Everything happens for a reason. Or, in the case of our client Chem Tech, something wasn't happening and it was our job to figure out the reason, because that something was sales. Sales were dipping. Chem Tech had built a very successful business manufacturing things like flow valves, flow monitors, switches and another forty plus such products that control the flow of liquids and air in appliances like, refrigerators for example. Their customers are primarily original equipment manufacturers.

Our research showed that the sales reps simply weren't selling Chem Tech's products as often as they used to. Why? Through phone interviews, we figured out an important trend -- The reps tended to sell the products they knew the most about. So, educate the sales reps and problem solved, right? Not so easy when as independent contractors, the reps have very little incentive to sell the Chem Tech line of products.

To turn things around, we decided to engage the sales reps in various ways, and get Chem Tech's products on their radar. We created a "Distribution Zone" where we set up contests, question and answer sessions, and we provided an open environment in which the reps could not only be educated about the products, but engage in conversations with each other.

These sales reps had a lot to say. And we were more than happy to listen, and form a new relationship with them, or to use open lines of communication as a way to reconnect them with Chem Tech and their products. You could practically see the sales going up. Well, actually, with trackable and measurable data, we actually did see the sales go up...an astonishing 30 percent in the first year! Those were some fun charts and graphs to fill in. How often can you point to a thirty percent increase in sales and then get to stamp your name on it?

Yeah. This program was so effective, and exciting to watch unfold, that we're going to push that sales number up even more with a little idea we call: Training Videos. So stay tuned.