DESERT SPRINGS, Calif. (Jan. 10, 2002)—Independent tire dealers doing business with TBC Corp. now have another benefit available from the Memphis, Tenn.-based distributor: sales training.
TBC Corp.'s first Private Brands Marketing Division Meetings Jan. 6-9 in Desert Springs were highlighted by the introduction of a five-part training program for dealers selling the Cordovan, Sigma, Multi-mile and Vanderbilt brands.
“We think everyone in this room is going to have to fight and scrap for every tire they sell in 2002,” TBC Vice President of Sales Gary Paulson told dealers attending the meeting at the Marriott Desert Springs Resort. “And if that´s the case, you want to make certain that you have the most knowledgeable and highly qualified sales people possible out there, chasing those retail and wholesale sales.
“And that means they have to be trained. And I don´t mean just trained on product knowledge, UTQG ratings and the (like). I mean they … are going to have to possess professional selling skills in every sense.”
Crediting TBC's Tire Kingdom retail tire chain with providing a model for the idea, a TBC spokesman said his company had sought such a program but lacked the staff and knowledge to create it.
The “modular dealer sales training program” features five tiers: Selling Tires; Selling Skills; Telephone Workshop; Customer Service Workshop; and Setting Goals.
The training modules are available in a three-ring binder format as well as on CD-rom, Mr. Paulson said.
He added the program will be available through TBC's advertising and merchandizing department for $149.95. Dealers at the Gold and above levels in TBC's Authorized Dealer Program will receive the training program at no extra charge as part of their authorized dealer merchandising kits.