Power trainer

Milwaukee Electric Tool wins the second annual Progressive Distributor Manufacturer Product Training Award

by Richard Vurva

When Kevin Dashner returned home to California following a 2 1/2-day training session at Milwaukee Electric Tool’s Brookfield, Wis., training center, he headed straight for his boss’ office.

“I told him we ought to send our new counter salesman to their next training session,” says Dashner, a salesman for Sacramento Industrial.

For Dashner, it was the second time in one month he attended a Milwaukee Electric training session.

Was it worth two cross-country trips and several days out of the office?

“Absolutely,” he says. “They cover a fantastic amount of information.”

Dashner was impressed not only by the amount of product knowledge covered in the training session, but also by the emphasis on sales and marketing.

“They give you a good sales perspective. They don’t talk just about what makes a Sawzall work, they tell you what makes it work and why that’s important to the customer.”

Distributors say training provided by the power tool maker stands out for several reasons. It’s customer oriented, it combines product data and marketing information, it answers technical questions without becoming bogged down in techno-jargon, it’s lively and interactive, and it provides an opportunity for attendees to measure what they have learned.

In recognition of its product training efforts, Milwaukee Electric is the recipient of the 2001 Progressive Distributor Manufacturer Product Training Award.

Why the training works
When he begins a training session, one of the first things global training manager Jim Cerroni asks distributor salespeople to do is spend a few minutes talking to a classmate they have never met before. He instructs them to find out that person’s name, where he’s from, his favorite hobbies and similar information. After a few minutes have passed, he asks each participant to introduce the person they just met to the group.

“I’ve found that this is an effective icebreaker,” Cerroni says. “People get to know each other right away and start to feel more comfortable. It puts everybody at ease.”

After introducing each participant, attendees get another clue that this training session is different from other boring lectures they may have attended. For example, you won’t find trainers hovering beside an overhead projector, droning on for hours about the minutia of their company’s product.

“I don’t want to just stand in front of them and lecture about tools,” says trainer Mike Schleuse. “I want them to become involved in the training.”

He involves them by combining a mix of classroom and hands-on tool use, frequently stopping to ask questions to make sure the information is on target and involving more than one trainer to keep the presentations lively.

Early in the first day, he usually asks attendees to complete a brief questionnaire about Milwaukee power tools. The quiz helps presenters gauge the group’s knowledge, so they can cater the presentation to best suit the information needs of each group of participants. At the end of the training session, participants retake the test.

Average test scores for the class that Dashner attended were 55 percent higher than scores when they started the session.

“The only way you can measure training is to follow the salesperson around to see if they’re using what they’ve learned,” Cerroni says. “We have no way to do that. So we try to find out what they know coming into the class, then do a post-class test to see what they learned.”

Participants generally walk away from the training feeling good about their product knowledge.

Chris Wessells is a salesman for Grainger Industrial Supply who also attended a recent training class. He says the Milwaukee Electric training is among the best product training he has ever attended.

“Their attention to detail was good. They had technical guys there who could answer our questions. I’ve been to some training courses where instructors couldn’t answer our questions,” he says.

He also appreciates how the training blends technical information with sales and marketing ideas.

For example, every attendee receives a “Milwaukee Electric Tool Fundamentals” catalog. The three-ring binder includes details on the complete line of Milwaukee products, a glossary of terms, plus information on tool safety, service and maintenance tips, and more.

The book provides easy-to-read descriptions about how each tool operates, comparisons to competitive products, and “Quik Facts” such as what tradespeople use the tool and the tool’s primary purpose.

The Fundamentals book also includes an end-user product chart, which indicates the types of tools specific end-users typically use. It’s especially useful for helping cross-sell.

“Don’t let a customer come in and buy just one product,” adds Doug Callies, international training coordinator. “Get to know what he’s doing. If he buys a drill, ask him if he needs drill bits.”

Cerroni, who has 20 years of sales experience and has been training for the past six years, often reminds attendees to look for add-on sales opportunities.

“Always think of the packaged system sell. Make sure you sell the whole system, from the power source all the way up to the accessories,” he says.

He reminds participants to think about value-added services their companies can offer customers, such as tool repair, safety training and onsite blade exchange programs.

“When you go to a job site, ask questions,” he tells them.

What gauge steel are you trying to cut? What tools are you using now?  Are you having any particular problems?

“If you’re going to mention a feature, always mention the benefit to the customer. How does that specific feature benefit the customer?” Cerroni says.

Milwaukee is a firm believer that knowledge is power.

This article originally appeared in the July/August '01 issue of Progressive Distributor magazine. Copyright 2001.

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