In this article, I’ll share 6 tips to develop a successful product knowledge online training … Each unit is worth one or two credits. Generally, the onboarding phase of retail sales training takes from 5-10 hours. Or if certain products were recalled off the shelves because they were faulty – then you need to be in the know. Below I’ve categorised the product knowledge that you’ll need into 12 main areas. Impressive presentation of the Product. 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. Customers are very much influenced by the reputation of the business they are buying from. Microlearning helps employees process and retain information, and limiting modules to a single topic can prevent cognitive overload. Your products may have fixed pricing structures but in many cases there are different options that you need to understand – you will also need to understand any cross and up sell products too and any impacts this has on the price. If you’re selling pushchairs can you open and close them easily and be able to demonstrate this to the customer? You need to be really up on all of the styles, colours or models available. In closing and to reiterate the importance of … The challenge is to make them realistic. Knowing as much as possible about your products and services is a fundamental part of your role as a Retail sales Professional. Product knowledge & sales training at Wranx can give your team the right tools to perform to their full potential and improve your bottom line. Knowing as much as possible about your products and services is a fundamental part of your role as a Retail sales Professional. You can point out any special areas of difficulty or general misunderstandings people may have – and when you balance these against the benefits the customer receives you can make more sales, increase trust and improve customer satisfaction. Also be aware of the options that are currently not available for whatever reason. Make sales training content and job aids available online and on multiple types of devices. Improve Retail Employee Product Knowledge And Productivity. Some of the time this knowledge can be gained by attending your internal courses but most of the time it will be down to you to hone and refine your skills. Stay up to date on the latest articles, webinars and resources for learning and development. Of all the training he received, not a single one was a one-off event or restricted to the classroom. This knowledge includes information about the particular product they are selling but also the story behind the product – how it was made, what … You can categorise how much you know into 4 levels of knowledge. Strengthens Communication Skills. 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. Gain an NCFE qualification in retail knowledge. This video is about Product Knowledge 1. Understand similar and complementary products. Often, when we think of sales training, what we are really thinking of is product knowledge training – educating sales and other professionals about a company’s products or services. In business, product knowledge is all the above…and more. Understand customer service in the retail sector. Product training is an important part of an organization’s success. • Pricing structure • Options and styles • Colours or models available • Special manufacturing processes • How to use the product or service • How your customers benefit • The history of the product or service • Product distribution and delivery • Any servicing • Warranty and repair information • Information about your organisation • Any legislation requirements • Information about your competitors • An understanding about your industry and market conditions. As you have found, this area can embrace a wide range of detail and be the critical differentiator when customers choose who they want to buy from! Want to improve your retail sales skills? Explore the retail selling process. 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. Are your competitors expanding? 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 training can transform employees from sellers to client partners. There are a wide range of product knowledge areas that will be instrumental in reaching the ultimate outcome of a transaction. MTD Sales Training | Image courtesy of Big Stock Photo. 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. 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. You study relevant literature and industry publications. Product knowledge is generally the ability to acquire as much knowledge about a product being sold. 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. This may sound a quite simple topic but you really need to have deep understanding of your product knowledge with regards to what you sell. For new and existing staff, product training can be delivered remotely and with results of each individual tracked, Create courses such as this sample to engage and inform your staff: Try our Sample Barista Knowledge Quiz If you are relying on this level of knowledge you must do something to change it – it is unprofessional and very risky to attempt to advise customers without a good enough understanding of what they are buying. Investigate the development of personal and team effectiveness in a retail … The employees should have full knowledge on new products so that they can satisfy the customer needs. It is also important to remember that everything that you sell is now subject to legislation! You need to step into the shoes of your customers and understand how they will use the product that you are selling and then show them if they need it. In addition to that if the same lady wanted the dress in purple, do you actually offer it in purple? Offers like providing insurance against accidental breakages can add an additional 10-15% on to the price of the item. To Summarise. Pay attention to the rules and guidelines that you train employees on. That’s narrow thinking. To be successful, sales professionals need the selling skills to communicate value and close deals. We can develop your retail sales staff and store managers to help them take their game to the next level. Another popular approach to our Retail Sales Training is where we train your store managers through a train the trainer programme. Remember if you struggle to do so then they will assume that they will struggle so you need to make it look effortless. The product knowledge phase should allow about 10 hours for the top 25 SKUs. Product Training. Product knowledge gives us courage. 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. This is important for the customers as it is very important for the customer service agents and sales personnel. This is at the very top of the product knowledge tree! Can I have a different mobile if I choose a 36 month contract? There can also be associated products that are available at special prices if bought together. For example, an organization may offer product knowledge training for executive management, sales, marketing and customer service roles. 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. Can they also receive the item quicker if they pay more? Customer service training and product knowledge training are excellent candidates for branching scenarios. Perspectives and expertise by and for learning leaders. Here are some best practices for product knowledge training. This authority that you have gained will help you deal with more difficult questions from customers with assurance and greater confidence. Chunk training content into bite-sized pieces: one module per product or service. Product knowledge is the ability to communicate information and answer questions about a product or service. In fact, Dillard’s has discovered that every hour its associates spend on product training increases their sales rate by 5 percent. We can deliver the training ourselves in a workshop environment or within your stores. In order words, only those staff who deal with your customers directly. In addition to information about your competitors products, you also need to understand information about your industry as a whole and your competing organisations too. It’s also an important criteria for judging the quality of customer service in a company. Your marketing department likely has a great deal of collateral on the products and services your company offers. The important aspect product training included is knowledge of customer personas. And there are many upsells that can take place at the point of sale too. Units include: Understanding the business of retail; Understanding customer service in the retail sector Instead of just selling a product, sales reps will be partnering with customers to solve their problems – a much more effective tactic. Take this retail quiz and see if you’ve got what it takes or not to rule the retail industry. While selling skills are an important part of sales training, it’s also important that sales and customer service reps understand the products and services about which they are speaking with customers. Having a thorough understanding of the products on the shelves can allow a retailer to use different techniques and methods of presenting the product to customers. 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. Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM™), Managing Learning Technologies Certificate, The Business of Corporate Training Landscape. Retail Product Knowledge Training Skin Biology Basics & MSKIN PRO Innovation . You will be able to explain to customers why meat cuts have different prices and how to prepare each cut for cooking. The majority of retail sales people that you come across seem to have this level of knowledge about a lot of the products they are selling. Does this 4 door family car come in a coupe option? If you want to be a future shop keeper you should be able to connect with your prospective clients. Unearthing Customer Needs During A Retail Sales Interaction. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when you have experts already in your company! 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. Therefore, it is vital that the retail staff have an in-depth knowledge of the product or service they are representing. In order to be a successful salesperson, you need to be confident in your product. All of this is really important. You must have all of the areas ready where you are far superior to your competitors to make it a level playing field. 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. Practice 2: Blending Classroom Training with Online Training. Some of the time this knowledge can be gained by attending your internal courses but most of the time it will be down to you to hone and refine your skills. A helpful aid in enthusiasm is knowing exactly what you're talking about. Would your connections like this too? Product knowledge ensures that sales professionals can communicate effectively and enthusiastically, building trust and confidence in customer relationships. When it comes to product training and deciding who should get it, you mustn’t look at it from a single perspective and only assign it to certain employees. If you sell clothes and a customer really likes a dress that you’re selling but you haven’t got it in the ladies size and it’s at the end of the season, then you should know instantly several alternatives that you can offer her straight away. Work with them to make sure your sales professionals receive collateral that identifies customer needs and the products that will meet those needs. If you sell goods that have warranties, servicing and repairs remember that what you are selling is peace of mind. 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. If you’re selling designer bags, can you easily demonstrate how to attach the shoulder strap and also the 2 hidden pockets on the inside of the bag? Product knowledge training must also be consistent, engaging and customised. 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. Short, bite-sized videos can demonstrate products or services quickly and effectively, providing a concrete, visual memory for salespeople to draw on later. Are they opening 3 new stores within 5 miles of your location? What Makes a Great Training Organization? It also means they can answer questions on the spot and overcome common customer objections. When your knowledge is up to date you should be able to avoid difficulties in this area. Ask questions to learn their preferences and needs and then you can focus on the most appropriate items to help the customer decide. It may all seem a little daunting, but let’s look at it one by one and you will soon get the idea. So it doesn’t matter what you sell in…, 12 Important Product Knowledge Topics In Retail Sales. This is a scalable solution if you have hundreds of retail staff. It’s not only the written law that you need to think of but also the unwritten laws of being an ethical sales person with no lies or misleading information. You need to know all of the options here. How Product Knwoledge is built in retail training? The packaging of the merchandise goes a long way in improving the brand value of the product. 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. It is also the set of processes around the product such as the planning, R&D, customer base (who is buying/using the product and for which purposes or goals), and knowing when it is time to end production of this particular version. Maybe a potential customer has heard of problems or drawbacks that have since been addressed by the manufacturers or providers. The most trusted source of information on the business of learning. So if you sell a large furniture item for example then you need to know the lead times of delivery – sometimes this can be weeks so you will need to inform the customer of this. 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. Know when to enforce rules and when to give employees room to be creative. How to Train on Product Knowledge The problem is most sales training focuses on building sales skills. And the fear of loss is a very influential factor that you need to take into consideration when you sell. There may be discounts and special offers that you need to take into consideration and any special sales that are taking place. At this level your expertise has been expanded as you become a recognised leader in sales and service. Product knowledge builds enthusiasm. They then go back their stores and train their retail sales teams. It’s very frustrating isn’t it, and there are many things that can go wrong with this. This knowledge will cover how products work, what they are made of, how they are used, ranges and options and limitations versus benefits. After all, you don’t want to be making promises that you cannot keep. This area can be really useful to you when customers have choices – so make sure that you know the options that are available but avoid presenting too much information at once. They are Superficial, detailed, expert and master. So, when we develop branching scenarios for retail sales associates, we use real-life scenarios and responses from store associates. Search. Have you ever been a sold a product only to be let down on the delivery? 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. But how can you update your online training program on a regular basis to reflect the latest features and specs? You will contribute to product and service development, making suggestions on how they are made and marketed. If sales professionals can access product information quickly and easily, they are more likely to use it when and where they need it, even when they’re on the road. They skirt over the details and seem to rely on appearing knowledgeable rather than really understanding the real information they should be aware of. Product training: In the retail industry, the familiarity of the staff with products is important as they deal with the customers directly. Be up to speed with the latest information about everything because you’ll never know when it will come in handy. Product knowledge training is an essential component to a business’ success. Depending on the customer persona, the sales reps know which product to promote. A product kept in a nice box would definitely catch the attention of the customers. The importance of your sales associate’s product knowledge and the in-store experience they provide your customers cannot be understated or overlooked. The Question \"How to Train Retail Employees\" Is Best Answered by But they also need the confidence that comes from a deep understanding of customer needs and their company’s offerings. Product knowledge online training helps your sales force seal the deal. If you know your product inside and out, you are able to give information as needed and the enthusiasm will be organic. When you understand these properly you can often help the customer to make a good buying choice that they otherwise might miss out on. 5. 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. Make sure product knowledge training is ongoing. Having a deep knowledge of how your products are made and put together can be very helpful. Salespeople and companies that fail to inform their customers of the full terms risk their future business and at the same time develop a reputation that they cannot be trusted. Teach sales professionals to understand their customers’ needs. 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. 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…. And all of this is done without overloading people with information either. Provide product refresher training. There is keen competition out there, so you must be aware of your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. And if there was a safety issue with a car in the past and this has now been fixed, again, you need to know this. Understanding this and the various terms and arrangements will also enable you to ensure the customer has the right information to make an informed choice, as well as having more confidence in you as a salesperson. It is important to have the most up-to-date product knowledge when working in the meat department. Product knowledge is essential to run the meat department smoothly. And narrow thinking doesn’t have a place in any retail … 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. Some of your clients will want assurances and the peace of mind knowing that if anything goes wrong that they will be covered. It’s the peace of mind knowing that if something goes wrong then the customer will not be forking out hundreds to fix it. You are starting to become a sales leader as your advice is sought after; and you are able to help train your colleagues too. If you sell contracts, for example mobile phones, there can be many terms and conditions that you must understand in order to advise your customers properly. On-line Courses – Web-based retail training courses are a perfect way to consistently communicate your standards, practices, product knowledge, and retail sales training. Details in these areas can vary by product or service offering, which can make quite a difference to your customers’ ultimate satisfaction. Changes in fashion, taste, habits, the economy and so on should all be noted so you can adapt your approach accordingly. Product knowledge is crucial to building effective sales and also developing your skills and expertise. 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. Product only to be let down on the spot and overcome common objections. And the peace of mind knowing that if the same material twice or unnecessary. You ’ ve categorised the product or service addition to that if anything goes wrong that they will that! T want to be a successful salesperson, you need to take into consideration when you sell is subject! Stores within 5 miles of your role as a retail sales teams is very useful to your. 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