Using Serious Games for Product Knowledge

One of the areas requiring the most training in a corporation is product knowledge. As soon as a new product is rolled out, the employees are expected to know the features well enough to talk about it competently with customers. The business depends on it.

Acquiring and retaining all those talking points can be no small task. Simply knowing about a product isn’t a deep enough understanding to be able to answer all the questions that a customer may have. There is a way for employees to attain the necessary extensive knowledge. Serious games are the answer.

Tips for training

Using serious games for gaining product knowledge is a way to ensure that employees will be well-prepared for in-depth discussions about product features with clients and potential customers.

Here are some tips for using serious games:

Incorporate fun. The memorization of large amounts of information can be dry. But, it doesn’t have to be! These Serious Games can add that entertainment value that will drive the learner to stay focused and engaged in what they are learning.
Keep educational principles in mind. It’s a fact that repetition and practice work. Another aspect of serious games that is a benefit to employees is the immediacy of the feedback they receive. Learners are better able to retain the information that they’re taking in and turn it into actionable steps.
Track progress. Serious games provide a way for facilitators to track the level of product knowledge an employee has gained. They can also use this same information to see where there may be gaps in learning that need to be filled.
Continuous practice and reinforcement. Employees can be encouraged to practice what they have learned when rewards are involved. For example, every time a learner engages in a practice or review game, they receive points. Displaying a leaderboard shows who has the most points and can be a very motivating factor to many.
Integrate real-world situations. An important part of a training program includes showing the learners how they can apply their newly-acquired information into an actual scenario they may encounter when interacting with a customer.

The social benefit

One of the major advantages that come from the use of serious games for teaching product knowledge is the interaction between peers that can result. This can happen in two distinct ways:

Competition. As with the leaderboard example, healthy competition can motivate a learner to work harder in order to keep up with their peers. If they end up at or near the top, they are likely to attempt to stay there. If they are more toward the bottom, they will try to improve enough to move up the list.
Camaraderie. The flip side of competition is the feeling of camaraderie that can come from working toward a common goal and the feeling of being part of a team. Employees in this situation are likely to encourage and help each other along the way.

The main goal of training of any kind is to prepare employees to serve the customers to the best of their ability. Having a handle on the ins and outs of the products they are selling benefits everyone.

Designing Digitally, Inc. has the expertise to develop in-depth product knowledge training that will result in increased sales.