|
|
 |
Building on Value
UFA asks Baxter Bean to help its team meet new sales objectives
UFA is a co-operative with 34 farm supply stores in Alberta and over 120 petroleum outlets in Alberta, BC
and Saskatchewan. UFA retails products such as crop inputs, grain storage and handling, livestock
equipment and supplies, lumber and building materials.
The Challenge
UFA wanted to develop a new training program to teach and inspire their sales teams to meet
the new sales objectives of average transaction value (ATV) within their stores. The goal was to
have personnel think about sales in a new way and to acquire an additional skill set in ATV sales
to achieve the new objectives.
The Solution
When UFA's Manager, Customer Service and Sales, Tim Wakaruk started his search for a
training and strategic direction company, he quickly found Chuck Bean. The two met and found
that there was a great fit, in part because of Chuck's agricultural background.
UFA wanted to create online training modules, as well as workshops for sales personnel. Baxter
Bean started by writing the copy for the first online training module and then worked with UFA to
fine tune the document. Once this was well in hand, Baxter Bean created and delivered a one
day sales and service program to the inside and retail sales and services teams at UFA, which
was followed up by another one day sales program for the building services sales team. Baxter
Bean wrapped up the project by creating copy for a second online training module.
The momentum for this entire project was propelled by an in-house sales contest for the
employees. It focused on ATV and leveled the playing field so that anyone could win based on a
percentage increase rather than total sales. For the rural outlets this was a positive move, and it
inspired the teams to focus on what they had learned as well as the organization's new
objectives for the six-month run of the contest.
The Results
The results of the training modules, workshops and contest have been very positive said
Wakaruk. Sales personnel are more engaged and have started having competitions with
surrounding stores. And Baxter Bean's involvement was well received especially during the
workshop sessions.
"Chuck brought in a different view of what we do. He's enhanced what we do and has added
value to it," said Wakaruk. "Our goal was to educate our workforce about ATV and to build
business acumen. Since we started this program there has been an impact. People are much
more aware and we have seen the spin off."
|
 |
