Land Rover University Completes Training Program
2 October 2000
Land Rover North America, Inc.'S Land Rover University Completes 'On the Road With Range Rover' Training Program; Instructors Drive 30,000 Miles, Visit 117 Land Rover Retailers To Hone Staffers' Product Knowledge
LANHAM, Md., Oct. 2 Instructors from Land Rover North
America, Inc.'s academic arm, Land Rover University, recently completed a
30,000-mile, 117-stop retailer training program known as "On the Road with
Range Rover" designed to reaffirm product knowledge of the Range Rover model
line among Land Rover's nationwide sales force. Armed with a fleet of the
latest Range Rover 4.6 HSEs, the four training instructors -- all world-class
off-road drivers and veterans of the Camel Trophy outdoor adventure
competition -- traveled across the country to reach 95 percent of the 123
U.S.-based Land Rover retailers. Between mid-June and mid-August, the
instructors met with and taught over 680 retail personnel and other staff
members at 117 Land Rover retail outlets. The instructors also visited Land
Rover's two driving schools, located at The Equinox resort in Vermont and at
The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, to help keep Range Rover fresh in the
minds of the schools' own driving instructors.
The "On the Road with Range Rover" training program covered in detail
almost every aspect of Land Rover's Range Rover model-including chassis
components; safety and four-wheel-drive systems; and the vehicle's elaborate
Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) navigation system. A similar course was
conducted in support of Land Rover's Discovery Series II last year.
OUR PEOPLE ARE THE BRAND
Training programs such as "On the Road with Range Rover" stem from Land
Rover North America's belief that its people -- including sales and service
staff, as well as all personnel employed nationwide -- embody the brand. This
belief has helped Land Rover place very highly in a number of important dealer
quality and sales satisfaction indexes over the last few years. Thanks
largely to the quality of training retail personnel receive through Land Rover
University, Land Rover retailers ranked second overall in terms of Service
Training and fifth in terms of Sales Training among the 34 manufacturers
surveyed in the National Automobile Dealers Association's most recent NADA
Dealer Attitude Survey (C).
"Programs like 'On the Road with Range Rover' build product knowledge,
which in turn promotes enthusiasm for the Land Rover brand among our
retailers," remarked Bob Rolland, general manager, Land Rover University.
"That enthusiasm is what catches our buyers when they visit a Land Rover
Centre."
IN-DEPTH PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE MAKES FOR SUPERIOR SALES PERSONNEL
Land Rover's Range Rover is arguably the most sophisticated four-wheel
drive sport-utility vehicle on the road today. A vehicle with such complexity
demands the backing of a fully knowledgeable sales force. The "On the Road
with Range Rover" instructors worked to ensure that demand is met by providing
in-depth product presentations to each team of sales guides-as Land Rover
retail personnel are known-bolstering their already solid sales and product
training.
"With Land Rovers, there's always more product knowledge to impart," said
instructor and 1990 Camel Trophy veteran Fred Monsees. "That's what 'On the
Road with Range Rover' is all about. To be sure, our sales guides are already
familiar with Range Rover. But after our course, when they know the vehicle
from bumper-to-bumper, they're better informed when potential customers start
asking important Land Rover questions, such as, 'What can four-wheel drive do
for me?'"
After conducting a pre-course quiz designed to gauge each group's existing
product knowledge, the instructors informed their classes about the features
and benefits of the Range Rover line in the areas of safety engineering; four-
wheel drive systems; and comfort and convenience equipment. The instruction
covered such topics as Range Rover's permanent four-wheel drive and fully-
adjustable Electronic Air Suspension (EAS) systems; its four-channel, all-
terrain Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) and its four-wheel Electronic Traction
Control (4ETC). Much of the coursework involved a detailed walk-around
evaluation of the vehicle, during which the instructors discussed such varied
items as Range Rover's boxed-steel, body-on-frame construction and its stereo
and climate controls. There is a lot to cover.
Sales guides even got a chance to participate in an honest competitive
evaluation of Range Rover as compared to the other sport-utility vehicles in
its market segment. "We recognize that sport-utility vehicles can be
confusing, even for sales professionals," continued Fred Monsees. "Knowing
the difference between part- and full-time four-wheel drive; permanent four-
wheel drive; and all-wheel drive is a challenge for anyone. But after this
course, our sales guides know the answers to Range Rover questions and can
talk product with anyone."
"On the Road with Range Rover" is just one of myriad training courses
offered by Land Rover University. Training is held throughout the year to
provide Land Rover retailer personnel with the latest product, sales and
service knowledge. The courses are conducted both on-site at the retail
outlets and at the three Land Rover University campuses located in Maryland,
Illinois and California.