Over the last year, every industry has gone through significant changes. Businesses have developed new offerings to meet the evolving needs of customers. The remote workforce has also grown rapidly due to recent events and fluctuating restrictions. These changes have caused a growing need for remote-friendly product knowledge training programs.
Product knowledge training is an essential tool that helps sales teams improve their customer service skills. Effective product knowledge training programs engage learners and familiarize your sales reps with new products. The best programs take the process a step further by helping your employees develop an understanding of how these offerings solve problems for your customers.
Unfortunately, many of the former methods L&D professionals used to rely on for product training for sales are no longer effective. Face-to-face instructor-led sessions and role-playing do not work well for organizations with a growing remote workforce.
How do you develop product knowledge training content that all employees can access? There are several different strategies organizations can leverage to provide quality product training for their remote employees.
Integrate Social Elements
One of the most effective ways you can help your remote employees gain confidence in the new skills they are learning is to provide opportunities for them to practice. Scenario-based learning modules are a training format that uses life-like scenarios and real-world examples of how sales training content can be applied on the job.
Engagement is essential when it comes to developing quality online product training programs. Integrating social elements into your training programs can significantly boost levels of engagement. According to LinkedIn’s 2021 Workplace Learning Report, learners who engage with social features are up to 30 times more engaged in the learning process than those who do not (1).
Incorporate Just-in-time Training Resources
Another effective way you can help equip your employees with product knowledge skills is by providing resource materials they can reference after the initial training is completed. Unfortunately, people don’t remember most of what they learn. According to the Hermann Ebbinghaus theory, learners will forget almost everything they learn if they don’t put it into practice in some way (2).
These training materials could be as simple as a printable PDF, or a short refresher video employees can watch in minutes. These tools help reinforce what employees have learned, further facilitating the learning process. Just-in-time training materials can increase knowledge retention and application.
Final Word
The recent pandemic has significantly impacted the way we work and learn today. Organizations in every industry have had to adjust to the current business environment. Many industry-leading organizations have introduced new products and services to better meet customers changing needs. Employee product training programs help ensure that employees are knowledgeable about these changes have the skills required to effectively assist customers.
The training delivery methods you use today significantly impact the effectiveness of your employee training programs. Instructor-led courses are no longer the ideal training delivery method. Organizations with growing remote workforces need remote-friendly product knowledge programs that increase accessibility and flexibility.
Learn more about effective product training strategies for modern businesses and read the eBook Product Knowledge Training as a Key Learning Asset.
