• by Cory Treffiletti , Featured Contributor, April 7, 2004

Training is extremely important. Last week, I discussed my ideas on integration and I came to the conclusion that training is the fundamental means by which this will occur. Unfortunately I didn't go into detail on what type of training I think is appropriate, so let's take a moment to do so this week.

First and foremost, interactive advertising professionals need to be trained in a traditional advertising environment. I truly believe that anyone in the interactive space benefits from a basic understanding of traditional advertising, and in order to advance in this industry they need to know what the fundamental concepts are for speaking to a consumer and interacting with a consumer. There are books that can be read and courses they can take, but the best way to learn can sometimes be to just do it. Entry-level positions in larger agencies can satisfy this need as they have well-organized training programs in place, but smaller agencies can allow you access to everything. Deciding on which type of environment that you are personally suited to is important, but you should always ask the question, when you are interviewing for a position, of what type of training they have in place.

Another area that is of crucial importance for an interactive advertising professional is technology. The media teams, the account teams, and of course the creative teams, need to have a basic understanding of the type of technology that is available for them to use. This does not mean you need to know how to build in flash, but everyone should be able to debate the differences between technology vendors. Learning this information is more through interaction and dissemination of information than just reading about it. The best way to learn can be to meet and greet with as many technology vendors as possible and hear what they have to say, or designate someone on your team to be the point person for these companies and disseminate the information across the teams. This second option is definitely manageable, but depends on the size of your organization. Not all organizations are of the size that is appropriate for this.

Another area for training is presentation skills and writing skills. It goes without saying that these are important, but there are still many people in the industry that grew up in the industry and these skills can always be refreshed. I personally like a refresher course in these at least once a year to continue to analyze how I speak and write (and judging by some responses to my articles, many of you are in favor of these refresher courses). No one knows everything there is to know about presentations and everyone benefits from these skills. Beyond just personal growth, they allow us to represent our industry in a more mature, polished manner. We are still growing and still evolving, and a "grown-up" face to the world is something we can ALL benefit from.

Training is easily overlooked but there are currently many ways to incorporate it into your company. You can utilize the various third-parties who are in our space to acquire knowledge, you can set up your own training programs, but probably the best way to be trained in the advertising environment is to ask questions. Be inquisitive. Seek out mentors and seek out information from various sources around you. They are invaluable and are often more than happy to help you out.

Where else do you learn these skills?