Training: It Makes a Difference

With a master's degree in instructional science and two decades of experience in designing and developing e-Learning for the Federal gov't, state governments, universities, Fortune 500 companies, and many small businesses I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that quality training can change behaviors for the better and improve the performance of almost all learners.

However, before The Furniture Training Company began to design, develop, and deliver scientifically based sales training, most furniture retailers never had access to quality training, let alone quality e-Learning, of proven effectiveness. It's no wonder that when I talk to many furniture retailers today they actually won't believe that training their furniture sales associates will ever make a difference in their bottom line. Consequently, they treat training as an expense when it should be a source of increased income!

But in every industry training does make a difference. So long as it is quality training.

In fact, the latest industry data published by Training Magazine, the journal of the American Society for Training And Development, shows that an average of $1,273, for a total of $55.8 billion, is spent annually for employee training; however, our training price for sales associates is NOT over $1,000 per person annually, but $200 or less for a year's access to our furniture training per associate. Training that will teach your sales associates all of the product knowledge and selling skills that they need to sell furniture at the highest professional level.

Since The Furniture Training Company began to anonymously evaluate furniture sales associates completing our online training courses the results of these evaluations have been astounding. Over 98% of the hundreds of associates evaluated after completing our Internet-delivered training courses are reporting that the training is: valuable to them, easy to use, enjoyable, and that they would recommend the training to others.

More important, 95% of furniture sales associates who certify report through our anonymous online user evaluations that what they have learned from our internet-delivered furniture training courses IS causing them to sell more furniture. This scientifically gathered evidence is real proof, not just hearsay evidence or feel-good testimonials, that our training will make a significant difference for helping sales associates sell more furniture during these very tough economic times.

Besides our own scientifically gathered data regarding our Internet training, let me also provide you with some additional training industry data about the benefits of e-Learning:

• Reduced overall cost is the single most influential factor in adopting e-learning. The elimination of costs associated with instructor's salaries, meeting room rentals, student travel, lodging, and meals are directly quantifiable. The reduction of time spent away from the job by employees may be the most positive offshoot.
• Learning times reduced, an average of 40 to 60 percent, as found by Brandon Hall (Web-based Training Cookbook, 1997, p. 108).
• Increased retention and application to the job averages an increase of 25 percent over traditional methods, according to an independent study by J.D. Fletcher (Multimedia Review, Spring 1991, pp.33-42).
• Consistent delivery of content is possible with asynchronous, self-paced, 24/7 e-learning.
• Expert knowledge is communicated, but more importantly captured, with good e-learning and knowledge management systems.
• Proof of completion and certification, essential elements of training initiatives, can be automated.

It is only through quality training that today's retailers are going to be able to competitively compete with the big box stores, Internet sales, and other markets for the limited consumer dollars available.