OK, so sometimes it might be hard to take, but we all know the truth: If you want to improve at something and be sure that you are performing at your very best, you need to accept some good old-fashioned honest feedback once in a while.

While training content is crucial, it's nothing without expert delivery, which is why trainers need to be constantly fishing for feedback from those around them, it's the one way they can be sure they are hitting the right spots when training and squeezing on those pain-points when imparting knowledge.

This has always been the case, of course, so what's different today?

Training management software is constantly chipping away at the way trainers 'get things done', and one area that has developed so dramatically over the past decade is communication. The way we receive and send information has transformed, and for the savvy trainers out there, this transformation is opening new doors to new levels of feedback. Put simply, training companies are using the digital age to shift slow trickles of feedback to enormous waves – and they'll be using that feedback to improve their offering each time they stand up in a classroom or write an elearning programme.

Here are five crucial ways that technology can open the floodgates to direct feedback, whether you like it or not.

For too long training companies' levels of development have relied on pieces of paper that have been filled out by exhausted delegates after three days of intensive training. Today, technology allows training companies to generate online happy sheets or surveys that delegates can fill out in their own time. It's also hugely important for companies to know that their training investment has made a difference so they can justify every penny invested in training and development.

Like it or not, social media channels have their finger on the world's pulse, they can provide instant reaction in a social environment. For this reason, every training company should be using them for feedback. Twitter offers instant feedback, and a great source for testimonials. Ask delegates to tweet and 'mention' (using an '@') the trainer at the end of the programme.

Move out of the classroom and benefit from instant and effective feedback. Via an online learning programme delegates can be assessed at certain milestones during the course to see how they are developing and getting to grips with the content. If they are falling behind, that is fed back to the trainer and those investing in the training immediately.

As we mentioned before, return on investment is crucial, and training only really comes into its own when delegates are back in the workplace putting their learning into practice. This is when the return can be evaluated. So, it makes perfect sense that this is the point in time that the trainers want to be communicating with delegates once again. Emailing out surveys (tick box to answer) will not just earn feedback, it will earn the right kind of feedback. These powerful messages of support can then be used to market the training to other potential clients.

While LinkedIn does technically fall under social media, it should be given a special mention when talking about gathering feedback from clients. The group section on LinkedIn is a perfect platform for trainers to create an exclusive zone for delegates to network with others who have experienced the training, offer feedback, and discuss the ways it has helped them to progress. Better still, the groups are free, and you can control who enters. You can also pose questions to the group, such as 'What was the key benefit of coming on this leadership programme', and run surveys across the network.

For the training companies truly dedicated to designing and delivering programmes that make a difference, regular feedback is critical. In 2012, technology is playing an integral role in facilitating this process, and training companies not jumping on this fast-moving vehicle, are being left behind.