The key to increasing an organisation’s performance and productivity levels is the wellbeing of its greatest asset – its employees. This is why supporting a workplace wellbeing programme and encouraging a work-life balance is highly recommended.

The relentless pace of 21st Century digital transformation and the new 24/7 always-on mentality adopted by most organisations and their employees has contributed significantly to increased stress levels, reduced holidays and the rise of absences related to mental health. Each of which negatively affects individuals, both at home and work, impacting their productivity, health and family stability.

In fact, with long work hours and constant multitasking negatively impacting an individual’s ability to address these problems until they’ve escalated, today’s health-conscious society is calling for mental health to be treated the same as physical health, especially in the workplace.

The new Learning & Development organisation is at the heart of driving the wellbeing strategy within modern organisations, throughout all stages of career development, with research showing that directly addressing the wellbeing of your workforce via the implementation of a workplace wellbeing programme can boost performance, improve engagement, reduce absence levels and retain talent.

The end of 2017 saw almost half of all UK businesses implement a wellbeing strategy, including a number of high profile organisations such as HSBC and Barclays whose ‘This is Me’ campaign, designed to normalise mental health in the workplace, has been rolled out across the capital.

These programmes are typically implemented by top-level management, which can be extremely effective, although research suggests that results improve when individuals take active responsibility for their own wellbeing.

To ensure the organisation is inspiring employees to do this, you might consider creating a wellbeing team to champion strategies, including the use of eLearning, encouraging a natural and inclusive approach across the organisation.

MicroLearn is passionate about helping to promote positive working cultures which is why we created our Workplace Wellbeing range, in collaboration with the Learning Architect, Liggy Webb. Liggy is a global best-selling author and behavioural specialist, with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the field of mental wellbeing.

This suite of bite-sized resources helps organisations mitigate the risks of poor mental health, stress and sickness by highlighting the warning signs and presenting a range of techniques learners can use to improve their own lifestyles. This includes courses on Mental Health, Healthy Living, Resilience, Everyday Energy, Value & Purpose, Relationship Building, Relaxation and Life Balance.

Promoting workplace wellbeing by offering increased education and support will benefit organisations in the long-term as individuals develop healthier behaviours, both in and out of the office, leading to increased levels of happiness, inspiration and motivation which positively impact the overall performance of the organisation.

For more information on how we can help support your organisation’s workplace wellbeing requirements, or to discover more about other ranges in the MicroLearn catalogue, enquire about Go1 Premium today!

Tracy Capaldi-Drewett is the Group Commercial Director at Microlearn. You can find MicroLearn courses in the Go1 Premium catalogue.

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A happy workforce is a successful one – the importance of supporting workplace wellbeing

With a stabilized economy, many industries now experience substantial growth. Among those is retail. For 2018 alone, experts predict this market will see a healthy increase between 3.2 and 3.8 percent. Obviously, this is an exciting time to have a retail business. But it’s also a time when proper staff training could not be more important.

No matter the type of product you sell or whether you have an online presence in addition to a brick and mortar location, you vie for many of the same customers as your competitors. That means to enjoy company growth and increased generated revenue, it is imperative that you sell an incredible product and have an extremely competent sales staff.

Dealing with Angry Customers – Even when providing superior service, facing disgruntled customers is inevitable. Depending on the individual and the situation, things could become hostile quickly. Fortunately, there are excellent online courses that offer training for this type of scenario. Your staff will learn that a customer’s anger is more about frustration and that at no time should they take harsh words personally. With a few simple strategies, your employees can calm an otherwise negative situation.

Solving Problems – Solving problems in your retail store goes beyond dissatisfied customers. With proper training, your staff will know how to recognize a conflict of any kind, followed by taking the appropriate steps for a positive resolution. Many of these online courses focus on day-to-day challenges that arise, not just conflict. With training, your employees become more empowered and motivated to solve issues correctly without always running to management.

Motivating Customers – There are even online courses that will help your retail staff motivate customers. With a little bit of persuasion, you will see an increase in sales and a higher level of customer loyalty. Using insider marketing tips gained from online training, your staff can sway customers into buying or returning for additional purchases without them even knowing it.

Working Efficiently – Although hard work goes a long way in the retail industry, your employees might ultimately waste time, effort, and money. With the right online courses, your employees will gain insight into making their efforts more efficient. In addition to boosting sales, they will feel more accomplished in their jobs.

Leadership and Management – When positions open for a leadership or management position in your company, you want trained employees who can step in and take over. Thanks to multiple courses that focus specifically on this arena, you can promote the right employees and see both company and personal growth.

Listening Skills – While everyone hears what you say, not all of your staff listens. A lack of listening skills is a common problem, especially in the retail industry. After completing one or more online training courses, your staff will never again miss important clues from customers or vital messages from management. While your employees become more efficient, your customers feel appreciated and respected. Developing good listening skills is a win-win solution for everyone.

Enhanced Technology – You can use online courses to bring a new employee up to speed on the system you use in your retail store or to help an existing staff member hone his or her skills. Remember, the faster and more efficient an employee is when checking customers out, the more likely it is for those people to return for additional purchases at some point.

Risk Management and Safety – There is no question that one of the most critical of all online training courses for your retail staff has to do with risk management and on-the-job safety. With this, your employees will learn how to spot potential issues and the appropriate ways to deal with them. In the retail industry, criminals use a myriad of techniques to steal merchandise. For a smaller company, even a minor theft could prove devastating. As for safety, it is important for your staff to recognize warning signs for their protection and that of the customers.

Big Ticket Items – When it comes to retail, there is a significant difference in selling clothes versus big-ticket items like cars, boats, high-dollar computer systems, and so on. In exchange for spending a lot of money, customers have a much higher expectation from the staff. If your company sells big-ticket items, it is essential to provide your employees with specialized training. In addition to gaining a wealth of knowledge about the business itself, they will learn the proper way to approach customers, how to dress, and the language to use.

Top courses all retail staff should complete

Are you tired of lagging behind other real estate companies? Are you looking for a way to bolster staff morale, increase productivity, better connect with buyers and sellers, and ultimately, improve the bottom line? One solution can help you achieve each of these goals plus more. By offering your real estate agents access to online training courses, you can prepare to see a marked change in operations.

Along with a multitude of online courses to benefit the support staff at your real estate company are courses explicitly developed for agents. Because this training comes from highly respected industry leaders, your staff will find the information valuable and feel excited about honing their current skills and knowledge base from experts.

The great thing about learning via the internet is the unlimited possibilities. When using the right forum, your agents can continually take educational training. However, for people in this role, there are several essential courses. Each of these will help your agents improve client communication, develop better marketing and negotiating skills, and overall, become more proficient in their jobs.

The following list shows you the top online training courses for real estate agents. However, you should know that there are thousands more.

Written and Oral Communication – While having excellent written and oral communication skills as a real estate agent might seem like a given, surprisingly, many people in this industry struggle in this area. Considering that agents work one-on-one with residential and commercial buyers and sellers, underwriters, title companies, insurance companies, marketing experts, financial professionals, and of course, internal staff, it is imperative for them to know the right way to communicate on all levels. Training courses on this subject go a long way in improving an agent’s ability to perform.

Motivation Concepts – As a real estate agent, it is vital to motivate sellers to sell and buyers to buy. Often, clients need a gentle push in the right direction, which requires a certain level of finesse. Thanks to motivational online training courses, your agents will learn how to persuade clients so they make favorable decisions for them as well as for the realtor and your firm.

Workplace Safety – News stories in recent years have put a lot of agents on edge. With the right training courses, your agents will know what to do when faced with an unnerving or dangerous situation. The safer they feel in the office and out in the field, the more efficiently they do their job.

Social Media Networking – Using online social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many others, realtors have an incredible opportunity to network. However, some agents, especially those with years in the business, have not fully grasped the correct way to use these resources. Online training courses will introduce the various platforms to your agents, teach them how to use them, and provide insider tips on building a strong networking campaign.

Realtor Mistakes – One of the best ways to learn is by making mistakes. A trusted forum for online training offers a broad range of courses on this topic. With this, your agents will understand the most commonly made mistakes and how to resolve them. In addition to learning these lessons, your agents can use the material to identify potential issues, and thereby, avoid them.

Improving Sales – Remember, when your real estate agents complete courses through a reputable source, they learn directly from highly regarded industry professionals. For agents struggling to identify viable clients and close deals, these courses will help them turn things around quickly. Before long, they will see a significant increase in the number of sales, which in turn, boosts their confidence to do more.

Real Estate Math – Although agents do not need to be mathematicians, due to somewhat complex calculations, they would benefit greatly by taking a course that covers math as it relates to the real estate industry. As a result, they can provide clients with accurate numbers, which avoids confusion and makes them appear like experts even if they are relatively new to real estate.

Continued Education – In addition to online training courses that introduce agents to new trends or help them hone their existing skills, there are many that cover required information for securing or maintaining a real estate license. After all, to work as a realtor, agents must complete a mandated number of hours of continued education. Instead of taking time out of an extremely busy schedule, your staff can complete the appropriate courses at a comfortable pace from the privacy of their homes.

Workload Automation – Speaking of busy schedules, real estate agents often work long, hard hours. Realtors just starting out invest a lot of time to networking and building a client base. An excellent way to free up time for more critical matters is by learning how to automate many of the tasks that agents perform. Along with this, they can complete online courses for time management, thereby becoming more structured and efficient.

With so many available online training courses available through a reputable company, your agents can achieve incredible success in the real estate industry. Along with courses that focus specifically on this sector, they will benefit from personal development courses. One simple decision of giving your agents the opportunity to learn will make a vast difference in your firm’s operations and the revenue you generate.

Although these are all viable courses, you might sit down with your agents to ask them about the areas of interest or needed improvement. That combined with the recommendations plays a major role in your firm’s success.

Top courses all real estate agents should complete

When providing a professional service, clear and concise communication with prospects and existing clients is essential. Excellent communication skills are even crucial when dealing with internal staff. Otherwise, it is easy to misconstrue messages, which can lead to hurt feelings, bad decisions, frustration, and in some cases, loss of business.

The fact is that some professionals speak their own language. For instance, doctors, airline pilots, IT developers, engineers, and accountants, among others, use a lot of terms that most people find hard to understand. However, as professionals that provide a service, they need strong oral and written communication skills.

Take accountants as a prime example. To them, the words they use make perfect sense, but to an outsider, especially someone with little to no mathematical or financial experience, their technical jargon can be confusing. If you are an accountant or have an accounting firm with a team of accountants, you have the opportunity to help with this situation.

Thanks to online training courses, you or your accountants can learn to communicate in a way that connects with people. As a result, your business will grow. In fact, your clients will gain new respect and confidence in your abilities. After all, if people cannot understand what someone says simply due to poor communication skills, it makes them feel uncomfortable and even wary.

By addressing your clients through excellent communication, they can follow along easier. The more they understand what you say, the more they feel confident in their decision to use your accounting service. As a busy industry, you have a lot of competition. Instead of giving clients to other firms, improve on your communication skills, and then enjoy the success that follows.

Remember, along with a unique language, accountants talk about numbers, equations, and calculations. The main reason that people use an accounting service is that they lack that particular skill. Your goal is to lay out an easy-to-follow plan so that your clientele can make well-informed decisions. However, they can only do that if they understand the words you speak or write.

Additional Reasons to Improve Communications

Effective Management – If you have a staff that you manage at your accounting firm, not only will good communication help them perform their jobs better, but they will also have greater respect for you. For your employees to work efficiently and effectively, they must understand your directions. With the proper online training courses, you will have no problem communicating with your internal staff. In no time, you will notice higher production, fewer errors, and overall streamlined operations.

Investors – If your firm has investors, they need to know how the business is doing from a financial standpoint. In addition to passing on oral information, you would prepare reports on a scheduled basis. Although investors have a better handle on the accounting language, they have no interest in listening to or reading jargon. Instead, they want information that they can digest easily. With online training, you will learn the best way to prepare income statements, cash flow statements, and other financial reports in a way that investors want.

Requirements – In addition to online training courses making it easier for you to communicate in a clear manner, they will help you follow mandated reporting to certain entities. For instance, the IRS or your bank may have set requirements. Instead of sending them a report only for them to return it because it was incorrect or hard to decipher, the courses will help you create reports right the first time. As you can imagine, that will eliminate a lot of frustration. It will also save a tremendous amount of time and even resources.

By taking courses prepared by industry leaders, you will learn about fonts and formatting. You will also gain insight into writing reports to ensure they meet tight deadlines. Some of the courses even cover the type of data you need to include as well as the proper way of creating backup documentation for optimal protection.

As an accountant or with a staff of accountants, a great deal of time involves working with financial data in the form of statements, receipts, and reports. To avoid miscommunicating vital information, whether it’s oral or written, take advantage of online training courses. With this method of learning, you have the flexibility to complete the courses on a busy schedule.

Along with improving your accounting business by adopting new communication strategies and honing existing skills, you might consider additional courses for personal development. With online training, you can enjoy a flawlessly run firm. The trust your clients have in you will increase, leading to even more success.

Get ahead of your competition and improve on internal processes with online training courses geared toward accountants. One small investment of time will go a long way in growing your firm.

Why all accountants need communication training

No one likes working in a tense, hostile environment. When conflict arises between employees, it doesn’t just impact the staff members involved, but has a negative effect on the whole team and organisation.

That’s why it’s so important for managers to know how to deal with employee conflict – quickly, effectively, and appropriately.

When you think about it, we spend a considerable amount of time with work colleagues. And just like any family unit or friendship circle, things can’t always be expected to run smoothly.

A certain amount of tension in the workplace can be considered normal. It can even lead to the generation of new ideas or ways of doing things. However, things become much more serious if a workplace disagreement or discussion turns into ongoing conflict between two or more staff. Like any conflict, if allowed to fester, it will soon turn the workplace into a toxic environment.

If left unchecked, inter-office politics can result in bullying, harassment, and a negative work culture. It can also lead to poor team performance, low productivity, absenteeism, and high staff turnover – all of which will affect your company’s reputation and bottom line.

Whatever the reason behind the conflict, its best to deal with it sooner, rather than later, before it impacts further on your team and their performance.

Keeping calm in an environment of conflict

When there’s conflict going on in the workplace, whether it’s the office, sales floor, call centre or job site, it’s vital that managers keep calm and lead by example.

When faced with employee conflict, you’ll need to demonstrate more composure and leadership than ever before, helping staff to stay engaged, focused and motivated while you deal with the issue.

Ingrid Fredeen, specialist in ethics and legal compliance training, says it’s important that managers show a commitment to a healthy corporate culture, fostering an environment of ethics and respect in the workplace.

“Managers should feel empowered to remind staff that conversations can quickly turn offensive – and the danger of damage to working relationships and team morale.”

“Remind employees about key policies, including your harassment, workplace violence and business conduct policies. Explain that the organization’s goal is to provide all employees with a dignified and respectful workplace,” Fredeen advises.

If a discussion turns heated and offensive in the workplace, managers need to take quick action to put an end to conversation.

Taking action and confronting issues head on is part of good leadership. Fredeen recommends taking the following steps to address the behaviour professionally:

Avoid attacking the employees personally or taking sides

Focus on behaviour rather than opinion, instead of pointing out offensive or inappropriate conduct

Be clear that employees (who work for private employers) do not have an absolute right to express personal opinions at work

Help the employee understand the consequences for repeat conduct.

The more that you practice taking action on conflict resolution, the easier it will be over time.

Online training is also a great way to help managers continually remind staff of policies and regulations, letting all employees know exactly what behaviour is expected of them in the workplace.

What can you do when a particular employee keeps stirring conflict in the workplace?

As a manager or employer, it’s inevitable that at some point you’ll find yourself faced with an employee who is difficult to deal with or seems to have trouble working with others.

Sometimes these team members don’t even mean to be challenging or difficult – they may be experiencing low mental health or have other external factors influencing their behaviour. But you will also come up against individuals who are aware that their actions are negative or obstructive for the team.

When an individual team member is displaying challenging behaviour at work, it’s a good idea to try and understand some of the underlying issues that may lead to their behaviour. You can then find the right strategy to support you in in dealing with that employee’s behaviour in the workplace.

Glen Llopis, author of The Innovation Mentality, presents an interesting view of conflict resolution.

“When dealing with conflict resolution through a lens of opportunity, conflict can be a healthy enabler of growth for your business –and professional growth for all of the people involved,” he says.

Llopis believes that we don’t really get to know someone (or ourself) until we experience a little tension with them. In that way, conflict resolution can be seen as an important part of forming authentic relationships with our employees and ourselves as leaders.

If you’re interested in learning more about conflict resolution in the workplace, there are many online courses and resources available, such as these modules on how to handle difficult conversations and developing a respectful workplace.

If you’re running a business in the automotive industry, it’s your responsibility to provide your employees with a safe workplace, free from any hazards or health risks.

As an employer, you also need to make sure you’re compliant with relevant safety laws and regulations for the industry. That means providing appropriate safety training for all staff.

The fact is, many workplace accidents and injuries could have been prevented with proper compliance methods and an appropriate investment in workplace safety training. In the automotive industry, whether staff are working in manufacturing, mechanics, logistics, or sales, safety is absolutely paramount.

How are you delivering workplace safety training to your employees? And proactively improving their awareness of compliance and WHS?

Here, we look at how you can use online courses for employee safety training, reinforcing important workplace safety and emergency procedures, while ensuring a safer work and more compliant environment for all staff.

Workplace safety risks for automotive employees

Working in the automotive industry, like many technical fields, is not without its risks.

Employees in the manufacturing, mechanical and logistics sectors are exposed to many hazards in their daily roles, such as:

These hazards can result in serious injuries or even death.

Workers are also at risk of developing sprains, strains, and injuries due to heavy lifting or maintaining awkward postures for long periods of time.

Providing safety training in the automotive industry

Are you currently providing safety training for your automotive staff? Are you doing enough to prevent work-related accidents? How committed are you to creating a safe work environment for all employees?

These are the kinds of questions you need to be asking yourself, to ensure you’re being compliant with workplace regulations, while doing the right thing by your employees.

With the right safety training, you can increase staff awareness of potential hazards in the work environment, as well as educating individuals on correct reporting procedures and policies. Through the use of workshops, online courses and eLearning training modules, you can make sure staff are properly engaged in workplace health and safety, while reducing the risk of accidents, injuries and hazards for your organisation.

And when you think about the potential loss in productivity, legal expenses, fines and insurance arising from workplace incidents, a good safety training program is well worth the investment.

Improve employee engagement with safety training

When companies deliver workplace safety training to staff, it’s often presented in one solid block of training, such as an all-day orientation session or two-hour workshop.

You might want to consider using online courses instead, to deliver staff training. Online training courses are available for all areas of workplace safety and compliance.

With online training, you’ll also be providing staff with a far more engaging user experience. It’s common knowledge that individuals retain more information when training materials are made more engaging.

These days, it’s no longer best practice to have employees sit through lengthy lectures, or wade through endless workbooks. With online courses, you can provide staff with access to targeted online training activities and modules based on their specific job description. This means the course content will be more relevant and interesting to them, and they’ll be more motivated to learn and actively participate in training on these subjects.

Delivering training in a way that ensures staff are properly engaged will greatly help reduce the risk of accidents, injuries and hazards for your organization.

Online safety training for your staff with Go1

At Go1, we provide high quality online training courses specifically designed for employees working in the automotive industry.

Online courses provide everything you need to help you deliver effective staff safety training, while making training easier and more convenient for your staff. With online training, employees can log in and complete short modules at a time and place that’s convenient for them. There’s no need for your company to book out expensive conference rooms, or hire instructors and facilitators – with online learning, you can save your company money and cause less disruption to employee productivity.

With the help of some training to educate your team, you can dramatically reduce the risk of workplace incidents across your organisation. By committing to employee health and safety you’ll also be lowering the chance of financial implications for your business.

Why you need safety training in the automotive industry

While just about everyone has heard of eLearning and knows that it offers benefits, few understand the gravity of what online training courses accomplish, especially in certain industries. Because the real estate industry is ever-changing and currently going through a boom, online training is more critical than ever.

If you have a real estate firm and you want your agents to offer the best service possible to buyers and sellers, now is the perfect time to take advantage of a multitude of online training courses. In exchange, you will notice a boost in morale and productivity, a higher level of satisfied clients, and a greater return on investment. Instead of allowing other real estate companies to gain a competitive edge, take action today.

For starters, eLearning is a type of educational system that allows real estate professionals to complete formalized training via the internet and a computer.

Thanks to the rapid progression of eLearning and tremendous advances in technology, people in real estate can learn almost anything by taking the right online courses. In addition to training that focuses solely on real estate, your staff can complete courses that help with personal development. These two achievements combined make your agents more efficient, which in turn, positively affects interactions with buyers and sellers.

Keeping Pace – Of all industries, real estate is one of the fastest growing and changing. With proper online training, your team can get up-to-speed on trends and policies. As a result, they bolster their current knowledge base, which benefits them, your company, and the clients.

State Requirements – By taking online courses, you agents can complete the required number of hours for continuing education. That way, they keep their license current and in good standing.

Convenience – Because most agents maintain extremely busy schedules, it is virtually impossible to attend classes on a traditional college campus. With eLearning, your agents and other staff members can complete courses based on their schedules. Ultimately, they gain the knowledge they need while in the comfort and safety of their homes.

Ethical Real Estate Firm – As the owner of a real estate firm, you want everything done by the books. From an ethical and legal standpoint, eLearning makes that possible.

Expanding Skills – In addition to maintaining a real estate license, your agents can use online training courses as a way of expanding their current skill set. For example, if you have an agent who works with residential buyers and sellers but has interest in the commercial side of real estate, that individual can complete the appropriate courses in preparation for getting a commercial real estate license.

Facts and Figures – Another reason for offering your agents online training is that it helps them understand many of the complex facts and figures that go along with real estate. Whether they are working with buyers or sellers, there is a significant volume of number crunching and calculations in this industry. After completing courses, your agents will have the knowledge required to perform optimally, and at the same time, come across to clients as an authority in all aspects of real estate.

Safety – There is even the safety aspect of real estate to consider. Sadly, some agents have experienced scary situations when showing homes or commercial properties. With safety courses provided online specifically designed for this market, your staff will know how to spot warning signs and the correct actions to take.

Learning from Industry Leaders – When taking online courses through a reputable source, your staff has the opportunity to learn directly from real estate professionals. In fact, with so many courses available, they can focus on experts who provide training in a particular area of real estate. Although books certainly help, taking courses from someone who stands out as a respected leader is a more efficient and effective method of learning.

Marketing – With real estate, marketing plays a critical role. Along with more traditional real estate topics, your agents can complete courses that focus specifically on marketing. As a result, they will learn new strategies for spreading the word about a specific property. Instead of advertising and hoping that the right buyer or seller bites, your agents will see a significant increase in closed deals.

eLearning helps people think outside of the box. Your agents will have the knowledge they need to come up with creative ideas that yield incredible results. In exchange for online training courses that improve client satisfaction and agent and staff capabilities, you will enjoy watching your real estate firm grow beyond your expectations.

Why eLearning is important for the real estate industry

Want to get the best out of your team? Help staff reach their full potential by developing an effective employee training plan for each individual team member.

Employee training plans are the best way to empower and motivate employees to reach their goals, improving their skill set and productivity and achieving the best results for the organisation.

These days, employee training and development plans have become an essential tool for successful companies and organisations as they have significant benefits for both employees and their managers.

Let’s look closer at why employee training plans are so important for the success of your business.

How Employee Training Plans Benefit Staff

Did you know that lack of opportunity for advancement and growth is the leading source of stress in the workplace? Ranked even higher than low salaries?

Clearly, employees place a lot of value on working for an employer who supports their career growth. By providing sufficient and ongoing training to your employees, you’re showing your commitment to their professional development.

What’s more, employees who receive ongoing training at work report being happier in their roles than those who are either untrained and in over their heads, or unchallenged and feeling stagnant. In fact, over half of today’s workforce considers professional development to be a contributing factor in their job satisfaction.

Making sure that your workers feel continually motivated, challenged, and satisfied in their roles is an important part of being a good manager and employer.

How Employee Training Benefits Your Business

For the younger generation in particular, it seems that the ability to participate in ongoing training at work has become much more of a ‘must have’, rather than a ‘nice to have.’

In fact, today’s workers seem to expect their employers to provide proper training programs and professional development opportunities for their staff.

Being neglectful or dismissive of employee training is likely to lead to a higher staff turnover rate for your organisation, as staff are left unsatisfied with learning opportunities. And we all know high turnover is bad for business, financially and in terms of reputation.

In contrast, putting the proper energy into staff development makes for a more positive workplace culture, which in turn has a positive impact on performance and results. Employees are also likely to pass on new skills and knowledge to their teams, and in turn, the organisation.

With technology developing at such a rapid pace, investing a bit of time, money and energy into training plans is simply good business – employees can continually refresh and upgrade their skill sets to keep pace with advancements and best practices in the industry.

Now that you can see the benefits, how do you go about developing an employee training plan?

Managers: schedule time to sit down with each team member to work out an effective training plan. This plan will identify their individual goals, strategies and desired outcomes for learning and development.

Each employee’s training plan will be personalised and tailored to their learning needs, to make sure they keep learning, developing and growing within their role, organisation and industry.

In this way, an employee training plan is an important management tool that allows both manager and staff member to look at where an employee is right now in their career, and how they can get to where they want to be in the future. Think of it as an action plan, outlining how to get from A to B!

The training plan will help staff to continually refresh or develop their skills in many different areas. These can be role-specific skills, for example graphic design, or skills that are focused more on personal development, such as becoming more resilient to change, responding well to feedback or dealing with challenging situations or people.

Taking the time to work with your team members on their professional and personal development will help them feel engaged, supported and more in charge of their career path and future.

A career in the retail industry can be very exciting, challenging and rewarding.

As a retail assistant, salesperson, or call centre operator, you have the opportunity to connect with customers, either face-to-face or via phone, to find the best products, solutions or services for their lifestyle.

However, as with any customer-focused industry, the retail sector also has its challenges. You need to be prepared to work in a very fast-paced, competitive, high-pressure environment, that is known for its quick turnover of staff.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re taking part in ongoing training and development, to keep your retail skills sharp and up-to-date, while carving out a rewarding career pathway in the industry.

Let’s look closer at the importance of professional development in retail.

There are certain skills that will help you succeed in the retail industry.

Obviously, customer service is first and foremost. But you need to drill down and look at the skills that make up a great customer service experience.

Interacting with customers is more than just matching a product to their needs. It’s also about communication, building trust, handling complaints, problem solving, and collaboration.

Training can also help you improve your skills in important areas such as motivation, productivity, time management and handling deadlines.

Fortunately, these are all ‘soft skills’ that can be developed and continually improved upon, adding so much value to the experience of your customer and helping you succeed in your retail career.

Employers – Be Committed to Employee Development

If you’re reading this as a retail employer, remember – your staff are your best asset.

These days, many retail workers are looking for more than just a pay cheque. People want to work for companies that show a commitment to their employees’ professional development. Without this, staff can feel unmotivated, unappreciated, and ‘stuck’ in their jobs.

This creates a negative work culture, so helping employees to progress and reach their true potential is a win-win solution and well worth the investment. Well trained staff are more efficient and effective and produce higher quality work, meaning less time, money and resources wasted. A good training program gives employees the skills and confidence they need to progress through the ranks and become an asset to your organisation.

With ongoing training, staff are also less likely to be involved in workplace accidents. They’ll require less supervision, which will free up you and your management team, and help to keep your business more safety compliant.

The Importance of Training in High Turnover Industries

As we said earlier, the retail industry is known for its high turnover of staff.

Professional development training has been shown to increase staff retention, minimising the cost of staff turnover and loss of company knowledge.

Hiring and recruiting staff costs a considerable amount of money. As does onboarding and initial training for new employees. So it’s important to hold onto new hires as best you can, as retaining staff is the best way to reduce future hiring and training costs.

As an employer, you need to offer staff a strong, positive and supportive work environment and culture. One that fosters leadership and collaboration. Establishing this kind of company culture is your best bet of retaining employees in high turnover industries, such as retail.

In a work environment that supports employee development, staff will be more productive, creative and innovative – and far less likely to leave!

Online Training Courses for the Retail Industry

Whether you’re a salesperson, call centre operator, or retail supervisor, you can benefit from expanding your skill set through online training.

One of the best ways to learn and develop new skills, or improve your current skills, is to enroll in online training courses. You’ll be able to increase your knowledge of the retail sector and work on developing your soft skills for professional development.

Spending time on online training will also show your current or prospective employer that you have the ability to take the initiative and work hard for your career goals – all impressive qualities in an employee!

Why professional development in retail is important

Want to get ahead in your real estate career, or get your foot in the door of this competitive industry?

Good communication skills are at the top of the list when it comes to being a successful real estate professional. No matter what part of the sales process you’re involved in – connecting with customers, negotiating contracts, closing a sale – it all comes back to clear and effective communication.

Think back to your own experiences with real estate agents – was it a positive or negative experience? There’s no doubt that an agent’s attitude and communication style can make or break a deal.

That’s why it’s so important that industry professionals invest time, energy and money into communication training.

The Benefits of Communication Training for Agents

Whether you’re keen to pursue a career in the real estate industry, or are hoping to make your way up the corporate ladder, improving your communication skills is essential.

Being successful in the real estate industry is about more than just sales numbers. As a real estate professional, you need to know how to connect with customers, communicate, negotiate and close the deal. As with all sales roles, there’s a very human element when it comes to selling homes and properties.

Remember – at its core, real estate is a people business. And to forge successful connections with people, you need to know how to communicate effectively. This will have a massive impact on your sales figures and career success.

Developing Your Communication Skills for Real Estate

Jean Gordon, from Estate Agent Stars, believes “poor communication from real estate agents is one of the biggest frustrations for people who are buying or selling property.”

“It’s so important that agents stay in constant contact with their clients and customers,” she says. However – and this is the tricky part – you want to make sure that you’re communicating with your clients just the right amount. You don’t want to overwhelm or swamp potential buyers. Just as you don’t want to be hard to reach or appear disinterested.

Getting your timing right with communication is one of the most critical aspects of working in the real estate industry, with agents responsible for keeping all parties updated and across any issues throughout the whole sales process. Without clear, effective communication, you’ll fail to establish positive working relationships with your potential customers.

It’s a good idea to find out how your buyers prefer to be contacted – would they prefer to be contacted by phone, text message, or email? Being a good communicator means adapting your communication style to suit your customer or client.

Be Aware of Other Aspects of Communication

Good communication is also much more than just how you talk with your clients. It encompasses other aspects such as written communication, active listening, and even your body language.

As Gordon reminds us, remember that in the real estate industry your written communication skills are just as important as your verbal communication skills.

“If you are using a text message or email to communicate with buyers, ensure that all spelling, grammar, sentence structure and information is correct.”

It’s also important to remember that communication is a two-way process – so you might want to spend some time on improving your active listening skills also. This can be very beneficial for real estate workers, as it helps agents to establish a clear idea of what your vendor or buyer actually wants. You’ll be able to establish specific details about the type of property they are looking for and the time period they think they will own or live in the property.

Body language – communicated through our facial expressions, posture, and use of gestures – also plays a role in the impression we give to potential clients and buyers. Improving your communication skills will help you learn more about using your body language in a positive way.

Online Communication Training for Real Estate Professionals

Ready to get started on improving your communication skills? You can use online courses to improve your industry skills and boost your results, putting you one step ahead of the competition.

Whether you’re just starting out in the real estate industry, or looking to develop and build on your property management skills, online real estate training can help you. By learning new techniques in these areas, you can significantly hone your skills and increase your performance and sales.

Online courses make it easier and more convenient for you to learn when and where you want, allowing you to develop your professional skills from the comfort of your own home.

With Go1’s online courses, we aim to provide you with high quality online training resources. Real estate professionals have access to everything they need to know about registration and licensing, property management skills, successful sales techniques, auctioneering, real estate administration – and communication.

Take a look through our online communication courses and get started today.

Why communication training in real estate is essential

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