TRAINING FEATURE: Putting Your Plug Training Under the Microscope

“Give a man a fish, you have fed him for today; teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a lifetime,” is a saying that the Canadian aftermarket might do well to remember. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the area of tune-up training, and the woefully underappreciated spark plug.

Despite being absolutely vital to the operation of every major combustion engine for the last century or so, the role of the lowly spark plug in the broader emissions system is frequently overlooked, particularly when it comes to technical and sales training. Perhaps the perceived simplicity of its function, or the fact that the part has simply plugged along for all of these years is to blame, but the fact remains that spark plugs are a changing product area, and if you’re not spending time learning about them, you’re going to get left behind. Keeping up with the competition isn’t the only concern; a solid focus on continuing education, and helping to provide it to your clients, will help them make smart and profitable business decisions in the changing nature of their own business.

“A tune-up, in the good old days, meant routine replacement of spark plugs, distributor points, rotor, condenser, distributor cap, spark plug wires, PCV valve, and air and fuel filters. But the evolution of electronics has eliminated most of those components in favour of sophisticated devices that don’t necessarily need periodic replacement,” says Martin Kashnowski, director of product management, consumer products, for Robert Bosch Corporation. “But they do, however, need to be inspected and replaced as necessary, especially when there’s some sort of performance problem.” And as many jobbers and technicians are aware, wherever there is a call for tune-up maintenance, there is the opportunity for sales. But it’s time more of those in the distribution chain got the training required to identify those opportunities, and took advantage of the resources that manufacturers have on offer.

“ACDelco provides hands-on training at 45 locations across Canada, and the response to this traditional style of training is very high,” says Rob Hutchison of ACDelco Canada.

Jay Buckley, technical training manager with Honeywell, is even more enthusiastic. “Response rates are amazing,” says Buckley. “We employ four full-time trainers, all of whom are master technicians, and if I had six more guys, I could keep them busy all year long. I’ve even got trainers running webinars for people in India.”

The new-media concept of the webinar is a technology that has been embraced by others in the industry. “ACDelco provides its wholesale distributors (jobbers) with extensive training information through its e-learning offering,” says Rob Hutchison. “[The] e-learning offering includes three tools: CARS Ability, an online needs assessment tool; ACDelco OnDemand, a full motion video stream of business and technical training; and ACDelco WBT, self-paced training modules. With e-learning, we are promoting a behaviour change for the acceptance of e-learning,” says Hutchinson.

Training, as a broad concept, has an understandably poor reputation. Many jobbers and technicians recall sacrificing evenings and entire weekends only to have a manufacturer’s outside sales rep give them the same sales pitch they get every day. “Training courses used to be conducted by the sales guys, and so that’s where the reputation comes from. But today, the training is done by professional technical managers,” says Doug Morrison. “We’re not all hurrah, hurrah NGK.” In fact, Morrison insists that his program is focused significantly more on helping jobbers and service providers solve their business problems, like the growing challenge that parts proliferation has caused for inventory.

“Our biggest focus, and challenge, is convincing people that the market is changing. In order to keep your fair market share, you have to be ready to change your inventory, and a lot of people just aren’t willing to see that the product mix in their area has changed. That’s why our training focuses on improving sales by improving your inventory mix, so you don’t lose the import garages.”

Buckley too, says his training model has come a long way from the old sales model.

“There are the basic product knowledge sessions for counterpeople, of course, but we try and focus on the three different kinds of spark plug systems, so they are then set up to offer their customers the best fit. Our programs are all OE information, product understanding, and technical data,” Buckley says. “In the end, if a counterperson has the skills to explain why a premium plug is required, and has all of the technical data to back it up, he’s going to be more comfortable selling a more expensive product. There is really not one iota of sales; I’ve worked very hard to push the marketing department out of the training programs.” Despite all the effort, though, communicating the overall importance of training seems to remain a common challenge for trainers across the industry. With the possibility of unsteady economic times ahead, it is perhaps the ideal time for jobbers to start getting their people up to speed. “For training to be successful, it has to have the whole package. If you’re going to get technicians and counterpeople to give up entire evenings, it’s got to be fun, comfortable, and the food better be good,” says Morrison. Mid-session attrition rates are something Morrison also mentions (he says they used to be high). But by applying the right holistic approach of fun, hands-on tactics and minimal salesmanship, Morrison insists that the last time he lost anybody (two people, in this actual instance), it was due to an NHL playoff game.

“Sponsoring training is a great way to keep your service provider customers loyal,” says Buckley. “Guys will be loyal to your training programs because you’re teaching them how to make money, where the big box is not. Our big challenge is convincing jobbers that they need to do this. Once they commit to it, most find return rates go way down, and their people are now diagnosing problems for their customers, instead of just throwing parts at them.” Even in a part segment as wizened as the spark plug, an education dollar spent is hardly wasted. Feel free to go on providing your counter staff and clients with catalogues and parts, but don’t you think it’s time you also taught them how to fish?