What's Inside a Dealer Tour?

Mar 10, 2013 at 18:11
by Ian Hylands  
We invite you to be a part of the Shimano 2013 Dura-Ace and new product Dealer Tour

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Shimano just finished up the Canadian portion of their 2013 dealer tour. What exactly is a dealer tour you ask? If you haven't worked in retail then you may not be aware of the amount of training that most staff goes through with respect to various products. I'm not speaking about special training in how to service a derailleur, but more about an intensive update to keep Shimano dealers and their staff up to speed on the dizzying array of new components and gear that they produce each season. In the past, this important educational process was normally carried out by Shimano's local reps during a "PK," or Product Knowledge visit. This year, however Shimano gave select dealers across the county an opportunity to learn about its 2013 range all in one place and at one time. Shimano's Dealer Tour stopped in ten different cities across the country, including Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, and Halifax.

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  Attendees from local shops were treated to dinner and drinks before the event. In Vancouver the tour stopped the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier and dinner consisted of some awesome beef and salmon burgers, as well as some great salads.

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  Managers, owners, sales-people and wrenches - it is quite probable that you will have to purchase a part, or ask advice from one of these people. Shimano also has an on-line tech school that offers special discounts on product for industry members who graduate from one level to the next.

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  The recent Dealer Tour focused on all aspects of the new Shimano Dura-Ace, as well as covering all three price points of their electronic-shifting Di2 road ensembles. Don't care about road bike parts? A lot of these guys don't either, but if a road rider clip claps into the shop and asks the resident downhiller on the sales staff about the construction differences between a Dura-Ace and an Ultegra Di2 front derailleur he or she will be able to provide an accurate answer.

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  While the majority of this years event seemed to focus on Dura Ace, also on hand were some new road wheels, and new product offerings from PRO. More exciting for most of you, Shimano also showed off the new MTB groups including the new "Pure Gravity" SAINT M820 group, the ZEE M640 and SLX M670 groups.

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  Many of you may not know that Pearl Izumi is now a part of Shimano, and there were plenty of samples to touch and feel.

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  A little more of that tasty Saint stuff.

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  As well as product knowledge, attendees also left with a few small gifts, including these cool lined leather "ZEE" gloves...

www.shimano.com

Author Info:
IanHylands avatar

Member since Jun 23, 2008
588 articles

12 Comments
  • 23 0
 I wonder if they handcuff those brief cases to the courier's hand. I also wonder what time they will be leaving. . .
  • 13 2
 So the Saint tagline is "Ever seen a rock flinch?" It should be "Ever seen The Rock flinch?" I remember that he didn't even flinch when Stone Cold tried to do the stunner on him at Wrestlemania 2002. I would definitely buy some mustard coloured gloves with that sort of marketing.
  • 2 0
 Hahaha, that is classic!
  • 3 0
 Oh man, PKs. None of the cool reps ever came to our shop. We only got the Spokey-Doke guy and the novelty water bottle guy ("...and this one's shaped like a pickle..."). Sigh.
  • 1 0
 These events are really good for staff members and they do really help. I've just gone into the rep side of the job and its a whole load of more knowledge you gain but it's nice to be able to pass it on to staff and also potential customers
  • 4 0
 Ian, could you elaborate about the sauces available at the boofay? Razz "
  • 3 0
 Can I have my parts show up in a case like that? Smile
  • 3 0
 it sure would be nicer than a cardboard box xD
  • 2 1
 They should have mandatory meeting for all potential customers so as to brainwash us with prouduct knowledge. Good marketing plan.
  • 1 0
 One of my future goals of life... be at probably the only meeting any of us would ever want to sit in on haha Beer
  • 3 2
 One day man one day I will be sitting in that room...
  • 1 1
 I hope theres free stuff.







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