Future Forward: Engaging Sales Teams with Humor in CRM Training
Inspired by The Twilight Zone and Back to the Future, a humorous set of videos were created to supplement a live training presentation of new CRM tools at the Sherwin-Williams National Sales Meeting.
Client
Sherwin-Williams
Role
Creative Direction, Video
Collaboration:
Todd Biss Productions
01
Challenge
Every year, Sherwin-Williams holds a National Sales Conference where store managers and sales reps from around the company gather for a series of seminars and workshops. Training sessions feature custom presentations discussing the latest topics surrounding their products and services.
A particular session focused on Sherwin’s CRM tools, specifically emphasizing lesser-known features. The audience was encouraged to follow along with the on-screen tutorials for a hands-on learning experience.
02
Process
Given the technical nature of the information, we aimed to provide the sales meeting audience with an informative yet surprising experience. Due to low adoption of the CRM to that point, we began exploring the concepts of "Don’t get stuck in the past" and "Embrace the future." This led us to the time-bending, reality-altering themes of Back to the Future and The Twilight Zone.
03
Solution
The first video started normally, with manager "Maggie Smith" reporting from a Sherwin store about the benefits of the new CRM tools. A few moments into the video, however, the show took a dramatic turn.
At that point, the audience learned they were not there just to learn about the tools, but to help Maggie navigate her way back to the future after she and her store are zapped back to the 1960's (when digital tools didn’t exist)!
The time warp bit introduced three sections of the presentation where attendees learned about each tool before being asked to help Maggie through various problems she encountered in the past.
04
Result
The presentation was delivered to 4,000 store managers across several sessions at National Sales Meeting, effectively engaging the audience with its humorous approach. As a result, the audience successfully learned the benefits of the new CRM tools, gaining a deeper understanding of how these tools could streamline their operations, enhance customer relationships, and drive sales growth.