Aftermarket Insider Issue 78 - (Page 18)

A SS o c i At i o n n E W S head of the class Training Initiatives Ongoing – N.A. Williams Recognized at Town Hall, winners of the AAIA Head of the Class Award are chosen for their continual investment in employee education and training, and their promotion of the value and benefit that this investment provides to their companies, employees and the industry as a whole. Below is insight from Roger McCollum, president and CEO of N.A. Williams, the recipient of the 2011 Head of the Class Award in the manufacturers’ representative category. This is the last in a series of profiles for 2011 winning companies. Winners of the 2012 awards will be featured in upcoming issues of Aftermarket Insider. How did your company recognize the importance of training? How has the training strategy evolved? We’re a service firm and there’s no shortage of good competitors so we have to always improve. All of our customers approach line reviews and make product decisions from an analytical and financial perspective and we saw the need to increase and expand our competency in those areas. Customer-specific processes and protocols come into play and we have to be smarter and we better understand customer expectations to support our manufacturers and help them compete. At the store and service provider level, product knowledge has always been a top priority and we are increasingly being asked to provide that support. For our lines, we’re often the first point of customer contact, so our knowledge and competency is a differentiator. Relationships are critical in the rep business but you also have to know what you’re talking about. Product knowledge is key and we work regularly with our manufacturers to provide our teammates’ continuing education. That’s a given. Where we have teammates engaged with a specific line or category, we’ve encouraged and incentivized them to take applicable ASE tests. They gain both knowledge and credibility. To address analytical and sales support needs we out-source training sessions for business math, excel, power-point, category management and sales and negotiation skills. We support the University of the Aftermarket and have several teammates who have earned or are working on their AAP. We also test existing and potential teammates for aptitude and specific skills to identify what training might be required. What new techniques have you employed for 2012? accounts to support applicable manufacturers and holds six to eight technician clinics per month. He also provides product and technical knowledge to the teammates with whom he works. What do you think your training will look like in five years? N.A. Williams will continue to ingrain the value of training in our culture. We look to appoint an education and training coordinator, who will be responsible for: • Increasing internal communication regarding education opportunities; • Suggesting a number of annual hours that employees should devote to education and training; • Introducing compensation/ bonus incentives for CEUs and certifications earned; and • Adding an education and training section to the company handbook. This past April an ASE Master Tech joined our team. He works with 18 | AFTERMARKET INSIDER | VOLUME 78 http://www.nawilliams.com/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aftermarket Insider Issue 78

Aftermarket Insider Issue 78
Contents
President’s Message
Association News
AAPEX 2012
Company Profile
Member Profile
Toolbox
Government Affairs
Technology Update
Executive Perspective
Association News
Market Intelligence

Aftermarket Insider Issue 78