Are the attributes of your training programs couched in words and phrases such as “effective,” “efficient,” “thorough,” “aligned with the organization's mission,” and “delivered on budget”?

Does that sound dry and uninspiring to you? Just imagine how it sounds to your employees. In some cases, it might conjure up visions of tedious hours of monotone lectures accompanied by endless bulleted slides in 14-point type. Back seats in the training room are generally highly prized during these types of presentations.

These types of scenarios are most likely missing one of the most essential elements of successful training or learning environments, fun. Fun is like a turbocharger for training. It creates inspired, motivated, and engaged sales associates, all of which leads to increased knowledge acquisition and recall. 

Lessons Learned Regarding Fun

The Intel® Retail Edge Program knows about fun. Over the last 15 years, we’ve learned that sales associates don’t want to read dry product specifications brochures to understand the benefits of a product to their customers. Nor do they savor learning about the latest techniques in customer engagement or closing sales in lecture format.

We’ve integrated Intel® product and technology information into a "gamified" online learning environment where educational material is delivered in easily digestible modules through a variety of learning mediums. 

Better yet, it’s chock-full of opportunities for associates to be rewarded for participation and completion of Learning activities. 

The Program strives to make information easily accessible accessing information easy from a PC browser or mobile app. Thus, your sales team gains new knowledge, in a fun way, and at times that are convenient for them. 

In-store interactive tools such as the Intel® Retail Experience Tool (RXT) include elements of fun that can be enjoyed by associates and customers alike as they are guided to the perfect device to fit the specific needs of these customers.

Fun Is Engaging

The key benefit to fun training is engagement. When associates engage, they process new information more deeply, which leads to faster learning and higher retention. They involve not only the cognitive portions of their brain but they make an emotional connection with the material as well.

As associates learn on their own toward meaningful goals, engagement becomes deeper. Autonomous learning is a central feature of the Intel® Retail Edge Program. This adds to sales associates' intrinsic motivations, which is augmented by extrinsic rewards as they complete Learning activities.

Team Learning Adds More Fun

When sales associates participate in Intel® Retail Edge Program seasonal or annual events and campaigns, they have the opportunity to win amazing prizes†. These campaigns are loads of fun for associates and managers alike plus they are learning a great deal about Intel® products and technologies and the latest PC devices along the way. 

Our biggest annual event, Score with Intel® Core™, provides the perfect opportunity for teambuilding. Associates work as a team against other stores. Not only does this friendly competition offer opportunities for individual and store rewards, it allows stores to give back to their local communities through K-12 school donations. This kind of fun is truly fulfilling.

The Intel® Retail Edge Program is infused with plenty of fun and motivation to learn. The different types of learning methods incorporated reduce the notorious learning decay curve, which indicates how much information someone retains after learning something new. Forgetting what is just learned isn’t going to drive a lot of device sales.

Find out how the Intel® Retail Edge Program incorporates the ingredient of fun into the Learning activities and campaigns that have helped so many sales associates close more sales and create better customer experiences.

References:

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is a participant’s sole responsibility to review and understand his/her company’s policies regarding participation in promotions such as this. The awarding of any prizes to potential winners will be subject to such company policies. If, for whatever reason, any potential winner is unable to accept a prize due to company policies or for any other reason, the prize may be forfeited. Sponsor will have no further obligation to such winner, and Sponsor has the right to award the prize to an alternate winner. Winners must be in good standing and employed at a participating store location (as stated above) at the time the prize is to be provided.

†Program members from Quebec are not eligible to win prizes. But can still earn Chips by completing the weekly competition Learning activities.

*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

© 2017, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Core, Intel Live, and the Intel Retail Edge Program are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.