We’ve got lots of training things going on. Truth is we rarely do the same training twice. But we will soon be whetting your appetite for cool topics to help your team get better. In the meantime, here are a few examples of the topics we work on:
Target Driven Selling
Value-Metric Selling and Why it’s important.
Customer-based Strategic Planning for Sellers
Fee-based Services: Why you need to be paid for what you know.
Workshops and Seminars
Distributor Specialist Training
The Distributor Specialist fills a unique role in the distributor organization – not 100% salesperson, nor engineer, just what IS this position? In many cases, the Specialist just happened. Sometimes, it was the result of a customer need, sometimes the position was driven by a key manufacturer/partner. Either way, most distributors agree the job description has grown from its humble beginnings to today- based on immediate tactical needs rather than a long-term plan.
This course pulls it all together
River Heights Consulting has made Specialist development a priority! This program is the first of its kind and is designed exclusively to better engage the Distributor Specialist.
The Distributor Specialist Playbook
Enter the Specialist – equal parts salesperson, marketer and resident domain expert – they provide the extra oomph to drive the business forward. Like all resources, they must be used properly and judiciously to get the right bang for the buck, the ROI. The Specialist Playbook is designed to put the right resources in place without piling and duplicating costs.
Understand how to deploy Specialists
Designed for the Business Leader with Product Specialists, this session is designed to explore the level of detail required to gather traction and move forward in even the most difficult of situations. There are numerous case studies from Manufacturers and Distributors in every line of trade.
A recent survey notes 80% of sales organizations have Specialists or plan to deploy Specialists in the next 12 months. Use this workshop to stay ahead of the game.
Supply Chain Integration for Distributors
River Heights Consulting believes that by thoroughly understanding the far-reaching implications of Supply Chain Integration, we can better discuss implementation with our customers and our manufacturing partners. In this workshop Frank will explore the “state of the state” of Supply Chain Integration in our industry, contrast it to other wholesale supply chains and project forward into the future. The attendee will leave with action items intended to give their organization a mindset that enables fast and efficient progress into the future.
Major topics include:
- Definition of Supply Chain Integration with some historical perspective
- Common terms and the variations and what they mean to different people
- Lean/Six Sigma’s place in Supply Chain Integration
- Discussion of which industries are ahead of the curve
- Potential effect of new technology
Every River Heights Consulting workshop includes a call to action
Attendees will be provided with specific ideas to get themselves and their businesses ready for the future. Worksheets, handouts and pages of real life examples from those with experience.
Expand Your Line Card/Expand Your Business
Customers want one stop shopping. Sales experts tell us it’s more efficient to sell more and different products to the same customers. Distributors in a variety of industries are discovering that it is good business to expand into new product segments and new technologies.
Frank Hurtte of River Heights Consulting has been on the front lines of building line cards, recruiting manufacturer partners, determining which product mixes would be the most interesting to his customers and driving a distinct “Package of Value” forward.
Frank applies his unique North Star approach to the process
In this workshop Frank explores the art and science of building a line card along with growing strong relations with the manufacturers your customers need. Whether you are firming up an existing line card or planning to launch a brand new product offering, this process will give you much to think about.
Revving up Distributor Sales Training for Manufacturers
Save time, increase sales opportunities, and drive results….
And, make your distributors love you!
In a recent conversation with the Vice President of a top US distributor, Frank Hurtte of River Heights Consulting was told “manufacturer’s field training sessions for sale people, on average, are less than 50% effective.”
As we push to make the manufacturer/distributor channel more efficient, few topics promise more payback in a shorter time than tweaking this age-old process. In this special presentation, Frank will lay out a plan for driving the right behavior and producing a payoff in added sales and increased market share. Those attending this seminar will receive a copy of RHC’s own “Distributor Training Expectations” worksheet. Armed with this tool, you can build training modules for your field sales force that are easy to present and easy to administer.
Customer Contribution – The New Gross Margin
Today, distributor business system technology allows us to glean the data required to compare the true profit picture of our customer base. Viewed for the first time, the results may be surreal. Experienced sales managers will argue the results in total disbelief. The best of salespeople will question their very existence when their star account falls below the suitable profit line (or possibly into the loss category). Customer Contribution Rankings allow us to evaluate whether a customer is an income generator or just an exercise.
All customers are not created equal…
Thomas Jefferson wrote, “All men are created equal”; but all customers are not created equal. Frank Hurtte talks about how to measure customer contribution and, more importantly, what to do with the data once you have it.
Don’t fire those less than profitable customers
Frank provides strategies to move non-contributing customers into the Profit Zone. One attendee said, “Frank’s Baker’s Dozen is worth the price of admission.”