“It's intuitively obvious to the most casual observer,” an instructor once answered a student asking a question. He thought the answer was apparent to everyone in the room, but it wasn’t. Many businesses have this same attitude. They assume employees understand their products and services and don’t take the time to provide the training, until they experience problems, such as unhappy customers or lower sales. Here are five ways employee training can improve your sales and business growth.
1. Empowers teams – Employees appreciate a business culture that emphasizes learning and skills development. One survey showed that 40 percent of employees who receive incomplete training leave their jobs within a year. Their primary reason for leaving was the lack of training and development.
Knowledge empowers employee teams. When they receive complete training on your products and services, they become advocates for your business. Workers can efficiently work together on projects, answer customers’ questions, and cross-sell other products to increase sales.
Using a Learning Management System (LMS), such as Traineaze, for employee training is cost-effective, easy to learn and set up, and provides testing options to monitor understanding. With this online training software, employees can learn about updates in products, become acquainted with new sales markets, understand changes in marketing strategies, or meet compliance regulations. Learn tips on developing an effective eLearning training program by reading this blog.
2. Increases sales flexibility – As market conditions continually change worldwide, your business has to adapt, often within a short time, to keep current and be competitive.
Employee training can help you respond quickly to market updates. You can provide customer personas to show typical customer profiles, interests, preferences, and explain how they use your products. And if you hire temporary or gig employees, eLearning training can quickly get them up to speed about your business.
Workers who receive regular training can assist companies in taking advantage of growth opportunities. Sales people who truly understand the products and services your company offers are more confident and find it easier to help prospective buyers. In turn, customers feel assured in purchasing from you.
As a small business, you may think that it takes too much time or money to provide regular training for employees, but what is the cost of losing business? Companies that invest in growing the knowledge and skills of their employees find they have a competitive advantage. Employees will make fewer mistakes. Your business could grow beyond expectations.
3. Improves engagement – If you invest in providing regular training, employees who are interested in learning and growing will become more engaged in their jobs. Turnover will be lower because employees feel appreciated and valued. You will attract workers who are interested in coaching and training. They will invest in their work because they want to make a difference in your business. Don’t be surprised if they decide to stay for several years.
4. Enhances recruitment – A recent Gallup survey showed that 58 percent of younger workers want to work for employers who provide opportunities for them to learn and grow.
As a small business owner, if you provide regular training opportunities for employees, you’ll quickly develop a reputation as an employer of choice. Your business will attract workers who want to learn and develop new skills. As you develop employees into top sales producers, they will recommend you to other potential workers. Soon you’ll have an excellent sales team to serve your customers.
5. Strengthens communication – Think about the last time you made a significant purchase, such as a household appliance.
Small businesses that invest in developing employees’ sales and communication skills will give them confidence to serve customers of all ages with different types of needs. You’ll reap the benefit of satisfied customers who will recommend your business to friends and return to make other purchases in the future.