Develop Capabilities to Manage Today’s Complex Retail Customers

MVI’s SkillBuilders™ courses are firmly established as the industry’s most effective retail training for developing the capabilities to better manage today’s complex retail customers. Our interactive, exercise-driven curriculum allows you to develop a model work plan with clear next steps to build momentum—internally and externally. Gain the critical skill development necessary to build best practice, account–specific plans for your largest, most complex customers.

Our SkillBuilders faculty consists of FMCG/CPG experts with backgrounds in senior sales/marketing management, experienced in identifying challenges or issues holding back successful on-plan results.

Retailer Economics: The Art of Shelf Defense

Dramatic changes in shopper behavior and instability in the capital markets are forcing retailers to focus their strategies inward to comp store sales (versus store expansion) for growth. This step-change in the amount of risk tolerated by retailers requires new levels of financial understanding and skill by supplier account teams. MVI presents a special SkillBuilders course on Retailer Economics:

• Raise your Financial Acumen- learn the language of finance and metrics across different retailers, formats, and channels.
• Anticipate problems before they become reality- identify opportunities of financial return.
• Set effective strategies- deliver results in an environment of rapidly changing retailer requirements.
• Gain a working understanding- walk through the basis, elements, and drivers of GMROII and other return-based financial measures. These will become part of everyday conversations as item margin and velocity become critical to success on the shelf.
• Identify and manage implications to your brand- Private label delivers value to cash-starved shoppers while providing increased margin opportunities to retail operators. It has and will put increased pressure on brands to perform over the next 12-18 months.

Strategic Retailer Management In A Recession

MVI’s renowned SkillBuilders™ course on strategic frameworks and planning now incorporates the influence and implications of the economy to help suppliers plan account strategy in light of the downturn. The workshop gives participants an exercise-driven “lens” for account planning, using retailer examples to illustrate MVI’s account management process. The class includes modules on negotiation tactics, a co-planning roadmap, and ways to maximize business reviews, top-to-tops, and scorecards in this tough environment.

• Strategic Frameworks for Leverage- navigate through strategic paradigms to align with the way your customer goes to market, gain an in-depth understanding of the critical functions within your customer necessary to execute your account plan, and identify techniques to move the dialogue beyond price to the “who” and “how.”
• The Co-Planning Roadmap- utilize the OGSM (Objectives, Goals, Strategies, Measures) method as a co-planning framework and learn how to merge brand plans, retailer plans, and scorecards into a cohesive story.
• Negotiation Tactics- uncover retailer negotiation methods and explore how today’s uncertain environment offers new challenges and new opportunities.
• Measurement and Alignment- gain insight into maximizing scorecards and reviews, including how to consider both short-term issues and longer-term endeavors in the context of pricing and margin challenges.

Bring MVI SkillBuilders™ Onsite

Bring MVI SkillBuilders on-site to your team and explore your company’s specific category dynamics, customer opportunities, and capability gaps. MVI Onsite delivery takes place at the location of your choice and allows a maximum number of teammates to benefit. Call your MVI Account Manager today and take advantage of this cost-efficient way to develop a plan that meets your unique objectives.