Etex: a training series that helps the Siniat and Promat sales team talk about sustainable construction with more confidence

As material cycles, certificates and standards become more important in conversations in the market, many building product manufacturers now talk about sustainability more broadly. Siniat and Promat wanted to clarify early on: what basic knowledge does the sales team need to talk on an equal footing? How can customer questions be put into context properly? And how can the team use the topic as an argument itself without getting lost in specialist issues?

We designed a series of five sessions that build on one another and carry the knowledge over into everyday sales work. The modules led from the basics to a look into the future:

• Training 1: basics of sustainable construction with hej.build
• Training 2: regulations and certifications with BuildSystems
• Training 3: circular economy and recycling with the Concular Academy
• Training 4: tips and tricks for sales conversations with Michael Schuster from the trade magazine DBZ
• Training 5: a look into the future with ListECO: which topics will come our way in the coming years and decades

Alongside this, we developed a sales guide to serve as a handout and reference. We planned the structure, wrote the content to be short and easy to understand, and designed everything. This way, the team can quickly find terms, arguments and wording in everyday work. The training sessions were not meant to turn anyone into a specialist. They were meant to give the team their bearings in customer conversations.

1. Designing the training series: developing the five-part »Nachhaltiges Bauen« (sustainable construction) series from the initial idea to a clear common thread, with a logical sequence of topics and a clear arc, geared to everyday sales work at Siniat and Promat.
2. Researching and curating experts: researching, selecting and inviting external experts for each module. Briefing the experts before each session so that their market and practical knowledge fits the sales team’s questions.
3. Our own expert input: our own talks in selected sessions on the basics, regulations and conversation skills, easy to follow and close to sales practice.
4. Invitation management and scheduling: scheduling, invitations and reminders so that the sales team has a clear schedule.
5. Tech check and live support: a tech check before every session, live support for the sessions in Teams and recording for internal use.
6. Moderation and Q&A management: moderating the training sessions and structuring discussion and questions between external and internal experts, with a focus on questions from everyday sales work.
7. Planning the sales guide: an accompanying handout as a reference for customer conversations.
8. Editing and condensing the content: structuring, editing and shortening the guide’s content, in language that sales staff can put to use quickly.
9. Graphic design and layout: a design with a clear information hierarchy, so that the team quickly finds what it is looking for.