{"id":45773,"date":"2026-04-07T01:48:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/?p=45773"},"modified":"2026-04-10T13:08:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T09:08:56","slug":"how-to-motivate-frontline-employees-in-retail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/how-to-motivate-frontline-employees-in-retail","title":{"rendered":"Retail Training: Motivating Frontline Associates to Stay, Learn, Contribute, and Grow"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Properly trained sales staff and qualified merchandisers are the face of your brand. Their work can keep your customers engaged and loyal and keep your business thriving.\u00a0The glamour of customer-facing retail comes from your careful planning behind the scenes. Market research, logistics, and financing are critical parts of a retail business. But customers interact with the frontline staff.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This is why service skills training is so important for organizations in retail. In this article, you\u2019ll learn about the why and the how behind frontline associate skills training and get an expert perspective from an experienced CEO.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-45777\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Natalie-Taylor-and-Mary-Beth-Garcia.webp\" alt=\"Natalie Taylor and Mary Beth Garcia\" width=\"700\" height=\"495\" \/><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nataliet121\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Natalie Taylor<\/a> is the Senior eLearning Consultant at iSpring. She helps businesses reboot employee training with online technologies to increase revenue and achieve organizational goals. Natalie has helped 270 companies in North America tailor eLearning to their specific needs.<\/p>\n<p>Mary Beth Garcia is the Owner and CEO at<a href=\"https:\/\/mohrretail.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow\"> MOHR Retail<\/a>. Mary Beth has worked with a variety of retail and hospitality clients as a strategic partner, delivering leadership and retail coaching. Prior to her consulting work, she spent more than 20 years in retail management and operations, holding numerous leadership positions in sales, store, district, and regional management and corporate training and operations.<\/p>\n<p>This interview is brought to you by iSpring L&amp;D Consulting with minor modifications. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ispringsolutions.com\/consulting-request\">iSpring L&amp;D Consulting<\/a> specializes in the selection of optimal solutions for corporate training, depending on the business needs and industry specifics. Feel free to access the website and request help free of charge by answering a quick survey about your training strategy.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019d like to delve deeper into retail employee training, check out the webinar recording featuring our speakers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"responsive_iframe_wrapper\">\u200b\n<div class=\"responsive_iframe\" style=\"padding-bottom: 56.25%\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b-m8EZTbKwQ?controls=0\" width=\"700\" height=\"393\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"The-Role-of-Training-in-Meeting-Customer-Needs\">The Role of Training in Meeting Customer Needs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: So today, let\u2019s focus on frontline associates and their skills training. It\u2019s not enough to onboard your new hires efficiently. It takes ensuring proper employee development throughout their career by means of quality on-the-job, compliance and product training, as well as upskilling and reskilling.<\/p>\n<p>So, Mary Beth, what is service skills training in the retail industry, and why is it important?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: It depends, it really depends on the customer, the retailer, and what the service expectation is for them. It can run from fast, friendly, and efficient for your big box retailers in grocery, to very high-touch or personalized service and clienteling for more high fashion and high-end retailers. So, it\u2019s important to know what your customers\u2019 needs are, and really what their expectations are. Because that\u2019s going to define what your service level is, and then the training and service standards that you must put into place to be able to meet those standards.<\/p>\n<p>So, having good customer service standards, and meeting customers where they are with what they want, is really the first step in building loyalty.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: That makes sense. And what is the easiest way to define the level of service? So, let\u2019s say I decided to run a retail business. And what is the first step for me? What is the easiest way to define the level of service?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: Well, as I said, you really need to know what your customers expect. So that means that you must be able to determine their needs and find out exactly what they looking for in their shopping experience.<\/p>\n<p>I think time is important for customers today. So, efficiency even in high-end retail and clienteling is going to be important. But the most important thing is you\u2019ve got to make it a comfortable environment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"phrase\">\n<p class=\"phrase_text\">And that starts with the environment you create for your associates and that frontline worker. When they feel good and comfortable, they\u2019re going to create a welcoming environment for your customers.<\/p>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-45775\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mary-Beth-Garcia.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"66\" \/>\n<div class=\"phrase_author_wrapper\">\n<p class=\"phrase_author\">Mary Beth Garcia<\/p>\n<p class=\"phrase_author_post\">Retail Expert &amp; CEO<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-45782\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/The-Role-of-Training-in-Meeting-Customer-Needs.webp\" alt=\"The Role of Training in Meeting Customer Needs\" width=\"700\" height=\"336\" \/><\/div>\n<p>There isn\u2019t a customer who wants to be frowned at. Some want to pick items out themselves; they just want direction. Others want to be guided; they want that high-touch experience. So, it is about determining what your client, your customer\u2019s needs are, and making sure that you meet them and don\u2019t waste their time.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Benefits-of-Proper-Retail-Training\">Benefits of Proper Retail Training<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: Okay. Well, there is no denying that the right training strategy can help your employees develop stronger sales, improve communication skills, and greatly increase productivity. And all of this will result in more sales.<\/p>\n<p>But what other benefits can retail businesses reap from a well-conceived training strategy?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: Well, I think that everyone\u2019s heard ad nauseam about the Big Resignation and how it has hit the service, restaurant, and retail industries the most.<\/p>\n<p>So, the first thing is that training can benefit your business by engaging your associates. They\u2019ll want to stay, thus reducing turnover. I think that\u2019s probably the biggest key because customers like to see the same folks. It\u2019s nice, especially if they know them and greet them by name. I think that\u2019s important.<\/p>\n<div class=\"phrase\">\n<p class=\"phrase_text\">There\u2019s no training as an event. It\u2019s a process. It\u2019s ongoing, and it\u2019s always evolving just in time.<\/p>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-45775\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mary-Beth-Garcia.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"66\" \/>\n<div class=\"phrase_author_wrapper\">\n<p class=\"phrase_author\">Mary Beth Garcia<\/p>\n<p class=\"phrase_author_post\">Retail Expert &amp; CEO<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>There is a myth that more experienced, tenured sales associates don\u2019t need any more training. But retail has changed so much; it\u2019s one of the fastest changing environments. So, everything is going to be new. And so, there\u2019s always going to be opportunities to really light that spark, even for associates who have been there for a long time.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s critical for new associates to get the training to make them more confident. Because when they\u2019re more competent, they\u2019re more confident. Investing in training to get them to that level will be important.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bordered_text_block\">\n<p>I remember my early days in retail. I went through a one-day orientation, and I was a brand-new third keyholder, and I got the keys. \u201cThat\u2019s all, \u2018good luck\u2019 then.\u201d And I was petrified \u2013 might I set the alarm off? What could have happened? I was entrusted with the money, the deposits, and so forth. And I think that I was not confident. I can tell you that confidence is what\u2019s most important. And so, just like the associates feeling confident and comfortable, this makes customers far more confident.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>When customers see the same associates, it\u2019s comfortable for them. The customers trust us when they see the same associates, and they\u2019re getting that same level of service. We owe that to our customers to provide that level of service. And it really does start with providing that environment for the frontline associates.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: That was my guess as well. So, in my opinion, it basically can be related to any industry. If you\u2019re investing in your employees, it helps reduce turnover, improve customer service and satisfaction, and, of course, improve company image. People are important for every business. So, people are the key.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: Absolutely.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"What-Makes-a-Great-Customer-Experience\">What Makes a Great Customer Experience<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: Yeah. Okay. So, if we want our customers to return again and again and to recommend us to their family and friends, we must provide a great customer experience.<\/p>\n<p>But what makes up a great customer experience?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: Well, again, it depends. Everybody\u2019s expectations are a little bit different. And so, a knowledgeable salesperson asks great questions to determine the customer\u2019s needs and helps them based on how they respond.<\/p>\n<p>So, listening is extremely important. There might be items of the day and spiffs in retail that are on promotion, that you can get a couple of dollars for selling. And you just need to be able to suggest that to the customer. But you need to react to the customers about what they expressed as a need.<\/p>\n<p>The great experience is when a customer feels they\u2019ve been heard. And so, I think that you not only ask questions to determine their needs. You listen to what they are requesting, and then you respond to that.<\/p>\n<p>As I mentioned before, when it comes to shopping, time is important for everybody. I don\u2019t think anyone says they have all the time in the world. Furthermore, I haven\u2019t heard that in 20 years. So, I think being respectful of people\u2019s time, really getting to what their needs are, and being able to service them quickly is important for a customer\u2019s experience.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-45780\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/The-3-pillars-of-customer-experience.webp\" alt=\"The three componets of success in retail\" width=\"700\" height=\"579\" \/><\/div>\n<p>What I recommend is that the sales and service training must really determine what the customer\u2019s needs are and be flexible regarding those needs and what the customer tells you. Then you need to be able to teach your associates how to respond accordingly. So, that has a lot to do with making that customer experience special.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Customer-Experiences-in-Physical-and-Online-Stores\">Customer Experiences in Physical and Online Stores<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: Is there any actual difference between the customer experience of a physical retailer and that of an online store? If yes, what is the difference?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: Yeah, absolutely. I think the in-store experience provides the salesperson with more cues. They\u2019re able to read body language, facial expressions, and have both verbal and nonverbal cues. They can interact and engage more freely by reading these cues. There is great, amazing software technology now that can really create that experience, but it\u2019s a lonely experience.<\/p>\n<p>I always believe feedback is a gift, and it\u2019s a gift having someone that\u2019s knowledgeable be able to provide and learn a little bit more about my needs as a customer.<\/p>\n<p>So far, the chat box and similar technological things like that haven\u2019t worked. But let\u2019s face it: the convenience of shopping online and getting it delivered to your home and office 24\/7 is amazing. And I think that\u2019s extremely important, and that\u2019s something that\u2019s just grown, especially in the last 10 years, but mostly since the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>I want to give a big shout-out to live shopping. And what I\u2019m seeing, what I\u2019m reading in all the retail reports, and what we\u2019re hearing from our clients, is that it\u2019s coming back. We\u2019re starting to get busier, and I\u2019m in the stores more and seeing a lot more customers.<\/p>\n<p>So, I think you can\u2019t duplicate the experience of holding that pot in your hand to see how heavy it is. That\u2019s the hardest part of being online, as you can\u2019t get that, you can\u2019t get that total shopping experience.<\/p>\n<p>I still think the human touch is extremely important, and it\u2019s a matter of meeting the customers where they are. Everyone is educated now, and most customers that walk into your stores have already been to your website and your social media sites.<\/p>\n<div class=\"phrase\">\n<p class=\"phrase_text\">It\u2019s important to have your associates as knowledgeable as your customers.<\/p>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-45775\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mary-Beth-Garcia.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"66\" \/>\n<div class=\"phrase_author_wrapper\">\n<p class=\"phrase_author\">Mary Beth Garcia<\/p>\n<p class=\"phrase_author_post\">\u00a0Retail Expert &amp; CEO<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>We have a more knowledgeable client base, and if they come into a store, we need to celebrate this because they\u2019ve gone through a lot of effort parking that car to get there. We need to really honor that they\u2019ve given us their time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: And again, human touch.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: Plus, I don\u2019t think there are any successful, tremendously successful retailers that are not omnichannel now.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"The-Skills-of-a-Good-Sales-Associate\">The Skills of a Good Sales Associate<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: Right. Okay. Then, the next question. You can help develop the sales and communication skills of your frontline employees. But do your employees need a basic set of personal skills to succeed in their career in retail? Are traits such as sociability, responsibility, and honesty critical to success?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: Well, that\u2019s a great question. I just read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inc.com\/tommy-mello\/hire-personality-attitude-not-skill-experience.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">an article<\/a> last week in Inc. magazine about top retail and service organizations that should hire for personality and fit in your culture over skill. And I think that\u2019s a big pendulum swing. You can train skills, but it\u2019s hard to train someone to really love serving people, be curious, and be excited about the retail business. I do believe there\u2019s truth in that.<\/p>\n<p>We use the <a href=\"https:\/\/mohrretail.com\/disc-profile-effective-retail-leadership\/\">DISC<\/a> assessment framework for everyone in our training. It\u2019s a personality style indicator. It\u2019s quick, but we never ever recommend that this be used for hiring or for promotions. Because it\u2019s just your DNA. It\u2019s who you are. And so, with that in mind, I would warn other retailers against trying to hire the big, exciting people that are always enthusiastic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper image_wrapper_caption_margin\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-45781\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/the-DISC-framework-MOHR-Retail.webp\" alt=\"the DISC framework MOHR Retail\" width=\"700\" height=\"464\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption_wrapper\">\n<p class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center\">Source: MOHR Retail<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>I don\u2019t believe that only outgoing, gregarious, aggressive people can sell. I have worked with some top salespeople that are really quiet and shy. They\u2019re excellent listeners to the customer, and then they listen and respond to that customer and wind up being in the top sales because they\u2019re able to understand and validate what the customers\u2019 needs are, and then service them.<\/p>\n<p>Good salespeople need to be authentic with a touch of chameleon, i.e., being able to flex outside their own comfort zone and natural style to engage with the customer. That takes a tremendous number of interpersonal skills. In the retail industry, you do have to be able to communicate effectively.<\/p>\n<p>Now, soft skills are effective communication skills, and they really do drive results. We believe in asking questions, giving acknowledgment, making eye contact, and having that personal touch, but asking questions to determine needs. But more important than listening and responding is listening to what they say.<\/p>\n<p>Now, soft skills are effective communication skills and they really do drive results. We really believe in asking questions, giving acknowledgment, making eye contact, and having that personal touch, but asking questions to determine needs. But more important than listening and responding is listening to what they say.<\/p>\n<p>A good sales and service person helps make the right, smart decision for the customer. Customers are going to give their money, their credit card, and wave their Apple Wallet across the counter when they feel comfortable and they feel confident in the decision.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Gamification-in-Retail-Training\">Gamification in Retail Training<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: Well, let\u2019s talk about motivation in training. While different types of learners can motivate themselves to study, some just sabotage training, truly believing they already know it all. So, gamification and achievements can do magic here, and employees thrive in a gently competitive atmosphere, and it motivates them to learn.<\/p>\n<p>So, Mary Beth, do you think this strategy would be helpful for training frontline employees?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: Yes, yes, and yes! Competition and retail go hand in hand. You need to make it fun and competitive. Retailers are always competing. We get a report card every day, TY\/LY comparisons, stretch goals, UPT (units per transaction), average sale, all those things.<\/p>\n<p>So, in the retail business, we have a dashboard that we used before dashboards were invented in technology and that we\u2019ve always subscribed to. Having that competition report card is very important. Competition in learning makes employees want to learn more. There\u2019s nothing that a training company would want more of, right?<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-45774\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Gamification-of-retail-training-in-iSpring-LMS.webp\" alt=\"Gamification of retail training in iSpring LMS\" width=\"700\" height=\"409\" \/><\/div>\n<p>And I think that having an online mobile gauge on the floor that can be accessed through a tablet is the real deal for frontline employees. It meets them where they are. And I think using brain science and gamification is extremely important because it resembles stretching before running. You\u2019re just getting your mind ready. It just jump-starts so that they can retain the information. So, I believe in it. We use it daily for reinforcement.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bordered_text_block\">\n<p>We don\u2019t believe in training as an event. When people register, we will start with an online app that they can download. We have a few questions about the course to get their baseline knowledge. They take the DISC profile, then they go through the series of virtual or live classroom trainings, and they\u2019re answering questions the whole time. The questions will get harder and harder. Along with gamification, with leaderboards, it helps them compete.<\/p>\n<p>Sales associates have training on their app from 90 to 120 days after going through a training class. So, they\u2019re still competing and they\u2019re still learning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>iSpring does things like that to help enhance the training, too. So, it really is important for growing and retaining knowledge, and enables continuous learning.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-45778\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Retail-onboarding-in-iSpring-LMS.webp\" alt=\"Retail onboarding \" width=\"700\" height=\"533\" \/><\/div>\n<p>The one thing I want to say is that it\u2019s not a one-size-fits-all approach. It can\u2019t all be online, because it must have the leadership, the mentoring, and the coaching parts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: I came across one research project recently and it said that gamification makes employees more productive, more engaged, and happier at work. Do you have any similar examples from your experience?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: Yeah. I think that Bubble Shooter is our number one game [laughing]. I can tell you that. But we have over 40 games and that seems to be the one that everybody likes to compete with.<\/p>\n<div class=\"phrase\">\n<p><em>When I talk to clients about gamification, I get the \u2018deer in the headlights\u2019 reaction sometimes, and they\u2019re thinking that their associates are going to be playing Candy Crush for hours, and they\u2019re going to be ignoring customers. Gamification is just when you can link training and current brain science.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"phrase_author_wrapper\">\n<p class=\"phrase_author\">Mary Beth Garcia<\/p>\n<p class=\"phrase_author_post\">\u00a0Retail Expert &amp; CEO<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Generations Y and Z, they\u2019ve all been born with a phone or tablet in their hand. So, technology is just part of life. And so, I think that for this generation we are, it\u2019s just natural that you combine it with learning and performance and make it fun because we\u2019ve got a world of gamers out there. And if we can attract them, we will succeed.<\/p>\n<p>And I mean, even things like Wordle. Everyone is involved in gaming of some sort at any age group. It\u2019s such acceptable behavior now. So, linking that to training is natural, and it will only help you, your people, be more engaged and learn more.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"The-Challenges-of-Implementing-Frontline-Associate-Training\">The Challenges of Implementing Frontline Associate Training<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: Well, there is no doubt that retail frontline employee training is very important for businesses. But carrying out effective training might not be so easy, right?<\/p>\n<p>And what are the challenges that learning and development and human resources specialists in the retail industry might face in terms of frontline employee training? Like how do we address issues such as choosing a location for training, distributing products, updating quickly, or reducing training costs?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: I think this goes into what we talked about, that there are a lot of shortages right now, staff shortages. It\u2019s always been hard to get salespeople off the floor, to get the payroll hours to be able to get them off the floor, to be able to learn. And so, I think that especially with the staff shortages now, it\u2019s even harder and harder. But pulling people away in a group meeting somewhere \u2013 I haven\u2019t seen it in years, and I don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to see that again.<\/p>\n<p>Three or four years ago, clients were like \u201cNo, we can\u2019t have them using their phone.\u201d And then we realized that, no, they\u2019re not going to be charging it for hours [1]\u00a0[2]\u00a0because they are loving this. They love learning, and they love doing that, and it\u2019s easier to make it accessible to them.<\/p>\n<p>So, the challenge is finding the time. You need to do a lot online. You have to make training mobile engaged, make it easy to do.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bordered_text_block\">\n<p>I would prioritize the accessibility to meet the front-line associates where they are, with the training in a tablet or mobile phone, making it quick and easy, and following up with store meetings, if you can have that.<\/p>\n<p>Also, if you can get those one-on-ones with a manager, it will be a great aid as well. Because people who just do online training or go to a training class, the chance of them using the skills are unfortunately from 16 to 24 percent. And that\u2019s not an acceptable performance for the return on investment. What happens though is when you can have the leader reinforce, it really gives them the permission to utilize the skills.<\/p>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t mean that the leader will be checking on employees and asking \u201cDid you go to the training? Did you complete the training? Is everything okay?\u201d That\u2019s not going to work. What we really need to talk about is \u201cWhat did you learn? What training was most impactful for you? What have you practiced?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When there is a top-down approach and the managers are involved, it goes up to 85 percent of the people who will use the training.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>You need to train the leaders as well because you can get them off the floor easier and you can get them to be better coaches and mentors so they can continue that one-on-one mentoring with the folks. Being able to coach is a part of training and development that we cannot underestimate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: Yeah. I agree with you 100%. Mentoring and coaching are helpful and useful when you need to develop specific skills.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"The-Necessity-of-a-Blended-Approach-in-Retail-Training\">The Necessity of a Blended Approach in Retail Training<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: Now, let\u2019s change direction a little bit and talk about training formats. Face-to-face training has many advantages, no doubt. But it\u2019s becoming less and less sustainable as business becomes more digital.<\/p>\n<p>Online training allows learners to take training across the globe at a time that works for them to learn at their own pace. And with online training, you can benefit from less admin work. But do you agree that in-person training is still necessary?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: Yeah, I agree. I believe in a blended approach. I don\u2019t believe there\u2019s one size that fits all. As I mentioned, we do a lot of research with the DISC assessment and the personality styles, and that everybody\u2019s needs are different. That\u2019s something you have to be aware of when you\u2019re an L&amp;D director or in HR, or a store leader, or a district manager. You can\u2019t use a one-size-fits-all approach for everyone, you need to meet the learners as they are.<\/p>\n<p>And so, a blended approach is going to be important because you\u2019re going to be able to touch everybody with that. We mix it up a lot in our environment for learning because we know that there have to be several touchpoints. You also need to use other ways for them to get together and practice what they learn. That\u2019s the missing part that will create behavioral change. So, face-to-face training is not going away because the human touch is important.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"7-Tips-for-Revamping-Frontline-Employees-Training\">7 Tips for Revamping Frontline Employees Training<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: Mary Beth, to conclude, can you share some tips and tricks or maybe exact steps for those who are looking to revamp their frontline employee training strategy?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: What I\u2019d love to share is more about sustainability. So, I\u2019ll talk to you about a training approach as a process that is always evolving and growing, not a packaged canned approach. You really need to keep it going, keep it involved, and have a strategy for each level of the organization.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Keep senior leaders involved<\/h3>\n<p>The effectiveness of training is, in many ways, dependent on the leader\u2019s involvement, so it all starts from the head. Involve leaders, get their buy-in, and have them interested in the continuous development of their team. There should be an understanding on their end that training is essential, and people are not just lazy or having fun.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Provide on-the-job tools for reinforcement<\/h3>\n<p>Leverage mobile learning and microlearning to facilitate ongoing training and effective post training. Introduce gamification and elements of friendly competition with peers to get more training done.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Hold people accountable<\/h3>\n<p>Job descriptions, performance reviews, and evaluation processes \u2013 you need to align performance systems with the interpersonal skills and behaviors you want to see.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Implement coaching and leadership training<\/h3>\n<p>In retail, coaching should be right there on the spot. Develop stronger coaches within the organization, raising the bar each year for a cultural touchstone. Learn about the skills of a great trainer in this <a href=\"\/blog\/qualities-of-good-trainer\">article<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Let them teach to learn<\/h3>\n<p>Teaching key interpersonal and facilitation skills to others is a terrific way to reinforce the skills for your own benefit. Try to leverage \u2018train the trainer\u2019 sessions where experts can learn from each other.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Measure for continuous improvement<\/h3>\n<p>Establish baselines of performance and identify metrics, so you can evaluate success and pinpoint gaps for coaching opportunities. In retail, if it gets measured, it gets done. If you want to know how to link training with your ROI, feel free to proceed with this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=69eu3Cb910o\">webinar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>7. Celebrate successes<\/h3>\n<p>You need to encourage this further and share stories about KPIs achieved in newsletters, meetings, bulletin boards, break rooms, emails, etc. Showcasing human success stories ultimately results in an increase in human capital and revenue value.<\/p>\n<p>My final advice is to not feel that anyone is done. There is no such thing as trained employees. It\u2019s impossible to say anyone is trained. They\u2019re training for that moment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Natalie<\/strong>: Awesome, Mary Beth, thank you so much for this great session. The topic is great. I hope we will have another session in the nearest future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mary Beth<\/strong>: I\u2019ll come back anytime you invite me. So, thank you so much.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"To-Sum-Up\">To Sum Up<\/h2>\n<div class=\"person bordered\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-45776\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Natalie-Taylor.webp\" alt=\"Natalie Taylor\" width=\"150\" height=\"165\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption_wrapper\">\n<p class=\"caption\">Natalie Taylor, Senior eLearning Consultant<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>So now, we know that frontline associate training is important, and we have identified the following training challenges and opportunities to overcome them. Let\u2019s sum up the essentials of retail employee training.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Training facilitation<\/strong>. Training in retail is very high speed, and choosing a location as well as scheduling sessions is especially tricky. We need to provide just-in-time, ongoing opportunities to access training content or practice skills without getting people off the floor or closing shops for the day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Training accessibility<\/strong>. We need to roll out training quickly. In times of new product launches, businesses often need to get their retail staff up to speed on the product on short notice. This suggests the use of mobile courses that can be created quickly, without any IT skills, and accessed on portable devices at the point of need.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Training format<\/strong>. It should be quick and engaging, and blend in the elements of coaching. Before you launch your training, understand the three main types of training methods: asynchronous, synchronous, and blended learning. They all have pros and cons, so get to know them before you choose a training method for your program.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Training costs<\/strong>. \u00a0It can be extremely pricey to gather sales reps from different stores and regions in one place for training or organize training sessions at the last minute.<\/p>\n<p>Here at iSpring, we see every day how online training can address all these challenges. Online retail training is a flexible option that allows trainees to participate anywhere on the planet at a time that works for them. They can review the training when they need it. It\u2019s a great aid to onboarding, product knowledge, and compliance training because it makes critical knowledge equally available for every hire.<\/p>\n<p>Courses made with the <a href=\"\/ispring-suite\">iSpring Suite<\/a> authoring tool keep your learners engaged and enable you to assess their knowledge effectively. Training programs launched in the <a href=\"\/ispring-learn\">iSpring LMS<\/a>\u00a0help you spread best business practices across any number of chain stores and streamline training without extra admin work and costs. Thus, iSpring\u2019s integrated solution helps you retain employees, bridge skills and knowledge gaps, make your team confident, and, consequently, leads to better sales performance.<\/p>\n<p><em>This is just a snapshot of business problems that you can solve with the proper tools and approach. If you\u2019re not sure yet about your training needs or how to fix training-related processes to drive business results, request free <a href=\"\/consulting-request?utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=survey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iSpring L&amp;D Consulting <\/a>services today.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><div class=\"product-inside-article product-inside-article_learn\">\n    <div class=\"product-inside-article__text-wrapper product-inside-article__text-wrapper_learn\">\n        <div class=\"product-inside-article__header product-inside-article__header_learn\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/trial?ref=blog-banner\" class=\"product-inside-article__header-link product-inside-article__header-link_learn\" target=\"_blank\">iSpring LMS<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"product-inside-article__text product-inside-article__text_learn\">for your mission-critical project<\/div>\n        <div class=\"product-inside-article__button-wrapper\">\n            <a class=\"product-inside-article__button product-inside-article__button_article b-button__learn-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/trial?ref=blog-banner\" target=\"_blank\">Try for free<\/a>\n            <a class=\"product-inside-article__link b-link_learn-more_white\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com?ref=blog-banner\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"b-link_learn-more_white__text\">Learn more<\/span><span class=\"b-link_learn-more_white__arrow\"> &rarr;<\/span><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <a class=\"product-inside-article__image-wrapper product-inside-article__image-wrapper_article product-inside-article__image-wrapper_learn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com?ref=blog-banner\" target=\"_blank\">\n        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"258\" height=\"335\" class=\"product-inside-article__image product-inside-article__image_article\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/themes\/ispring-blog-flat-bootstrap\/images\/float_block\/lms-banner.webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-content\/themes\/ispring-blog-flat-bootstrap\/images\/float_block\/lms-banner-x2.webp\" alt=\"\"\/>\n    <\/a>\n<\/div><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Properly trained sales staff and qualified merchandisers are the face of your brand. Their work can keep your customers engaged&hellip; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/how-to-motivate-frontline-employees-in-retail\" >Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13371365,"featured_media":45785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,347],"tags":[313],"resource-type":[309],"class_list":["post-45773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-use-cases","category-talent-development-succession-planning","tag-training-types-and-methods","resource-type-article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":56,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13371365"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45773"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46125,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45773\/revisions\/46125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45773"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispring.com\/knowledge-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-type?post=45773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}