How To Successfully Incorporate Microlearning Into Retail Online Training
From your sales staff and customer service reps to your backend warehouse team. Every member of your organization plays a crucial part in the company’s success. But are you giving them the support they need to support your consumers? Microlearning is a cost-effective way to reinforce, refresh, and provide moment of need online training. They can spend just a few minutes catching up on compliance topics or exploring the latest product’s benefits. However, modern employees are looking for something that is cutting edge, to bridge their gaps and improve performance. Something beyond simple text-based checklists and quick task recaps. Here are 8 unexpected ways to integrate microlearning into retail online training.
8 Innovative Ways To Use Bite-Size Support In Sales Training
1. Snapshot Product Overviews
Take pictures of the latest product line, zeroing in on its top features and benefits. Then add explainer text to show employees how they can pitch the product and highlight its selling points. For example, the new appliance is easier to operate and upkeep thanks to its new design feature. You can even do a general overview photo or cartoon illustration that shows the inner workings. Diagrams are ideal for more complicated items with many moving parts such as complex machinery given that you can magnify certain elements for clarity.
2. Daily Sales Tip Spotlight On Social Media
Post a daily tip on your social media page or group that employees can use to perfect their pitch. It can focus on a specific product or service. Or simply center on skills or techniques that allow them to improve their sales figures. Another option is to invite your top performers to share their own tricks or ‘hacks’ that they’ve used in the past. Posts might even include images, infographics, and other microlearning online training resources. This gives them the chance to reinforce what they know by putting it into their own words.
3. Bite-Sized Customer Service Simulations
One of the challenges that get often associated with retail is dealing with difficult customers. It might range from customers who want to return something way past the deadline, to those who simply don’t know what they’re looking for and ask every question in the book. And your staff needs to be prepared for the entire spectrum. Incorporating customer service simulations into retail sales training allows them to gain more on-the-job experience so that they can tackle consumer challenges. Without putting your brand reputation at risk. Add realistic images, sounds, and customer personas to provide contextual knowledge and improve the sense of immersion.
4. Performance Management Pop Quizzes
Employees should have the opportunity to assess their own performance and skill set. Pop quizzes enable them to evaluate their knowledge base and identify gaps autonomously. For example, a 10-question quiz reveals that they need to work on their product knowledge before the launch. Or that they should devote more time to building their negotiation skills to hit their daily targets and improve customer satisfaction. You can even make them more qualitative by opting for bite-sized simulations and branching scenarios instead of multiple-choice.
5. Cross-Selling Serious Games
Most organizations don’t rely solely on standalone products. They have an entire web of offerings that tie into each other to generate more income. Your employees need to know about these connections and how to cross-sell and upsell during the transaction. What better way to impart cross-selling skills in retail online training than through engaging serious games? These games allow them to identify the best products for the customer. Then determine which upgrade, tie-in product, or service is an ideal match. They must also figure out how to pitch the cross-sell in a way that doesn’t frustrate or annoy customers.
6. Compliance Infographics
Infographics are a microlearning staple. When a part of retail online training, they’re a valuable compliance tool that helps convey company policy and regulations. For example, an infographic that features the top 5 health and safety tips that employees need to follow on the sales floor. Or the most notable dress code violations they should avoid in the workplace. Include relevant images, eye-catching colors, and text explainers to give them the moment-of-need knowledge refreshers they require.
7. Animated Online Training Tutorials
Instead of merely asking employees to act out the task, take the entertainment up a notch and animate the process by incorporating microlearning into retail online training. Use animated video software to produce a microlearning online training tutorial that showcases the procedure from beginning to end, highlighting all the key skills and tools employees need to perform it. Just make sure the cartoon characters don’t steal the show and become a distraction. The goal is to reenact crucial tasks so that employees can mimic behaviors on the job. For instance, demonstrate a product and how to clean it before first use so that they can pass the info along to consumers.
8. Troubleshooting Video Demos
Everyone deals with problems in the workplace. From not being able to appease a customer to not having enough time to check off every item on the to-do list. Identify the most common challenges your employees face and transform them into troubleshooting demos. For instance, a video demo that shows them how to navigate a conflict with coworkers or overcome a customer’s reluctance. Give them practical examples they can use to boost their performance and productivity.
Conclusion
It’s not just your sales employees who benefit from microlearning in retail online training. In fact, bite-sized support resources have the power to improve performance behaviors, mitigate compliance risks, and impart product knowledge across the board. Even if they don’t interact with customers on a daily basis, they should still be prepared for every eventuality. These small but mighty activities can help them better understand your organization and its offerings. As well as identify personal gaps that keep them from achieving their full potential.
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