Many nursery sales workers are passionate about plants, but lack the necessary skills to boost sales. Others have a great selling ability, but lack the knowledge needed to assist customers adequately. Our point? You need both to not only engage potential buyers, but (let’s be frank) nail the sale and boost your employer’s bottom line!
The Certificate of Nursery Sales is a professional development course that will expand your knowledge of plant identification, use and care while simultaneously improving your sales skills.
When you undertake this course on working in a plant nursery, you will learn about plant classification and the pronunciation of plant names, how to determine the different types of customers, and develop the communication skills to assist them, including how to open and close a sale.
You will also study planting techniques, soils, plant nutrition, pest management, how to create different moods using plants, and how to professionally advise customers when they visit your nursery.
On completion of this course, you will know how to identify a range of nursery plants, provide invaluable advice to customers and understand basic sales procedures and techniques.
Course Structure
Unit - Nursery Sales Assistant
Unit 1 – Introduction to Plants
- Understanding plant classification
- Plant names
- Levels of division
- Terminology
- Pronunciation of plant names
- Botanical families of genera
- Structure and arrangement of leaves and leaflets
- Flower structure
- Different types of flowers
- How seed forms
Unit 2 – Basic Sales Skills
- Products and services the nursery industry sells
- Factors to consider (costing, display and spacing)
- Summary of what sells best
- The selling personality
- Sales techniques
- Opening and closing a sale
- Add-on sales
- Understanding how buyers make decisions
- Rational decisions
- Heuristic procedures
- Representative heuristic
- Attitude heuristic
- Availability heuristic
- The decision making process (4 stages)
- Choosing a shop
- Types of customers
- Buyer motivation
- Promotions and customer relations
- Timing of promotions
- Customer relations
- Staff training
- Sales and first impressions
- Personal style inventory
- Personal style inventory scoring sheet
- Interpretation of the personal style inventory
- Strengths and weaknesses of the different types of personalities
- The sales person
- Key rules every salesperson should follow
- After sales service
- Managing plants in retail nurseries
- Holding stock
Unit 3 – Caring for Plants
- Planting
- Environmental factors affecting plants
- Common mistakes when planting
- Take a simple approach to planting
- Preparation
- Establishing woody plants
- Basic planting procedure
- Staking
- Planting deciduous – bare rooted plants
- Planting in shade
- Planting times
- Potting up plants
- Potting up shrubs and trees
- Terminology
- Understanding and improving soils
- Organic matter
- Composting
- Covering the ground and mulching
- Why mulch in spring?
- What to use?
- Nitrogen drawdown
- How to spread mulch
- Living plant cover
- Soil pH – acidity and alkalinity
- Ph testing and methods of measuring pH
- Nutrient availability and pH
- Plant nutrition
- The nutrient elements (major and minor elements
- Total salts
- How to maintain plants in pots
- Terminology
- Integrated pest management
- Garden doctor – a guide to pests and diseases of plants
- Preventative medicine in the garden
- Common pest problems
- A review of chemicals
- Fungicides
- Pests
- Review of chemicals for diseases
- Common fungal diseases of plants
- Turf fungal diseases
- Pruning in the home garden
- The basic rules of pruning
- Selecting your secateurs/pruning tools
- Winter or annual pruning
- How to prune
- Some examples of winter pruning
- How to prune a rose
- Pruning in the home orchard
- How to use trimmers
- Pruning evergreens
- Weed control
Unit 4 – Selecting the Right Plant for the Right Place
- Plant selection
- Environmental influences on plant selection
- Selecting plants for use in horticultural situations
- Colourful year-round foliage
- Annual and herbaceous plants
- Selecting herbaceous plants
- Popular herbaceous plants
- Selecting woody plants
- Trees
- Why plant trees?
- Problems with trees
- Deciduous or semi-deciduous trees
- Deciduous trees
- Shrubs for your garden
- Selecting flowering shrubs
Unit 5 – Advising Customers in a Nursery or Garden Centre
- Client interpersonal skills
- Good communication
- Types of communication
- Types of language
- Body language
- Clear wording
- Making meanings clear
- Causes of confusion
- Concise wording
- Communication barriers
- Questioning
- Listening
- Ways to indicate you are listening:
- Speaking in public
- Basic principles of public speaking:
- Using the telephone
- Telephone answering when you’re not there
- Garden centre product knowledge
- Advising customers where to place pot plants in a home garden
- Plants for pots
- Container growing outside: what can be grown in containers?
- Why grow plants outside in containers?
- General considerations
- Types of pots
- Plant labels
- Establishment and maintenance of lawns and grassed areas
- Turf establishment
- Mowing turf
- Fertilising turf
- How to aerate, scarify, top dress and fertilise a lawn
- Turf diseases
Study Hours
Estimated duration 50 hours
Course Delivery and Start
Start anytime, self-paced and 100% online
Assessment
Assessment will be comprised of written exercises, including short-answer questions, reflective tasks, short reports and/or projects. There are no examinations or due dates for assessment. As a result, you can complete training in your own time and at your own pace with the assistance of unlimited tutor support.
Testimonials
An enjoyable experience
L. Scanlan, Patterson Lakes, VIC | Certificate of Nursery Sales
About Us
Graduation
A Certificate of Attainment and Statement of Results will be issued upon successful completion of this course.
How to Enrol
Enrol Online: Enrol Now
Enrol via Live Chat (Business Hours)
Enrol via Telephone 1300 76 2221 (Business Hours)
Enrol via Purchase Order/Tax Invoice
Enrolling Multiple Staff?
To enrol multiple staff, please complete the Employer Enrolment Form. We’ll be in touch within 60 minutes during business hours!
Payment Options
Visa, Mastercard, BPAY and EFT/Direct Deposit. Please allow 1-2 Business days for processing for EFT and BPAY.
Course FAQs
Why Choose Australian Online Courses?
- Professional development that is widely recognised and respected;
- Improve your employment opportunities;
- Study online, anywhere via our elearning system;
- High-quality professional development programs written by industry experts;
- All course materials provided online – no textbooks to buy;
- Unlimited tutor support via email;
- We offer twelve (12) months’ access, with extensions available upon application (fees apply);
- Course may be tax deductible; see your tax advisor.
Are there any entry requirements or pre-requisites?
There are no course or subject pre-requisites for entry into our programs. However, our professional development programs are generally intended for people over the age of 18. In some circumstances, enrolments from younger people may be considered. Please complete the AOC Parent Guardian Consent Form prior to enrolling and submit here.
Are there any computer requirements?
To study online with Australian Online Courses you will need a computer (desktop PC/laptop) running a current/updated operating system with reliable high-speed internet access. You will need to use the Google Chrome browser to access your course.
When can I start this course?
You can start within 60 minutes during business hours when you enrol and pay in full with a credit card!
Credit card: Within 60 mins during business hours.
BPAY: Within 1-2 working days.
Internet Banking: Within 1-2 working days.
Cheque/Money Order: Upon receipt of mailed cheque.
How is this course delivered?
This course is delivered online via our easy-to-navigate Learning Management System (LMS), where you will discover interactive online learning/written content, resources and assessment.
Do I need to attend classes or undertake any work placements?
No. All courses are delivered online via our LMS and there are no work placement requirements in this course.
What support can I expect from Australian Online Courses?
Unlimited tutor support is available throughout your studies via email only during business hours Monday to Friday. Our Administrative team are available Monday to Friday via email, live chat and telephone.
I am an international student. Can I enrol into this course?
Yes! We accept enrolments from individuals both within Australia and internationally; location is no barrier to entry into our programs.
Career Pathways
Future growth
Strong
Unemployment
Low
Professional Development for:-
- Nursery Sales Assistant
- Market Stall Holder
- Garden Centre Workers
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