If you’ve yet to create an organized training program, don’t wait a minute longer to start. Being successful at retail requires careful attention to operational best practices, such as merchandising, inventory and marketing. Retailers neglect training at their peril. Your employees are the ones who will get your customers headed towards the checkout and keep them coming back, and they need the confidence to do their jobs well. Here are three reasons why it’s worth investing the time and effort it takes to get them properly trained.
Trained employees stay longer. When you invest in your employees by giving them the skills they need to do their jobs properly, they’ll feel valued and engaged with their job. Higher job satisfaction leads to higher retention rates, which is financially beneficial to you. In addition to training new hires, be alert for employees who want to advance their career by learning new skills.
Trained employees help increase sales. Employees who understand the products they are selling will spend less time asking questions and more time with customers. They can also take care of customers’ needs quickly, which creates a more efficient salesfloor. Since they understand the projects they’re selling, employees anticipate the needs of customers, suggest add-on sales and can recommend higher quality products, resulting in higher transaction sizes.
Trained employees will elevate your customer service. When employees have the knowledge they need to do their jobs, they will be confident about approaching customers and answering their questions. This will elevate your store’s reputation and give you a distinct advantage over big-box competitors. Good customer service also means shoplifters will have less of a chance to do their work, reducing your shrinkage.
If you’re not sure how to get started setting up your training program, use NHPA’s Train the Trainer guide as a way to get started. Click Here to download the guide.
Getting your employees the product knowledge and selling skills training they need is easy with NHPA’s collection of training courses, which are available to all Premier Members. If you’re not a Premier Member and would like to learn more, visit YourNHPA.org/membership.