Coachable and Poachable: Top-Down Training Cultivates a Winning Approach

There are ample variables a job candidate must weigh before deciding between two or more potential employers: financial compensation, benefits, opportunities for advancement, proximity to home and remote work possibilities, among others. But perhaps one area that tends to fly under the radar—and both companies and job seekers are sometimes guilty of neglecting the subject—is the need for a quality and comprehensive training program.

Let’s be clear. We’re not talking about the basic “welcome aboard” learning packet that accompanies the logoed keychain and bottle coozie handed out on the first day. Nor is it the links to company videos that explain the roles of each department and how they contribute to the organization’s overall success. And it’s not a ride-along with a seasoned sales rep to help rookies learn how your organization approaches and handles existing and prospective clients.

One of the most often-repeated phrases uttered by office tech dealer leadership is the notion that they want their employees to be trained and coached so well, so thoroughly, that other companies will want to poach them. Those same dealers tend to have branded training programs, engage trainers and consultants on a continuing basis, and require new hires to read books and hear audio recordings of motivational speakers whose values align with the companies.

In fact, the best training/teaching/coaching curriculums are unfinished symphonies, so to speak. They’re ceaseless, constantly updated and modified, and incorporate attaining certifications from third-party organizations (industry manufacturers, CompTIA, etc.). Every element and all thought that’s put into these learning tools is a reflection of the dealer, its core values and how it regards clients, employees and partners alike. It’s the dealer’s fingerprint, and the objective is to cultivate like-minded team members.

This month’s State of the Industry report on training and coaching profiles seven nationally renowned dealers who agreed to share what makes their programs special and, most of all, effective. Whether it’s an AP/AR candidate who formerly did bookkeeping for a local auto parts store or a sales candidate who majored in philosophy or French literature in college, dealers seek to mold motivated, pliable individuals into shining examples of their corporate culture, people enviable enough to warrant poaching.

Sales Approach

In the Cincinnati suburb of Blue Ash, Ohio, Prosource crafted a training program that’s designed to bolster sales effectiveness and client development. The appropriately named “Prosource Way” centers on a foundation of tailored content, interactive role-playing and real-world scenarios that facilitate targeted account engagement, notes Tom Hemmelgarn, senior vice president of sales. The full-fledged program provides a thorough overview of product knowledge, sales techniques, customer/vertical market research and modern prospecting methods.

The overarching thrust is the notion that in creating a true learning organization, Prosource empowers its team members to adapt, align and grow. The net result, Hemmelgarn noted, is a culture of sustained professional excellence.

“We continuously focus on key areas such as effective questioning, objection handling, value-based positioning and role-play sessions,” he said. “For new associates, the initial training course is a focused 100-day program. Following this acclimation period, leaders work with associates to create personalized coaching and action plans, ensuring a continuous path for learning and growth.”

We continue to reinforce the use of specific talk tracks, customized emails and tailored talking points across all departments to ensure a cohesive and effective approach.

– Tom Hemmelgarn, Prosource

As Prosource has evolved, it’s moved away from focusing primarily on office equipment in favor of cross-selling. The approach breaks down each solution, demonstrating how it can yield new opportunities. It also stresses a top-to-bottom sales process—all built on a structured, repeatable methodology.

To that end, the dealer has introduced more group role-playing, shared learning sessions across its divisions and third-party trainers and manufacturers that specialize in specific verticals. “We use a variety of tools to support and measure this training, including pre- and post-assessments, prospect planning worksheets, deal diagnostics, an AI customer research portal and a CRM integrated with our customer billing system,” Hemmelgarn remarked. “The effectiveness of this training is measured through concrete results such as prospecting accountability, success within vertical markets, activity statistics, customer and associate surveys, and regular feedback sessions. This ensures our training isn’t just a process but a key driver of measurable success.”

One of the greatest obstacles Prosource has encountered is how to approach sales and marketing with AI quickly evolving and customers doing research so thorough that it’s often completed by the time the dealer is engaged. The best counteractive remedy, Hemmelgarn noted, lies in strengthening the alliance between Prosource’s office equipment, marketing, technical (Vitis Technologies) and business process automation teams.

“This collaboration drives targeted engagement, delivery and growth,” he said. “We continue to reinforce the use of specific talk tracks, customized emails and tailored talking points across all departments to ensure a cohesive and effective approach.”

Top-Down Approach

When Rhyme University was launched more than 20 years ago, the goal was to offer extended training to employees of the Wisconsin-based dealership. The company also wanted to formalize its onboarding plans and continued education for sales (professional selling skills and product knowledge) and service (ongoing hardware proficiency).

According to Kendall Steinhoff, director of sales and marketing for Rhyme, having management take part in the training and assessments yields areas for them to focus on improving as they monitor employee training progress. That top-down training approach has proven most effective.

Rhyme leveraged COVID-induced down time to beef up its training regimen at a time when third-party programs were being dialed back, Steinhoff said. One of the initiatives that arose was its service training model.

“We became 3T Certified (Train the Trainer Model) and brought all manufacturer training in house for our field technicians,” she said. “We measure effectiveness of our training initiatives through detailed grading rubrics on the sales side and NEXERA performance for field service. Feedback from participants is always incorporated into future sessions. The training is built to be effective and valuable; if something missed the mark, we modify where needed and move forward.”

The training is built to be effective and valuable; if something missed the mark, we modify where needed and move forward.

– Kendall Steinhoff, Rhyme

New product/technology launches can often be challenging, Steinhoff noted. When Rhyme expands its product offerings, that prioritizes getting engineers and pre-sales support staff trained quickly for optimal client-facing interactions. Although manufacturers can perform high-level overviews or showroom demos, they’re often delayed and take time to schedule.

Effective Pacing

When an organization is as large as DEX Imaging, with more than 2,000 employees and dozens of facilities, a thoughtful and measured approach to education and training is paramount. The Tampa, Florida-based megadealer is constantly in hiring mode and benefits from a training program that addresses technical certifications, soft skills and networking/software training courses for customer-facing personnel.

Chris Kanehl, DEX Imaging’s service training director, notes that team members complete foundational OEM certifications across all A3, wide-format and production platforms with access to a dealer repository of more than 60 classes to choose from. Through its DEX Academies, employees can take on topics including service excellence and customer care, problem-solving, ADV troubleshooting and first-time fix improvement sessions.

“What makes it effective is the balance of technical training paired with people skills and networking support readiness to ensure employees are fully prepared to support customers,” he said.

Kanehl pointed out that refinements to DEX Imaging’s training platform are governed by feedback from internal technician and service manager surveys. The upshot has been measurable improvements in first-time fix rates and accelerated training cycles. The dealer is also quick to adapt to service trends or changes to its business needs.

“We’ve also expanded our virtual training footprint, developed interactive courses in Microsoft Teams, and integrated analytics and training paths into our LMS to guide employees toward the next course that strengthens their core competencies,” he added.

One of the dangers in fast-tracking technician education is overwhelming them, considering the complexity of A3, wide-format and production systems. For rookie techs, Kanehl feels the information overload can be a “heavy lift.” To skirt the issue, DEX relies on virtual foundation courses, layering in OEM certifications while reinforcing hands-on troubleshooting workshops.

We’ve also expanded our virtual training footprint, developed interactive courses in Microsoft Teams, and integrated analytics and training paths into our LMS to guide employees toward the next course that strengthens their core competencies.

– Chris Kanehl, DEX Imaging

“Pairing these with customer-facing soft skills training helps technicians balance technical expertise with effective customer communication skillsets,” he added.

Internal and External Programs

Ideally, the best training/education platforms are gleaned from multiple sources. While many dealers have common DNA, so to speak, there are intricacies that can govern the platform’s design from a branding or core values point of view. For United Business Technologies (UBT) of Gaithersburg, Maryland, its programs cover technical, sales, administrative and client-facing aspects—all built on a blend of OEM-certified frameworks, industry best practices and customized content tailored to UBT’s business model.

Laura Poletti, the director of marketing and senior project manager for UBT, notes the company’s curriculum for both clients and internal team members. On the client end, UBT has videos and short-cut guides that touch on areas including Canon uniFLOW features, basic device operation and PrintFleet/SmartPrint usage. Product shows and demos offer hands-on sessions that address new technologies and workflows, while UBT-hosted or Teams-based training offer flexible formats tailored toward client preferences.

Internally, UBT provides technical, sales and administrative training. The technical side covers equipment from Canon, HP and Toshiba, along with Fiery certifications. Salespeople are schooled on tools including ZoomInfo, LinkedIn Navigator and SalesChain in addition to managed print and product training. On the administrative end, team members can avail themselves of quarterly lunch-and-learn sessions that address e-Automate, Copilot AI and Excel. YouTube is also beneficial for on-demand Excel and Copilot primers.

One of the more significant changes to UBT’s training platform is its broadening to be hybrid with both live and self-paced options. The learning paths are more role-specific, and the dealer makes feedback-driven updates to content and delivery, according to Poletti.

We collect feedback via surveys and quarterly reviews, which directly inform future program design.

– Laura Poletti, United Business Technologies

“We measure the effectiveness of our programs through certification rates and performance improvements,” she said. “It’s also reflected by reduced support tickets and client satisfaction. We collect feedback via surveys and quarterly reviews, which directly inform future program design.”

According to Poletti, staying current with emerging technologies can make internal sales training a challenge. But UBT has equipped its reps to meet that challenge head-on through partner-led training, hands-on experience and expert mentorship. With a strong grasp of the latest features and equipment, the sales team is well-prepared to deliver smart, tailored solutions that truly meet customer needs.

Intruder Alert

When it comes to IT and security, identifying the many pitfalls introduced by intruders with devious intentions is an aspect that merits constant revisiting. At Pulse Technology, monthly internal security awareness training (SAT) can shine a light on individuals who are in danger of falling victim to bad actors. The dealer sends out fake phishing emails not intending to shame or embarrass those who take the bait. But for those who are guilty of clicking a suspicious link, the Schaumburg, Illinois-based dealer remedies the issue by enrolling them in SAT.

Vince Miceli, vice president of technology, notes that only the click offenders are required to complete the module. The ill-advised click launches a 30-minute SAT course right on the employees’ computer screen. Pulse Technology has developed similar training programs for its external IT clients and their team members. The dealer trains clients on detection in person, by phone or through Zoom/Teams.

“We do offer lunch-and-learns and other programs for the general public to boost awareness of the dangers of clicking on dangerous links,” Miceli said. “One statistic that always surprises people when they hear it the first time is that 90% of breaches into a company’s infrastructure are the result of human error.”

In terms of new hires across the dealer’s service areas (copiers/printers, IT, AV, etc.), onboard training is now more geared toward the employees as opposed to product offerings. “We spend the first day on orientation—more about the company and why the new employees are important to our future plans, why their job matters and why we hired them,” Miceli added. “From there we tailor our training to what each employee needs to know in order to do his/her job effectively. For example, our telemarketers don’t need to know every intricate detail on how a multifunction printer works, as opposed to our technicians, who obviously do.”

Miceli has found hands-on training to be more fruitful than online instruction. Pulse Technology partners with Sharp on tech training, while IT personnel pursue certifications via external programs. The dealer maintains a training matrix for the entire staff, and individuals list the courses they prefer. The company sponsors all employee training.

Tech vs. Sales

Doing Better Business (DBB), based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, relies on a multifaceted approach toward internal tech/sales training and client instructional programs. DBB has four techs certified to train staff in-house, which enables the dealer to craft its own scheduling without needing to align with that of the manufacturer. With new salespeople, DBB assesses their baseline of knowledge, followed by instruction from manufacturer reps. From that point, it becomes an ongoing process with one-on-one training and assessment that covers DBB’s offerings, processes and best practices, and internal technologies and processes that help ensure success.

President Debra Dellaposta points out that DBB subscribes to self-paced web training courtesy of Skillsets Online that’s available to all team members. The platform covers a wide-ranging curriculum that includes IT, leadership/management, communication, customer service, sales and marketing, privacy and cybersecurity, Microsoft, project management, compliance, HR and personal improvement.

“With technology always changing within our industry, it’s critical to keep updated with the advances and changes in security, hardware, software, AI integration, compliances, conference room as a service, A/V and the many cloud-based solutions, such as enterprise content management, CloudFax and UCaaS, to name a few,” she noted.

Client training is critical to keep them in step with changing technologies. Dellaposta has seen many examples of new clients who were clearly not educated on product capabilities by their previous vendor. Too often, the client will request a certain capability for a product upgrade that it already possessed in its incumbent unit. That puts the onus on DBB to show the new account what the previous vendor neglected to demonstrate.

Proper initial consultation should lead to a proper solution that will help the client satisfy their unique needs and resolve pain points.

– Debra Dellaposta, Doing Better Business

“Proper initial consultation should lead to a proper solution that will help the client satisfy their unique needs and resolve pain points,” she said. “A dealership’s success is directly proportional to the success of the client base, which in turn should lead to greater success of both. Here’s where we find it best with in-person training and assessment.”

While the tech training side has remained fairly static through the years, DBB has modified its sales instructional program to focus on various elements. With a burgeoning product roster to leverage, Dellaposta notes that employee and client feedback greatly dictates its training. New products tend to throw the most curveballs to account reps, but hands-on instruction often alleviates the issue. She’s also mindful of training overload and aims to provide a tolerable learning pace.

“For technical training, electrical problems provide the biggest frustration,” Dellaposta said. “We make sure they have access to the resources they need to troubleshoot and resolve those issues.”

Structured Strength

A methodical training structure is employed by Fraser Advanced Information Systems of West Reading, Pennsylvania. There’s a 90-day program that covers all employees, with industry- and role-specific modules plus weekly feedback and key person interviews. Every role has a playbook to ensure consistency and efficiency. Managers receive structural behavioral skills (SBS), attitude-skills-knowledge (ASK) and Microsoft Teams training.

We use playbooks across all roles to ensure consistency, with regular reviews to update content as processes or technologies change.

– Lauren Christman, Fraser Advanced Information Sytems

On the service end, new hires follow a structured 100-day plan that offers a mixture of manufacturer, company and industry training along with real-world problem solving. Monthly in-person coaching sessions focus on building skills, addressing benchmarks and reinforcing the ASK model. These interactions drive continuous improvement and strengthen trust and rapport between managers and employees.

Account representatives also undergo a 100-day onboarding program supported by comprehensive manuals for reps and managers, timelines and measurable milestones. Fraser taps outside trainers who coach up the newcomers in appointment generation and the dealer’s sales process. Following the onboarding, subsequent training blends small-group external programs with weekly internal sessions geared toward new and high-performing reps.

According to HR Director Lauren Christman, the dealer’s training platform has increasingly emphasized weekly feedback loops and structured onboarding plans. “We use playbooks across all roles to ensure consistency, with regular reviews to update content as processes or technologies change,” she said. “Effectiveness is measured through employee performance and feedback, which helps managers quickly identify gaps and refine programs. Continuous input from staff has been critical to keeping our training relevant and practical.”

On the service side, training now follows a clear certification path that begins with A3 mid-range and A4 units before expanding into wide-format and production devices. Blake Bossler, vice president of service for Fraser, notes the dealer leans on the Johnson Model for measuring effectiveness, reinforced via course evaluations, manager reviews and technician feedback.

“We also launched a 10-week TEAM development program combining in-person and Teams sessions to deepen both technical and cultural knowledge,” Bossler said. “While virtual sessions add flexibility, in-person meetings remain most effective for building trust and engagement.”

While virtual sessions add flexibility, in-person meetings remain most effective for building trust and engagement.

– Blake Bossler, Fraser Advanced Information Sytems

One of the areas of greatest concern, according to Bossler, is many OEMs are conducting virtual-only training, which isn’t conducive to hands-on instruction. “To bridge the gap, our two in-house 3T trainers provide classroom sessions that all technicians attend after completing online courses,” he added. “This blended approach ensures consistency and practical application beyond what virtual training alone can deliver.”

Michael Macri, Fraser’s vice president of sales, points out that sales metrics such as revenue growth, appointments set and pipeline development have been augmented by Smartsheet’s AI-driven work management tool. It captures structured feedback, allowing managers and trainers to pinpoint areas for improvement.

“Weekly training sessions, both internally led and supported by external contractors, keep skills sharp and performance on track,” Macri noted. “These changes have helped us address deficiencies sooner and maintain consistent sales development across the team.”

With five different locations, ensuring the consistency of training across the network is important. By developing standardized training tracks in collaboration with sales management, Macri believes it will help eliminate unwanted variability.

Weekly training sessions, both internally led and supported by external contractors, keep skills sharp and performance on track.

– Michael Macri, Fraser Advanced Information Sytems

“We’re also exploring AI tools to capture and distribute training sessions, making it easier to ensure consistency and access regardless of location,” he added.