It is widely accepted that technology advances in recent years are shaping the future of retail. Retailers no longer have one brick and mortar connection point with customers. Rather retailers (large and small) are using both physical and multiple digital channels to stay engaged with customers. The Medium is the Message in Retail Training…
Show, Tell, Watch, Coach, Repeat: Retail Sales Floor Training
On-the-job training is not restricted to use on the retail floor. The principles described in this article are applicable to any industry or work environment to ensure consistent results from the use of on-the-job training. The Right Approach I sometimes refer to on-the-job training approaches as “Sit with Sam,” “Follow Fred,” or “Watch Wanda.” The…
Smile, Take a Bath, and Tuck in Your Shirt: Retail Training Essentials?
I heard a conference speaker once say that their biggest training challenge was getting their theme park employees to tuck in their shirts and pull up their sagging pants. The host of the quirky Been My Pleasure YouTube channel (for food service professionals) recently shared with me his frustration in getting some servers to understand…
Name that Tune: The Evolution of a Retail Training Program
I vividly remember an old television game show called Name that Tune in which contestants would guess how many notes it would take them to recognize a song when played. The goal was to bid on the lowest number of notes that would lead to success in naming the tune and winning the game. A…
Retail Training: Why Bother?
I was recently having lunch with a former client contact and reminiscing about the project we had worked on together. In the course of the conversation, I asked how training is viewed at the retailer for whom he currently works who happens to have a rather large training department. You might imagine my surprise when…
Improving Customer Service and Retail Training with mLearning
Smartphones are no longer the way of the future—they’re the way of right now. Today, there are 2.6 billion people using a handheld device to check email, to work on projects, and to communicate with friends and family. By 2020, there may be 6.1 billion people using smartphones. But it’s not just individuals who benefit…