7 Creative And Innovative Activities To Add To Your Product Knowledge Online Training
Every member of your team should know the product highlights and practical uses. From your warehouse staff to your sales employees who seal the deal every day. However, product spec sheets and manuals aren't the most exciting or engaging online training materials. So, here are 7 product knowledge online training activities that your corporate learners are bound to remember. I'll also share a tip for creating online training resources for your sales and customer service staff.
1. Animated Video Demos
Video demos showcase the features and intended uses of the product. Thus, employees are able to see it in action so that they can educate your consumers. For example, they can teach consumers how to use the device or prepare it before the first use. However, animated demo videos take it to a new level. They feature interesting characters, settings, and interactions that show off the product specs in a unique light. You can even add little doses of humor to make it more fun and engaging.
2. Product Overview Infographics
Infographics are often used to highlight important trends or stats. However, they can also include product overviews. For example, the top 5 benefits of the products that consumers need to know or a breakdown of the key components or parts of the product to showcase its inner workings. Employees are able to use these infographics as just-in-time online training resources. Particularly if you create a separate graphic for each product instead of trying to include the entire product line. At the bottom of the infographic, give employees a couple of pointers on how to effectively promote the item.
3. Match-Up Serious Games
This serious game requires employees to match the product with the right customer. The intro screen includes details about the customer, such as a common challenge they're trying to overcome, past purchases, and personality traits. Employees must use this information to pick the product that's best for their needs and budget. Develop bite-sized serious games that center on distinct customer personas to prevent cognitive overload and award badges or points for successful completion of each episode. This online training strategy combines serious games with gamification, which is a recipe for product knowledge online training success.
4. Customer Personas Online Training Simulations
Since we're on the subject of customer personas, another way to incorporate unique buying behaviors and traits is to incorporate online training simulations into your strategy. Employees have to interact with the customer to identify their needs. This is all done through simulated dialogue and drag-and-drop actions. For example, the employee chooses from a list of responses and drags the suitable product into the basket. Then clicks on the POS terminal to ring up the sale to complete the transaction. Online training simulations also test their product knowledge and task performance. For instance, they have to apply their online training to find the right product and actively listen to the customer's needs.
5. Product Knowledge Pop Quizzes
eLearning assessments not only test employee knowledge but they also improve knowledge retention by recapping the main features and uses. Employees receive immediate feedback regarding incorrect answers. Therefore, they are able to use the product knowledge online training resources to refresh their memory and bridge the gaps. For example, they are unable to identify all of the product benefits during the pop quiz. In response, they can use the infographics to explore those benefits and commit them to memory.
6. "Play The Product Sleuth" Case Studies
Introduce the customer's traits, buying behaviors, and needs. Then have the employee pick the right product based on the "clues". You can also include brief video snippets that introduce the character. This allows employees to pick up on facial expressions and other non-verbal indicators, which is a quintessential part of the sales and customer service process. In order to pick the perfect product, employees have to know every selling point, benefit, and unique feature. As such, they are able to identify the customer's "pain point" and troubleshoot it with their product know-how.
7. "Outside The Box" Brainstorming Sessions
Your product knowledge online training may already delve into the most common benefits of the item. However, why not let your employees put on their "thinking caps" and come up with some unconventional uses. For example, brainstorm creative ways to use your new software to enhance the real-world benefits. This also helps your employees become more familiar with the product, as they are viewing it out of context. Not to mention, they can offer it to customers who may have issues or challenges that aren't mentioned on the spec sheet or packaging.
Extra Tip For Creating Product Knowledge Online Training Resources
Truly effective product knowledge online training activities hinge on one very important factor: practicality. Employees need to know how to use the product in the real world instead of just learning about the theory behind it. This is why it's essential to pair demos, images, and other visual elements with detailed instructions. Keep in mind that employees have to show the product to consumers. They must walk them through every step of the process so that customers can mimic them at home. As a result, your staff should be well versed on the practicality of the product and the many ways it can benefit the consumer's life, such as making it easier to clean up a messy spill or manage their time more effectively.
These online training activities all have one thing in common. They add a good dose of entertainment to your product knowledge online training. Hence, they improve employee engagement and motivation so that they get the most from your online training initiatives. Not to mention, they achieve their monthly sales goals and improve customer satisfaction scores.
Do you want to learn more about how to improve customer service? Read the article 9 Best Practices To Create Memorable Customer Service Online Training to discover 9 best practices to develop customer service online training that's memorable and motivational.
