BOULDER, CO (BRAIN)—Growth Cycle is revamping the Selling Cycling 2010 staff training program to better fit the current training needs of both suppliers and retailers.
“When we started Selling Cycling in 1995, retailers kept asking for more content, and suppliers were not even thinking about brand-specific training,” said Growth Cycle president Ray Keener. “Now retail training time is stretched thin, and the supply brands are exploring their training options as well.”
Based on current trends, Selling Cycling 2010 will expand the offerings in sales and customer service training, streamline the category training, and focus the product-specific training on brands and technologies rather than SKUs.
Brand and technology training will be offered to retail staff through Selling Cycling, and also to suppliers for use with their sales reps, directly through their dealer portals, and with their internal staff.
“We've been looking for a training solution like this for Haro and Masi for the past few seasons,” said Joe Hawk, chief operating officer at Haro. “Ray's created just the right approach at a price we can afford.”
One of the many 2010 upgrades to Selling Cycling will be a module called, “The 71% Solution,” titled after a recently released Gallup poll where 71 percent of American adults said they’d like to ride a bicycle more often.
The module will focus on helping shop staff see the broader picture of the growing appeal of bikes, based on rising gas prices, ecological awareness, and the benefits of exercise for the aging U.S. population.
Also, “The 71% Solution” will include a complete description of the progress that Bikes Belong and other organizations have made in creating more hospitable cycling facilities, with many more to come.
“Especially with a sagging economy, relating to the needs of a broader audience is our key to future success,” said Jay Townley, of the Gluskin Townley Group. “We need to help our shop staffs see the opportunity for their stores and the overall activity of cycling.”
Click on link to see a two-minute sample Brand and Technology training module.
