Yakima, the maker of vehicle racks and cargo solutions, is expanding its retail training program in 2018. The program includes both hands-on training at clinics and events across the country, and online training through the Yakima Garage and Brandlive.
“We far exceeded our retail training goals in 2017, and we’re excited to maintain that momentum and reach even more partners in 2018,” said Matt Swainbank, events and training manager at Yakima. “Our goal is to provide all of our partners with unparalleled support, and we have created a diverse array of educational options. From our RoadWarrior team of brand and training representatives located across the country, to our industry-leading full-day RackDawg training events, to the ever-expanding online Yakima Garage training site and, new for 2018, live video training in partnership with Brandlive.”
At the center of Yakima’s retail training program are the RoadWarriors, a traveling team of dedicated brand and training representatives across the country. In 2017, this team trained more than 4,000 retail employees through hundreds of clinics and 17 RackDawg events. RackDawg is a full-day training event that is free to all retailers. It includes sales and product training and hands-on technical installation with lots of Yakima-style fun mixed in.
Led by Yakima’s RoadWarrior field team, the Yakima vehicle fit team and Yakima sales representatives, RackDawg embraces the spirit of the brand. The RackDawg program kicked off in February in Austin, TX and continues throughout the spring nationwide.
“Yakima has shown a wide-ranging commitment to having the best-trained Rack Attack employees through RackDawg and in-store training seminars. These efforts have translated into us having the most knowledgeable staff providing great service and expert installs for our customers. In return for these efforts Yakima has seen some great sales growth across their range in our 12 stores,” said Graeme Paterson, president of Rack Attack.
Yakima’s online training portal, the Yakima Garage, includes a library of sales and installation videos, company news and quarterly sales contests.
New for 2018 is the addition of live product training events from Yakima headquarters and tradeshows, in partnership with Brandlive. These live retail training sessions, broadcast to Yakima’s dealer network, allow the company to train retailers on new products as soon as they are available.
“For many years, Rock/Creek has been the beneficiary of a multitude of training opportunities created by Yakima. Whether [it has] been their dedicated tech reps, the RackDawg program or the Yakima Garage, we’ve always seen the value in participating in these programs. There is a direct correlation between these opportunities and how it translates to rack sales within Rock/Creek,” said Jonathan Scott, co-owner of Rock/Creek Outfitters.
Added Scott, “One of the biggest reasons we appreciate these events is the fact that it reminds us who our true partners are. Thanks to this hands-on training, we can differentiate ourselves from the rest of the retailers out there, as we have gained the knowledge to take care of the customer in the best way possible by having the best trained and most knowledgeable staff. We are appreciative of Yakima going the extra mile to help make us stand out.”
Upcoming 2018 RackDawg Events
- Thompson, CT – 3/28/2018
- Cincinnati, OH – 4/5/2018
- Lansing, MI – 4/12/2018
- Salt Lake City, UT – 4/17/2018
- Bay Area, CA – 4/24/2018
- Denver, CO – 4/24/2018
- Tampa, FL – 10/24/2018
For more information on RackDawg training, visit yakima.com/rackdawg.
