“Learning in a face-to-face human community, as humans have evolved to do over hundreds of thousands of years, may always be the ideal - especially in an endeavor that is as relationship-driven as business.” This quote from leadership guru and writer Warren Bennis exemplifies the reasoning behind our 3E Forum program. It’s a two-day, in-person workshop that will help manufacturers maximize their presence in the AQ Catalog and enhance the overall value of their AQ publishing experience.
The 3E Forum is built on best practices and our experiences hosting manufacturers over the last two years. Designed for your specific AQ situation, our “3E” approa
ch is:
• Engage – Tell us about the needs, challenges and opportunities you are experiencing in today’s changing FES environment. Let’s explore ways AutoQuotes can help your business thrive in an evolving industry.
• Educate – Get the knowledge and tools needed to take advantage of AQ Catalog’s publishing capabilities, including advanced features that can help you optimize your products’ exposure.
• Exchange – Sit down with AutoQuotes staff and leadership to share industry information, trends, insights and best practices.
Jenni Butler and Kat Tompkins-Shutte of Globe Food Equipment Company were our first guests for the 3E Forum. (See related article – “Globe Talks Marketing and E-Commerce.”) Jenni and Kat met with our Content, Media, Design Solutions, Product Development and Marketing teams.
“It was very useful to meet face-to-face with Nancy (Nancy Nelson – AQ Content Account Manager). There was interaction we wouldn’t have had otherwise,” says Jenni. “We better understand how AQ works and how we should evaluate our content. The Media session was the most eye-opening. We realized we weren’t using product images and the ability to link product documents to the AQ Catalog in the best way possible. The Media team gave us detailed stats and a ‘missing’ list to help us.”
A 3E Forum also gives the AQ team the opportunity to learn more about the visiting manufacturer in order to serve them better. This saves the manufacturers from hosting only a few AQ team members at their sites for this purpose. During their visit, Jenni and Kat gave an in-depth presentation on Globe equipment and products to a large group of AQ employees.
Jenni is sharing information from the Forum with her regional sales managers, along with the AutoQuotes’ Manufacturers Resource Guide (see related blog). The Forum was worthwhile for Jenni and Kat. “It was absolutely beneficial to visit, meet the AQ team and understand each other’s point-of-view,” says Jenni. “Engage, educate, exchange – that’s exactly what we did.”
3E Forums are hosted at our office in sunny Jacksonville, Florida. To learn more, contact your Content Account Manager or Donna Smith, Director of Content, at dsmith@aqnet.com. Let’s work together to create your 3E experience.