THE COVER STORY
setting up sales associates for success E-learning is a good alternative Most companies still rely heavily on instructor-led training or training conducted in a classroom-style setting and facilitated by one or more experts. While this type of training will likely never disappear, it’s important to remember that the training landscape is rapidly changing and that several other methods are widely available. Your training environment doesn’t always have to be a central location where everyone gathers. Consider web-based training. Every day, more and more companies are turning to e-learning providers to ensure their associates
not only learn information more quickly, but also increase the likelihood that they will retain it. If implemented correctly, e-learning not only has the potential to reach more people with the touch of a button, it also provides a “learn at your own pace” environment where associates can maximize their time by learning in the comfort of their own stores. Web-based training is a good approach to distance learning. Associates can utilize a computer to connect with a constantly changing landscape. Web-based training provides a unique and ideal platform for content delivery to the field. Users can keep up with information as it evolves and they can learn it faster than ever. One of the tools Mattress Firm employs is a learning management system (LMS)—an
Project 180: Sharing ideas on the web
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ave a great tip on qualifying or a closing technique that works really well? Why wait until a sales meeting to share it? Using a social media style website that encourages learning can share it right away. Imagine a website where associates new and old could go and watch their peers doing what they do best—a site where techniques are not only demonstrated, but also rated. At Mattress Firm, we call it “Project 180,” a YouTube-inspired site devoted to best practice sharing among peers. Using flip cams, cell phones or any video capture device, associates can record themselves and others demonstrating selling techniques and offering words of wisdom to their coworkers. Within minutes, that video can be uploaded to the Project 180 site, categorized and accessed by any associate in the company. Peers can then rate the videos based on the overall content and performance. The numbers of hits are displayed, so it’s well known what the most popular videos are and who made them. By creating Project 180, best practice sharing at Mattress Firm became much easier, quite literally, overnight
18 SleepSavvy • October 2011
online corporate university where associates can attend virtual personal and professional development classes. Not only can associates receive part of their education through the LMS, they can also complete quizzes and exams that test their knowledge. For example, if a new product hits the floor, it’s not unusual for associates to have access to specialized vendor information or instructor-led training for it. The LMS is also a great way to deploy that same information by creating a virtual classroom. Multiple, individual training sessions can now take place all across the country rather than having to gather associates by district into a single meeting location. Better still, the information and training is constantly available to them any time they are in a store and they can test their own knowledge by clicking on the appropriate quiz. Once they have passed the course, it shows up in their transcripts as having been successfully completed. Perhaps the best aspect of having an online corporate university is the often-overlooked need for continuing education. Just because an associate has completed initial training, that doesn’t always mean they are finished learning everything they need to know for their job. A learning management system makes it possible for each retail sales associate at Mattress Firm to stay educated regarding changes in the industry, product information and, most importantly, selling techniques. Computer-based learning will never take the place of one-on-one, human interaction. But learning management systems pave the way to disseminate all types information to an even broader audience much faster than ever before. www.sleepsavvymagazine.com