New Training Program Teaches Fundamentals of Project Selling

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The training offered through Project Pro is designed to help independent hardware stores and building centres enhance their competitive advantages against the big boxes.

Key Components: Project Pro addresses the key components of selling the most common home improvement projects, including:

• How to complete the project, step-by-step.
• The products required for the project and the classification of each product.
• The key sales drivers, including project-related upselling and add-on selling techniques.
• Answers to customers’ frequently asked project questions.
• The financial effect project selling can have on the business.

The first part of training employees to sell projects is teaching them how to do the projects, step-by-step. The content of Project Pro is based on the videos from PlanitDiy.com®, a consumer-facing website that features more than 70 how-to project videos. The employee first watches the project video to learn the basic elements of how to complete the project. Each video is 5-7 minutes in length and covers the basics of how to do each project.

Project PRO courses currently available:

• Priming & Painting Interior Walls
• Fixing a Leaky Toilet
• Installing Electrical Outlets & Switches
• Deck Maintenance
• Refinishing an Antique
• Planting & Pruning Trees & Shrubs
• Repairing Drywall
• Home Weatherization
• Plumbing Supply Lines
• Exterior Painting
• Installing an Electrical Fixture

Since product knowledge is a key component of helping customers with their projects, Project Pro also includes product knowledge training in the context of each project. For example, products are organized by their role within the project, including "project starters," "project killers," "prep products," "safety products," "clean-up products" and "tools and hardware."

Why Project Pro is valuable: Product knowledge training can be intimidating when considering that typical hardware stores stock tens of thousands of SKUs. This is especially true for new hires. That’s why it’s important to focus on teaching employees product knowledge within the context of the projects your customers are tackling on a regular basis. It makes learning product knowledge easier and more relevant.

Project Pro is just one of the training programs available as part of your premium membership in WRLA, through our partnership with the North American Hardware Association Canada.

CLICK HERE to learn more about NRHA Canada courses and services for WRLA Members!