Reseller merchandising and training services

Visionist is a PR, marketing and consulting agency for customers of the digital age in need of in-depth knowledge and clear solutions in the field of digital technology and entertainment. We are also offering reseller merchandising and training services by using Mr. Pasi “The Field Marshal” Virta as an expert.

1. The Field Marshal Live

Pasi is a perfect addition to Visionist’s selection of services. He delivers top-level merchandising and training results thanks to his work experience and bubbly personality. He has experience stretching over decades by working in various sales jobs and especially in improving reseller sales. His knowledge will further Visionist’s understanding of different sales channels and of improving sales in physical stores as well as online.

A trust-worthy and experienced merchandiser like Pasi has his own unique approach in improving sales through retail channels. Some of the basic things such as in-store product placement, taking care of the campaign material and making reports might be something that even a fairly new merchandiser can master. But when it comes to sales, there are many things to consider and that’s when this true professional with decades of experience will shine. Pasi uses his versatile skills when communicating with the entire reseller channel. He is able to handle advanced product presentations, training sessions and many other ever-changing tasks effortlessly.

Pasi has an eye on the competitors, too. He notices if his client needs new ways of improving their sales. That’s also why he has earned his nickname “Field Marshal” instead of having an ordinary title such as “field sales executive” or “merchandiser”.

Pasi’s experience is second to none when securing the visibility of technology and entertainment products for resellers and distributors. He is a well-known character at the most important technology and entertainment sales channels in Finland. Pasi has been working as a representative in countless different events and he has held thousands of product presentations and training sessions for distributors, resellers and end customers.

This means that Visionist’s expertise which already covers media and influencer communication, diverse marketing and social media activations will now be complemented with a supreme mastery of reseller channels as well.

1.1 The Field Marshal’s store visits

The Field Marshal visits stores and carries out the assignments that are agreed in advance. These actions could be arranging product shelves, managing inventory checks, checking prices, improving the overall look or making a quick overview of the competitors. Both before and after photos and notes are taken about the performed actions and possible suggestions for improvement.

If the sales personnel are available, they will be told about the visit. They will also be informed about possible thoughts concerning the store’s product range, new products, end-of-life products, needs for space, product orders and wrong or missing prices.

Light-weight and simple merchandising material that can be delivered in a car and don’t need any assembling can be brought and left to stores. Bigger and more complicated materials aren’t included in the price and are therefore to be agreed on beforehand. All materials must be accepted by the resellers in advance.

1.2 The Field Marshal’s training sessions

The Field Marshal visits the given place and arranges a training session about a given topic for the personnel that are chosen to participate in the session. The topic could be about presenting a new product, a product family or even a new brand. The training is sales focused. The Field Marshal demonstrates the strengths of the products and explains the best way to sell them.

The Field Marshal uses training material produced by Visionist. The material is sent as a PDF file to the attendees of the sessions and for the buyer of the training and will be in their free use. Photos are taken during the training session and notes are made about the specific issues and possible suggestions for improvement.

The Field Marshal can agree the exact times for the sessions directly with the attendees, if needed, but he is not responsible for how many attendees will join the event.

Light-weight and simple training material that can be delivered in a passenger car and don’t need any assembling can be brought to the training session.

1.3 Additional services during store visits

The Field Marshal can have many other assignments beside the previously presented such as:

Bringing and setting up big and more laborious merchandising material to the stores, for example campaign stands and promo products.
Competitor monitoring is an important part of the understanding of one’s own products’ competitiveness. A quick overview of the competitors as well as taking a photo of the most remarkable ones are included during the ordinary store visits. If needed, a more thorough evaluation of the biggest competitors can be done in various ways when agreed in advance.
With mystery shopping it is possible to find out how the store works in practice. The personnel’s service level, their knowledge, abilities and commitment for the brand and competitors are easy to find out through this service.
Customized merchandising material such as signs, shelf talkers etc. can be an important part of sales promotions. We can produce materials for in-store materials starting from ideas to customized executions.
In-store demo days can be an efficient way of showing products. We can arrange demos, events, competitions and other kinds of activities in a mutually agreed manner.

2. The Field Marshal Online

Business and communication are rapidly moving to the Internet. As a result, many brands are willing to put more effort in developing online sales than the physical stores. Visionist believes in a balance between these two markets which is why we offer the best marketing services for both worlds.

Training and sharing information is a slow and expensive process if it is done one person or one store at a time. Nothing can fully replace a meeting in person, but face-to-face isn’t always possible due to far distances, busy schedules or exceptional circumstances. That’s why the Field Marshal is offering online services as well! Online product training and improving sales online are effective and low-cost ways to reach the important contacts remotely.

2.1 The Field Marshal’s online training

The Field Marshal takes care of the preparations and holds an online training session about a given topic for the personnel that are chosen to participate in the session. The topic could be about presenting a new product, a product family or even a new brand. The training is sales focused. The Field Marshal demonstrates the strengths of the products and explains the best way to sell them.

The Field Marshal uses training material produced by Visionist. The material is sent as a PDF file to the attendees of the sessions and for the buyer of the training and will be in their free use. Screenshots are taken during the training session and notes are made about the specific issues and possible suggestions for improvement.

The Field Marshal can agree the exact times for the sessions directly with the attendees, if needed, but he is not responsible for how many attendees will join the event. The online courses will be carried out as video meetings through Google Meet sessions. The group of attendees will be defined in advance (maximum of 50 people from eg. Gigantti stores). A web link and all the necessary information will be sent at least one week before the session to ensure the attendance is smooth and easy.

2.2 The Field Marshal’s online visits

The Field Marshal visits the agreed websites and takes pre-agreed actions there. These can include checking the performance of the site, checking product pages, checking prices, and comparing visibility to competitors. Screenshots and notes are taken about the performed actions and possible suggestions for improvement.

2.3 Additional services based on the online visits

After above described website visits, The Field Marshal gives his suggestions for improvement which could be following:

Writing new or modifying the old product descriptions into a better selling format
Taking new product photos or modifying the manufacturer’s photos to achieve a better selling look
Website activations by using marketing campaigns and social media

Contact us at info@visionist.fi or call us at +358 40 8378097 and ask an offer.