While an extremely popular component of the Intel® Retail Edge Program is the opportunity it offers your participating sales associates to earn great prizes†, rewards, and discounts, its real impact lies in educating them.

“Want to say you guys have been very helpful in my journey as a sales associate. I was so lost, specifically in computer sales with most of my interactions with customers, and you guys have assisted me in growing so much from customer skills to product knowledge. Now I can finally feel confident when I am in the computer section and am making a big sale.”  Intel® Retail Edge Program member

The Program consists of educational and professional development sections that work in conjunction with each other to create a holistic design to increase the knowledge and motivation levels of your sales associates.

A few of these sections include:

1. Learn

This section offers Learning activities on everything from Intel® processors and technologies to sales tips to use when interacting with customers. 

In a recent survey, 81 percent of active members find the Learning activities very useful.‡

2. Partner Showcase

This section of the site features content from technology partners1 that includes valuable information about all types of devices and partner-specific technology.

In a recent survey, 86 percent of active members indicate Learning activities in the Partner Showcase give them all the information they need to sell a specific brand or device.‡

3. Intel® Retail Edge Pro

Sales associates can find advanced, technical Learning content focused on specific tracks such as Intel® Processors Professional, Device Professional, Technologies Professional, and Sales Skills Professional.

In a recent survey, 90 percent of active members found the Intel® Retail Edge Pro useful to them. ‡

4. Community

This section is all about sharing knowledge and includes Blogs, Message Boards, News, and more.

In a recent survey, 69 percent of active members feel the Community aspect of the Intel® Retail Edge Program is better than other programs in which they participate.‡

5. Resources

This section is full of easy-to-access educational information and tools such as Processor Comparison page, a Glossary of Definitions, and the Intel® Retail Experience Tool (RXT), which can be used right on the salesfloor with customers.

Learning activities in the Program are presented in different types of formats to accommodate the varying learning styles and preferences of your sales associates.

In a recent survey, 46% percent of active members use the information learned from the Program on a daily basis and 40 percent apply it weekly.‡

Critical Mass and Manager Support

It stands to reason that when more associates per store participate, the denser your knowledge base becomes. This creates better customer interactions and more opportunities to sell not just devices, but the right devices based on product capability to customer need. 

When the percentage of in-store associates with product knowledge increases, so does the amount of product sold per week. With management buy-in and support, the Intel® Retail Edge Program product training becomes more impactful on sales and customer relationships and employees become more engaged, motivated, and empowered. 

Encouraging associates to drive their own professional development not only helps them in their careers, their increased knowledge lifts your bottom line. 

The importance of management support, or the lack thereof, on employee training cannot be overstated. It directly impacts so many areas including:

• Employee turnover rate

• Product knowledge

• Morale

• Customer loyalty

• Engagement with employer, coworkers, and consumers

A Community and Trusted Resource for Learning

Over the last 15 years, we’ve worked side-by-side with our retail partners to create a powerful Community where sales associates—and managers—can:

• Learn about Intel® products and technologies

• Share information with each other and with the Program

• Earn prizes†, rewards, and discounts

We all appreciate the opportunity to win or earn something tangible in return for our time and efforts. It’s important to remember winning or earning doesn’t only come in form of prizes†, rewards, or discounts. By encouraging and supporting the voluntary training efforts of your sales associates, their increased knowledge and capabilities allows your store to win with increased device sales and more satisfied customers. 

Encourage your sales associates to participate in the Intel® Retail Edge Program and reap the benefits of a more knowledgeable and capable sales team.

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn*. It has been updated for accuracy and freshness.

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