Using Training to Fill Gaps and Address Trends
“Our biggest win with BDR has been the ability to identify gaps and trends within our customer base and provide relevant, timely training content. We are then able to see and measure how impactful it has been with our customer base.”
Tony Meier, HVAC Division Manager
Meier Supply Company
Learn more about how Tony Meier and the team at Meier Supply Company built strong and lasting relationships with their dealers through customized training programs and then were able to measure the impact on dealer growth.
What were your business challenges before BDR Training?
My name is Tony Meier, and I am the HVAC Division Manager at Meier Supply Company. I would say some of the challenges across our dealer network were around the desire for more information on how to make improvements to their business.
Some of them wanted to improve profitability, operations or culture. The size or age of the contractors’ businesses were irrelevant, they all had a desire to make improvements to their business.
Another general theme across our contractors was wanting access to regional and national benchmark data and KPIs.
By having a better understanding of which KPIs they may want to adopt meant they could leave the training with some actionable things to take back and implement into the business.
How has your distribution business grown?
At Meier Supply, value add has been at the core of what we do for almost 70 years. Partnering with BDR has allowed us to reinforce that core competency with our dealers.
I also believe that it has expanded our appeal for prospects and new business partners in the markets that we serve. It has definitely had a positive impact for the dealers that have engaged in the training.
There is also a high level of accountability that goes both ways. Our dealers expect us to meet or exceed the commitments that we make, and vice versa. It is a fantastic relationship and it is a great place to be.
How have your relationships with dealers transformed?
A really high level of trust has developed between us and our committed dealers. The communication that we have is extremely open.
Exposure to the BDR training and curriculum allows us to speak using a common language between us as distributors and contractors.
A big part of what we do is talking about how we help our contractors grow and develop to become more profitable. This puts us in a position where we now have the skills and experience to make that happen.
Was working with BDR Training worth the investment?
Working with BDR Training is absolutely worth the investment. We have adopted BDR programs as training for our new hires and our territory management team.
It has allowed us to have a better glimpse into the contracting side of the business. The working relationship has been strong, and I would say we have definitely seen a return on the investment.
With the training we provide for our customers, we have access to the class evaluation forms. I have had a chance to read through them and the feedback from our customers has been super positive.
The one common theme that I read across many of those forms is that the training has been eye-opening. Hearing the direct feedback from our customers who have attended the BDR classes has been really helpful.
In addition to that, there are examples I can think of where a dealer who has attended the training has come back and told us about specific things that they took back and implemented into their business.
Ultimately, when our contractors succeed, so does Meier Supply. To see it actually taking place is a great thing to see.
Would you recommend BDR Training?
We would recommend BDR training. We have utilized them for dealer meetings, contractor training, and for training our own internal team. They would certainly get a referral from Meier Supply.
From a distribution standpoint, the partnership makes a lot of sense. Being able to expand on the training curriculum that they can provide to their dealers and customer base can have a big impact.
On the contracting side, what they have built as a part of their coaching model is impressive. Some of our customers that are engaged in their coaching model seem to have really benefited. There are a lot of reasons why we would suggest BDR.
Interested in providing ongoing sales team development for your organization and seeing how it can improve your and your dealer’s results?
Schedule a call with Candy Cunningham, BDR’s Distributor Relationship Specialist – to learn about BDR’s industry-leading training programs!
