"Unbelievable Learning Myths You Probably Believe—Are You Being Fooled?"

"Carrots give you night vision, elephants never forget, lightning doesn’t strike twice. Sound familiar? Whether stemming from misconceptions, hearsay, or urban legends, these myths are passed down through generations and acted upon as though they’re facts.

What’s the harm in that? After all, eating a few more carrots or taking precautions when trekking through a lightning storm seems like sound advice. However, when it comes to training sales reps, learning myths can wreak havoc on your team’s ability to retain information and make sales.

In a recent study, researchers found that the general public believed 68 percent of brain research misconceptions, many of which relate to education and learning.

A neuromyth is a misconception about brain research and how it applies to learning and retention. Neuromyths typically result from over generalizations or misunderstandings of scientific findings, making them difficult to dispel.

Myth 1: Repetition is the Key to Learning Repetition might seem effective when preparing for a test—reading and re-reading material helps to learn information in the short term. However, it's less effective when you need to assimilate and apply the information long term. Simply memorizing frameworks doesn’t help you retain them. You need to pause and actively recall content. Retrieval—actively recalling facts or concepts from memory—proves to be a more effective learning strategy.

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE Instruct students to stop, think, and ask themselves the following questions:

• What did I just learn?
• How does this apply to me and my world?
• Why is this concept important?
• Where will I use it?
• When?
• Where else does this concept hold true in my life?

Myth #2: When It Comes to Learning, Learners Know Best Many clients poll their reps on preferred learning styles, asking questions like, "How do you want to learn about X? Lecture, role play, virtual learning, reading?" Typically, most reps choose lectures or seminars. However, research indicates that despite preferences, they are often mistaken. Attending a lecture is simply easier; learners naturally gravitate towards more comfortable learning experiences. While convenient, passive learning is ineffective for retention. True learning requires effort and occasionally discomfort.

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE When assigning e-learning, courses, or books, ask learners to:

• Explain what they’ve learned and how they’ll implement it.
• Participate in role-playing activities.
• Understand why learning must be effortful. Learning a new skill involves taking risks and making mistakes. Struggle and failure are part of the learning process and should be viewed as normal steps towards mastery.

Myth #3: Train to the Learners' Preferred Learning Style Learning styles theories suggest that people learn better when they receive information in their preferred style. For example, a visual learner would benefit more from diagrams and videos, while an auditory learner would benefit more from lectures and discussions. However, this theory has been debunked too.

Put it Into Practice: Rather than focusing on individual learning styles, place more emphasis on creating materials and environments that are accessible and effective for all learners, regardless of their supposed style. Use all five senses when training your sellers: you can do this virtually too—get creative: send food, plan your music, find poignant video clips, create games, contests, pictograms, skits, and breakout rooms with collaborative learning spaces.