Our sales associates complete intensive training to prepare them to take over their own sales territories. We sat down with a recently promoted Account Manager to learn more about the training process for sales associates at Reynolds.
Name: Calleigh P.
Title: Account Manager
Location: Dallas, Texas
Did you have any sales experience before you started?
I did not, which was a bit intimidating at first. But from day one, I formed a strong relationship with my peers because most of us had zero experience, and we were all in the same boat. A lot of us had just graduated from college and we asked each other, “Has anybody done this before?” And everyone said, “No, but we’re going to show up and give it our best shot,” and that mindset kickstarted a very successful group of trainees in the program.
What does the sales training process look like?
The process begins when you receive your “training roadmap.” A training roadmap outlines 12 months of training, including week-long classes that are completed at our headquarters' Reynolds University in Dayton, Ohio, intermittently throughout the year. These classes are combined with shadowing associates in various sales roles out in the field. After the first 12 months, you spend a year working in your territory, then return to Dayton for a two-week "Bootcamp." So, the initial training takes roughly two years, but you are already doing the job in the second year.
The trainers review the intricacies of a dealership - fixed operations (parts and service), variable operations (sales), and the business office. They cover Reynolds and automotive history, questioning strategies, pitching products, negotiation strategies, and how to handle any and every objection we receive in the field.
Are you working in the field during your initial training?
Yes! My class spent 16 weeks visiting field installation teams across the country and training on the software installation process. You can sell a product all day, but when you really know the ins and outs of it, you become even more impactful when talking with customers. If you’re not in class, your schedule is booked with ride-alongs, which is hopping in a car with an account manager to visit their customers together so you can see firsthand how they interact, handle questions, and overcome objections. It’s a lot of traveling, but that’s also the beauty of it. You get to live out of a suitcase for a year and see so many places you wouldn’t otherwise.
Do you receive any one-on-one training in the program?
Yes, everyone gets assigned a Senior Sales Representative to act as their mentor. They’ll answer questions, prepare you for training, help schedule ride-alongs, and give you an idea of your role and responsibilities. They don’t “baby” you, but they make sure that you have structure because most of the time, trainees are fresh out of college, and they teach you what success looks like at Reynolds.
Tell us more about Bootcamp.
Bootcamp lasts two straight weeks in Dayton at the end of the two-year training, and you exhibit every sales skill you’ve learned through workshopped “sales calls.” During these calls, you role-play in person with active sales mentors to simulate a real presentation or meeting with a dealer with the end goal of closing the deal. It consists of 10 meetings in 10 days, and each visit reflects a part of the sales process – from the first “approach” call to the final deal. At the end of the two weeks, you present your final call to the dealer to close the sale, which can last between one and five hours.
After training, do you feel prepared to move forward?
Once I completed all the training and returned to my territory, I realized what a privilege it is. I take a lot of pride in completing Bootcamp because it's a daunting process. My age demographic is becoming the heartbeat of the car-buying industry, so I feel like I have gained a different perspective. But being able to say to myself before a sales call, “I’ve completed a 12-month intensive course from Reynolds, and all they do is prepare me for conversations like this,” is a huge step up from our competitors. Reynolds invests so much in us before we can even provide anything for them, and it makes the company stand out. It helps build trust and credibility.
What’s after Bootcamp?
I’ve already been able to apply many lessons from Bootcamp and sales training. One of the best things about the process is that it prepares you for real customers. I fortunately had great mentors who helped me close a recent deal after getting back into the field. Now I’m back in my territory and planning big things for the future.
Ready to dive into the sales training process at Reynolds? Browse open sales positions here.