The Furniture Training Company (www.furnituretrainingcompany.com) announces that RoomStore, one of the 25 largest furniture retailers in America, has successfully completed its pilot of the Fundamentals of Furniture Product Knowledge online furniture training program at 5 retail store locations during the first quarter of 2007. RoomStore will now expand its use of the interactive multimedia training into 25 Mid-Atlantic States stores.
Speaking of his enthusiasm for the online training, John Hamilton, Senior Vice-president of Human Resources at RoomStore said, “After looking for opportunities to enhance our sales associate’s confidence and improve their level of knowledge about furniture products, we chose The Furniture Training Company’s on-line Fundamentals training. The training’s accessibility, testing, and ease of use were important to our decision. Our initial pilot test was so well received that we've now rolled out the product into a substantial number of our locations.”
Fundamentals of Furniture Product Knowledge online training consists of 36 multimedia training lessons. These lessons train sales associates in all aspects of case goods, upholstered furniture, beds, bedding, fibers, fabric, leather furniture, and rugs. Corporate, regional, and store executives can manage and track associate progress using the system’s extensive on-line management reports.
The easy to use and engaging Fundamentals lessons can each be completed in 15 to 20 minutes. By going on-line, sales associates can complete their furniture product knowledge training anywhere in the world at anytime, and at their own pace. When associates pass each lesson’s test, they receive a certificate of completion as evidence of their product knowledge proficiency and their progress. Their scores are then recorded in the program tracking system.
Both new and experienced furniture sales associates at RoomStore will benefit by completing this training. With sufficient product knowledge they can increase their sales by being able to correctly answer customers’ questions and make confident suggestions about furniture styles, construction, and materials. They will also be better able to close sales with confidence because they have been properly trained in the value of the products they sell.
All sales associates who successfully complete the lessons in the Fundamentals program become “Fundamentals Certified.” This is a significant accomplishment and indicates a high level of expertise in furniture knowledge. Employees who become certified receive, by mail, a quality certificate suitable for framing and a handsome pewter lapel pin from the Furniture Training Company.
Furniture Retailers and manufacturers interested in the Fundamentals of Furniture Product Knowledge program may take an online tour of the training and sign-up for a free trial by going online at http://www.furnituretrainingcompany.com/f_tour.php.
In June of this year, the Furniture Training Company will release its next online training program for the furniture industry, SalesForce: Selling with Service. This interactive multimedia program, which features streaming video and interactive learning activities, will teach sales associates how to increase their closing rate and average sale by increasing their skills in greeting customers, assessing customers needs, presenting appropriate furniture solutions, closing sales with confidence, and handling customer objections.
About RoomStore: RoomStore was founded in 1992 by a renowned furniture family that established its first retail store in 1910. RoomStore began with four stores in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex in August 1992. Since 1992 RoomStore has grown to more than 60 stores in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Texas and Louisiana by offering customers the best furniture and accessory values available. With over $350 million a year in sales, RoomStore is one of the 25 largest furniture retailers in America. Visit www.roomstore.com.
About The Furniture Training Company: The Furniture Training Company is a business of LetterPress Software, Inc. that provides technology-based training services to the retail furniture industry. Since 2001 they have been providing training services to furniture retailers world-wide, from single-store independents to large retail furniture chains and department stores. The Furniture Training Company was established in the fall of 2006 to better service the furniture industry. Visit www.furnituretrainingcompany.com.