7/2/25
Back-to-school. Black Friday. Holiday season. These high-volume sales periods can make or break your quarterly numbers. For retail managers, these peak sales cycles are critical business moments.
Is your retail sales team ready for the surge?
Customer foot traffic alone doesn’t drive sales. Product knowledge, sales skills, and confidence on the sales floor do. The best way to build all three before the next peak hits is through consistent, focused training delivered at the right time with the right tools.
Let’s break down why seasonal success starts long before the season does—and how you can use training to give your store a competitive edge when it matters most.
Customers who walk in during the back-to-school or holiday season typically have one thing in common: they’re ready to buy. But they also come in with higher expectations, more questions, and bigger decisions to make.
Some things they may want to know include:
These aren’t generic transactions. They’re personalized tech purchases. If your associates find it challenging to confidently answer these types of questions, you might be missing out on sales opportunities or sales to competitors.
That’s why seasonal training is essential.
This year’s Score with Intel® Core™: It’s Ultra Personal competition is designed to prepare retail associates for the back-to-school season and beyond.
With a sharp focus on the latest AI PCs powered by Intel, this gamified training experience gives your team the product knowledge and customer conversation skills they’ll need to succeed on the floor.
Associates learn how AI-powered PCs enhance everyday tasks for students, creators, and multitaskers and how to confidently explain those benefits to customers. Plus, they’re doing it while earning rewards, climbing leaderboards, giving back to their local communities, and having fun along the way.
Make this competition your store’s pre-season training camp. Register your store today (competition ends July 30, 2025) and encourage full team participation. The earlier your team builds this knowledge, the stronger they’ll perform during the rush.
The best sales floors don’t react to peak seasons. They prepare for them.
Training weeks before a high-traffic period gives associates the time they need to absorb new product knowledge, brush up on sales strategies, and get comfortable explaining tech like Intel® Core™ Ultra processors and AI PC capabilities.
Even just 5 to 10 minutes a day on the Intel® Retail Edge Program platform can make a huge difference. Associates learn how to:
Start promoting training well in advance. Make it part of your prep plan, just like you would with merchandising or scheduling. Your future self will thank you when the sales floor is running smoothly on days of the rush.
Let’s be honest: even your most experienced team members can get thrown off during busy seasons. Long lines, tech-savvy customers, and rapid-fire questions can rattle anyone.
That’s where preparation through training becomes a secret weapon.
When associates enter peak season with up-to-date knowledge and clear selling strategies, they’re better at answering questions, handling pressure, guiding conversations, and closing higher-value sales.
Sales teams that train together perform better together. They know how to support one another, spot selling opportunities, and keep customers happy, even when the store’s packed.
One of the most effective ways to get your team engaged in seasonal training is by tapping into promotions and competitions, like Score with Intel® Core™: It’s Ultra Personal.
The Intel® Retail Edge Program regularly offers themed events around key retail cycles, offering:
These events turn training into something associates actually want to participate in, boosting completion rates and retention. Once the season begins, that enthusiasm directly translates to better service and stronger sales.
Encourage your team to compete as a group. Set internal milestones, shout out progress, and celebrate wins. This will boost morale and make training part of your store’s culture.
You may be training for the season, but the benefits last much longer.
Preparing for peak sales cycles helps your store operate at a higher level year-round.
Every manager understands the stress that comes during peak seasons. However, the managers who plan ahead—who consider training essential rather than optional—are the ones who consistently meet their goals and develop stronger teams.
The Intel® Retail Edge Program makes it easy to engage and train your sales associates with mobile-friendly modules, gamified learning, and real rewards for performance.
Peak season is coming. Is your team ready?
Get more information about the Intel® Retail Edge Program to learn how it can help you ensure that your team is equipped to sell, serve, and succeed during the most critical sales cycles of the year.
Notices and Disclaimers
© Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
