Takeuchi hosts “Sales School” annually, the company’s largest dealer event of the year. Typically held in the fall or spring on the Pendergrass, Georgia, corporate office campus, the training is coordinated around the release of new products.
Takeuchi regional product managers and office staff help train 180 to 200 dealer sales personnel. Comprised of a two-day in-depth review and study, the majority of time is spent in the field discussing why and how the Takeuchi products differ from the competition.
“Allowing our dealers to compare our machines vs. competitive models have them feeling the Takeuchi advantage firsthand,” says David Caldwell, national product manager at Takeuchi. “It also is a great opportunity for the sales force to not only see, but also operate our latest products so they can be confident in talking to customers about the machines moving forward.”
Training events have been a part of Takeuchi’s philosophy for quite some time. In the early days, training classes consisted of a 2-day training event with approximately 60 of our dealer’s staff in attendance. Our latest training event that took place just last month was five, 2-day sessions with close to 200 of our dealer’s staff in attendance.
It is a great networking and educational opportunity for attendees from around the country. They are able to meet one another and exchange ideas regarding how and why they are successful with the Takeuchi product.
“Dealer response to the program has been outstanding,” says Caldwell. “Our attendance and enthusiasm seem to grow with each training program, and there is always a healthy exchange of new product information, product knowledge and Takeuchi success stories.”