Success Case: SCO - Sales and Consultancy Operations, Marco Brazil

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Lab Training

“Lab Training” project has been developed for the Company's Imaging and Printing Group by the Sales and Consultancy Operations (SCO) area, Marco Brazil.

The project was created “in April 2002, when leader Company in the personal computing and printing space was selecting an organization with training-oriented know-how, Marco Brazil presented the best proposal and was chosen. Then, Marco took part on its improvement”, comments Rafael Ribe Quiros, SCO Account Manager.

At the beginning, Laboratory Training was a project developed by human resources of the printing Company; they were in charge for hiring the Training instructors. Rafael explains that this system “was proved to be ineffective”, because the client “identified some failures within that model, in the HR selection, training and in the trainings follow up and management”

Today, SCO area of Marco Brazil continues on “Lab Training” development for the Company concentrated in the fields of computing, imaging and printing.

Develop of special training course for Retail Channel

“Lab Training” main idea, following Rafael, is “to train retail salespeople and the extended sales force by presenting them the products, their respective features and showing how to deal with day-to-day situations, such as objections and sales argumentation, through the benefits each product offers to meet consumer’s needs”.

Thinking about this, SCO area has developed special creative and different interactive activities for this new “Lab Training”.

At first place, the training course points to the following concept: “Learning through experimentation”. This stage considers that “the knowledge assimilation is done by building situations. The start is the understanding of the ‘customer’s voice' and the presentation of the most adequate solution to its expectations and needs, translating attributes into benefits and real gains”.

“Learning through experimentation” concept is developed through different modules: “Digital Image, Digital Photography Seminar, Productivity I and II, Projectors, Mobility Seminar and Original Supplies”. As a consequence, the Training Modules allow to the company that all selected retail salespeople can learn about its specific Market Segments and Lines of Products also. Such as: digital cameras, printers, laptops, handhelds, DeskJet’s, LaserJet’s, scanners, paper, toners and cartridges, among others.

How “Lab Training” works

Lab training is structured in “modules”. “Each client is able to choose as many Training Modules as they consider necessary to focus on” says Rafael. Each module is divided in two parts: “Expositive and Practical”.

Expositive level is focused on benefits for customers, for example Opened Expositive Method, Dramatization Techniques and Troubleshooting. Practical Level aims to apply acquired knowledge in the laboratory, main objective is to put “trainees in touch with products through experimentation and sales arguments reinforcement”.

“During the Expositive segment we present the products specifications, details and develop the trainees’ sales skills for argumentation, objections and meeting the consumer’s needs. In the Practical segment, the trainee is able to get in touch with company products, experiencing what they have learned in the Expositive segment”.

At present, 11,440 persons and salespeople of Retail Channel have taken Lab Training course. Marco Brazil Laboratory offers an auditorium with a capacity for 40 persons, 20 equipped workstations and latest products of the consumer IT & Printing leader company.

“Lab Training”, the sales solution for retail

SCO area applied knowledge evaluations before and after each module, measuring the training’s overall performance. Rafael adds that “SCO area receives the results after the training by e-mail”.

As for the retail sale team (people that took the training), Rafael says that “in order to have their feedback we use a specific metric called Qualitative Evaluation. After the training, each trainee receives an evaluation form, where he/she is able to qualify subjects, material, methodology, instructor’s performance and contribution for his/her professional progress. Our overall average is around 4.7 in a 0 - 5 range.

“At present time, we are designing new tools in order to reach a greater number of people at more affordable costs”, adds Rafael.