Case Study: United Rentals Plays by the Book March 26, 2007 How one company unified its sales training and improved customer relations
By Rebecca Aronauer
United Rentals, an equipment rental firm based in Greenwich, Conn., had no formal training for its salespeople and sales accountants. The learning curve was steep and it took too long for salespeople to understand how the company worked.
So last year, the firm wrote a sales playbook to teach new hires how United Rentals works. New employees learn about the industry by going through the book in their first weeks at the company. They also meet with staff members at every level of the company, and go over specific aspects of their jobs.
It's more than a basic sales guide, according to Patrick Barrett, manager of training. "It's not five ways to close a deal on paper. It's about spending time with people who are experienced and learning from them," he says. After understanding the pressures on delivery men, for example, salespeople are less likely to make unrealistic promises to clients, which improves interdepartmental relations as well as customer service. Ultimately, the playbook has helped new hires understand their role at United Rentals, and do better work for the company.
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