The best tradespeople never stop improving. They know that technology constantly evolves with new tools and materials and that there are always new techniques to master and tips to add to the toolbox.
We’ve seen that eagerness to learn in the thousands of contractors and distributors who have trained at Viega’s seminar centers in Colorado and New Hampshire.
We know they find the training helpful and profitable because so many of them get in touch to tell us that and because we have so many repeat students. We know taking a day or three to attend a seminar is no small investment on their part and that’s why we go above and beyond to ensure everyone gets a return on their investment.
If you’ve ever thought of attending, we thought we’d share the reactions of two recent attendees:
Kellen Stumbris is a sales territory manager for Design Air, a regional HVAC wholesale distributor and design services firm in Kimberly, Wis. Last September, he led a group of 10 customer contractors to our seminar center in Broomfield, Colo., for the Introduction to Snowmelt course.
Hydronic snowmelting is still relatively uncommon in Wisconsin despite its harsh winters and Stumbris wants to increase Design Air’s business in that sector. The group left the two-day course impressed.
“We were very happy with it,” Stumbris said. “It wasn’t a sales expo; it was completely educational. The class covered everything from design to installation. I now feel comfortable discussing it and selling it.”
Since the class, Stumbris said Design Air has sold its first two snowmelt systems for about $100,000.
He liked the class so much that he returned in January with another group for a Hydronics 101 course and brought along some other sales representatives from Design Air. That session was as productive as the first, Stumbris said, not just for the instruction, but for the chance to network with customers.
“It really cements a relationship with the customer when they go out there with me,” he said.
One of the contractors to attend both sessions is Brian Sinkler, president of Sinkler Heating and Cooling in Bellevue, Wis. He said he wanted to learn more about snowmelt and was so satisfied that he brought two of his technicians with him on the second trip in January. One was experienced while the other was new.
The Viega instructors did a great job of tailoring the course content for their different levels of knowledge, Sinkler said, adding that he expects to sell more residential hydronics as a result.
“All of us found it very worthwhile,” he said. “There was a lot of opportunity to get hands-on and the instruction was very thorough.”
Stumbris and Sinkler said they plan to return to Colorado for more courses once they resume.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has suspended on-site training, we are offering many online training courses complete with credentials and Continuing Education Units. More information on training can be found here.