Video is a great addition to any training program or materials, even if your shop is small. [level-members]
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
George Bernard Shaw’s quote captures the problem that a training manual presents, and it does it in two senses.
First, there is the way Mr. Shaw meant it: what you say and what another person hears aren’t always in alignment.
Second, if you think someone is going to slog through pages of (perhaps poorly written) instructions, you may be delusional.
Video can help on both fronts. Demonstration will typically teach better than description. Because video makes it much easier to demonstrate than written communications, it has this built-in advantage.
And because it can be more interesting to consume, it’s more likely going to be consumed.
A few rules in creating training videos.
Keep them short. Nobody wants to sit through a 10:00 training video; they’ll be more likely to click through 20 clips that are :30 each. Stick to one topic – or even one part of one topic – to keep the videos digestible.
For anything that requires reference materials, create them as separate documents that can be accessed outside of the video. Don’t make people search through your :30 video on the alarm system to find the alarm company’s name and phone number.
For smaller shops, that may be all you need. Larger shops might consider ways of having employees demonstrate mastery so you know you’re maintaining consistency in processes and customer experience.
And if you’re worried about the time it will take to create this video training, don’t. You’ll save time in the long run. Even better, you’ll create the videos during quieter times, rather than being forced to invest your time in training a new hire personally when you’re being pulled in too many other directions.
Some topics you may want to cover:
- Shelf stocking
- PoP displays
- Using the register
- Inventory control
- How to open the shop
- How to close the shop
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