainer program is designed for people building a training career. This version is shorter and more focused for experts who train alongside a demanding day job. It emphasises explaining technical content, running labs and demos, and designing sessions quickly, using examples from the participants' own domains.
How much time do experts need to commit?
The recommended design is three days in person or six three-hour virtual sessions, plus a small amount of preparation for the teach-back. Virtual sessions can be spread over two or three weeks to fit around project work. We agree the schedule with your L&D team during customisation.
Can SMEs deliver training virtually after this program?
Yes. A module covers virtual delivery essentials, including screen sharing, running labs remotely and keeping online learners engaged. Experts who will train mainly online can take the live virtual format, which gives them practice in the same environment. Bodhih's virtual trainers program is a useful next step.
Is there a certificate?
Yes. Participants who complete the program and pass the assessed teach-back receive a Bodhih certificate of completion as an internal trainer. The teach-back is scored against a delivery rubric, so the certificate reflects demonstrated skill. Many organisations use it as the entry criterion for their internal faculty or academy.