The customer has always been the mainstay of a successful retail business, yet many companies fail to impart good customer service training to their sales staff. The “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is the first of the In-Gear Sales and Marketing Series developed by the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) to ensure that both new and veteran retailers know how to attract potential customers and turn them into repeat business.

“Basic retail sales training continues to be a critical issue for both our manufacturing and retailing members,” said Bob Price, SEI’s executive director. “With the help of sales experts and adult educators, we’ve designed this course to emphasize the importance of good selling and customer service skills.”

The course presents a five-stage sales process that uses the acronym GEARS to describe how to go about approaching and closing a sale. The five steps are:

• Greet
• Explore
• Assist
• Recommend
• Sell

Each of the five steps in the “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is followed by video demonstrations on how to handle potential customer service scenarios. An interactive quiz follows each Gear overview, and a self-evaluation is also provided at the completion of the course to test and review the participant’s overall knowledge.

To continue reading, click through to the September issue of SEMA News.

The customer has always been the mainstay of a successful retail business, yet many companies fail to impart good customer service training to their sales staff. The “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is the first of the In-Gear Sales and Marketing Series developed by the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) to ensure that both new and veteran retailers know how to attract potential customers and turn them into repeat business.

“Basic retail sales training continues to be a critical issue for both our manufacturing and retailing members,” said Bob Price, SEI’s executive director. “With the help of sales experts and adult educators, we’ve designed this course to emphasize the importance of good selling and customer service skills.”

The course presents a five-stage sales process that uses the acronym GEARS to describe how to go about approaching and closing a sale. The five steps are:

• Greet
• Explore
• Assist
• Recommend
• Sell

Each of the five steps in the “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is followed by video demonstrations on how to handle potential customer service scenarios. An interactive quiz follows each Gear overview, and a self-evaluation is also provided at the completion of the course to test and review the participant’s overall knowledge.

To continue reading, click through to the September issue of SEMA News.

The customer has always been the mainstay of a successful retail business, yet many companies fail to impart good customer service training to their sales staff. The “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is the first of the In-Gear Sales and Marketing Series developed by the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) to ensure that both new and veteran retailers know how to attract potential customers and turn them into repeat business.

“Basic retail sales training continues to be a critical issue for both our manufacturing and retailing members,” said Bob Price, SEI’s executive director. “With the help of sales experts and adult educators, we’ve designed this course to emphasize the importance of good selling and customer service skills.”

The course presents a five-stage sales process that uses the acronym GEARS to describe how to go about approaching and closing a sale. The five steps are:

• Greet
• Explore
• Assist
• Recommend
• Sell

Each of the five steps in the “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is followed by video demonstrations on how to handle potential customer service scenarios. An interactive quiz follows each Gear overview, and a self-evaluation is also provided at the completion of the course to test and review the participant’s overall knowledge.

To continue reading, click through to the September issue of SEMA News.

The customer has always been the mainstay of a successful retail business, yet many companies fail to impart good customer service training to their sales staff. The “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is the first of the In-Gear Sales and Marketing Series developed by the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) to ensure that both new and veteran retailers know how to attract potential customers and turn them into repeat business.

“Basic retail sales training continues to be a critical issue for both our manufacturing and retailing members,” said Bob Price, SEI’s executive director. “With the help of sales experts and adult educators, we’ve designed this course to emphasize the importance of good selling and customer service skills.”

The course presents a five-stage sales process that uses the acronym GEARS to describe how to go about approaching and closing a sale. The five steps are:

• Greet
• Explore
• Assist
• Recommend
• Sell

Each of the five steps in the “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is followed by video demonstrations on how to handle potential customer service scenarios. An interactive quiz follows each Gear overview, and a self-evaluation is also provided at the completion of the course to test and review the participant’s overall knowledge.

To continue reading, click through to the September issue of SEMA News.

The customer has always been the mainstay of a successful retail business, yet many companies fail to impart good customer service training to their sales staff. The “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is the first of the In-Gear Sales and Marketing Series developed by the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) to ensure that both new and veteran retailers know how to attract potential customers and turn them into repeat business.

“Basic retail sales training continues to be a critical issue for both our manufacturing and retailing members,” said Bob Price, SEI’s executive director. “With the help of sales experts and adult educators, we’ve designed this course to emphasize the importance of good selling and customer service skills.”

The course presents a five-stage sales process that uses the acronym GEARS to describe how to go about approaching and closing a sale. The five steps are:

• Greet
• Explore
• Assist
• Recommend
• Sell

Each of the five steps in the “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is followed by video demonstrations on how to handle potential customer service scenarios. An interactive quiz follows each Gear overview, and a self-evaluation is also provided at the completion of the course to test and review the participant’s overall knowledge.

To continue reading, click through to the September issue of SEMA News.

The customer has always been the mainstay of a successful retail business, yet many companies fail to impart good customer service training to their sales staff. The “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is the first of the In-Gear Sales and Marketing Series developed by the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) to ensure that both new and veteran retailers know how to attract potential customers and turn them into repeat business.

“Basic retail sales training continues to be a critical issue for both our manufacturing and retailing members,” said Bob Price, SEI’s executive director. “With the help of sales experts and adult educators, we’ve designed this course to emphasize the importance of good selling and customer service skills.”

The course presents a five-stage sales process that uses the acronym GEARS to describe how to go about approaching and closing a sale. The five steps are:

• Greet
• Explore
• Assist
• Recommend
• Sell

Each of the five steps in the “Focus on the Customer: Introduction to Selling” course is followed by video demonstrations on how to handle potential customer service scenarios. An interactive quiz follows each Gear overview, and a self-evaluation is also provided at the completion of the course to test and review the participant’s overall knowledge.

To continue reading, click through to the September issue of SEMA News.

In its earliest days, the automotive specialty-equipment industry was dominated by men. With a few notable exceptions, women were relegated to the background or given roles as trophy girls, photo models and product presenters. As attitudes changed, however, women gained equal status in virtually every facet of commercial endeavor.

From manufacturing to the media, women now play critical roles on the automotive stage, yet outmoded stereotypes and unwarranted conduct linger in some quarters. Even as late as 2007, there were more than 12,500 cases of sexual harassment filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Not every case was man-on-woman harassment, of course, but that remains the most prevalent scenario. The EEOC notes that sexual harassment can come from either gender against the other as well as same-sex misconduct and may be committed in one of two ways—harassment that culminates in a tangible employment action, and hostile work environment harassment.

To continue reading, click through to the September issue of SEMA News.

In its earliest days, the automotive specialty-equipment industry was dominated by men. With a few notable exceptions, women were relegated to the background or given roles as trophy girls, photo models and product presenters. As attitudes changed, however, women gained equal status in virtually every facet of commercial endeavor.

From manufacturing to the media, women now play critical roles on the automotive stage, yet outmoded stereotypes and unwarranted conduct linger in some quarters. Even as late as 2007, there were more than 12,500 cases of sexual harassment filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Not every case was man-on-woman harassment, of course, but that remains the most prevalent scenario. The EEOC notes that sexual harassment can come from either gender against the other as well as same-sex misconduct and may be committed in one of two ways—harassment that culminates in a tangible employment action, and hostile work environment harassment.

To continue reading, click through to the September issue of SEMA News.

In its earliest days, the automotive specialty-equipment industry was dominated by men. With a few notable exceptions, women were relegated to the background or given roles as trophy girls, photo models and product presenters. As attitudes changed, however, women gained equal status in virtually every facet of commercial endeavor.

From manufacturing to the media, women now play critical roles on the automotive stage, yet outmoded stereotypes and unwarranted conduct linger in some quarters. Even as late as 2007, there were more than 12,500 cases of sexual harassment filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Not every case was man-on-woman harassment, of course, but that remains the most prevalent scenario. The EEOC notes that sexual harassment can come from either gender against the other as well as same-sex misconduct and may be committed in one of two ways—harassment that culminates in a tangible employment action, and hostile work environment harassment.

To continue reading, click through to the September issue of SEMA News.

In its earliest days, the automotive specialty-equipment industry was dominated by men. With a few notable exceptions, women were relegated to the background or given roles as trophy girls, photo models and product presenters. As attitudes changed, however, women gained equal status in virtually every facet of commercial endeavor.

From manufacturing to the media, women now play critical roles on the automotive stage, yet outmoded stereotypes and unwarranted conduct linger in some quarters. Even as late as 2007, there were more than 12,500 cases of sexual harassment filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Not every case was man-on-woman harassment, of course, but that remains the most prevalent scenario. The EEOC notes that sexual harassment can come from either gender against the other as well as same-sex misconduct and may be committed in one of two ways—harassment that culminates in a tangible employment action, and hostile work environment harassment.

To continue reading, click through to the September issue of SEMA News.