Global

Channel management and retail merchandising standards for trade marketing and field sales teams

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 12 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
40 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At onboarding for field and trade roles
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Merchandising fundamentals and reading a planogram
What would you do?

The plan says three facings of the hero product at eye level in bay two; you find one facing at shelf height and a competitor's stand on the end

Try it: this is one of 16 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 40 minutes
  • Scenario, sorting activity, accordion, process and quizzes
  • 11-question final check, 80% to pass

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 10 slides
  • Quiz, word cloud, poll, scale slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 298.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment-Whole course
SO 298.1Compare routes to market and choose a sensible mix for a product and outlet typeBest practiceWhole course
SO 298.2Apply visual merchandising basics (eye level, adjacency, facings, blocking) to a shelf or displayBest practiceWhole course
SO 298.3Read a retailer planogram and display standard, check a display against it and record gaps + your infoRetailer planogram and display standards (internal)Whole course
SO 298.4Select and place point-of-sale materials that suit an outlet's size, traffic and typeBest practiceWhole course
SO 298.5Recognise a distributor or retailer conversation that strays into resale pricing or other restricted topics, and stop and escalateEU vertical agreements rules, Regulation (EU) 2022/720 [unverified] where they apply; see verification listWhole course

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 12 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 40 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Why the display in the brochure is not the display in the store

3 pages

8 min
Before you beginNoteList
The Friday store visitTextImage
What do you fix first?ChecklistKey factQuiz
2

Channel structures and routes to market

3 pages

8 min
Four routesTabs
Which route fits?Sorting activity
CheckFlashcardsMatching quiz
3

Merchandising fundamentals and reading a planogram

3 pages

7 min
Five visual principlesAccordion
Planogram audit in four stepsProcessYour infoYour info
Spot the gapScenarioQuiz
4

Point-of-sale materials and working with partners

3 pages

7 min
Which material, which outletSorting activityYour info
What partners may and may not discussAccordionNote
The distributor lunchScenarioMulti-select quiz
5

Speak up and apply in the store

2 pages

5 min
Raise it earlyProcessYour infoNote
Your next visitChecklistScenarioYour infoQuiz
6

Final assessment

Assessment

5 min
Final check11 questions80% to passCompletion page

Live deck and surveys

10 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

ContentTitle, agenda, "bring one store photo you were unsure about" (speaker notes carry the template page URL)
Word cloudWhat do shoppers notice first in a store?
PollWhich outlet type do you visit most?
Content · customiseEye level, blocking, facings and adjacency in one image; the four-step planogram audit {{PLANOGRAM_STANDARDS_LINK}}
QuizThe plan shows four facings at eye level; you find two at shelf height. First step? (Restore the agreed facings if the store allows, and record the gap ✔ · Leave it · Move a competitor's stand · Take space from a neighbour)
QuizA distributor says "let's keep shelf prices above this level". You… (Stop, say you cannot discuss resale prices, and tell the compliance contact ✔ · Agree quietly · Agree this season · Change the subject later)
Content · customiseOur standards, outlet-type rules and contacts: {{PLANOGRAM_STANDARDS_LINK}}, {{OUTLET_TYPE_RULES}}, {{COMPETITION_COMPLIANCE_CONTACT}}
ScaleHow confident are you auditing a display against a planogram?
Open-ended / Q&AA store situation you did not know how to handle
Content · customiseClosing {{HELP_CONTACT}}, {{SURVEY_2_URL}}, {{COURSE_URL}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. Which standard will you apply on your next store visit? multiple choice
  6. How confident are you about when to stop a conversation with a distributor? 1-5 scale
  7. What support do you still need? multiple choice
  8. I feel safe stopping a conversation that goes too far. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find the display standards and the compliance contact? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

12 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • The retailer or internal planogram and display standards, with their validity dates{{PLANOGRAM_STANDARDS_LINK}}
  • The form or app used to record store visits{{STORE_AUDIT_FORM}}
  • Which point-of-sale materials are allowed for which outlet types{{OUTLET_TYPE_RULES}}
  • Who advises on pricing and partner-conduct questions{{COMPETITION_COMPLIANCE_CONTACT}}
  • Who to ask and how to raise a concern{{HELP_CONTACT}}
  • Who to ask and how to raise a concern{{ESCALATION_ROUTE}}
Show all 12 fields
  • The organisation's competition or partner-conduct policy{{POLICY_LINK}}
  • Completion record, surveys, course and next step{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Completion record, surveys, course and next step{{SURVEY_1_URL}}
  • Completion record, surveys, course and next step{{SURVEY_2_URL}}
  • Completion record, surveys, course and next step{{COURSE_URL}}
  • Completion record, surveys, course and next step{{NEXT_COURSE_LINK}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run channel management and retail merchandising standards for trade marketing and field sales teams training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At onboarding for field and trade roles, before a seasonal reset or new retailer standards, and when store audits show repeated gaps.

Who needs this training?

Trade marketers, field sales, channel managers and retail teams; variant for new starters or key account teams; run by L&D with trade marketing, sales operations and legal or competition compliance teams.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

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Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.

See the live deck