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Sales Training Vodcasts 1
Running Head: SALES TRAINING VODCASTS
Instructional Design Study Proposal:
Training Vodcasts for Specialty Retail Salespeople of the Millennial Generation
Ryan Tanaka
University of Hawaii, Educational Technology
October 1, 2009
Sales Training Vodcasts 2
Proposal Introduction
Books will soon be obsolete in the schools. Scholars will soon be instructed through the
eye. It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture.
Our school system will be completely changed in ten years.
- Thomas A. Edison, New York Dramatic Mirror, July 9, 1913
The use of visual instructional technologies began its ascent nearly a century ago with the
introduction of film technology and has progressed ever since, and along the way, supported the
benefits of multimodal presentation. Most recently, digital file compression methods led to very
small mp3 and mp4 file formats that maintain high levels of multimedia quality and spurred the
invention of portable media players, such as the Apple iPod, that became massively popular
devices for people to store collections of music and videos to listen or watch when and where
they want. An entire Millennial Generation (born between 1980 and 2000) of people are native
to this type of digital technology. Vodcasts – video files developed for playback on portable
media players – offer an ideal learning medium, catering to Millennials’ preferences.
Perhaps coincidentally, Millennials share many of the same characteristics as salespeople
and this is why Millennials are expected to comprise a dramatically greater number of the sales
positions over the next five years. This may be also why salespeople have found vodcasts to be
appealing as training tools. Salespeople are a group that largely lacks sufficient training,
particularly on the buying decisions process that would better allow them to become more
customer focused. Can vodcasts be an especially effective means of providing training to
Millennial salespeople on a sales approach based on the buyer decision-making process? This
study will set forth an educational intervention to answer that question using vodcasts as the
technology tool and a sales approach based on the buyer decision process as the content matter.
Sales Training Vodcasts 3
Literature Review Abstract
Literature on sales training, vodcasting (i.e., video podcasting, the use of video content playable
via portable media players) and related topics was reviewed. The review found retail and
training industry members recommending better designed and more ongoing sales training
focused on engaging and satisfying customers. Trainers report asynchronous training success,
particularly for salespeople, whose customer interactions inhibit face-to-face training. Limited
formal studies on educational vodcasting were identified. Many universities and companies use
podcasts and vodcasts, but their assessments are only informally reported. The literature speaks
favorably of vodcasts, as a multimodal, convenient learning medium. Literature also suggests
vodcasts would cater well to Millennials (born 1980-2000) due their technological expertise,
visual learning capabilities, motivation to learn, and desire for mobility.
Sales Training Vodcasts 4
Literature Review Introduction
People shop for a variety of reasons. The salespeople attending to customers often
seemingly function only as cashiers and many do not take the initiative to approach customers.
Consumers are exposed to a greater breadth of products, information sources, and social
influences and could often benefit from the help of sales staff. Meanwhile, the popularity of
portable media players, such as iPods, and the advancement in multimedia production and
broadcasting technologies, has led to an increasingly popular electronic communication, called
podcasts, which are played on those portable media players. That popularity carries over to both
universities and corporations, which seek to take advantage of podcasts as distance learning
instructional tools. Can video podcasts, also known as vodcasts, be used as an effective tool to
provide sales training? Is there a specific subpopulation within the retail sales force for which
training vodcasts would be most effective? This paper will explore and review literature in order
to determine whether there is a specific need for training within the field of retail sales and the
potential for success that video podcasts may hold as the training medium.
Literature Review
Background
Everyone goes shopping. Shopping at stores is something we all do, but retailers often
do not understand why people are shopping and how to interact with them (Pooler, 2003). A
retail store’s salespeople largely determine how much customers will enjoy their experiences and
whether they will purchase from it (Sussman, 2008). The revenue generated from sales is vital to
a company’s profits and is the key determinant between success, survival, and failure
(Longenecker, Moore & Petty, 2000). According to Forseter (2007), retail salespeople approach
Sales Training Vodcasts 5
only about half of all customers and it is estimated that if store personnel approached all of its
customers, store’s sales would increase by 7%.
The importance of the sales function for a business is what prompts some companies to
spend vast sums on training their salespeople (Salisbury, 1998). According to
TrainingIndustry.com (2008), it is estimated that several billions of dollars a year is spent on
sales training. Sussman (2008) notes, “If executed properly, employee training in retail can yield
increased revenues, higher productivity, and motivated employees” (p. 52). Particularly in the
current economic recession, Rackham (2009) states there is no better time for companies to
invest in training for their sales force.
Insufficient retail sales training
However, retailers spend relatively little, per employee, on training, because they often
do not recognize the relationship between sales training and sales growth. Instead, they view
sales training as an expense (Salisbury, 1998). Sussman (2008) finds that once a retailer
provides staff with introductory training at the start of their employment, it invests little in
ongoing training and is reluctant to do so because of the full turnover of sales staff in typical
retail establishments. Companies are often reluctant to provide sales training because of the
inability to schedule sales staff to come together at a common location for an extended period of
time (Leigh, 1997) and the resistance by experienced salespeople who are reluctant to change
anything that has proven successful to their selling (Salisbury, 1998). However, Rackham
(2009) believes the our current economic recession can motivate even those experienced
salespeople previously resistant to training to improve upon their skills and sales methods.
Alternative perspective to sales training
Sales Training Vodcasts 6
The majority of sales training conducted, addresses sales methodologies
(TrainingIndustry.com, 2008). Hodge and Schachter (2006) state that most salespeople are
trained to view their job from a selling perspective, but instead, they should adopt the customer’s
buying perspective to better align their actions with the needs of the customer. According to
Kodz, Atkinson and Perryman (1997), approaching selling from the customer’s perspective leads
to significantly higher sales effectiveness. Specifically, they state
Selling skills…require an understanding of the processes through which people go in
making a decision… As competition is increasing and customers are becoming more
sophisticated and demanding, customer service, a customer orientation, and selling skills
are increasingly important. (p. 48)
Customer-focused sales training
Leboff (2008) advocates that any sales training address how people buy if trainees are to
become effective salespeople. Similarly, Pooler (2003) states that retailers need to understand
why people shop. People shop for a variety of reasons – not just to fulfill specific product needs,
but also as a means of recreation and socialization (Puccinelli, Goodstein, Grewal, Price,
Raghubir & Stewart, 2009; Samli, 2004). According to Pooler (2003), shopping is a large part of
people’s self-actualization process in working towards fulfilling their emotional needs. Further,
because people have different levels of shopping need, their needs for information will vary.
Retail salespeople need to better understand the decision-making process a shopper goes through
when deciding their purchase and provide the shopper the information needed, at the time it is
needed (Pooler, 2004). If the retailer can better understand and help consumers to satisfy their
higher level psychological needs, retailers could improve profitability by charging higher prices
because consumers will not be as price sensitive (An Tien Hsieh & Wen Ting Chang, 2004).
Sales Training Vodcasts 7
People go through a buying-decision process that includes problem or need recognition,
information gathering, pre-purchase trial and evaluation, purchase decision, and post-purchase
evaluation (Pride & Ferrell, 2009; Puccinelli, et al., 2009). That the decision process in buyer-
seller interactions follows a methodical process would seem to lend itself to the use of sales
scripts for sales staff (Leong, Busch & John, 1987).
According to Salisbury (1998), successful salespeople stick to sales scripts. They may
not know exactly what they do, but they know it works, so they are reluctant to change it. The
difference between experts and novices is that experts have more elaborate knowledge structures.
Successful, experienced salespeople have a plethora of sales scripts that they call upon to adapt
to the great variety of sales situations they encounter (Leong, Busch & John, 1987). Leigh
(1987) states that inexperienced salespeople are especially in need of sales training that allow
them to obtain a mental picture of the sales process and develop a cognitive selling script. Such
sales training would allow inexperienced salespeople to obtain the skills that would make them
effective salespeople without going through numerous trial-and-error selling experiences and
rejection, which can be traumatic and lead to high turnover (Leigh, 1987).
Leong, Busch, and John (1987) found that highly successful sales agents “engage in a
more extensive determination of client needs and attempt to satisfy them with a greater variety
of…recommendations than do less effective” (p. 176) sales agents. According to Sussman
(2008), specialty retail stores, in particular, can benefit from training its salespeople because of
the stores’ focus on a customer’s shopping experience.
Asynchronous sales training modules
Sussman (2008) states that high turnover and scheduling issues make short e-learning
modules effective for training sales personnel. Asynchronous e-learning video modules offer
Sales Training Vodcasts 8
convenience and conceptual clarity to learners who might not otherwise meet for a face-to-face
class (Copley, 2007). However, Richardson and Swan (2003) found that learners prefer
environments in which there is significant social interaction. Constructivist learning theory
suggests that social interaction leads to greater learning, as compared to more directed learning,
by helping students to construct knowledge (Hiltz & Spencer, 2003). Still, Russell, Kleiman,
Carey and Douglas (2009) found that electronic self-paced courses with minimal student
interaction can be as effective as electronic courses taken as a group, particularly when the
learners are highly motivated. The anytime, anywhere possibility of learning through
asynchronous online modules offers a very appealing convenience (Hiltz, 1998; Ndahi,
Charturvedi, Akan & Pickering, 2007). While people seem to prefer synchronous learning
activities (Hiltz, 1998), they often cannot fit those synchronous activities into their schedules and
instead engage via an asynchronous medium (Hiltz & Spencer, 2003). By utilizing an
asynchronous medium, learners are not under short and inflexible time constraints to participate
in activities and can instead do so more thoughtfully (Lively, 2007). Also, Macurik, O’Kane,
Malanga and Reid (2008) state that asynchronous training sessions are much less disruptive to
worker’s schedules and provide an especially efficient means for an organization to provide a
particular training to multiple staff, at multiple times, at multiple locations. In their study,
Macurik, et al. (2008), found that workers generally found asynchronous video training sessions
to be as effective as synchronous, face-to-face training.
Additional benefits to asynchronous learning
Asynchronous learning also allow learners to take the time they need to absorb their
material and reflect upon it and their activities (Lively, 2007; Salmon & Edirisingha, 2008).
According to Fiddler and Marienau (2008), reflection is important for learners to convert their
Sales Training Vodcasts 9
experiences to meaningful learning. Lowe, Rappolt, Jaglal and MacDonald (2007), state that
reflection is thought to be of significant importance in implementation of learning from short
learning modules into practice. Additionally, the likelihood of reflection can be increased if the
learning process and practice context are conducive to the use of reflection. Smith, Clegg,
Lawrence and Todd (2007), state that reflective activities during and after the application of
learning into context encourage deep learning. Moreover, Smith, et al. (2007), cite Stefani,
Clarke, and Littlejohn (2000) and state that when those reflective activities are tied to a
workplace context, learners are enabled to “develop a sense of their own personal and
professional development” (p. 163). Stefani, et al. (2000), suggest that reflective learning
activities are particularly valuable in allowing workers to conduct formative self-assessments on
their achievement of specific learning tasks, in order to gauge their progress towards a larger
learning goal.
Early audio-visual mediums of training
While printed instructional media has been used for many centuries, it was not until the
1900s that audio-visual media became a popular form of training technology. Use of film began
in the 1910s, followed by photographic slides in the 1920s, radio in the 1930s, and audio
recordings and overhead slides in the 1940s. The U.S. military was the most prominent user of
audio-visual training technologies as it trained personnel for World War II, producing thousands
of 16mm films and distributing hundreds of thousands of film copies (Kearsley, 1984).
According to Kearsley (1984), one of the most significant developments of audio-visual
training technology was the near worldwide standardization of 35mm slides and closed-loop
audio cassettes. This technology was relatively quick and inexpensive, while being suitable for
both group and individual training. This development was later followed by the use of
Sales Training Vodcasts 10
videotapes and video cassettes which offered similar benefits, as well as lower cost and more
flexible production and editing processes.
A number of factors supported the rise of video as a training tool. According to
Cartwright and Cartwright (1999), although the production time of a video training is about ten
times that for classroom training, the time and cost savings of video are reaped through repeated
presentation. Through video, students can obtain just-in-time instruction that does not require
instructor travel, is consistent, and is inherently interesting. Also, Kearsley (1984) states that the
video training and visual literacy arguments were backed by substantial research to support the
advantages of audio-visual training media.
Further improvements in technology allowed video to make its way from being stored as
analog data on tape and cassettes to digital data on optical discs, such as CD-ROM (Compact
Disc-Read Only Memory) and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). These forms of training delivery
technology offer substantially greater content storage, more editing opportunities, cheaper
production costs, and the ability to include interactive playback (Cartwright & Cartwright, 1999).
According to Kearsley (1984), that “interactive characteristic makes videodisc a bridge between
audio-visual/film/video technology and computer/communications technology” (p. 38). He
further notes that as a result, the videodisc medium offers a random-access rather than sequential
presentation.
The technological progress made by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) in the
early 1990s not only resulted in the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 file format standards that enabled
video to be presented on CD-ROM and DVD, but it also laid the groundwork for further digital
multimedia standards. MPEG subsequently led the development of the MPEG-1 layer III (mp3)
and MPEG-4 (mp4) file format standards that allowed previous formats of audio and video to be
Sales Training Vodcasts 11
compressed into much smaller file sizes while still offering high playback quality (Apple, 2009).
These new file format standards in turn revolutionized the music industry and spurred the
invention and growth of small, portable digital multimedia devices to store and play entire
collections – even thousands of songs – stored in these new file formats within the portable
media player. Apple’s iPod is one such portable digital media player, launched in 2001, that was
embraced by a wide demographic of people who sought the capability of customizing and
playing their multimedia collections on-demand (CBS Interactive, 2009).
Podcast and vodcast background
The exponential growth of these portable digital multimedia players is credited for the
proliferation of podcasts (Brown & Green, 2008), which has been a well-received mode for
asynchronous distance learning (Agnvall, 2007; Brown & Green, 2008; Copley, 2007; Gronstedt,
2007, Jan). Podcasts are audio or video files that can be listened to or watched either using a
computer or digital media player, such as Apple’s iPod. According to Brown & Green (2008),
“[t]he term ‘podcast’ like that of ‘radio’ or ‘video’ can refer to either the content or the method
of delivery” (pp. 4-5). Podcast files are typically downloaded via the Internet by subscribing to a
podcast feed (Brown & Green, 2008; Checho, 2007), but can also be transferred by disc, to be
manually imported to and exported from, the media library where podcasts are stored on a local
computer (BusinessKnowledgeSource.com, n.d.). Video podcasts, also known as vodcasts, are
increasingly popular due to the growth of video-enabled portable media players and phones
(Gronstedt, 2007, Jan). The term vodcast arises from the delivery of video on demand, VOD,
files (Sacred Heart University, 2009) and is also used interchangeably with the term vidcast
(Agarwal, 2006).
Podcasts for teaching and training
Sales Training Vodcasts 12
Podcasting is no longer being used for just entertainment purposes. Podcasting is
increasingly being used for educational purposes (Harris & Park, 2008). Many universities,
including Duke, Michigan, Purdue, University of California-Berkley, Stanford, and Indiana,
already use podcasts to give students access and listen to prior lectures or other communication
from their instructors. Although vodcasts can also be viewed on computers, the portability and
size of the view screen are significant considerations for using vodcasts to facilitate learning
(Brown & Green, 2008). In his study of providing audio and video podcasts of university
lectures, Copley (2007) found that 100% of the students that obtained his vodcasts preferred to
view vodcasts via their computers, rather than their portable media players. He also found that
the only students that did not take advantage of the vodcasts were those who were satisfied with
the audio-only podcast version, did not know what a vodcast was, did not own a portable media
player, were reluctant to download the large video file, or were just not interested.
Among corporations, IBM, Herbalife, and Pal’s Restaurants utilize podcasting for
training their employees (Islam, 2007). Other corporations providing employee training via
audio or video podcasts include EMC, Sun Microsystems, MCAP, and Capital One. An
employee survey by Capital One indicated that over 90% of its podcast users felt the training
podcasts were beneficial for themselves and the company and they would recommend it to others
(Agnvall, 2006).
Agnvall (2006) writes that the sales personnel at IBM and EMC appreciate the mobile,
just-in-time accessibility in learning that podcasts provide, especially given that they would have
difficulty fitting in a face-to-face training session into their schedules. Sales personnel at those
companies indicate that they listen to the podcasts between customers. At MCAP, the podcasts
Sales Training Vodcasts 13
are well received because they provide timely, on-demand coaching in the tidbits that the
workers can utilize and more readily absorb.
Harris and Park (2008) state a number of perspectives explain the growth in educational
podcasting. First, podcasting allows educators to interact with learners asynchronously. Second,
podcasting empowers learners and satisfies their needs for just-in-time instructional content, so
that they may review that content at their convenience and as many times as they wish. Finally,
podcasting allows educators to reach a broader community.
Multimodal presentation
According to Brown and Green (2008), vodcasts can be beneficial in learning complex
concepts because of its multimodal presentation. Kelly (2006) states that most adults learn
through sight far better than they do through hearing. Moreover, knowledge obtained through
sight is retained longer than that obtained through hearing. However, when learning occurs
through sight and hearing together, retention is vastly improves (Kelly, 2006).
The Metiri Group (2008), noted that “[s]tudents engaged in learning that incorporates
multimodal designs, on average, outperformed students who learn using traditional approaches
with single modes” (p. 13). Gellevij, Van Der Meij, De Jong and Pieters (2002), found “that in a
realistic context, multimodal instruction leads to better outcomes than unimodal instruction.
Training time is shortened, learning is improved, and cognitive load is not altered” (p. 238).
Those findings are consistent with the theory that instruction utilizing multiple mediums, such as
text and pictures, is cognitively processed into memory better than instruction that uses just a
single medium (Gellevij, et al., 2002). By using a combination of audio, video, pictures, and
text, vodcasts have become a well-received asynchronous mode of teaching and delivering
Sales Training Vodcasts 14
training or to provide information (Abreu, et al, 2008; Agnvall, 2006; Copley, 2007; Gronstedt,
2007, Jan; Gronstedt, 2007, Jun).
The Millennial Generation
Podcasts are an ideal training tool for one generation in particular: the Millennial
Generation (Islam, 2007). The Millennial Generation is the population born roughly between
1980 and 2000 (Deyrup, 2007; Sibson Consulting, 2009; Sweeney, 2006). According to Deyrup
(2007), Millennials are sometimes referred to as Generation Next, Generation Y, the Net
Generation, or the Echo Boom Generation. According to Mumford (2006), Millennials are the
children of the Baby Boomer Generation, and there are nearly 80 million of them. Millennials
excel in multitasking, are extremely comfortable with technology, and are frequently time- and
place-shifting, digitally (Mumford, 2006; Sweeney, 2006). This generation grew up during the
emergence of the World Wide Web and other digital technologies, and are therefore regarded as
digital natives (Considine, Horton & Moorman, 2009)
According to Sibson Consulting (2009), Millennials are highly motivated, goal oriented,
and typically interested in sales occupations. Sibson Consulting estimates that Millennials only
make up about 20% of the current population of salespeople; however, they found Millennials to
be very enthusiastic about sales occupations and expect that number to dramatically increase
over the next five years.
Millennials are particularly interested in lifelong learning and occupational skill-building
(Alch, 2006). According to Sweeney (2006), the use of multimedia, such as vodcasts, as
instructional tools are the key to engaging Millennials. The majority of Millennials are visual
learners (Islam, 2007) and prefer multimedia learning over text-based learning and distance
Sales Training Vodcasts 15
learning over face-to-face learning (Sweeney, 2006). Considine, et al. (2009), state that
Millennials are very active users of information communication technology.
Millennial learning preferences
Millennials tend to be very impatient and get bored sitting through the average
instructional lecture (Sweeney, 2006). Moreover, providing training in short, small chunks is
more conducive to the effectiveness of sales training (Eyre, 2008). Gronstedt (2007, Jun) states
that research conducted by EMC finds that the optimal length for vodcasts is five minutes.
Additionally, Millennials prefer experiential activities to be incorporated into their
learning (McGlynn, 2005; Oblinger & Oblinger, 2006; Sweeney, 2006). According to Oblinger
and Oblinger (2006), Millennials learn well through exploration and discovery, whether on their
own or with peers. McGlynn (2005) states that that active engagement creates stronger
connections by promoting deeper processing and learning. Specifically, McGlynn indicates that
using examples relevant to learners and asking them to develop their own examples create
meaning and connection for them in relation to the material they are learning. That in turn, helps
their subsequent retention and retrieval of knowledge acquired (McGlynn, 2005). These issues
of timing, mode of delivery, and job-related focus as viewed by the training industry as crucial to
the provision of training (Armstrong & Sadler-Smith, 2008).
Literature Review Conclusion
The sales function, and thus sales personnel, plays a critical role towards determining the
profitability and success of a retail sales business. Currently, there is a great need for training of
salespeople – due to both our economic recession and the general inability of salespeople to
understand, engage, and satisfy consumers. Sales training should focus on helping salespeople to
Sales Training Vodcasts 16
understand and facilitate purchase decision-making from the buyer’s perspective. Such training
would be particularly beneficial to sales personnel in specialty retail stores.
Asynchronous training modules, specifically in the medium of vodcasts, offer a
promising training medium to allow busy sales staff to squeeze in just-in-time training, between
attending to customers. Podcasts and vodcasts have become a popular instructional tool at many
universities and corporations. Whereas podcasts rely upon audio, vodcasts offer video on
demand and cater to multimodal learning to allow better understanding and retention of
knowledge.
Vodcasting as an instructional tool could particularly meet the preference of the
Millennial Generation. Millennials are digital natives who gravitate towards and are engaged by
this type of multimedia information communication tool that enables them multitask and remain
mobile. The use of vodcasts for sales training is especially promising for Millennials because
many of them hold jobs in sales and that their employment in that field is expected to
dramatically increase. Implemented thoughtfully, in small modules and facilitating reflective
and experiential learning, vodcasts are seemingly an ideal tool to provide training to salespeople
of the Millennial Generation.
Sales Training Vodcasts 17
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Sales Training Vodcasts 23
Intervention
Goal and objectives
Are vodcasts an effective mode of providing sales training to the Millennial population?
Literature suggests that vodcasts offer the flexible, asynchronous, multimodal learning
appropriate for the bite-sized topics of sales training, while accommodating the work demands of
salespeople and engaging Millennials. Therefore, the overall objective of this instructional
design study is to determine the effectiveness of vodcasts for providing sales training to the
Millennial population.
The terminal objective of this instructional design is that the learner completing the
training should successfully generate a buyer-focused strategy for selling their products or
services. The training, if fully developed, would teach all five steps of the decision process
buyers go through when making a purchase and how the salesperson can facilitate that process.
However, to narrow the scope of this study, instruction relating only the first two of five steps of
the buyer decision process will be developed for testing, using separate vodcast modules of
approximately five to seven minutes long. The goal of the first module is that the learner will be
able to successfully determine the buyer’s problem or need. The goal of the second module is
that the learner will be able to successfully determine the information to provide to the buyer to
address his/her problem or need.
System analysis
The overall system that the instructional modules are designed to affect is the Hawaii
small-business, specialty retail store. Sales training is deemed to be an important driver in
impacting sales revenue, and thus, profitability of a retail store. Specialty retail stores, in
particular, focus on discretionary consumer spending and can benefit from the type of sales
Sales Training Vodcasts 24
training to be developed that addresses the satisfaction of buyer’s needs. Further, retail stores
generally do not provide much, if any, training in this regard. Training is also among the first
activities to cut back on during economic recessions, as we currently face.
Within the Hawaii small-business, specialty retail store, salespeople tend to fall into three
different groups. The first group is comprised of ownership. Owners of small businesses often
are involved in hands-on roles within their businesses. The smaller the business, the greater role
the owners typically play, including interacting with customers. The second group is comprised
of managers. As retailers grow and operate larger or multiple store locations, owners may hire
managers and assistant managers to oversee retail operations. These managers assist customers
and are often the people that provide initial and on-the-job training to their salespeople. The
third group is comprised of cashiers and salespeople whose duties focus upon assisting
customers in making purchases.
Within the retail store system, there are two primary issues that deter retail owners and
managers from investing time and resources towards training their salespeople beyond what is
deemed essential to complete sales transactions. One major deterrent of sales training is the high
turnover within the retail system. Many retailers face full turnover of staff every year or two.
Another major deterrent is the nature of the retail system. The priority of salespeople is to attend
to the stocking and appearance of store merchandise and to assist customers in making their
purchases. Salespeople are staffed at different times throughout the day and week to perform
this function within the system. The common availability of salespeople and sporadic demands
of time of these primary job functions make it difficult for retail owners and managers to provide
organized training. For these reasons, it is probable that most retail salespeople do not bring with
them much knowledge on buyers’ decision process and are not provided training that affords
Sales Training Vodcasts 25
them of that knowledge. If anything, retail salespeople might be self-taught this knowledge
through on-the-job experience.
Target Population
Many salespeople of specialty retail stores appear to be young in age and belong to the
Millennial Generation. Few of them are likely to see their sales position as a long-term career.
Instead, their job may be part-time or short-term employment as they attend school, work a
primary job, or try to determine their career interests. High retail turnover is attributed to the
temporary and short-term commitment these young salespeople give to their retail jobs.
However, it is forecasted that Millennials will hold a substantially greater number of
positions within the sales industry over the next five years. Moreover, Millennials are
considered to be very motivated towards self-improvement and therefore, attracted to sales
training opportunities to assist with their career advancement.
Millennials are also deemed to be very competent in using technology tools. They are
also considered to be comfortable with the visual mode of learning and engaged by video-based
technology, such as YouTube. However, because Millennials tend to multitask, quickly and
frequently shifting between multiple activities and locations, technology that functions in short
bursts are most appealing to them; hence, the popularity of Twitter and text-messaging. The
majority of this population is said to own and be competent in computers and/or personal video
media players (such as the video iPod) that are needed to play the training vodcasts of this study.
For these reasons, developing short sales training vodcasts would seem to be effective by
taking advantage of these expectations and tendencies of Millennial salespeople.
Sample Population
Sales Training Vodcasts 26
A sample of 15 to 20 participants will be used to test the instructional vodcast modules.
The sample population who will test the two instructional modules developed would optimally
be young adults who belong to the Millennial generation, are currently employed in sales
positions, do not have knowledge of the buyer decision process, and would utilize the
instructional vodcasts while working in their specialty retail store. This population could be
identified and selected through direct contacting of Hawaii small business, specialty retail store
owners, based on common store location or association affiliation. For example, the researcher
might approach the Hawaii small business owners operating in certain Honolulu shopping
complexes where these types of stores are abundant. As another alternative, the researcher might
work with an industry association such as the Retail Merchants of Hawaii to reach local retail
business owners. Once those owners agree to assist the study, the selection of the actual
salespeople would be the decision of those retail store owners. One further requirement for test
participation would be that the test study participant have access to and be competent in utilizing
technology capable of playing the vodcasts.
Targeting a test sample of retail store employees adds potential complexity and
difficulties in actually completing the testing of the instructional modules. Utilizing that test
sample and selection process may result in less motivated test participants. Therefore, an
alternative to identify test participants would occur by relaxing selection criteria such that test
sample participants need not be currently or previously employed by a retail store. This would
likely result in a greater number of willing participants. In this case, the only selection criteria
would only be that they be young adults belonging to the Millennial Generation, do not have
knowledge of the buyer decision process, and have access to and are competent in technology
capable of playing the instructional vodcasts. Under this modified criteria, a large test sample
Sales Training Vodcasts 27
would likely be comprised of the researcher’s University of Hawaii peers or personal associates.
Whether the test population is employed in a sales capacity or utilizes the instructional modules
in an environment that mimics the retail store will be obtained through post-instruction data
collection. The researcher will attempt to ensure that at least three to five of the test participants
do have some level of experience or familiarity with retail sales; these participants will be used
for the initial trial testing that involves one-on-one post-instruction interviews to provide a
formative assessment.
Design of the instructional modules
The researcher will serve as the subject matter expert on the content of the instructional
modules. The researcher has a background in business administration and marketing, as well as
experience in retail sales. Literature on consumer behavior will further supplement the
researcher’s knowledge on this subject to be taught.
The overall development of the instructional modules will generally follow the
systematic design of instruction model by W. Dick, L. Carey, and J. Carey (i.e., the “Dick and
Carey” model). The intent of the initial trial testing of the two modules and one-on-one
interviews is to provide an opportunity for formative evaluation and revisions prior to testing
with the larger sample group. The researcher’s immediate family members, classmates, and
ETEC advisors might also assist in providing input during this trial period.
Each of the instructional modules themselves would be designed and organized in a
manner that follows Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction. Hence, after conducting a pre-test,
each module would:
1. Gain the attention of learners;
Sales Training Vodcasts 28
2. Inform learners of objectives for both the individual module and the overall
instructional effort;
3. Stimulate learner’s recall of prior learning;
4. Present instructional content;
5. Provide guidance;
6. Elicit practice performance of the intellectual skills taught;
7. Provide feedback;
8. Assess performance through a post-test; and
9. Enhance retention and knowledge transfer.
The bulk of instructional content and activities would be provided through the two
instructional vodcasts developed. The first instructional vodcast covers a sales approach based
on the first step in the buyer decision process of determining the consumer’s problem or need.
The second instructional vodcast covers a sales approach based on the second step in the buyer
decision process of determining the product information to provide to the customer, given his/her
problem or need and other considerations. Modules would not be developed and no instruction
will be provided relating to the remaining three steps of the buyer decision process, though these
final three steps will be considered when the researcher generates the instructional hierarchy and
conducts other instructional design planning.
Vodcasts were chosen as the medium of instruction for the study because they present an
educational innovation. Vodcasts cater to preferences and learning styles of the target audience
via new, increasingly available/compatible technology. Audio podcasts have received praise as
an instructional support tool. Vodcasts, however, are largely unproven, because it is relatively
Sales Training Vodcasts 29
new technology with production requirements – to combine video, text, captioning, and audio
overlay – that are greater than audio-only podcasts.
Furthermore, while vodcasts are similar in ways to previous forms of video instruction,
vodcasts are different in three significant ways because they are specifically developed for
portable video media players. First, the vodcast video is of small viewing size and resolution to
match the video media player’s screen size. Consequently, vodcasts require greater thought and
selective consideration to ensure the text and visual components of instruction can be seen
clearly enough to be effective. Although many vodcast users may choose to view vodcasts on
personal computers instead of portable media players, they will need to find a balance between
enlarging the viewing size and reducing video clarity. While it is possible to develop higher
resolution vodcasts to be viewed better on computers as well, that is not often done so because of
the second significant way that vodcasts differ from traditional video instruction: vodcasts need
to be of limited screen size and resolution to accommodate the memory limitations of portable
video media players. There is a tradeoff between the number of files that can be stored within a
media player and the memory requirements of those files. Media player owners may not be
willing or able to allot a large portion of their file memory to a single vodcast. This file size
issue similarly contributes to the third significant way in which vodcasts differ from traditional
video instruction, in that, to keep the file size small, the duration of the video must be minimized.
Video length must also be minimized because the portability of the instructional vodcasts brings
with it noise and other demands and distracters of the viewer’s time and attention. Thus, in order
to increase the likelihood that the vodcast viewer will provide his or her full attention to the
entire vodcast, it must be short in time duration.
Sales Training Vodcasts 30
The researcher will begin testing once UH-IRB and the researcher’s faculty advisor
provide approval to proceed. Subsequently, the researcher will provide test subjects with a
packet of materials for the study. The packet will include the instructional vodcasts on a CD for
the test subjects to manually transfer to their computer or into their media player library.
Vodcasts are typically downloaded by users via an Internet subscription feed, whereby the user
opts-in to a particular vodcast program and those vodcasts are automatically downloaded upon
availability. Since the scope of this instructional design study is on the vodcast learning
medium, provision of the vodcasts on a CD will both control distribution of the modules within
the intended test sample and minimize complications specific to mode of vodcast delivery. Pre-
and post-instruction testing will also be conducted via paper-based methods to ease testing
implementation and data collection for test participants and the researcher.
The researcher will begin testing using only three to five participants from the larger
sample group as a means to obtain formative evaluation. This initial testing, expected to occur
sometime in December 2009, will run approximately two weeks and also include post-instruction
one-on-one interviews. Based on the results and feedback of this initial trial testing, the
researcher will modify the instructional module and data collection instruments as appropriate.
Following the completion of modifications to the instructional materials, the larger sample group
will participate in the instructional design study testing in approximately January 2010 and
conclude by the beginning of February 2010.
The researcher will develop the instructional vodcasts using Camtasia Studio software, to
combine multimedia picture and video with PowerPoint slides, as well as to include audio
narration overlay and captioning. The researcher will obtain the multimedia picture or video
files via online public domain sites, such as YouTube. Alternatively, the researcher will self-
Sales Training Vodcasts 31
create video to the extent that suitable public domain multimedia cannot be found. Such self-
created video will follow storyboards the researcher develops to fill content needs.
The resulting instructional vodcasts will be in the .mp4 or .m4v file format standard
playable by most portable video media players. Personal computers installed with QuickTime or
other compatible video playing software can also be utilized.
Committee for protection of human subjects
This study involves standard educational practices. As such, the University of Hawaii
Institutional Review Board (UH-IRB, a.k.a. Committee on Human Studies) would likely
consider this study as exempt from UH-IRB full review and provide approval to proceed with
testing.
There are no significant risks of concern for study participants. This instructional design
study involves instructional modules that address competencies within the cognitive domain.
The instructional modules and their pre- and post-tests, questionnaire of Likert-scale and open-
ended questions, and semi-structured interviews would not induce physical or mental harm.
Further, no aspect of the study would open study participants to civil or criminal liability.
Participation in this study is voluntary and no compensation is provided. The researcher
will provide a consent form, along with verbal explanation of the form, to prospective study
participants to note their written approval. Study participants are free to decline or withdraw,
without penalty, from participation at any point in the study.
In order to protect study participants, all data collected will be kept confidential, to the
extent allowable by law. Identities of study participants will only be indirectly related to the data
they provide. Such data will be kept locked in the researcher’s office and destroyed upon
completion of the study.
Sales Training Vodcasts 32
Data collection
The primary purposes of data collection in this study is to determine whether vodcasts are
effective in providing sales training to Millennials and to obtain feedback on the attributes of the
vodcasts that make them any more or less appealing, engaging, and effective as an instructional
medium.
To gather evaluation data on the effectiveness of the instructional modules, the researcher
will utilize pre- and post-tests. Practice questions within the modules will serve as participant
self-assessments rather than a means of embedded data collection. Pre- and post-tests will
provide parallel questions and multiple choice answers that focus on determining whether the
learner has acquired the intellectual knowledge intended to be taught. Completion of pre- and
post-tests are expected to require 10 to 15 minutes total, for each module. Post-instruction
questionnaires will be used to collect data on the user’s background, learning style and
preferences, clarity of instruction, attitudes toward the design of the instruction and attributes of
the vodcasts, motivation towards proceeding through the modules and further application of the
intellectual knowledge, etc. The questionnaire will include approximately 40 Likert-scale
questions and 5 open-ended questions in the following areas: 1) technical and environmental
issues that impacted their viewing of the instructional vodcasts; 2) prior experience in retail sales
and knowledge of consumers’ decision-making process; 3) capabilities and preferences in
learning, viewing online videos, and using portable media players; and 4) attitudes and feelings
relating to the sales training vodcasts and specific attributes of those vodcasts. The researcher
expects the questionnaire to require 30 minutes of time to complete.
The researcher will collect data and test the instructional modules in two stages. The first
stage will be a trial test involving three to five study participants that best represent the target
Sales Training Vodcasts 33
audience. In addition to the pre- and post-tests for each module and post-instruction
questionnaire, this trial test stage will also include one-on-one semi-structured interview
questions based upon the general direction of responses to the aforementioned four topics of the
questionnaire. The researcher expects the interviews to require 20 minutes of time to complete.
In all cases of data collection, the researcher will record and collect the data via paper-based
methods.
This first stage trial testing will provide the researcher with formative evaluation
feedback so that the instructional design study can be modified as appropriate. The researcher
also expects immediate family members and education technology classmates to assist in
providing formative feedback by reviewing all or part of the instructional modules and data
instruments developed. Following the completion of modifications that result from the formative
evaluation, the researcher will conduct the second stage of the instructional design study, in
which the remaining 10 to 15 study participants engage in small group testing.
Data Analysis
The researcher will use statistics and charts as the primary means of analyzing both
quantitative and qualitative data. Specific data analysis issues to investigate include whether
there is a correlation or otherwise predictable relationship between the level of effectiveness and
appeal of visual aspects of the training vodcasts and the extent to which the participants consider
themselves to be comfortable and competent in the technology used, possess a visual learning
style, desire mobility, flexibility, and connectedness, and/or prefer distance learning activities.
Additionally, the researcher will analyze data to determine any relationship between the
effectiveness and appeal of the audio aspects of the training vodcasts and the extent to which the
participants possess an auditory learning style and prefer interaction with peers. The researcher
Sales Training Vodcasts 34
will also examine the data collected for other patterns or relationships between attributes of the
study participants and the instructional modules.
Limitations
Based on the recommendations of the researcher’s advisor and ETEC faculty, this
instruction design study will be limited to the module development and testing of only two of the
five steps of the buyer decision-making process. Additional limitations to consider are
scheduling difficulties of prospective or committed volunteer study participants, who may
encounter conflicts due to the holiday season, final exams, or winter travels and events.
Assumptions
The researcher assumes that target learners are capable of reading and understanding
vocabulary at approximately a high-school level. The researcher also assumes that target
learners can see and hear the sights and sounds of the instructional video without significant
impairment. A further assumption is that target learners have significant experience as a buyer
or salesperson in a specialty retail environment and can recall prior knowledge that will allow
them to easily relate to the situations discussed and presented in the instructional modules.
Sales Training Vodcasts 35
Timeline
Sales Training Vodcasts 36
Implications of Research
This results of this study are intended to provide evidence that vodcasts can be an
effective instructional tool when relying on previously proven instructional design and learning
theories. Further, this research should shed light on the specific attributes of learners and
vodcasts that promote the most appealing, effective, and motivating instruction. Given the
increased accessibility to technology capable of vodcast playback and trend towards distance
learning, vodcasts need to be assessed as an instructional tool. This instructional design study
sets forth an educational intervention to address this issue, provide supporting evidence, and
generate questions for further research and investigation.
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