Everyone knows they need to train. And train. And train. But, it’s like exercising or flossing. Sure, we should, but not everyone has the time to do it every day. Instead of making the daily commitment to training, some managers tend to save training for new hires and turn pre-shift meetings into “here are the specials, now go set up.” The irony, though, is that if we don’t continually train our team to deliver the service our guests demand, there won’t be any specials to learn or stations to set up.
In an industry driven by service and sales, you can’t afford not to train on both. Remember, service and sales go hand in hand. Without service, sales can’t happen. Without sales, service can’t exist. Maximize your training on both service and sales using a blended learning strategy.
Blended Service and Sales Training
People learn in different ways. With a blended sales training strategy, you’re sure to deliver your message in a way that resonates with everyone. For example, when training on increasing appetizer sales, you might hand out or post a list of descriptive adjectives that could be used to describe featured appetizers. Then, you might have your staff members take a quick online course about how to sell more appetizers. Finally, at a training meeting, you can use role-playing scenarios or other team games to make sure trainees can implement the procedures appropriately. With this blended approach, your servers read, see, and practice what they need to increase sales.
Blended sales training works because it exposes trainees to important content multiple times, increasing retention. It’s suited to a variety of learning styles that help you reach all employees in a way they learn best. When you include online training in your overall sales training strategy, you have an easy way to assess and track progress. During role play sessions, you can give immediate feedback about how effectively servers are applying the training. The result is training return you can see on your bottom line.
