With the cancellation of in-person SEMA and CES shows this year and in January, Epsilon Electronics, maker of Soundstream, Precision Power and other brands, is diverting marketing funds it would have spent on those shows to enroll its reps in a professional sales training “university.”
In a program launching this week, Epsilon said it spending over $2K a month to train each of its rep firms. Epsilon has hired Power Sales University to conduct a training program that can be divided into 10-minute increments. Reps can devote only 10 minutes a day and finish the required 90 minutes of training per month and then take a test. The program is mandatory for Epsilon reps and it continues for 24 months.
Said Epsilon VP Ronnie Brashear, “I thought I knew everything there was to know about sales but in the initial presentation, within 15 minutes, they taught me new things to use.”
He got the idea for the program through an ad by Power Sales University on Fox News. “I was watching Fox News and I thought it can’t hurt to call these guys and see what they have to offer.”
He added, “Our hope is that we train our sales force and they take three of these tips and pass them on to our retail sales force and distributors.”
“I realize we are training reps to sell other companies’ products too, but I’m investing in these guys,” Brashear said.
The training is important as the company shifts to direct retail sales for its Soundstream Reserve and new Precision Power lines, he said.
The training includes:
- Closing and Handling Objections
- How to Upsell in a Relationship Sale
- 10 Commandments of Networking
- Rapport and the Power of Questions
- Training is not something you did, it’s something you do
Epsilon partners with about 40 salespeople in 11 rep firms.
For more information visit https://powersalesuniversity.com
This is great to see, and hopefully they are able to change that “hope” that the reps train dealers into a more solid action plan 🙂
Would be really interesting to see if the reps feel it would be good for dealers to go through the program and if so how the industry could do so.
‘Education,’ — especially relevant kind, like having proper fundamentals, is much like the axiom — “Size matters.” More now then ever.
I always thought Ronnie was smart…this confirms it. More vendors should follow his lead.
LMAO
Good stuff! Training matters!
Good move