# SME to Trainer Program: Train the Trainer for Subject Matter Experts > Train the trainer for subject matter experts: turn deep experts into confident internal trainers who design and deliver clear sessions. Enquire now. - Source: https://bodhih.com/sme-to-trainer-program/ - Publisher: Bodhih Training (Bengaluru, India; since 2008) - Last updated: 2026-10-15 - Contact: solutions@bodhih.com · +91 99000 11601 --- Train the trainer for subject matter experts who know their field deeply but have never been taught how to teach it. This program helps engineers, specialists and senior professionals design focused sessions, explain complex ideas simply and deliver training that people can apply straight away. ## At a glance - **Duration:** Recommended: 3 days in person, or 6 × 3-hour live virtual sessions, customised to your experts - **Who it’s for:** Engineers, specialists, product experts and senior professionals who train others - **Level:** Foundation - **Format:** In person · Live virtual · Blended - **Recognition:** Technavio Global Top 7 · Train the Trainer 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](https://bodhih.com/train-the-trainer-in-bangalore/), [Mumbai](https://bodhih.com/train-the-trainer-certification-in-mumbai/), [New Delhi](https://bodhih.com/train-the-trainer-certification-in-new-delhi/), [Hyderabad](https://bodhih.com/train-the-trainer-certification-in-hyderabad/), [Chennai](https://bodhih.com/train-the-trainer-certification-in-chennai/), [Pune](https://bodhih.com/train-the-trainer-certification-in-pune/) and [Kolkata](https://bodhih.com/train-the-trainer-certification-in-kolkata/); as a live online course; or delivered overseas in [Dubai](https://bodhih.com/train-the-trainer-certification-in-dubai/), [Singapore](https://bodhih.com/train-the-trainer-certification-in-singapore/), [Saudi Arabia](https://bodhih.com/train-the-trainer-certification-in-saudi-arabia/) and across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Last reviewed 15 Oct 2026 by [Siddharthan VGJ](https://bodhih.com/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](https://bodhih.com/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](https://bodhih.com/gcc-leadership-development-program/) 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. ### **From expert to trainer**Module 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 ### **Designing a session with ADDIE**Module 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 ### **Making complex content clear**Module 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 ### **Hands-on labs and demos**Module 4 · 2.5 hours - I do, we do, you do - Designing guided exercises and troubleshooting tasks - Running labs in person and on screen ### **Delivery and group management**Module 5 · 3 hours - Voice, presence and pacing for non-trainers - Questioning to check understanding - Handling tough questions and mixed-ability groups - Virtual delivery essentials ### **Evaluating and improving**Module 6 · 90 min - Quick knowledge checks and practical assessments - Collecting useful feedback - Iterating your session after each run ### **Teach-back and certification**Module 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. 82% hands-on practice · 20.2 contact hours · Cohort: 8–16 participants · In person · Live virtual ### Day 1: From expert to trainer Participants can see their topic through a newcomer's eyes and plan a focused session on one page. 1. 09:30–10:00 · Draw it for a ten-year-old (Energiser) 2. 10:00–10:45 · The curse of knowledge (Diagnostic) 3. 11:00–11:30 · How adults learn, fast (Concept burst) 4. 11:30–13:00 · Scope it with the requester (Real-play) 5. 13:45–15:00 · Cut the deck (Hands-on lab) 6. 15:15–16:45 · Order matters (Group challenge) 7. 16:45–17:30 · One thing I will stop doing (Reflection) ### Day 2: Make it clear, make it hands-on Participants can explain a complex idea simply and design a lab that moves learners from watching to doing. 1. 09:30–10:00 · Analogy speed-dating (Energiser) 2. 10:00–11:00 · Explain it in five minutes (Micro-teach) 3. 11:15–12:15 · Slides that support you (Hands-on lab) 4. 12:15–13:00 · Demonstrate, guide, release (Demo & practice) 5. 13:45–15:00 · Design your lab (Build sprint) 6. 15:15–16:30 · Questions from the floor (Role-play) 7. 16:30–17:30 · What landed today (Reflection) ### Day 3: Deliver, check and improve Participants can manage a mixed group, check learning and deliver a 20-minute teach-back to certification standard. 1. 09:30–10:00 · Voice and pace (Skill drill) 2. 10:00–11:00 · Did they get it? (Hands-on lab) 3. 11:15–12:45 · Teach-back, round one (Micro-teach) 4. 13:30–15:00 · Teach-back, round two (Micro-teach) 5. 15:15–16:15 · Watch yourself (Feedback round) 6. 16:15–17:30 · Ready-to-run session and 90-day plan (Action planning) 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](https://bodhih.com/channel-sales-management-training/) with confidence. ## How we measure impact We evaluate train the trainer for subject matter experts across the first three levels of [training evaluation](https://bodhih.com/training-evaluation-workshop/) (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. AA Pair this program with [AssessAll](https://assessall.com), 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](https://bodhih.com/live-virtual-classes/) 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.