Training

A flexible way to learn and enhance skills with BMF Training options: management and leadership, sales and product knowledge and operational.

The Importance of BMF Training

                 
                   
                   

Flexible Locations

Tailored programmes to suit company needs covering relevant and topical subjects. Courses can be run regionally or in-house, or at a BMF Regional Centre of Excellence.

Training Prospectus

View our full Merchant prospectus online here
and for our new Supplier prospectus click here.



Product knowledge

High quality product training modules devised by industry leaders offering easy access to suit you available online or through distance learning workbooks.

BMF Building Blocks - book now

BMF Diploma in Merchant Management

How a House is Built - book now

BMF Campus

BMF Campus offers high quality and cost-effective online product learning
BMF Apprenticeship scheme
BMF Health & Safety Training

BMF Health & Safety Training

The BMF offers a wide variety of Health and Safety training courses
BMF Diploma & Foundation Degree

BMF Diploma & Foundation Degree

The BMF Diploma in Merchanting is a management development programme which can lead on to a merchant specific Foundation Degree

Course Search

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Scheduled Courses

Course2
1 Day Essential Sales Skills
26 Mar 2024
This engaging and interactive workshop explores the fundamental sales skills for internal sales staff that are essential in the modern marketplace.
2 Day - Selling Into Merchants - Supplier
02 Apr 2024 - 03 Apr 2024
Aimed at suppliers, this interactive workshop will help you understand the merchant structure, the difference between independent and national merchants and how buying groups affect purchasing decisions. By the end of the workshop you will understand how to use your unique sales proposition (USP) to increase profitable business.
1 Day Increasing Sales on the Telephone - Supplier
08 Apr 2024
This course is designed to show delegates the best way to increase sales using telephone contact. It will allow delegates to identify telephone sales opportunities and how to turn them into profit.
2 Day - People Management Skills
16 Apr 2024 - 17 Apr 2024
This course focuses on the importance of the effective management of people within any business. It will equip Managers with the skills to professionally lead individuals or teams, whilst maintaining productivity and meeting company objectives.
2 Day Essential Sales Skills
30 Apr 2024 - 01 May 2024
This engaging and interactive workshop explores the fundamental sales skills for internal sales staff that are essential in the modern marketplace.
Better Banter: Humour or Harassment?
07 May 2024
What constitutes banter and what is acceptable in the workplace? Delivered by an employment lawyer with an understanding of the Building Materials sector. This course explores what oversteps the mark into harassment or bullying behaviour.
Effective Sales Presentation and Demonstration Skills
14 May 2024
This course is designed to enhance the presentation and demonstration skills of sales professionals. This course provides a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience to enhance the essential skills required for effective sales presentations and demonstrations, aimed at empowering sales professionals to achieve better results in client interactions.
Key Account Management - Supplier
23 May 2024
This sales training course will help you develop an account management plan to build lasting client relationships and maximise sales opportunities with your key accounts.
1 Day Presentation Skills - Supplier
19 Jun 2024
These days, the ability to present well has never been more important. Whether it’s presenting to colleagues, giving an important speech at a conference or a product demo to customers, your ability to influence and express yourself clearly is a make-or-break skill.

Register Interest

Event
1 Day Rack Safety Inspection Course
Register Interest
The course will cover the responsibilities of the supplier and end user and the legalities that surround racking inspection and the consequences of not following them correctly.  It will explain the different types of pallet racking and their damage tolerances as well as SEMA classifications for these.
2 Day - Social Media For Beginners
Register Interest
There is nothing worse than feeling unconfident and unsure about what to do with your social media. It is easy to go round and round in circles and never make any progress. In this competitive industry you need to have an online presence but too often businesses throw themselves in the deep end before planning out the what, the who, the when, the how. Taking a step back and thinking more strategically about what you are doing on social media will help boost your confidence, make better use of your time, and bring you better results.
2 Day Yard Supervisor's Toolkit
Register Interest
The Yard Supervisor's can be overlooked for formal training, but will often be one of the team members that would benefit most from external support. This individual will usually have been promoted because they were a hard worker, but this particular attribute alone is not enough to succeed when managing others.
Basic Site Setting Out & Preparation: Domestic Projects
Register Interest
Gain basic knowledge and develop the necessary skills to set out landscaping features correctly, using boning rods, spirit levels and laser levels.
Better Banter: Humour or Harassment?
Register Interest
What constitutes banter and what is acceptable in the workplace? Delivered by an employment lawyer with an understanding of the Building Materials sector. This course explores what oversteps the mark into harassment or bullying behaviour.
BMF Building Blocks
Register Interest
Providing our members the very best industry training has always been a key objective at the BMF. We recognise that highly trained and knowledgeable staff set our members apart from their competitors and in the fast moving markets of the 21st century it’s vital that frontline staff have the latest information at their fingertips.
BMF Campus
Register Interest
BMF Campus offers high quality and cost-effective product learning. Being on-line it offers an attractive and enjoyable way for employees to gain understanding of a wide range of product and technical issues. The easy administration tools enable member companies to put together personalised courses comprising hand picked modules for the individuals concerned.
BMF Diploma in Merchant Management
Register Interest
The BMF Diploma in Merchant Management covers a range of practical management issues including managing yourself, managing others, managing processes and managing change. Attendees will learn not only key managerial skills but also how to apply these back at work.
BMF Diploma in Supplier Management
Register Interest
The BMF Diploma in Supplier Management covers a range of practical management issues including managing yourself, managing others, managing processes and managing change. Attendees will learn not only key managerial skills but also how to apply these back at work.
BMF Essential Sales Management
Register Interest
Essential Sales Management is a twelve month programme, recognised by the Institute of Sales Management, aiming to support talented individuals in successfully managing a portfolio of customers.
BMF Management Development Programme
Register Interest
Traditional training programmes can be rigid and inflexible with the focus of covering set subjects rather than developing the required knowledge, skills and attitudes of the attendees. The Management Development Programme (MDP) is not like that at all! Instead it adopts a totally flexible, modular approach that meets learning needs at all management levels.
Data Protection
Register Interest
The General Data Protection Regulations introduce a greater protection for personal information and a greater burden on businesses to secure that data. We’ll help you to understand the data you hold, areas of risk exposure and how to update your data protection practices.
Digital Tachographs and Drivers’ Hours
Register Interest
This course will break down the full operational function of the tachograph, working with drivers and transport office staff. This is a very hands-on workshop using a simulator to ensure the highest level of understanding.
Driver CPC Training
Register Interest
By 10 September 2019 all goods vehicle drivers will have had to have completed 35 hours of periodic training and will need to have 35 hours of efresher training during every further 5 years. BMF’s approved transport advisers and its partner in the delivery of transport training are Prompt Training. They can help you identify the most practical, efficient and cost-effective way to manage your Driver CPC training programme to suit your business requirements and drivers’ training needs. We have a variety of courses available and the option to train drivers at your premises or at a range of venues nationwide.
Driving Performance
Register Interest
This workshop will provide attendees with the tools to enhance staff potential. It will show how to get the best performance from employees, through motivation, on the job development and practical support. Increasing staff performance can also improve staff retention through a mutual and professional respect.
Effective Time Management
Register Interest
This course emphasises the requirement for all to be effective ‘time managers’. It is a prerequisite to the efficiency and level of customer service in any business. This workshop will identify practical ways to pre-plan, prioritise and structure a working day and reiterate the importance of delegation and teamwork.
Excellence in Business Writing
Register Interest
This course is designed to show how best to construct a full range of business correspondence. It will ensure total understanding of the way written communication should be produced and the pitfalls that arise from sub-standard correspondence.
Finance for Non-Finance Managers
Register Interest
This course is designed to give a basic but informative overview of the finance side of a business, specifically for those not directly involved in the day-to-day function of financial management. This course is a must for anyone with the need to fully understand financial reports
Forklift Truck & Mechanical Handling Equipment Training
Register Interest
The BMF have signed an agreement with Train -a lift based in Coventry to supply Forklife Truck & Material Handling Equipment (MHE) training to members of the BMF.
Increasing Sales on the Telephone
Register Interest
This course is designed to show delegates the best way to increase sales using telephone contact. It will allow delegates to identify telephone sales opportunities and how to turn them into profit.
Installation of Artificial Grass: Domestic Applications
Register Interest
Develop the necessary skills to install artificial grass safely and correctly to specifications, tolerances and guidelines, as advised by the industry and manufacturers.
Installation of Clay Paving: Domestic Applications
Register Interest
Develop the necessary skills to install clay paving safely and correctly to specifications, tolerances and guidelines, as advised by the industry and manufacturers.
Installation of Porcelain Paving: Domestic Applications
Register Interest
Develop the necessary skills to install porcelain paving safely and correctly to specifications, tolerances and guidelines, as advised by the industry and manufacturers.
Installation of Resin Bound Aggregate: Domestic Applications
Register Interest
Develop the necessary skills to install resin safely and correctly to specification, tolerances and guidelines, as advised by the industry and manufacturers.
Installing Stone Paving Materials for Domestic Application
Register Interest
Develop the necessary skills to install stone paving safely and correctly to specifications, tolerances and guidelines, as advised by the industry and manufacturers.
Introduction to Opening a Kitchen or Bathroom Showroom
Register Interest
Whether it’s a full on showroom, or designers selling from samples in the clients home, we can look at how best to progress. Recruitment and management of the kitchen designers and lead management tools will also be explored, along with planning for future growth of the business.
KBB Specific - Advanced Showroom Sales Training
Register Interest
Specific to KBB, improve best practices in showroom customer engagement. This advanced course of 40 key tips continues with understanding needs, objection handling techniques, how to agree on the next stage and alternative options in closing the sale.
KBB Specific - Customer Engagement Sales Training
Register Interest
Specific to KBB, improve best practice in customer engagement, understanding needs, objection handling techniques, how to agree the next stage and alternative options in closing the sale.
Key Account Management
Register Interest
This sales training course will help you develop an account management plan to build lasting client relationships and maximise sales opportunities with your key accounts.
Managing and Controlling Stock
Register Interest
Managing stock levels is the key to any merchant/supply business. This one day course will show how to maintain the required stock level, therefore leading to accurate stock takes, ensuring you are complying with the HSE and having a positive influence on overall customer service.
Managing for Success
Register Interest
This three day course is designed for newly promoted or soon to be promoted Managers who are looking for an introduction to the key principles of effective modern management. Aimed at Branch Managers, Assistant Mangers, Department Managers, Trading Managers.
Managing Sickness Absence
Register Interest
It’s easy to shy away from conversations around sickness absence – but if you calculate lost productivity, team disruption and sick pay costs associated with sickness absence then those conversations would seldom be left unsaid.
Margin Development Programme
Register Interest
The BMF offer a popular stand-alone ‘Maximising Margin’ training course which may well result in an improvement of margin upon return to the workplace. However, to ensure that changes in behaviour are ‘driven home’ and applied, a change of culture within the branches and the business as a whole is often required. Proven margin improvement has been witnessed when a training programme is delivered that includes all sales staff, including Branch Managers and Senior Management. This programme is tailored to suit the members individual needs and may involve a number of phases. This would involve examining current practices and delivering training for the staff, whilst providing practical advice regarding any potential staff incentives. Further support can be provided to ensure that the majority of staff fully embrace the ideology and concept of the programme.
Maximising Margin
Register Interest
It is all too easy to discount to ensure you ‘Get the Business’, but would you get it anyway? How many of your staff are unaware of the implications of discounting the sale? Margin erosion is a key problem affecting the bottom line and with the pressures of the customer expecting discounts should be a key focus for the business.
Mental Health Awareness
Register Interest
This 2½ hour session is suitable for any employee to increase their awareness of their own wellbeing and how to support others.  It would also ensure employers are taking a proactive and organisation wide approach to wellbeing by providing mental health literacy training for all staff, which also complies with the new ISO 45003 to support effective consultation with staff on managing mental wellbeing risks.
Mind Setting - Optimise your Performance
Register Interest
Mind-Setting is a new online performance coaching programme and step by step blueprint to help you optimise your performance.
People Management Skills
Register Interest
This course focuses on the importance of the effective management of people within any business. It will equip Managers with the skills to professionally lead individuals or teams, whilst maintaining productivity and meeting company objectives.
Positive Wellbeing Conversations
Register Interest
This ½ day course is suitable for anyone who has responsibility for managing others, HR professionals and Wellbeing Champions to help them feel more confident when handling sensitive wellbeing conversations with employees.  In addition to better understanding their management style to create a psychologically safe working environment.
Reducing Stock, Loss and Shrinkage
Register Interest
This effective course will show how to maintain a high level of security, keeping loss and shrinkage to a minimum. It will cover precautions and everyday measures to ensure safety and security. This will suggest solutions for each individual problem area.
Sales Coaching and Performance Management
Register Interest
This course is designed to enable Sales Managers to effectively manage the performance of their team, and learn how to use coaching as a development and performance improvement tool.
Sales Fast Track Programme
Register Interest
The Sales Fast Track is an ISM (Institute of Sales Mgt) accredited programme which can be run virtually or face to face.
Sales Negotiation Techniques
Register Interest
This course will develop the skills and knowledge needed to be an effective sales negotiator. It will help delegates develop a win-win situation with different types of customers in different situations.
Search Engine Optimisation
Register Interest
This one-day interactive workshop will help you understand Search Engine Optimisation and getting listed higher up search engines like Google.
Staff Engagement and Retention
Register Interest
The costs associated with having a high turnover of staff are considerable. This is both in financial terms, and in time and effort when having to replace and train new people after key members of staff have left the business. This is a common problem across the industry and this course has been specifically designed to help meet this challenge.
Supplier Negotiation
Register Interest
This training course will help you prepare and conduct negotiations with suppliers to ensure you are fully prepared and able to negotiate a positive outcome for your business, while maintaining the supplier relationship.
Testing Waiting List
Register Interest
Waiting List Only for courses
Vehicle Compliance
Register Interest
This course focuses on ensuring total compliance with the Operator’s Licence requirements. Any merchants who operate commercial vehicles need to have a full understanding of what is required; this workshop will ensure that is provided.
Warehouse and Yard Layout
Register Interest
This practical programme will give the knowledge and understanding needed to develop a warehouse layout that will operate safely, efficiently and economically, so as to add contribution to the overall profitability of the organisation. Each area covered in the workshop will conclude with plans of action to help with implementation on the job.
Yard Foreman's Toolkit
Register Interest
The Yard Foreman can be overlooked for formal training, but will often be one of the team members that would benefit most from external support. This individual will usually have been promoted because they were a hard worker, but this particular attribute alone is not enough to succeed when managing others.

Scheduled Courses

Event
There are no records.

Register Interest

Event
BMF Diploma in Merchant Management
Register Interest
The BMF Diploma in Merchant Management covers a range of practical management issues including managing yourself, managing others, managing processes and managing change. Attendees will learn not only key managerial skills but also how to apply these back at work.
BMF Diploma in Supplier Management
Register Interest
The BMF Diploma in Supplier Management covers a range of practical management issues including managing yourself, managing others, managing processes and managing change. Attendees will learn not only key managerial skills but also how to apply these back at work.

Scheduled Courses

Event
2 Day - People Management Skills
16 Apr 2024 - 17 Apr 2024
This course focuses on the importance of the effective management of people within any business. It will equip Managers with the skills to professionally lead individuals or teams, whilst maintaining productivity and meeting company objectives.
1 Day Presentation Skills - Supplier
19 Jun 2024
These days, the ability to present well has never been more important. Whether it’s presenting to colleagues, giving an important speech at a conference or a product demo to customers, your ability to influence and express yourself clearly is a make-or-break skill.

Register Interest

Event
Driving Performance
Register Interest
This workshop will provide attendees with the tools to enhance staff potential. It will show how to get the best performance from employees, through motivation, on the job development and practical support. Increasing staff performance can also improve staff retention through a mutual and professional respect.
Effective Time Management
Register Interest
This course emphasises the requirement for all to be effective ‘time managers’. It is a prerequisite to the efficiency and level of customer service in any business. This workshop will identify practical ways to pre-plan, prioritise and structure a working day and reiterate the importance of delegation and teamwork.
Excellence in Business Writing
Register Interest
This course is designed to show how best to construct a full range of business correspondence. It will ensure total understanding of the way written communication should be produced and the pitfalls that arise from sub-standard correspondence.
People Management Skills
Register Interest
This course focuses on the importance of the effective management of people within any business. It will equip Managers with the skills to professionally lead individuals or teams, whilst maintaining productivity and meeting company objectives.
Staff Engagement and Retention
Register Interest
The costs associated with having a high turnover of staff are considerable. This is both in financial terms, and in time and effort when having to replace and train new people after key members of staff have left the business. This is a common problem across the industry and this course has been specifically designed to help meet this challenge.

Scheduled Courses

Event
2 Day - Selling Into Merchants - Supplier
02 Apr 2024 - 03 Apr 2024
Aimed at suppliers, this interactive workshop will help you understand the merchant structure, the difference between independent and national merchants and how buying groups affect purchasing decisions. By the end of the workshop you will understand how to use your unique sales proposition (USP) to increase profitable business.

Register Interest

Event
Increasing Sales on the Telephone
Register Interest
This course is designed to show delegates the best way to increase sales using telephone contact. It will allow delegates to identify telephone sales opportunities and how to turn them into profit.
KBB Specific - Advanced Showroom Sales Training
Register Interest
Specific to KBB, improve best practices in showroom customer engagement. This advanced course of 40 key tips continues with understanding needs, objection handling techniques, how to agree on the next stage and alternative options in closing the sale.
KBB Specific - Customer Engagement Sales Training
Register Interest
Specific to KBB, improve best practice in customer engagement, understanding needs, objection handling techniques, how to agree the next stage and alternative options in closing the sale.
Margin Development Programme
Register Interest
The BMF offer a popular stand-alone ‘Maximising Margin’ training course which may well result in an improvement of margin upon return to the workplace. However, to ensure that changes in behaviour are ‘driven home’ and applied, a change of culture within the branches and the business as a whole is often required. Proven margin improvement has been witnessed when a training programme is delivered that includes all sales staff, including Branch Managers and Senior Management. This programme is tailored to suit the members individual needs and may involve a number of phases. This would involve examining current practices and delivering training for the staff, whilst providing practical advice regarding any potential staff incentives. Further support can be provided to ensure that the majority of staff fully embrace the ideology and concept of the programme.
Maximising Margin
Register Interest
It is all too easy to discount to ensure you ‘Get the Business’, but would you get it anyway? How many of your staff are unaware of the implications of discounting the sale? Margin erosion is a key problem affecting the bottom line and with the pressures of the customer expecting discounts should be a key focus for the business.
Sales Negotiation Techniques
Register Interest
This course will develop the skills and knowledge needed to be an effective sales negotiator. It will help delegates develop a win-win situation with different types of customers in different situations.

Scheduled Courses

Event
There are no records.

Register Interest

Event
Finance for Non-Finance Managers
Register Interest
This course is designed to give a basic but informative overview of the finance side of a business, specifically for those not directly involved in the day-to-day function of financial management. This course is a must for anyone with the need to fully understand financial reports
Managing and Controlling Stock
Register Interest
Managing stock levels is the key to any merchant/supply business. This one day course will show how to maintain the required stock level, therefore leading to accurate stock takes, ensuring you are complying with the HSE and having a positive influence on overall customer service.
Reducing Stock, Loss and Shrinkage
Register Interest
This effective course will show how to maintain a high level of security, keeping loss and shrinkage to a minimum. It will cover precautions and everyday measures to ensure safety and security. This will suggest solutions for each individual problem area.
Warehouse and Yard Layout
Register Interest
This practical programme will give the knowledge and understanding needed to develop a warehouse layout that will operate safely, efficiently and economically, so as to add contribution to the overall profitability of the organisation. Each area covered in the workshop will conclude with plans of action to help with implementation on the job.

Scheduled Courses

Event
There are no records.

Register Interest

Event
There are no records.

Scheduled Courses

Event
There are no records.

Register Interest

Event
BMF Campus
Register Interest
BMF Campus offers high quality and cost-effective product learning. Being on-line it offers an attractive and enjoyable way for employees to gain understanding of a wide range of product and technical issues. The easy administration tools enable member companies to put together personalised courses comprising hand picked modules for the individuals concerned.

Scheduled Courses

Event
There are no records.

Register Interest

Event
Digital Tachographs and Drivers’ Hours
Register Interest
This course will break down the full operational function of the tachograph, working with drivers and transport office staff. This is a very hands-on workshop using a simulator to ensure the highest level of understanding.
Driver CPC Training
Register Interest
By 10 September 2019 all goods vehicle drivers will have had to have completed 35 hours of periodic training and will need to have 35 hours of efresher training during every further 5 years. BMF’s approved transport advisers and its partner in the delivery of transport training are Prompt Training. They can help you identify the most practical, efficient and cost-effective way to manage your Driver CPC training programme to suit your business requirements and drivers’ training needs. We have a variety of courses available and the option to train drivers at your premises or at a range of venues nationwide.
Vehicle Compliance
Register Interest
This course focuses on ensuring total compliance with the Operator’s Licence requirements. Any merchants who operate commercial vehicles need to have a full understanding of what is required; this workshop will ensure that is provided.

Scheduled Courses

Event
There are no records.

Register Interest

Event
There are no records.