Food knowledge training, Down-selling, A tool for group projects, Sales Bingo, Cost of training and return on investment, Beer Judge Certification program, Bad Powerpoint, Using digital cameras in training...

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Every name for every vegetable
Many staff don't even know where Italy is, let alone the Italian word for parsley (prezzemolo) or the French (persil).

So here's the list for every translation of every ingredient - for kitchen staff and servers.

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'Down-selling' to maximise revenue
Huh? I thought the idea was to upsell. For sure, but there are times when the only remaining tables or rooms are less desirable, without a view or up the back - selling them is better than having guests walk away to seek a better offer. Doug Kennedy's article on 'Down-selling' has a great selection of short scripts to help staff handle the sale and understand the importance of the extra revenue.

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Writeboard for group projects

Writeboard looks extremely simple and useful - for students collaborating on a project or colleagues building ideas. Edit them on a shared web space.

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Sales opportunity Bingo
I like this Sales Bingo idea from Harry Joiner - kind of like a 'marketing audit' without the heavy feeling!

10 typical clients across the top, 10 services down the side, then colour in the squares where the service is being used by/offered to the customer. Where there are gaps, there are opportunities.

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Cost of staff turnover & the value of training

Trainers can make a convincing case for the value of training, but does anyone really listen? By bringing the costs and benefits down to a specific $$ amount, the point is made more powerfully.

Here's a useful Cost of Turnover Calculator to do the sums for you. Fairly detailed, and it highlights cost areas you may not have thought of.

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Beer Judge Certification program
No, this is not a Homer Simpson invention, but serious and detailed training and certification for beer lovers and trainers.

The purpose of the http://www.bjcp.org/" target="_blank">Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) is to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer, and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills.

The BJCP certifies and ranks beer judges through an examination and monitoring process. We were founded in 1985, and today we have over 2,000 members throughout North America and around the world.

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Really BAD Powerpoint

The online version of Really BAD Powerpoint is available here and it's free.

Author Seth Godin challenges us to use no more than 6 words on a slide! There have been lots of laughs lately at Bill Gates' latest presentation compared to Steve Jobs. You be the judge.

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Digital cameras as a training tool
My smart training colleague Bill Shirley mentioned that he's now asking trainees to document what they see with their cameras, an item now in most people's possession.

Don't just tell us about the great sandwich you ate, take a snap and show me. Or a picture of a good (or dodgy) cafe to explain a point about customer service. Or how you set up a meeting or banquet room.

Next step from this is to get them collecting it in a Blog (like this) or just keeping an online photo album with the free Flickr (like this) or Bubbleshare - (like this). Truly modern training.