Villeroy & Boch – 360 Selling

Background

Challenge

The retail environment is ever-changing, and a global pandemic is just one of the challenges that the organization has had to face over the past few years.

Villeroy & Boch initially partnered with Learning Pool in 2018 to create its Brand Ambassador Program which took on a blended learning approach with online elements delivered using Learning Pool Platform. More recently, the business was looking to develop a refreshed sales program for its Dining and Lifestyle retail staff to help promote the brand as well as boost sales conversion.

Solution

The newly devised sales program: ‘360° Selling’ is, at its core, a traditional sales program, however, it also incorporates new elements such as information on how visual merchandizing affects sales and how retail staff can utilize digital technology and social media to assist with sales conversion.

Like V&Bs Brand Ambassador Program, this new sales training program is delivered as a blended learning experience with seven online learning modules, delivered via Learning Pool Platform.

This is supplemented with five live webinars aimed at store managers, who then cascade learning to other team members. Learning Pool Authoring is used to create, publish, and launch content directly from the resources section in Learning Pool Platform so this can be added to the learning experience instantly.

Using xAPI, Learning Pool Learning Record Store is used to bring all the data together and to provide the infrastructure to allow the automation of the learning and administration tasks.

Response

“In order to ensure the brand is being presented in its best light, to boost conversion and average transaction values we must renew our sales programs regularly in line with the needs to the business. We are pleased with the latest 360° sales program and while our first cohort has not completed the programs as yet we are expecting to see good results. The use of Learning Pool Automation has made a huge difference to our experience this time as the department lost one member of staff and would have struggled to cope without the automation that Learning Pool Automation provides. Once set up, it has totally automated the delivery of the modules and provides reminders and nudges when a new level is available or when they are overdue to complete it. To do this manually would have been impossible.”

Kirstie Carson, Villeroy and Boch International Sales Academy

Results

The original Brand Ambassador Program showed significant increases with both customer conversion and average transaction value when this was benchmarked against the previous year’s data. The new 360° sales program is hoped to deliver similar results when it reaches the end of its cycle with the first cohort.

Looking to the future

In the near future, V&Bs L&D team hopes to develop yet another blended learning program centered around leadership training for its store managers.