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“Dealer Boot Camp” Training Program for New Sales Reps
 
OFDA is pleased to announce the next round of a highly successful, dealer-focused training initiatives developed with guidance from our Board of Governors and other dealers who share a common need and challenge: to quickly, successfully and cost-effectively “on-board” new sales representatives. The presentation of this new, two-day interactive workshop will be held April 25-26 at the Double Tree Chicago O’Hare/Rosemont Hotel.
In late July and again in November, OFDA held its ‘Dealer Boot Camp’ sessions – which received highly positive reviews from attendees and their dealership sponsors. We now invite you to identify 1-2 of your most promising sales/new business development team members who have joined your dealership within the past year and register them to participate. Participation will be limited to the first 18 participants who register. OFDA has reserved a hotel room block at a special $149/night rate for program participants at the Double Tree Hotel, with free shuttle service to/from O’Hare International Airport. Registrations are requested by Friday, April 6.
Debbie Junge of Junge + Associates – a highly experienced consultant with substantial sales and operations management experience in leading dealerships – will again deliver this timely workshop at a special group rate for OFDA members. She has a strong track record in working with dealerships of all sizes and using various business models to help them improve sales and other key business processes.
Overview
Dealers and manufacturers are finding it increasingly difficult to hire experienced contract furniture salespeople. They are looking to ‘grow their own’ with sales talent from outside of the industry that have the right skill sets to find and secure new business opportunities. With any new hire it takes an investment of human resources, time and energy to bring sellers up to speed on the nuances of the furniture industry. We help managers and owners alleviate the challenge of ‘on-boarding’ with Dealer Boot Camp training. As a result of this course, participants will:
- Gain Insights and Knowledge About the Industry
- Acquire More Confidence and Professionalism
- Develop a Plan of Action for Getting Started
- Accelerate Ramp-up Time and Boost Productivity
Course Outline
Led by instructors who have years of successful sales and management experience in the contract furniture industry the modules are fun, interactive and informative. Training modules include:
Introduction-overview of the contract furniture industry, dealer and vendor relationships
Products- basic product overview and industry terms
Vendors -market position and core competencies
Dealer Services -types of services, increasing profits by selling services
End Users, Industry Influencers-calling on end users, A&D, brokers, contractors, other influencers
Networking -understand the importance of building networks of referral sources
The Sales Cycle -overview of the sales process from prospecting to selection of dealer and vendor
Pricing, Discounts, Contracts-terminology, calculating discounts and negotiating buying agreements
Proposals & Bids-pricing strategies, effective bid and proposal responses
Floorplans & Basic Codes -navigating through reading floorplans, measuring and basic codes
Order Fulfillment Process-overview of the process from generating a design to invoicing
Success Maps –self management, goal setting and planning
Who Should Attend
- New Salespeople to the Industry
- New Managers to the Industry
- Designers and Other Sales Support Transitioning Into a New Sales Position
Includes Two Day Course and Training Manual
The program is expressly designed to fill in the significant gap between product-related training offered to dealers by their primary industry manufacturers, and training dealerships provide to new employees regarding their specific business strategies, goals, processes and policies. In this workshop, Debbie and Brenda will accelerate learning of the industry’s collective “tribal knowledge” – practical information on the “who, what, where, how and why” of the complex sales process – which new sales people joining our industry typically acquire piece-meal by trial and error.
This special OFDA workshop will provide a well-structured, interactive format ideal for adult learning and a comprehensive binder that contains in-depth training information to which each participant can refer during and after the session. This approach will reinforce the learning that takes place during the workshop and help ensure its regular use when the participant returns to your dealership.
Follow the link above for further information on this exciting new program and register here. Chris Bates, OFDA’s president, may be reached at 703.549.9040, x 100 with your specific questions about this opportunity.
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