MarketBridge - Sales Training Practice of the Year

Company: MarketBridge, Bethesda, MD
Company Description: MarketBridge is a leading global provider of digital marketing, sales enablement, and customer analytics solutions for Fortune 1000 and emerging growth companies. We help companies scale revenue growth and increase sales productivity by increasing digital customer engagement that focus marketing investments and sales activity on the right customers, with the right messaging and solution.
Nomination Category: Solution Provider Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Training Practice of the Year

Nomination Title: Training and persisting in a turbulent retail environment

Comprehensive Training Tactics

Virtual and In-person Training: Interactive, individual training sssions led by MarketBridge trainers that include role-playing, pre- and post-training assessments, takeaways, etc.

Webinars: Live topic-Targeted virtual training sessions led by MarketBridge trainers featuring role-playing exercises and personalized support tailored to Associate needs

eLearning Modules: Mobile-friendly, on-demand training modules (built with Articulate Rise) that include activities and knowledge checks to teach important topics such as loyalty program benefits & rewards, application processing changes, etc.

Interactive Learning Activities: Bite-sized and gamified training activities designed for quick knowledge checks and friendly competitions

Quick Reference Guides: Easy-to-navigate, print-ready, digital resources to complement training modules

Incentives: Fun, creative motivation drivers to improve Associate performance (e.g., store vs. store competitions, recognition, module completion, etc.)

Support Tools: Interactive digital calculator to assist with the calculation of rewards a Customer can earn for their purchases, which Associates can use when pitching the program

Tracking and Reporting

MarketBridge is a data-driven organization. Equipped with a full Analytics and Business Intelligence team, our partners receive detailed reporting and analytics on a weekly cadence, including:

Impact of training visits on results
Duration of training visit impact
Month-over-Month and Year-over-Year Store Credit Card Application performance
Credit penetration and usage trends of current Credit cardholders
Associate participation (Associates processing Applications)
Store-by-Store performance and rankings

MarketBridge is the leading provider of rapidly scalable, innovative go-to-market solutions for Marketing, Sales, and CX leaders. For 25+ years we’ve delivered customer-centric, data-driven strategies to Fortune 1000 clients. Our unique approach—Go-to-Market® Science—uses analytics and insight to drive revenue growth and customer value.

We help executives navigate go-to-market® challenges, specializing in marketing with a long history of providing innovative sales enablement support that effectively motivates employee success. We take a dynamic, multi-channel approach to Credit & Loyalty Sales Training Programs that is strategically adapted to meet evolving client needs within rapidly changing industry landscapes. Our holistic approach combines interactive digital learning tools and performance recognition with personalized instructor-led training to optimize engagement and knowledge retention. With over a decade of experience supporting our clients with one-of-a-kind solutions across wide ranging industries, we’re experts in empowering sales teams and driving business results.

Store A - Following the virtual new hire training session, 55% of Store Associates processed an application within 2 days. Most did not receive formal Credit Loyalty training or process any applications prior to the session. The group processed a total of 16 applications in the month following the training session.

Store B – After 16 virtual sessions with underperformers with 0-3 applications year-to-date, Store Associates turned around their performance and processed 14 applications, resulting in a 50% lift in performance.

Store C – Our first group training was success! The Store finished 133% to plan and ranked #4 in the Region following the Kahoot! training with 90% participation for the Kahoot! Challenge.

Store D - 12 out of 13 stores benefited from Zoom training s and had multiple virtual visits that averaged a 46% lift in performance in the week following the training sessions.

Store E – New Store opening (Case Study Attached)

Challenge
Provide employees with a solid foundational understanding of program basics to enable effective communication to clients

Establish a strong credit culture with engaging training and incentive content that motivates program support and drives long-term credit results

Deliver seamless and engaging training support through both virtual and in-person channels to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions and precautions.

Results
42 Applications were processed during the grand opening

Store Associates were pitching the loyalty program consistently throughout the grand opening and they were excited to put their training into action – more than half the Store’s team processed an application.

Stores continue to appreciate the flexibility and personalization that virtual, and recent in-person, training has provided and utilizing a 360-degree channel approach to promoting module completion has helped to improve awareness and increase overall loyalty program and credit processing knowledge.

95% of Stores are performing above their year-to-date Credit plans, with 92% of Stores having already achieved their 2021 Application goals, and 60% of 2019's totals.

Improving training content accessibility and availability on www.creditconnect.me has led to an increase in training module completion and training participation.

Delivering the training on processing applications digitally improved the digital application performance in Stores an average of 3% weekly in the 15 weeks leading up to the SaksFirst Platform Change.

Increasing awareness and targeting opportunity Stores prior to the transition to digital applications not only helped to improve the digital application processing rate, but also improved the overall number of applications processed in stores after the transition.

“Thank you for everything you do for our team! You are always so incredibly supportive. We highly appreciate your passion for Loyalty and willingness to help train and engage our team. You are truly one of the people I enjoy working with the most.” – General Manager

“Asking early and your pitches are working! So far we had 50% of Associates process an application following your virtual 1:1’s! THANK YOU for always being there for us when I need you - and for being an awesome partner.So happy that I get to work with you year after year!” – Assistant General Manager

“Excited to share an awesome success story for James. He went from 0 applications for the year and not understanding the offers or benefits to processing 3 applications following the session!!! We knew he could do it. You really motivated him and gave him the boost of confidence he needed!” – Department Manager

“Thank you for your help - I know we kept you busy in November with calls/Zoom trainings, but they are paying off!We are seeing associates process applications that have had ZERO for the entire year.Very exciting!” – Assistant General Manager
“I love this! The team has really embraced Zoom since this all started and loves connecting virtually. We are very challenged on floor coverage right now with our new, reduced headcount, but these quick virtual sessions are working, so let’s keep them scheduled.” – General Manager