The Importance of Retail Sales Associate Training & Development Programs

Regardless of what industry you’re in, if your employees don’t have a strong knowledge and awareness of your products or services, your customers are less likely to make purchases.

Training and development programs are not only important for boosting sales, but they also help businesses run better, promote employee job satisfaction, and give you more insight on your business model.

Your sales associates are your biggest brand advocates.

It’s simple: when you arm your sales associates with more knowledge about the products that you sell, they will be able to sell better. Our training experts at BDS are skilled at training in a variety of industries on subjects such as key product features, benefits, and competitive differentiators.

While product knowledge is important, teaching your team how to sell is just as necessary. Selling successfully is just as much about storytelling as it is about promoting the details of a specific product. Your associates must be able to communicate clearly with customers, connect with them on an emotional level, and have the ability to give them real-world examples of how your product could be used.

Training programs create better sales associates.

When your associates are selling more, it’s not only a win for your company, but also for themselves. If they receive commissions, they’ll make more money. Even if you don’t use a commission-based structure, knowledgeable employees who are empowered to learn, grow, and achieve success will generally show more loyalty and commitment in the long run.

Our training programs at BDS seek to create more productive employees for your company. In addition to product knowledge and sales techniques, we aim to help your team communicate better and spend more time on the sales floor instead of standing around.

What industries are ideal for training and development programs?

Several different types of businesses, large and small, are a good fit for a comprehensive training and development program. At BDS, we have found that retail brands and consumer electronic brands highly benefit from these programs. If you play in the world of technology, then you know that it changes rapidly. It’s important to keep your team well-versed in the latest gadgets, such as virtual or augmented reality devices.

What is the ideal time to run a training program?

There is never a bad time to incorporate a training and development program! Specifically, whenever you launch a new product, you should run a training program. Whenever you add staff members, run a training program!

For many retail brands, Q1 is an ideal time for training and development programs. By investing in training during Q1, which is generally a slower season, your associates are ready to sell in Q2, Q3, and especially during your busiest season, Q4. By that time, your team will have had plenty of time to refine the skills they’ve acquired.

Whether you need a training and development program set up from scratch, or just need support for your own programs, BDS can provide a custom solution today!