We like to think of ourselves as the artisans of training
Just like artisans, we can be defined by customized work, attention to details, consideration for the human factor.
At the end of the day, this is what will make a difference, and help you to improve your business metrics.
So what difference does it make for you?
Customization:
In order to be considered relevant, the trainer needs to understand the environment, the challenges and culture of the trainees he is engaging. He must get the trainee to think : “He understand who I am, he understands what is important in my job, and what my challenges are. Whatever he says is based on this understanding”
The trainee needs to feel that whatever the trainer says is rooted into his knowledge and understanding of his work environment.
Only under these conditions will the trainees take the suggested strategies and methodologies into consideration, and make the necessary efforts to change.
Furthermore, explanation is not enough, you need to show how to implement strategies and techniques in real life situations.
This is why we go to great lengths to gain familiarity with our trainee’s work environment: we speak with them on the floor, we study their brand and build familiarity with their products, we speak with their customers….
. By tapping into our experience of hundreds of customer experience analysis across 52 cities worldwide and counting, we are able to apply many real life examples of what may happen in a store or luxury boutique.
In order to help participants to better visualize the suggested strategies, we don’t hesitate to “put ourselves out there”, and roleplay their part in sales or management situations, whenever we feel it could help
Attention to detail:
There is a huge difference between a fuzzy concept , and strategies that are broken down into specific steps. This difference is also what separates what should work, and what does actually work in real life.
On closer examination, many traditional concepts need a serious makeover to become really actionable.
Here are a couple of examples :
1) “The Sales Associate must find out the Customer’s expectations”
Sure, but it is much more important to find out her aspirations: what the Customer really desires, without being herself aware of it.
Aspirations are the real driver of the Customer’s purchasing behavior, and she most often can’t express them directly because she is not aware of them.
We show Sales Associates how to read the Customer’s aspirations and how to leverage them.
2) “The Sales Associates should ask open ended questions” is one of the classic sales mantras.
Well, if you haven’t established the kind of connection that makes your customer feel like sharing, asking questions will sound like prying to her, and curt answers are all you will get.
We show a very simple technique that makes sure the customers will open up and volunteer the information that is really meaningful to them.
3) “He should get the Customer to dream”
Certainly, but how do you accomplish this, and how do you make sure she will act on her dream and buy ?
Another example, about management this time: common wisdom tell us that
“You need to clarify what you expect to your Sales Associates”.
Well, certainly. But we hear a lot of Store Managers telling us that they continually reinforce their expectations to their staff. However this hardly yield any result.
Actually, just because staff will have understood doesn’t mean they will make the extra effort that is indispensable to change their habits.
Explaining won’t be enough to motivate, because change is much more an emotional than a rational process. We will show you how to bring it about.
-Consideration for the human factor :
We believe that the way people behave in an organization is based primarily on their human dimension, rather than their place in the organization chart.
We therefore strive to make performance meaningful in the eyes of our trainees. We help them understand that the reward for their efforts goes beyond the monetary results (reach quota).
We highlight the long lasting personal benefits that will come from improving.
Benefits such as: more self-confidence, more fun at work, more rewarding relationships with customers or co-workers, less stress.
Obviously, these benefits will in turn generate additional performance improvement. Everybody wins.
We help you to keep the virtuous circle spinning.
Would you like to know more ? Just click here “Contact me “.
Philippe Baudouin