Perfetti van Melle (PvM) has introduced a new e-learning training course to help travel retail sales staff get to know the company and its brands.
The 20-minute interactive training programme provides details on the brand owner’s history and its key travel retail lines, Chupa Chups and Mentos. The programme offers tips on customer approach and profiling and on how products fit within different points of sale.
The programme is hosted by ‘Peter from Perfetti van Melle’. It uses bright imagery, humour and an interactive quiz to keep viewers engaged and interested. Participants are awarded a virtual certificate based on their quiz answers and are encouraged to offer their opinions on the course.
“We are reliant on the sales staff to convey our messages to the shopper, but we can’t expect them to do this without our support.”
Perfetti van Melle Brand Manager Global Travel Retail Femke van Veen said: “It’s not enough to be present in-store with products on shelf and on displays. We have to encourage the retail staff to be on our side, to think of Mentos and Chupa Chups when they are recommending products to consumers.
“We are reliant on the sales staff to convey our messages to the shopper, but we can’t expect them to do this without our support. The new tool has been designed to help us train staff, and we believe there is no other course like it available.
“It is very important for us to be able to engage with and inspire the staff and we believe that doing this face-to-face is the best way. Until now we have been doing this via Skype and travelling to the locations as much as possible but due to our team’s small size, this is not always a viable option,” van Veen explained.
PvM noted findings from M1nd-set Shopper Insights, which indicate that 36% of confectionery shoppers are likely to interact with sales staff and that 60% of those shoppers will be influenced into a purchase decision based on staff recommendations.
“Having PvM products top of mind is essential in a competitive marketplace,” van Veen added. “Our goal with the e-learning course is to reach more shop employees globally and to create a rapport between staff members and our brands, improving product knowledge and developing a better understanding of which lines are best suited to particular customer needs.”
