"Bringing  Sales Techniques, Products, Services and Opportunities Together"

Case Studies

• Sales Training
• Business-to-Business Sales & Consulting
• Internet Sales
• Computer/Software Training

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Sales Training

• Client: Local bicycle retailer and repair shop - The Bicycle Shop - Grayling, Michigan.
• Situation: Owner, (Bob Smith), wants to attract additional new and repeat customers by positioning his shop's professionalism and expertise as a point of competitive advantage against other northern Michigan bicycle retailers.
• Challenge: Training needs to be both inexpensive and quick.  Bob doesn't have enough staff to fill in for each other while sales floor personnel are attending training.  The shop is still operating in full swing for late summer and fall business when a (beta test), training class is offered to Bob's co-workers.
• Solution: An 8-Step training program customized to focus on retail sales and formatted for a 3-hour small class featuring one-on-one sales training was conducted.  The class was also specifically targeted to focus on the bicycle industry.
• Results: A training class at a local hotel suite during a weekday afternoon was held. All floor sales staff were able to train as a team.  All attendees reported being "highly satisfied" with the training on exit questionnaires.  The sales staff returned to the shop with new motivation and excited about trying out the new techniques they had just acquired on prospective customers.
   

Business-to-Business Sales & Consulting

• Client: State wide commercial battery distributor - Complete Battery Source - opens a new store in Prudenville, Michigan capable of serving a large territory.  The company operates six Michigan locations primarily in the southeast portion of the state.
• Situation:  The new store would like to pursue an outside sales professional at a low cost.  The Prudenville store has been been successful but does not have the recourses to employ direct outside sales persons at this time.  Their downstate Michigan stores do have some field representation but few northern Michigan businesses get called on, particularly on the west side of the state.  The store owner, (Chad Buzinski), finds himself working inside the business each and every day and has little time to pursue in field customers. The market is wide open and his competitors do have some route sales staff working in the field.
• Challenge:  To expand the sales and reputation of the company and its full line of battery products throughout more of northern and western Michigan.  Also, grab a larger share of the commercial battery market specifically in territories west of highway US-127.
• Solution:  The battery retailer enters into a non-binding commission sales agreement with Oak Forest Sales & Consulting, LLC.
• Results:  The company has been able to pick up a good amount of new business and expand its customer base while being professionally represented at a low operational cost.  All parties involved have ended up benefiting on the mutual arrangement, including of course, the customers themselves!

Internet Sales

• Client: Statewide emergency equipment reseller - Time Emergency Equipment - has two locations.  One retail outlet is in Roscommon Michigan and the other is in the Detroit area.
• Situation:  The owner wants to have an on-line presence and allow his clients to see products and prices, however he wishes not to take Internet orders and prefers to generate phone calls and all inquires to either one of his offices.
• Challenge:  Set up an all new web site which eventually has an extensive on-line catalog with nearly 100 pages in depth.  The company would also like to eventually maintain the site on their own behalf as the owner, (Bob Edwards), happens to be very proficient with graphics and development of the raw page ideas and schemes for most new web pages.
• Solution:  The web site is set up over a period of a couple years and is built category by category.   New pages, products and prices are updated periodically.  All pages are set up to look similar and the entire web site is entered into hundreds of search engines and search subscriptions.
• Results:  The company experiences growth and is able to easily notify its broad client base of new products and prices while at the same time gaining a professional on-line presence in its industry.  The company takes over maintenance of its own site after about 3 years of development.

Computer/Software Training

• Client:  A small local businessman, Tom Brady, who works out of his home in Houghton Lake.  His new business servers almost all of Michigan and his plan is to start refurbishing, buying and selling previously owned vehicles.
• Situation:  Mr. Brady is a total novice to computing and has little if any experience with the Internet.
• Challenge:  In a brief period of time, bring Tom up to par with basic computer know how and teach him how to surf the net which is essential to launching his new venture.  He needs to gain significant experience regarding values of used vehicles and recreational vehicles.
• Solution:  Set up numerous one-on-one training sessions 3 to 5 times per week during the slow winter months of 2011 at the office of Oak Forest Sales & Consulting.  This personal in depth training focuses on basic computer skills and some intense Internet duties over the course of six weeks.
• Results:  Mr. Brady gains enough skill to launch his new used vehicle sales venture and has few call backs regarding "how to" perform computer work and or Internet functionality.  His new small business is already producing sales and profits due to the skills he has learned in a short period of time.