How eLearning helps your front-line and bottom line

Implementing an eLearning program in retail and franchise businesses will improve the effectiveness of front-line staff and positively impact overarching business objectives.

There are several elements that eLearning programs combine that make them particularly effective when deployed in organizations to train staff.

The gamification of eLearning programs means that competition is encouraged amongst staff, and points are accrued for carrying out desired actions. Employees are incentivized with perks, like gift cards, and are accordingly rewarded when they’ve achieved a high level of performance.When searching for an optimal eLearning platform, the following attributes should be considered:

• Interactive and engaging: Is the platform easy to access from mobile devices? Is the interface and user experience inviting, or would it be difficult to use the platform for a long period of time? Does it provide staff with clearly outlined goals and does it adequately convey rewards?
• Ability to customize: Are there facets of your business that need to be emphasized? Look for a platform that allows for flexibility.
• Administrative view: A robust platform should allow for management staff or corporate to analyze the progress of staff. It’s critical to have a clear view of the impact the platform is having, in addition to having insights on how employees are progressing. For franchise businesses, this would be especially important to track how various locations are faring compared to one another.

Ultimately, eLearning programs prep retail staff to best serve customers and mobilize them to work towards achieving sales and revenue objectives.

‍How to ensure the success of a virtual learning program

‍Prior to rolling out an eLearning program, businesses should assess the types of KPIs and metrics they will be focused on measuring. Bob Phibbs, a thought leader in the sales training industry, notes that businesses should be looking at not only higher sales, but also at the number of items per transaction and the average sales per employee per hour of work.

Once metrics and benchmarks are set, businesses should remember to frequently check in with staff to gauge their progress and their level of engagement with the platform.

‍Training programs deliver unparalleled results

‍In the same piece by Phibbs cited above, he explains that investing in a training program for front-line staff will produce results that a discount or marketing program wouldn’t be able to. What’s more, the training will stick with staff and improve their performance well into the future, as opposed to simply boosting sales for a temporary period of time.

‍Neglecting staff training is detrimental to businesses in the long run

‍As it turns out, businesses who believe there’s not a significant enough ROI on front-line staff training programs are mistaken.

Emad Rizkalla, CEO of Bluedrop Performance Learning, explains that companies failing to “develop their employees could be doing damage not only to morale, but to the bottom line as well.”

He cites a finding by HR Magazine that says “companies investing in $1,500 or more per employee per year on training average 24 percent higher profit margins than companies with lower yearly training investments.

Further findings to illustrate his claim include stats from the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), including one that states that companies who offer comprehensive training have a 218% higher income per employee than those who offer lower quality training.

For companies with training programs, Rizkalla also points out that there are other less tangible, but equally important, outcomes. This includes “happier employees, better leaders and enhanced teamwork.”

Accordingly, Phibbs stresses that employers who invest in training programs will experience lower levels of turnover in their organizations.

Learn more about how to create an eLearning initiative that your front-line staff are motivated to complete!