Online Training for Furniture Retailers Updated and Improved

By: Furniture World Magazine  
The Furniture Training Company, the only independent online training provider for


furniture retailers announces the release of version 4.0 of it’s award winning Fundamentals of Furniture Product Knowledge sales training program. Updated product information, revised text descriptions with selling advantage statements, and complete text audio narration make version 4.0 the most advanced product knowledge training program available online for the furniture industry.
Version 4.0 of the Fundamentals program includes thirty-six lessons covering upholstered furniture, motion furniture, casegoods, beds, mattresses, fibers, fabric, leather furniture, and rugs. First released on CD-ROM in 2001, the self-paced online program has been completely updated to reflect the current products and styles in the furniture industry. Audio narration for all the text in the program has been added. Advantage statements that helps sales associates understand how specific styles, fabrics, woods, joints, etc. meet individual customer’s requirements are now included in each lesson.
 The Fundamentals program is currently being used by thousands of sales associates, many of whom have little or no prior experience in the furniture industry, to learn the basics about furniture. A combination of several factors, including the proliferation of big box retailers and a slumping housing market, have resulted in reduced revenues for many retail furniture stores.
Single stores and large chains are turning to training programs like Fundamentals as a way to increase the effectiveness of their sales staff and to position themselves as furniture experts. Employees who successfully complete each of the lessons in the program receive certification in furniture product knowledge from The Furniture Training Company.
The improvements made to the program provide a more complete experience for the user. Mike Petersen, the company’s Vice-President for Sales and Marketing says “The primary benefit of additional audio narration is the increased learning that occurs through multiple senses. The narration will also aid people with varying learning styles. It also helps those for whom English is a second language.”
The addition of advantage statements trains sales associates to think about the lesson material from the customer’s viewpoint. The program also includes real-time status reports that let owners and managers know each employee’s progress toward certification.
About The Furniture Training Company The Furniture Training Company is a provider of technology-based training programs and services for the retail furniture industry, based in Logan, Utah. Its parent company, LetterPress Software, has earned numerous learning and technology awards for its online training programs. Hundreds of retail furniture stores around the world are currently using its Fundamentals of Furniture Product Knowledge sales training and certification program. For more information, CLICK HERE.