The Cyber Classroom

In-person training events and trade shows have shifted to online platforms in the wake of COVID-19. Retailers discuss pros and cons of education in a cyber setting, and their hopes for the coming year.

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

Due to COVID-19, some decisions regarding meeting with retailers have had to be made on a case-by-case basis, according to Mike Lewis of Echo Sales. The company is a rep firm covering seven states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. “Under normal circumstances, our business is set up to call on independent accounts,” Lewis said, adding that they also host trainings to support retailers. This year, he noted the company started to stock more inventory themselves, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise because of all the backorders.

According to Lewis, Echo Sales has had to approach their day-to-day business in a hybrid fashion. “A couple of months ago, they removed some local restrictions,

but we were still being cautious,” he explained. “We were only visiting accounts with specific needs. I was focusing a lot of my travel around afternoon and evening trainings. Now we are back in more of a hybrid again, not traveling as much, and I’ve put offers out to do Zoom meetings, but most conversations have been on the phone.” There are certain things, he added, that must be done in-person— for example, it’s necessary to visit a new account to see the store. “If we do go somewhere, though, we’re very specific about what we’re doing.”

A year ago, the company moved into a new facility with a dedicated in-house training space, but because of COVID-19, only one training has been held there and everything since has been held on Zoom.

“Early on, we hosted trainings to help people navigate PPP, the Payment Protection Program, and various other things that were so uncertain in the beginning. Now it’s dialed in to more specific product trainings, mostly vendor-hosted on Zoom.”

The Pros and Cons of Virtual Training

Lewis feels the trainings help keep people informed, and help vendors stay relevant. More trainings are being held than usual. However, things could be more efficient, he added, noting that it’s hard to gauge the metrics of it: “You don’t have that conversation afterward, sharing feedback you couldn’t get during the meeting.” Instead, he said, people say thank you and goodbye, and leave the virtual meeting. “When you’re in-person,

One year ago, Echo Sales moved into a new facility and created an in-house training area. Because of COVID-19, only one in-person traininghas taken place there. Everything else has been hosted on Zoom.

attendees are more likely to say what they are thinking.” Body language is also a factor, he said. “You can tell by a person’s body language whether or not you’re hitting a hot button. You just don’t get that in an online setting.”

Dave Clews of 12Volt Dave’s Audio in Pottsville, Pa. said that while online trainings have been effective and useful for him, he misses the camaraderie of in-person events. “I also miss the ability to actually pick up the product and get a sense for it hands-on,” he added. “That’s lost in an online presentation.” Additionally, an added perk of an in-person training class is being able to go up to the presenter afterward and ask more specific questions. Clews said he feels this can be important for someone who’s newer to the industry and doesn’t necessarily want to ask a question in front of other people. “I’ve been that new guy in the class,” he added, noting that he’s gone up to the presenter after the class to “ask a question I worried other people might laugh at.”

Most recently, Clews has attended Directed and Compustar vendor trainings online and learned a few things he didn’t know, despite having been in the industry for many years. He said there is a plus

side to online trainings, though: “It does streamline the education because you don’t have as many in-class distractions.” The presentations used slideshows and were well-done, he noted. “Remote start is just key fobs and a black box and some wires. If it was something else—like an amplifier or a speaker—I think I might be disappointed because I like to pick it up, look at the build and feel the structure.”

Lewis noted that technical issues have been a problem during virtual trainings. Vendors who have been more consistent about hosting meetings have learned the tricks, he added. “There are frequent difficulties with people being unable to get in, hearing echoes and background noise. When vendors realized they could mute everyone and save questions for the end, meetings went much more smoothly,” he explained, adding that these disruptions are very similar to people talking during a presentation in an in-person classroom setting.

Industry Events Shift to Online Format

Like vendor trainings, online trade shows—like this month’s KnowledgeFest.Live—and other industry events have shifted to an online platform. Kimberly

Trainer, owner of Car-Tunes, Inc. in Greenville, Miss. said she misses the networking element. As a MESA member, Trainer has attended a number of MESA Summits over the years, but this year the event was held virtually. Trainer said she feels everyone did the best they could to present the material. Part of what she enjoys about in-person events is the same camaraderie Clews mentioned: “Everyone has a different perspective on what’s being presented,” she said. “The lack of networking between other professionals in our industry is a negative to virtual training, but considering what we’ve been dealt, I think everyone did a great job at the MESA Summit to make things as interactive as possible.”

This year, Trainer said the Summit was a little different. Traditionally, it’s for owners only. “This time,” she explained, “we divided the Summit into two different sections. Instead of being with everyone for a couple of days, we ended up with a couple of hours one afternoon for all the owners, and the next afternoon, we brought in sales and installation staff and had presentations geared toward that agenda.” Trainer said this was a first. “We made

12Volt Dave’s Audio in Pottsville, Pa. recently participated in vendor trainings from Directed and Compustar. Owner Dave Clews, pictured, saidhe misses the camaraderie of in-person training events.

Bryan Schmitt of Mobile Solutions presented a training on installation procedures and tools to increase efficiency during this year’s MESASummit. Pictured: The staff of Car-Tunes, Inc.

them feel included,” she said, adding that for her staff, she had pizza, snacks and drinks brought in and gave each of her team members a MESA t-shirt and hat. “Even though we couldn’t be there in person, we attended all the virtual trainings on an LCD screen. It’s like bringing the presenter into the business. We did that on a Sunday afternoon. We normally close that day, but we came in on our day off and made a big afternoon of it.”

Bryan Schmitt of Mobile Solutions presented a training on installation procedures and tools, according to Trainer, who added, “There’s always something you learn that makes you think. Either you already thought about trying it but haven’t yet, or maybe it’s something you realize will complement another procedure you’re already doing. These things can increase efficiency and revenue.”

However, Trainer noted, the downside to this kind of training is being unable to walk to the front of the room and handle the equipment or tool being discussed. “You retain so much more when you learn in person,” she said.

Another topic of discussion at the MESA Summit was the sales process. The Car-Tunes, Inc. staff is entirely crosstrained, so everyone took part. “We talked about sales in the sense of how you approach the whole art of selling,” Trainer said, adding that she thinks this is something that needs to be discussed more in the industry. “People in our industry don’t always get down to the nitty-gritty of the different ways to read and understand the complex nature of human beings coming into our stores,” she explained. “The human interaction is our advantage against the Internet. It makes or breaks a sale.”

Paving a Path Forward

Lewis said that along with having to deal with product shortages, there’s also been a shift in priorities. Normal practices—such as regular visits to retail locations—have to be approached differently in this new landscape. “I’m used to going out and seeing things,” he said. “When you can’t, you don’t know the big picture. I feel that way about online training, too.” He compared his experience as

The MESA Summit is traditionally owners-only, but this year, an additional education track was added for installers and salesprofessionals. The staff of Car-Tunes, Inc. participated, enjoying pizzaand snacks during the event.

a rep to hosting a Wednesday night men’s Bible study: “Early on, we always met, and then we met exclusively on Zoom.” When they were able to meet in person again, he said, they sat outside and made a bonfire. This led to a realization for Lewis.

“You have to be in front of people to really understand the deep emotion they’re experiencing,” he said. “Take that to your retailers. Call them up and ask how they are doing. What are they going to say? What someone says is often completely different than what you see, so I think that’s the biggest challenge—not being able to see, and knowing that most people aren’t going to reach out unless they really need it. They might say they’re doing great, but they probably need some help with something. And without going there in person, we have no way of knowing for sure.” There are things they may not bring up on the phone, “For example, how are their displays doing when they’ve been pillaging them for product during this time?”

Trainer feels that challenges sparked by COVID-19 may cause some older businesses to rethink their formats. “The playing field is different now,” she said. “I think it’s causing more people to reach out virtually.”

Trainer foresees increased emphasis on online training in the future, and pointed to the new Industry School, presented by industry veterans Solomon Daniels and Kerry Moyer, which will be opening its virtual doors this coming January.

“Something like that has the potential to become a permanent fixture in the industry because so many people will be able to take advantage of it who didn’t have the means before if they had to travel—either it was too costly, or they didn’t have time.” This is the next best thing for an individual or a business who wouldn’t have been able to attend in-person, regardless, she added.

“I do think that’s something that will change. I see online training sticking around. There is an important place in the industry for something like the Industry School in the future. Every day, everything is changing, so our skills have to change along with it.”

Trainer recalled a recent conversation with her son Dalton— also an installer at Car-Tunes—who said he’s grown more in 2020 than in any other year. Trainer believes that uncomfortable situations like those the industry has faced this year help to instigate growth. “Even if we have to learn virtually and out of our comfort zones, we will still be better than we were before.”

In the future, Lewis hopes to see online trainings continue to increase in quality, placing added emphasis on consistency in sales approaches. He feels the most important aspect of sales trainings is to teach retailers how to present products to the customer in a compelling, clear manner.

“It’s one thing to know about the product,” he added, “but they have to be taught how to sell it, too.”