Progressive Distributor - Selling training

Selling training

Distributor discovers training can be a profitable product

Last year, Kaye Lester of Waukesha Industrial Supply, Waukesha, Wis., increased her sales and helped decrease a customers downtime by 25 percent because she sold them a unique product: employee skills.

Specifically, she sold and implemented Loctite ProActive Maintenance (PAM) Training, an intensive training program that instructs plant personnel how to ensure maximum equipment reliability through proper use of machinery adhesives.

Through individual modules on subjects such as threadlocking, retaining and sealing, PAM training teaches how to prevent equipment breakdowns, decrease downtime and increase overall productivity.

When Lester first learned about the PAM program, she brought it to one of her most maintenance-intensive customers, Tower Automotive, a manufacturer of structural assemblies and modules for automobiles and trucks.

Because of the training, Tower maintenance crews now know her by name. They also know how, where and when to use adhesives to save time and trouble. As a result, Tower increased the variety and number of Loctite products it orders. And, because downtime decreased dramatically just after the training, Lester gained credibility with Tower.

This isnt the traditional kind of customer training weve been involved with, says Lester. In the past, we had some suppliers offer what was essentially videotape training. Others might have come in and done a quick session on something like clamping, but that was it. The intense instruction and follow-up is what makes this program different. It requires a real commitment by the customer and the distributor, but it more than pays for itself in no time.

Fastener loosening, clogged valves, and hydraulic, air and oil leaks are just a few of the major problems PAM training aims to eliminate in an effort to improve the bottom line of production facilities. Lester worked with the Tower maintenance supervisor and Loctite representatives to customize the training to fit the plants specific needs.

We ended up putting together a very in-depth program, says Lester. Tower wanted its crews to learn about every aspect of Loctite engineering adhesives and how they can prevent problems. So, we held a session every two weeks and the Loctite instructor would come back between sessions to answer any questions. From start to finish, the maintenance crews lived the program, so it really stuck in their minds.

In the end, this new and unique product was profitable to Lester. She made the initial profit on the training, increased her sales to the company and gained a good deal of loyalty.

I gained more exposure to my customer because I was there on a more regular basis, she explains. It gave me more access to people on the plant floor than I ever had before. And because it was such a productive program, Waukesha Industrial Supply gained a great deal of credibility and the increased business that comes with it.

Since those initial sessions, other plants within Tower have requested the training. As a result of Towers recommendations, some of the companys vendors have purchased the training from Lester.

Getting the first customer to make the commitment presented a challenge, but now that I have a good case history, its easier for others to make the leap, says Lester. I think the most important thing this program does is demonstrate that when a company invests time and money into its maintenance department, the rewards can be great.