Training sessions work best when participants are active, not passive. Mentimeter turns any training into a two-way conversation, making the room's collective thinking visible, keeping energy levels up, and generating insights you can act on immediately.
This article covers why it works, which features to use, and the flows that deliver results.
Why use Menti in training sessions?
Training sessions often face the same problem: only a few people talk, most stay quiet, and you don't know if anything's landing until it's too late. Using Menti fixes that:
Everyone answers at once, not just the one person brave enough to speak up. You get input from the whole room, not just the loudest 20%.
Anonymous responses encourage honest answers. People more readily admit confusion or ask "dumb" questions they would otherwise never dare say out loud.
You see results in real time, so if most people get a knowledge check wrong, you can catch it right away and go back over the topic if necessary.
Actively having to answer and participate, even briefly, forces people to actually process it and facilitates learning, as opposed to passive listening.
Seeing everyone's answers on screen together makes it feel like a shared moment, not just a lecture, encouraging people to engage more with what comes next.
Which slide types to use and when to use them
Not all Menti slide types serve the same purpose in a training context. Here is a guide to the most useful types and when to best use each one.
Slide type | Best used for | Training tip |
Warm-ups, surfacing prior knowledge | Ask for one word about the topic to reveal assumptions instantly | |
Knowledge checks, polls | Run the same question before and after a module to show learning progress | |
| Reflection, idea collection | Use AI grouping to cluster responses into themes for discussion |
Confidence self-assessment | Run a before/after confidence check on the same skill | |
Prioritisation exercises | Disagreements on rankings spark the best conversations | |
Retention testing with energy | Divergent answers are learning opportunities | |
Anonymous questions | Leave it open the whole session so participants can submit questions as they arise |
Pro tip: don't over-rely on quizzes. Quiz Competition slides are energizing, but a session built entirely on quizzes can feel gamified at the expense of genuine reflection. Pair competitive slides with Open Ended questions that ask participants to explain their thinking. This combination of speed and depth produces much better learning outcomes.
Flows that work well in training
The following patterns can be adapted to almost any training topic. Think of them as structural templates for your session.
The bookend
Open with an Open Ended or Word Cloud question: "What's your biggest challenge with [topic]?" Close the session with the same question, or a follow-up: "What will you do differently about [topic] this week?" Showing both sets of responses side by side makes growth visible and gives participants a sense of meaningful progress.
The adaptive opening
Before diving into your prepared content, ask participants what they most want or need to learn using an Open Ended or Multiple Choice slide. Use the responses to emphasize the parts of the session most relevant to the group, or to set expectations about what the session will and won't cover. This makes participants feel heard from the first minute and increases buy-in.
The pre/post knowledge check
Run a Multiple Choice knowledge check before a content module, then run the exact same question again at the end. Seeing the shift in correct answers is motivating for participants and gives you a clear measure of effectiveness. It also clearly shows participants what they learned, not just what was covered.
The debrief loop
Teach a concept. Run a quiz or poll. Show results. Facilitate a discussion around where people diverged. This divergence is where the real learning happens. If everyone agrees, there's nothing to explore. This loop works best when you plan your facilitation responses in advance: if most people answer X, I'll say...; if they're split, I'll say...
The confidence arc
Use a Scales slide to ask participants to rate their confidence in a skill at the start of the session. Return to the same question after the relevant content block. Over the course of a longer program, you can track how confidence develops and identify areas where participants still feel uncertain after training.
The open Q&A channel
Add a Q&A slide and leave it open for the entire duration of the session. Encourage participants to submit questions as they think of them, rather than waiting for a designated Q&A slot at the end, then revisit the slide at natural break points. This approach means you address questions while the relevant content is still fresh, and participants who would never raise their hand in a group can get their questions answered.
Spaced repetition
Return to the same concept multiple times using different question formats. Ask about a concept first as a Multiple Choice question, then as an Open Ended reflection, then as a quiz. Varying the format of recall is one of the most evidence-backed techniques for building durable memory. It also keeps the session feeling fresh.
Facilitation tips
Use Menti as a conversation opener, not a data collector
Every slide should have a 'so what', a facilitation move you make after the results appear. Don't just show the chart and move on. Pause, let people read the results, then use them to drive discussion. The chart is the prompt, not the conclusion.
Brief participants before you need a response
Show the joining instructions slide at the start and give participants a minute to connect before you actually need their first response. Stragglers still typing when the first question closes disrupts momentum and creates anxiety.
Space out interactions
Every interactive slide, including discussion time, takes 3–5 minutes. A 60-minute session can realistically support 5–8 Menti slides. More than that and the session starts to feel like a quiz show rather than a training. Less experienced facilitators tend to over-Menti; restraint is a sign of confidence.
Use anonymity intentionally
Leave participants anonymous (the default) when asking about skill gaps, struggles, or areas of confusion. People are far more candid when they know their response can't be attributed to them. Only enable name collection when it serves a specific purpose, such as an accountability exercise.
Ice breakers and warm-ups
Start sessions with a low-stakes Menti question — a Word Cloud about the topic, a fun Multiple Choice, or a Scales question on how participants are feeling. This gets people comfortable with the platform before the content matters, and creates energy from the first slide.
Save and use the results
Export results to Excel after the session (available on paid plans) and include key findings in your follow-up communication. This shows participants that their input was taken seriously and reinforces learning. It also gives you a record for iterating on the training design.