So make sure that you fully understand how your products and services are delivered to your customers if this is an option. Improve Retail Employee Product Knowledge And Productivity. But how can you update your online training program on a regular basis to reflect the latest features and specs? And in terms of the delivery, you’ll also need to know if the customer will receive a specific time in the day when the item will be delivered or if it will be anytime between 9 and 5 for example. If sales professionals aren’t selling one particular product every day, they will need reminders on what the products are and what customer problems they solve. Know when to enforce rules and when to give employees room to be creative. It’s very frustrating isn’t it, and there are many things that can go wrong with this. Provide product refresher training. This 1 day course is intended for individuals dealing with the selling and promotion of products through customer interaction in a wholesale and retail environment. This means that product knowledge is crucial to building effective sales and a lack of application of the right pieces of knowledge is frequently the reason people do not buy – and they don’t always tell you why either. The definition of superficial in the dictionary is ‘only outwardly apparent rather than genuine or actual’. Are they opening 3 new stores within 5 miles of your location? Other key aspects are the changes that have taken place to improve its performance and benefits. This will cover the features of each of the items in your ranges and will give you the ability to help the customer compare different options properly. The packaging of the merchandise goes a long way in improving the brand value of the product. You can take courses and brush up on your knowledge when there is down time in your store. Product knowledge gives us courage. If sales professionals aren’t selling one particular product every day, they will need reminders on what the products are and what customer problems they solve. Product knowledge online training helps your sales force seal the deal. You need to be really up on all of the styles, colours or models available. You study relevant literature and industry publications. This is at the very top of the product knowledge tree! If you’re selling pushchairs can you open and close them easily and be able to demonstrate this to the customer? Offers like providing insurance against accidental breakages can add an additional 10-15% on to the price of the item. Your customer will expect an experience that is free-flowing and completely hassle free and can set you apart from your competitors if you do it right…. For in-person behavioral retail sales training, or training of the soft skills, allot a minimum of three hours exposure to the material to start. Good discovery skills are essential if you are to reach the top level of retail sales: being recognised as a trusted advisor by your customers. You don’t want to be selling broadband services and guaranteeing a download speed of 40 meg only to find out that they live in a remote village when the maximum they will receive is 2 meg. Being up to date on these matters will enable you to have intelligent conversations with your customers about the latest and greatest and will really set you apart from someone who just works in retail as opposed to someone who is a true retail professional – someone that is a trusted advisor to their customers. There may be discounts and special offers that you need to take into consideration and any special sales that are taking place. You participate in webinars and attend trade shows voluntarily and you pro-actively liaise with suppliers, manufacturers and service providers. Product knowledge is essential to run the meat department smoothly. Solid knowledge about your product coupled with parallel information about similar products sold by your competitors—gives you that added advantage to easily counter objections. You are starting to become a sales leader as your advice is sought after; and you are able to help train your colleagues too. Changes in fashion, taste, habits, the economy and so on should all be noted so you can adapt your approach accordingly. Teach sales professionals to understand their customers’ needs. We recommend that you really get to understand the background and the history of your company. Customer service training and product knowledge training are excellent candidates for branching scenarios. It is important to get acquainted with the different types of animal carcass cuts. At this level of knowledge you have added to your detailed understanding of your products and services by researching the wider market and the industry as whole. We can develop your retail sales staff and store managers to help them take their game to the next level. At this level your expertise has been expanded as you become a recognised leader in sales and service. For example, if you’re selling holidays and there are some damning reports on trip advisor, but since the hotel has addressed the issues and are now receiving accolades, then you need to know this so you can advise your customers. Stronger communication skills will allow a salesperson to recognize and adapt a sales presentation for the various types of customers. The product knowledge phase should allow about 10 hours for the top 25 SKUs. Chunk training content into bite-sized pieces: one module per product or service. Product knowledge training must also be consistent, engaging and customised. You would know about operating systems in computers and phones; sizing and widths, materials and methods of construction in shoes, plus in each case much more information directly relevant to the products. In order words, only those staff who deal with your customers directly. You can do this because you have gained a deep understanding of what customers really need. When your knowledge is up to date you should be able to avoid difficulties in this area. Product training with emphasis toward product knowledge will be more effective in helping you deliver customer experiences that “Wow” before your competitors do. To be successful, sales professionals need the selling skills to communicate value and close deals. The other side of the coin is sales knowledge. Perspectives and expertise by and for learning leaders. Your marketing department likely has a great deal of collateral on the products and services your company offers. You need to achieve a minimum of seven credits from a range of units for the award, and a minimum of 13 credits to achieve the longer certificate. Take this retail quiz and see if you’ve got what it takes or not to rule the retail industry. Your knowledge and recommendations are sought after and you can lead training programmes for others. Gain an NCFE qualification in retail knowledge. The important aspect product training included is knowledge of customer personas. Instead of just selling a product, sales reps will be partnering with customers to solve their problems – a much more effective tactic. While sales skills are essential, they are only one side of a very important coin: capability. And there are many upsells that can take place at the point of sale too. Ask questions to learn their preferences and needs and then you can focus on the most appropriate items to help the customer decide. Benjamin Franklin summed it up when he said: “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” – remember it well throughout your sales career because it’s so important. The Question \"How to Train Retail Employees\" Is Best Answered by It’s achieved more by listening, understanding and succinctly advising as appropriate. The display of the products at the retail store must entice the customers. Home » In-House Training » Retail Sales Training » 12 Important Product Knowledge Topics In Retail Sales. The customer will be using it and when you can advise them on this aspect from your own experience you are more able to act as a Trusted Adviser. They skirt over the details and seem to rely on appearing knowledgeable rather than really understanding the real information they should be aware of. Team members can complete them between customers in a self-directed manner and you can track results via the web. That’s narrow thinking. Knowing as much as possible about your products and services is a fundamental part of your role as a Retail sales Professional. This may sound like you know everything but this is really the minimum level of knowledge needed to provide a basic service to your customers. Having a deep knowledge of how your products are made and put together can be very helpful. In retail, that could mean remembering and appreciating repeat customers, forging a local connection with shoppers, putting your product knowledge to good use, and more. Can they also receive the item quicker if they pay more? A good knowledge of their prices and products will help you to guide and advise your customers about the similarities and the differences of your products. Look at some of these findings from a recent survey by Tulip Retail*: 83% believe they are more knowledgeable than retail store associates It is vital that you understand the relevant laws and controls over your goods, services and also the transactions that you have with your customers. So, when we develop branching scenarios for retail sales associates, we use real-life scenarios and responses from store associates. Integrate training into your organizational culture so that employees seek training when they need it. Unearthing Customer Needs During A Retail Sales Interaction. This is a scalable solution if you have hundreds of retail staff. You will be regarded by your peers as “the go to” person they come to for help and advice around the products. Publishing training content online also makes it easier to refresh when products are updated. Product knowledge ensures that sales professionals can communicate effectively and enthusiastically, building trust and confidence in customer relationships. And then there’s the distribution and availability of the product or service. And apart from having a good knowledge of your own organisation, you also need sufficient knowledge about rival companies too, if it’s relevant to what you sell, so you can demonstrate and protect the prestige of yours. How Product Knwoledge is built in retail training? “Knowledge retention can be enhanced with knowledge management tools, the use of technology, newsletters, best practice examples, publications, and most importantly, monthly staff recognition.” 7. It might seem obvious to know how to use the goods you are selling, but not everyone in sales has this understanding. Product knowledge is generally the ability to acquire as much knowledge about a product being sold. They are Superficial, detailed, expert and master. For example, an organization may offer product knowledge training for executive management, sales, marketing and customer service roles. This is important for the customers as it is very important for the customer service agents and sales personnel. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when you have experts already in your company! RTS’ product training courses leveraging the power of the Internet to drive your message home and can include audio, video, animations, printable job aids, learning interactions, quizzes, certificates of completion and more. Depending on the customer persona, the sales reps know which product to promote. Product knowledge is crucial to building effective sales and also developing your skills and expertise. And if you work in an electrical goods store, can you easily show your customers how to fix the HDMI lead to the back of their TV? Understand customer service in the retail sector. If you’re selling cars do you know exactly where the latch is to open the bonnet? You must thoroughly understand your terms. The retail sector is a significant contributor to the UK economy, employing approximately 4.9 million people and generating £406 billion in sales in 2017. This knowledge includes information about the particular product they are selling but also the story behind the product – how it was made, what … A product kept in a nice box would definitely catch the attention of the customers. Investigate the development of personal and team effectiveness in a retail … Make sure product knowledge training is ongoing. How to Train on Product Knowledge The problem is most sales training focuses on building sales skills. You don’t even need to attend workshop based training to improve your skills because there are a lot of elearning content providers that help. Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM™), Managing Learning Technologies Certificate, The Business of Corporate Training Landscape. Explore the retail selling process. And does your company offer an online retail experience too? You will contribute to product and service development, making suggestions on how they are made and marketed. View a Sample Customer Service Training Course. Without value-adding product training, a marketing team cannot reach the right market, and a sales teams will fail to answer the critical questions customers are looking for. It is also important to remember that everything that you sell is now subject to legislation! In addition to that if the same lady wanted the dress in purple, do you actually offer it in purple? What Makes a Great Training Organization? In closing and to reiterate the importance of … Or if certain products were recalled off the shelves because they were faulty – then you need to be in the know. Pair learners together so that one can practice being the customer and one can be the salesperson, practicing common objections and questions before they are in the field. You can categorise how much you know into 4 levels of knowledge. Pairing Sales Enablement Technology and Training Content for Continuous Learning. Here are some best practices for product knowledge training. A helpful aid in enthusiasm is knowing exactly what you're talking about. Award in Retail Knowledge; Certificate in Retail Knowledge. The challenge is to make them realistic. Many customers come to the store already prepared with the product information they need, so it is important that you are well trained in order to answer their questions. There can also be associated products that are available at special prices if bought together. Each unit is worth one or two credits. Please share. There’s much more to it than just understanding features and benefits. Make sales training content and job aids available online and on multiple types of devices. But they also need the confidence that comes from a deep understanding of customer needs and their company’s offerings. You will be secure in your knowledge and your customers will have the confidence they need to be able to buy from you. There is no point in re-using the same material twice or giving unnecessary information to those who do not need it. When customers step through the door, they expect a certain level of customer service. When you have a good understanding of this history you are in a strong position to demonstrate why this product can now be the right choice. So it doesn’t matter what you sell in…, 12 Important Product Knowledge Topics In Retail Sales. There are a wide range of product knowledge areas that will be instrumental in reaching the ultimate outcome of a transaction. They then go back their stores and train their retail sales teams. Use role-plays, simulations, game mechanics and other techniques to provide opportunities for sales professionals to apply their product knowledge in real-life situations. Product training: In the retail industry, the familiarity of the staff with products is important as they deal with the customers directly. This authority that you have gained will help you deal with more difficult questions from customers with assurance and greater confidence. In business, product knowledge is all the above…and more. What Do Our Retail Customers Expect From Us? Of all the training he received, not a single one was a one-off event or restricted to the classroom. To Summarise. Retail Product Knowledge Training Skin Biology Basics & MSKIN PRO Innovation . It’s also an important criteria for judging the quality of customer service in a company. Strengthens Communication Skills. This video is about Product Knowledge 1. 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