- August 4, 2025
- Jessica Harling
Well-trained talent is the backbone of every well-designed space and every successful interior design business. Whether it’s a skilled design sales consultant conceptualizing a luxurious kitchen remodel, or a meticulous installer executing their vision with precision, initial and continuous training are vital to ensure quality work and maintain your competitive edge.
But training grown professionals while keeping things relevant and respectful to their day-to-day can be tricky. Adults learn best when training is practical, connected to real-life tasks, and respectful of their experience and studies show they retain more when they practice, reflect, and repeat.
Below are five research-backed steps for training adults in design and trades.
1. Teach Them About Products and Services
Your team should know your offerings inside and out. A designer who understands the unique selling points of your custom cabinetry line can speak more confidently when meeting with clients and upsell with integrity. A tradesperson who knows the differences between finishes and materials will execute your vision more accurately and avoid costly errors.
What works: Connect training to the real world. Bring in vendors, use samples, and walk through completed projects so your team links knowledge to results. Use job-shadowing and on-site demos. Studies show that people retain up to 75% of what they practice by doing, versus just 5% of what they hear in a lecture. Also, it never hurts to start with the basics. Adult learning is like a new home build. You need to set a foundation before you reach levels of intricacy and complexity.
2. Teach Them About People
Success in design and trades is built on relationships with clients, vendors, project managers, and each other. Help your people understand your org chart first, so they know who to go to and how communication flows. This builds confidence and reduces mistakes. Next, teach them about your partners and customers. Keep them close and observe until you feel confident in their autonomy.
What works: Don’t do this alone! Involve people throughout your org and within your partnerships where it makes sense. Research confirms peer-to-peer learning is powerful. Pair new team members with trusted mentors so they see how your best people navigate tough conversations and site challenges. Role model through shadowing opportunities before putting them to task solo. Provide templates, scripts, and clear communication standards upfront so they’re set up for success from day one.
3. Teach Them About Process
Even the best talent needs a roadmap. Clear processes keep work consistent, efficient, and high-quality. Make sure everyone knows how a project flows: who signs off on what, what systems to use, and what to do when problems arise.
What works: Visual aids like process maps, checklists, and SOPs help people connect theory to practice, and that’s exactly how adults learn best. But don’t just email it out; walk through it together, revisit it often, and encourage feedback. Psychological safety research shows that when people feel comfortable asking questions, they learn more and perform better.
4. Review, Rinse, Repeat
Adults, even the smartest ones, don’t remember everything the first time. Studies on spaced repetition show that revisiting concepts over time cements knowledge into long-term memory.
What works: Build in checklists, checkpoints, and short refreshers. A quick review of your billing process or site safety protocols every few months keeps everyone sharp. Create a culture where asking questions and giving feedback is welcomed. The more you know what’s unclear, the better your training gets.
5. Audit — and Make It Make Sense for You
Adding new products, services, or partners? Innovating processes? Time to update your training. A regular audit (every 4–6 months) helps keep everyone informed and performing at their peak.
What works: Realize that every business is unique. Training should fit your size, specialties, and culture. For some teams that’s apprenticeships and job shadowing; for others, it’s quick lunch-and-learns or flexible online modules. For most of us, it’s all of the above. For the sake of efficiency, remember to tap into online resources where you can research shows adults appreciate accessible, self-paced learning they can revisit as needed.
When your training feels like a helpful resource and not a burden, your people show up ready to learn.
Need help training? Contact us today to learn more about our tried and true training program developed by our resident industry expert, Jessica Harling.
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