Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM NOVEMBER 2019 60 B U Y I N G G R O U P N E W S RO J ust because you have that high school or college degree doesn't mean school's out for good. Members of AVB|BrandSource found that out this past season when the buying group for independent appliance, furniture and tech dealers announced the launch of an all-new AVB University. The online educational series was created in partnership with Cardone University, the leading online business training platform, to offer what AVB describes as the most comprehensive independent retail business training available to the group's dealers. The newly developed program is designed to super-charge members' sales teams by leveraging Cardone and its founder Grant Cardone, an internationally renowned speaker and consultant who was named the No. 1 sales trainer in the world by Forbes. In addition, AVB University provides invaluable product training from 10 leading industry vendors and offers helpful how-to's on the use of AVB's online merchandising and member portals. The on-demand series is being offered to BrandSource members in three separate tiers. The Open Program provides access to all vendor and AVB training courses, plus 30 Cardone University sales training courses at no cost to members. Then there are two step-up tiers for a fee: The Individual Program, which provides access to all vendor and AVB training courses plus 85 Cardone University sales courses; and The Team Program, the most comprehensive offering, which features all vendor and AVB training courses plus 425 sales and business training courses, along with transferable licenses and a manager dashboard. AVB University was announced at BrandSource's 2019 Convention & Expo in Dallas, where the learning continued at the group's bi-annual Women In Business (WIB) gathering. Formed in 2014, WIB was created to support female professionals in the appliance, furniture, mattress and consumer tech retail categories through inspiration and education. Covering the inspiration bases at the WIB luncheon were member Janys Hutchings and vendor Hosanna Vrontikis. Hutchings, a principal of Hutch's Home Furnishings and a full-time teacher, received the Women In Business Cornerstone Award and delivered a heartfelt speech on what BrandSource and WIB mean to her. She was followed by Vrontikis, a beloved area sales manager for GE Appliances, who reminded all of their "superpowers" and recalled her early struggles as one of the few women in appliance retail. Returning to the buying group's educational theme, WIB hosted communication expert Dr. Audrey Nelson, an internationally recognized trainer, keynote speaker and consultant who has helped such clients as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Lockheed Martin, Johnson & Johnson, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. State Department increase their productivity through winning communication strategies. Nelson's presentation, "The Art of Conscious Communication," addressed the loss of the "human moment" in our digital communi- cations, such as email, text and even voicemail. Unfortunately, she noted, these new technologies are also reshaping our interpersonal communications, with the result that many individuals "operate on automatic," even in their face-to-face conversations. Her answer: bring communication into consciousness, and her address provided some tools to help convey intended messages and to enhance everyday encounters. Elsewhere at the convention, members boned up on everything from smart appliances and leather repair to the impact of 5G and pin-posting on Pinterest. The curriculum featured a full roster of Convention seminar speakers; a slew of AVB Marketing e-commerce and digital marketing workshops; an array of manufacturer product trainings and new product introductions; and a digital marketing roundtable led by AVB's Chief Marketing Officer John White that included Mary Putnam, VP of marketing & brand at GE Appliances, and Patrick Tam, a strategic partner manager at Google. IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL FOR AVB|BRANDSOURCE

• Cover