BLU Academy, a subsidiary of EFMP German Partner, HTW/O, have developed an innovative training package for training their own staff in-house, as well as one for training external sales consultants. The goals that they set out to achieve by these training initiatives are; to attain and maintain the highest quality standards in their area of business operation; to encourage employee loyalty through meaningful staff development; and to provide well trained staff and an ideal service mix to satisfy customer needs. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the information about consumer insights and what makes the customer decide to make a purchase, and the knowledge about how to close the deal, which is gleaned through this training process, is also of enormous benefit in positively influencing a company’s ‘bottom line’.
The ‘toolboxes’ are structured to provide the skills development tools to reach these goals. They are arranged at 3 different levels of increasing detail and complexity; Basic, Advanced, and Professional.
TOOLBOX FOR EXTERNAL SALES CONSULTANTS TRAINING
Overview of the Basic Skills Toolbox
In the Basic Toolbox, teaching modules are offered on Sales and Organization. Staff members are taught how to sell, and learn about structured selling. They are taught about the importance of how to get in touch and make the first customer contact, right through the various stages of customer interaction, to closing the deal. They learn how to engage with the consumer to establish exactly what it is they are looking for. By means of a structured needs assessment, they are then able to provide the goods being sought, demonstrate their benefits and how they fulfil the needs expressed by that individual, and in so doing, not only strengthen customer relations, but bring the sales conversation to a conclusion, which should hopefully result in the decision to buy. The sales process may involve answering extra questions from the customer, which may sometimes be perceived as objections, and staff members are taught how to handle these professionally without losing the customer.
BLU sales consultants are also taught the value of time management and professional set-up organisation to improve work flow. They learn strategies to cope with multi-tasking and task prioritisation in their work so that they are positioned to be effective, and to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses so that they can play to their strengths and improve on any weak areas. This form of professional organisational management is also conducive to stress reduction in the workplace and allows for a more relaxed atmosphere.
Advanced Toolbox Overview
After successful completion of the Basic Toolbox, BLU sales consultants can proceed to the Advanced level which involves the following components.
Level 2 NLP Practitioner Course
This certified training course requires trainees to learn to apply Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) in their professional and private lives. NLP deals with the subjective perception of people, and is based on the assumption that everything can be learned. Effective communication skills are learnt, and improved upon, to enable good and sustainable contact with, and better understanding of, customers, and what makes them tick!
Level 2 Conflict Management Course
Where people live and work together, conflicts arise. They are counter-productive and destructive of a collaborative work environment. Participants in this course are shown how conflicts can be identified, assessed, and pro-actively resolved at an early stage. They are taught how to moderate debates between parties and conduct conflict resolution discussion and arbitration, if required. The aim is to improve conflict resolution skills and the ability to constructively shape difficult situations.
Level 2 Course Promoting Expertise in Neuro-Selling
During this course, participants learn how to influence purchasing decisions and purchasing processes through Neuro-Science. They learn how purchasing decisions are influenced by the subconscious, and gain insights into the emotional components which influence buying behaviour.
Level 2 Course in Expertise in Virtual Selling
With an eye to the future, in this course trainees are taught to become experts in virtual sales. The participants learn how to advise the customer about products and services, ultimately leading to the purchase of the product or service, by using a digital platform in an online presence.
Level 2 Course in Professional In-store Merchandising
Trainees learn how to present products in-store to promote maximum buying interest. They learn which factors influence purchasing behaviour and how to design an effective and appealing presentation area. This includes training in colour theory, to proper illumination of the area. Course participants also learn how to make creative and eye-catching concepts to attract customer attention in-store, with the aim of enticing them to spontaneously buy the product/s on display.
Professional Toolbox Overview
The Professional Level 3 training pathways are available to anyone who has successfully passed basic training and has obtained a certificate from Level 2. The successful completion is certified by an official training body and is therefore recognised by external sales partners, as well as internally. It comprises several modules.
Level 3 NLP Master Course
Participants learn to integrate NLP into their everyday lives with the objective of each one living their best life. Every morning they are expected to be full of motivation to realise their values and visions. They learn newer NLP formats but also learn how to use previously learnt NLP techniques in a goal-oriented and independent way in order to be able to see solutions to given problems.
Level 3 Trainer Training
Participants are taught skills necessary to work as a trainer. They learn about didactics, content of modules, correct design of materials, and how to deal with groups, whether doing face-to-face training or in an online setting.
Level 3 Diploma Course: High-level Sales Consultant
In this advanced course the contents of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Neuro-Science and Virtual Selling courses are studied in greater depth. This enables participants to acquire specialist sales knowledge and to be equipped for any sales project. They get an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and to take part in challenging new projects.
TOOLBOX FOR IN-HOUSE TRAINING
Training in this category is based on the same principles as the Toolbox for External Sales Consultants Training, with the same 3 levels and course content. Added to this, there is training in Project Management, Interviewing, Presentation Skills, Negotiation, Leadership, and How to Use the Mobile Office Concept (with the Correct Work/Life balance).
HTWO Subsidiary, BLU, have instituted a remarkably comprehensive training program for sales consultants that gives a solid grounding in sales related topics right from the Basic Level and which elevates those who successfully complete the Advanced and Professional courses to a whole different level of understanding and capacity.
BLU Academy can be justifiably proud of this achievement.