Do you invest in your team?

I’m not talking about buying them Christmas dinner or putting a microwave in the canteen… Let’s be honest, many retailers I meet are skeptical about investing in training. They only see the cost, they don’t see the value.

Can you imagine if investing in your team lead to a happier team, sales growth and delighted customers?

Good retail training will set clear expectations and actionable behaviours. Bad retail training leaves you and your team with a list of what not to do! Bad retail training will waste your time and your money.

If you are curious about retail training but are unsure what to expect, I’ve put together a list to help you out.

Good retail training:

1. Delivered in short sessions (either online or face to face), especially if it’s delivered at the beginning or end of the working day.
2. Provides you with techniques that actually work! Practical actions that will work with your team and most importantly with your customers.
3. Gets the team involved; whether it’s helping design the workshops or giving their opinions within the training. Most of us learn from those around us and a good trainer will allow that to happen.
4. Will develop habits. The new techniques need to be integrated into the working day, to ensure longevity. Reinforce the behaviours to make them stick. Praise actions and outcomes. Keep it going!
5. Dynamic training will excite your team and will lead to a positive outcome for you and your customers. Don’t waste your time with a trainer, who uses a book for reference or who hasn’t stood in your shoes.

Remember to engage your team. If they understand why you have decided to hold a training session and they know what your end goal is, they are more likely to be supportive. Without their input you will not achieve your goal and the training will have been a waste of time (and money).

To recap:

1. Use a retail trainer, that has stood in your shoes, with practical, actionable training.
2. Get each team member to commit to implementing one take away from the training.
3. Follow up and revisit the training topics afterwards, to keep the training alive in the business.

Check out more information on The Retail Advisor training here.