Sales associates sell 69 percent more when they have brand and product education.

The study was a collaboration between Marshall Fisher, professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and Experticity, a company that creates training modules and incentive programs to help brands keep their sales force educated on product developments and brands.

“Over 50 percent of customers are looking for expert advice on what ?to buy when they enter a store—and 73 percent say product knowledge is what they need most from a sales associate,” according to the study.

The study tracked data from 63,500 retail sales associates in 330 stores over two years. The test associates used Experticity’s proprietary modules; the control group did not.

The study found the associates who completed one education module sold 69 percent more than those who didn’t. Associates who completed six or more modules sold 123 percent more than those who took none.

So what does that mean for your store? Sales associates who are more educated sell more.

JCK