The Training Room

Training Tips: How much do you know about the BSA?

2006-09-27T17:11:00.000-05:00

Does your BSA expertise go beyond just the basics? Take this 1-minute, 5 minute quiz to find out. (Quiz opens in a new window.)

Previous quiz: What training style are you?

Training Tips: Session Starter Riddles

2006-09-20T14:28:00.000-05:00

The Fall edition of the Members Only page is now available. Here's a sample of what you'll find there.

Use these riddles as session starters. Click the riddle to find out the answer:

What gets wetter the more it dries?

What goes around the world but stays in a corner?

I have holes in my top and bottom, my left and right, and in the middle. But I still hold water. What am I?

What goes up and down the stairs without moving?

I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows close behind.
What am I?

(Riddles from Rinkworks.com)

[Training Tips] And the Award Goes To...

2006-09-12T11:37:00.000-05:00

Everyone loves to be recognized, so why not have your own awards presentation? If you have time, let participants vote for the winners. If your time is more limited, you can award the prizes. A few example award categories are:

Best morale booster
Best team player
Best listener
Most improved
Best sense of humor
Best internal customer service
Product knowledge expert

Each award can have multiple winners. Click here to download a blank award certificate that you can print and fill in.

[Training Tips] Team Builder: Puzzle Pieces

2006-09-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

Before the session, cut a piece of flip-chart paper into a blank puzzle with enough pieces so that each participant gets one. Give each participant a puzzle piece & have them write their names & one thing that they can contribute to the team on it. When everyone is done, assemble the puzzle as a group. A motivational game that demonstrates that each person is an important part of the team.

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Posted by Aimee to Training Tips at 9/05/2006 11:03:00 AM

[Training Tips] Game: Your 5 Minutes of Fame

2006-08-29T17:50:00.000-05:00

Each person is given a piece of paper, which is then folded in half to form a "book." Each person is responsible for writing his/her life story according to the following directions:

On the front, write the title of your book—the title must be the name of a popular song.

On page 2 (the inside cover of the book), write the table of contents which should include:
- the name of the place you were born
- a description of your first job
- the number of years you have been at your current job
On page 3, draw a picture of your family.

On the back cover of the book, draw a picture of what you plan to do after retirement.

After the books have been created, each participant gets to tell his or her personal story, either in front of the whole group or in smaller groups, depending on the number of participants. A great "getting-to-know-you" exercise.

[Training Tips] Stand Up Comics Game

2006-08-21T12:06:00.000-05:00

Here's an ice breaker you can use in your next training session:

Before the session starts, take several comic strips & cut them up so that each frame is separate. As participants enter the room, have each one pick a frame from a hat. After everyone has arrived, participants must find other people with the same comic strip & assemble the frames in the proper order. Excellent for breaking a large group into smaller ones.

For more training ideas like this, subscribe to our quarterly e-mail newsletter.

[Training Tips] What Training Style Are You?

2006-06-12T12:04:00.000-05:00

Every trainer has a training style. As in life and in nature, no two trainers are exactly alike. Just for fun, take this 1-minute, 5-question quiz to learn about your training style. (Quiz will open in a new window.)

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Posted by Aimee to Training Tips at 6/09/2006 10:24:00 AM

[Company News] New Members Only Newsletter

2006-04-19T16:46:00.000-05:00

We just posted the Spring edition of our Members Only newsletter. It's just one of the benefits to being a 1st Financial Training member. Call us for more information at (800) 442-8662.

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Posted by Aimee to Company News at 4/19/2006 02:44:00 PM

[Training Tips] Famous Name Game

2006-03-15T15:07:00.000-06:00

Here's a training game submitted by Amy Shelton, a bank trainer in North Carolina, who writes, "In our industry, using the names of our customers is essential to a solid relationship. To help with the practice of asking for the customer's name in different ways I did the following game in groups of 13 to 15 employees."

Famous Name Game

At the beginning of the training session, ask each person to write down the name of someone famous (living or dead, politician, sports figure, movie star, Bible character, etc.).

Later in the session, when the discussion turns to using the customer's name, have everyone stand up and mingle around the room pretending to be the famous person whose name they had written down earlier.

Each person should interact with at least 3 or 4 other people, practicing tactful ways to ask for a customer's name if it isn't given.

Amy tells us that this turned out to be a favorite with all of her training groups. She says, "Our bank president, who is male, chose the name Janet Reno—so you can imagine the fun everyone had with him. Once it was all said and done, I had trained everyone from "underdog" to "President Bush" on how to ask for the customer's name."

Do you have a favorite training game or other helpful ideas? Click here to submit a tip.

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Posted by Aimee to Training Tips at 3/09/2006 12:53:00 PM

[Training Tips] Training Handout

2006-02-14T15:48:00.000-06:00

Product knowledge is an important part of sales training. Employees must be familiar with your products before they can effectively sell. One way to test product knowledge is a game of Product Knowledge Jeopardy.

Here's a list of questions in 5 categories that you can use for your game. You can make up your own list of questions as well.

Download the questions (.pdf)

Download the questions (.doc)

[Training Tips] Guesstimation

2006-01-12T11:21:00.000-06:00

This logic exercise comes from Classic Brain Teasers by Karen C. Richards, et al.

Guess the number that correctly completes each statement below:

1. There are __ ridges on a quarter.	a. 8
2. There are __ ridges on a dime.	b. 10
3. You can fold a sheet of paper in half __ times.	c. 12
4. There are __ dimples on a golf ball.	d. 20
5. There are __ letters in the Hawaiian alphabet.	e. 118
6. You have to lick __ stamps to consume 1 calorie.	f. 119
7. The average polar bear lives __ years.	g. 336

ANSWER:
1-f; 2-e; 3-a; 4-g; 5-c; 6-b; 7-d

[Training Tips] Warm Up Your Brain

2005-12-21T12:22:00.000-06:00

Here are some trivia questions to get your brains warmed up on a cold training day:
(Scroll down for answers)

1.Months of the year that begin on a Sunday (other than February in non-leap-years) always have five Sundays. What other notable feature do they (including all Februarys) contain?

2. What connects these words?... Dram, Colon, Won, Dong, Kip.

3. What is the only US state which borders with just one other US state?

4. What are these cities?

City of Magnificent Distances

City of the Angels

Empire City

Monumental City/Charm City

Mormon City

Quaker City

Soul City

Windy City

Motor City

Music City

5. Cryptic anagram puzzles(the clues are in the questions):

dirty room

here come dots

lost cash in, me

alas, no more z's

I'm a dot in place

eleven plus two

ANSWERS:
1. Months of the year that begin on a Sunday (other than February in non-leap-years) always have five Sundays. What other notable feature do they (including all Februaries) contain?
Friday the 13th

2. What connects these words?... Dram, Colon, Won, Dong, Kip.
They are currencies (as at May 2005), specifically: Dram (Armenia), Colon (Costa Rica, El Salvadore), Won (North Korea, South Korea), Dong (Vietnam), Kip (Lao People's Democratic Republic, formerly Laos).

3. What is the only US state which borders with just one other US state?
Maine

4. What are these cities?
City of Magnificent Distances - Washington DC

City of the Angels - Los Angeles, CA

Empire City - New York, NY

Monumental City/Charm City - Baltimore, MD

Mormon City - Salt Lake City, UT

Quaker City - Philadelphia, PA

Soul City - Harlem, New York, NY

Windy City - Chicago, IL

Motor City - Detroit, MI

Music City - Nashville, TN

Cryptic anagram puzzles answers (the clues are in the questions):
dirty room = dormitory

here come dots = the morse code

lost cash in, me = slot machines

alas, no more z's = snooze alarms

I'm a dot in place = decimal point

eleven plus two = twelve plus one

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Posted by Aimee to Training Tips at 12/21/2005 09:58:00 AM

[Elsewhere on the Web] Looks Too Good to be True

2005-11-28T16:44:00.000-06:00

I just found www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com, a website dedicated to educating the public about Internet fraud. It was launched at the end of October by the FBI in conjunction with Monster.com. While the site focuses on Internet fraud, a lot of the content can be applied to phone, mail and in-person rip-offs as well. You can even take some quizzes to see what types of fraud you might be vulnerable to.

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Posted by Aimee to Elsewhere on the Web at 11/28/2005 02:35:00 PM

[Current Issues] Financial Elder Abuse: How You Can Help

2005-11-22T10:44:00.000-06:00

Our new Rip-Offs program couldn't have been more well-timed. In September, California passed a Financial Elder Abuse law, requiring financial institutions to report suspected Financial Elder Abuse to the authorities or face fines up to $5000 per incident. The law is being watched carefully by other states that are looking into similar laws. Could you recognize a con in progress?

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Posted by Aimee to Current Issues at 11/22/2005 08:36:00 AM

[Elsewhere on the Web] Privacy Protection in Real Simple Magazine

2005-10-25T10:37:00.000-05:00

This month's Real Simple magazine includes a story called "Stop, Theif!" about "how to avoid leaking your personal information--and prevent identity theft before it starts." The article is reprinted on their website:
Simple Strategies to Avoid Identity Theft

and

More Ways to Stop Privacy Leaks

Here are some of the resources identified in the article:

Donotcall.gov. The FTC's Do Not Call list

Optoutprescreen.com. The Consumer Credit Reporting Industry's opt out list for prescreened credit offers

Optout@axciom.com. Axciom collects and sells personal information from public government records

optout@abacus-direct.com. Abacus Direct provides names and addresses for most major catalog retailers

networkadvertising.org. Opt out list for online advertisers who collect information about your Internet use.

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Posted by Aimee to Elsewhere on the Web at 10/24/2005 09:49:00 AM

[Company News] Pre-Release Pricing Available Until November 15

2005-10-06T11:55:00.000-05:00

Save 50% on our new programs until November 15

Dress For Success is getting some finishing touches from the animators, and Rip-Offs is currently in the hands of our capable video editors, so these titles will be ready to preview any day now.

Call us today to reserve a preview copy and lock in the discounted price.

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Posted by Aimee to Company News at 10/06/2005 09:50:00 AM

[Company News] New Program Updates

2005-09-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

We've been really busy! Last week, we held auditions for our upcoming Rip-Offs program. I didn't realize how many great actors there are in Chicago. They were VERY impressive.

In addition to starting production of Rip-Offs, we continue to work on the Dress For Success program. On Thursday, we'll be filming our narrator, Mindy Bell. You may recognize her from our Personal Banking Essentials series. Be sure to check out her hilarious outtakes in our Screening Room.

As business wardrobe issues continue to plague all kinds of companies, we're sure you'll find Dress For Success timely and helpful.

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Posted by Aimee to Company News at 9/27/2005 12:55:00 PM

[Elsewhere on the Web] Boost Your Brain Power at Work: Six Tricks

2005-09-27T11:06:00.000-05:00

Boost Your Brain Power at Work: Six Tricks is an article published by AOL and Careerbuilder about how to make sure you're operating at your mental peak. Their tips are:

Don't be a slave to technology. Your IQ drops approximately 10 points when you're distracted by technology like e-mail, phone calls and text messages.

Get 8 hours of sleep. Half of all US workers say sleepiness interferes with their productivity, and 20 percent say it causes them to make mistakes.

Get high on brain food. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, beta-carotene and the B vitamins all contribute to memory and cognitive functions.

Work out. Studies have shown increased creativity, memory and multitasking ability after aerobic exercise.

Do mental gymnastics. Using your brain stimulates blood flow and strengthens the synapses in your brain. It may also reduce age-related memory loss. Do puzzles, like this Sudoku puzzle to give your brain a workout.

Think positive, loving thoughts. An accomplished neuroscientist found that spending 10 minutes a day focusing on positive emotions, like love and kindness, can make you smarter and happier

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Posted by Aimee to Elsewhere on the Web at 9/27/2005 08:52:00 AM

[Training Tips] Sudoku Puzzle

2005-09-27T10:52:00.000-05:00

Sudoku, a Japanese number puzzle whose name rougly translates to "The number that is alone" is a type of brain teaser that has recently caught on all over the globe.

Don't be scared off by the numbers! There's no math--just use logic and reasoning to solve the puzzle. It's like a crossword puzzle without words.

Here's what you do: Using the digits 1 through 8, fill in the grid so that each number appears one time in every row, in every column and in every 3x3 box.

That's it. Think it's easy? Give it a try.

Check back here for more Sudoku puzzles, or visit WebSudoku.com.

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Posted by Aimee to Training Tips at 9/27/2005 08:44:00 AM

[Current Issues] US Community Banks Ask for Post-Katrina Assistance

2005-09-14T12:52:00.000-05:00

This story is on the newswires today: Community Banks Ask for Post-Katrina Assistance.

Banks in the Gulf Coast region are asking congress to ease some of the "Know your customer" rules put in place to combat money laundering. The request comes as the banks are trying to cash relief checks and open new accounts for people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

The banks are also asking for legislation to protect them from liability for bad checks cashed during the crisis. In addition, the American Financial Services Associations has asked congress to increase the FDIC insurance coverage to $130,000 to increase confidence in the banks in the region and prevent them from failing.

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Posted by Aimee to Current Issues at 9/14/2005 10:44:00 AM

[Training Tips] Complete Guidelines to Design Your Training Plan

2005-09-06T10:04:00.000-05:00

If you're starting a training program from scratch, you may want to look at "Complete Guidelines to Design Your Training Plan" from Managementhelp.org. If you start to get overwhelmed, remember that 1st Financial's Training Support Managers are waiting to help you in the planning process too.

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Posted by Aimee to Training Tips at 9/06/2005 07:39:00 AM

[Elsewhere on the Web] What Are Supernotes?

2005-08-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

In response to a story earlier this month about a ring of smugglers arrested in New Jersey for circulating counterfeit bills (among other things), Slate has a short article about Supernotes. Supernotes are, apparently, really good counterfeit bills produced on the same type of presses that real U.S. dollars are printed on. The article suggests that Supernotes are mainly circulated overseas and represent just a fraction of counterfiet bills in circulation, so there's probably no need to panic. But just in case, you can buy theSuperscan Counterfeit Detector , which claims to be able to "consistently detect the supernote."

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Posted by Aimee to Elsewhere on the Web at 8/30/2005 02:57:00 PM

[Current Issues] What's new at the OCC

2005-08-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released its Summer Community Developments Newsletter today. This issue contains some good articles about HMDA, including information about recent HMDA revisions, new Residential Mortgage Lending guidelines, counseling technologies and non-traditional credit reports. Past issues of the newsletter have focused on reaching the unbanked, supporting small businesses and stimulating rural economies.

An archive of Community Development publications can be found in the Community Affairs section of the OCC's website.

Also at the OCC:

Aug. 29-Sept. 12: Take the OCC.gov survey and help improve the OCC website.

Aug. 4: John Dugan takes office as new Comptroller of the Currency.

Aug. 2: CRA final rule increases asset-size threshold for small banks, creates a new category of intermediate small banks, and revises the definition of community development.

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Posted by Aimee to Current Issues at 8/29/2005 01:41:00 PM

[Company News] Dress for Success program is almost here!

2005-08-26T15:06:00.000-05:00

The script is done, and we have a team of animators hard at work putting together our first-ever ANIMATED training program. As we were putting the final touches on the script, the production house has been sending us mock-ups of what the program's "characters" will look like. I'm posting one here as a sneak-peak. This is "Female C" and, as you can see, she's quite stylish. She'll have 6 other outfits as well, all in the same color palette, so she can mix and match.

We're also gearing up to start producing the two new security programs. We're polishing the scripts right now, and we should be ready to start the casting process right after Labor Day. We're really busy around here, but we're all very excited to be able to introduce these new programs just in time for the Fall training season.

Click here to read more about our new programs.