PERC’s Updated One-Stop Website For Programs, Products and Information

By Courtney Gendron… The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) recently consolidated the Propane Marketing Resource Catalog (Propane MaRC) into the PERC website, www.propanecouncil.org, to provide a one-stop shop for marketers to find information and materials.

Product Catalog
In the Product Catalog section of the website you will find products developed by the council with input from propane professionals. Many are free to download, including materials designed to help you get the most value out of the national Proudly Propane Clean American Energy campaign. You’ll also find safety & training programs, and resources for your employees and customers to ensure the safe and efficient use of propane. www.propanecouncil.org/productcatalog/

One product that might be useful during this time of the year as the winter season begins for most around the country is weather safety for consumers. On propanecouncil.org, click the Propane Catalog tab on the left, and then type “weather safety” in the search box. Select the weather-related resource you want to download by clicking the download button. The item will be saved on your computer and you can view it at any time.

PERC invests in the latest market research about specific propane markets so that propane professionals gain valuable insights they can use to grow gallons with customers. This includes fact sheets, graphics, reports, videos, and more in each of its market segments. www.propanecouncil.org/Grow-Your-Gallons/Market-Research/Market-Research/

The website provides access to the council’s governance documents, strategic plan, budget plans, annual reports, and meeting minutes, as well as information about the council’s leadership, Advisory Committee, and staff. www.propanecouncil.org/About-PERC/About-the-Council/About-the-Council/

Less clicking — Now when a search is done for items in the online catalog, products are organized by groups. For example, the CETP Basic Principles & Practices textbook, e-learning program, and downloadable content will all be on one page, rather than displayed in different sections of the same website. This new feature makes it easier to find exactly what is needed with fewer clicks.

 — Materials can be downloaded quickly by clicking the download button. On the first visit to the website, users will be prompted to “sign up” before a product can be downloaded. Once successfully signed up, users won’t need to perform this step again.

 — Provide feedback about how you feel about any of the products by using the new Comment and Ratings feature.

 — The new website attempts to understand each person’s preferences for products they may be interested in and offers recommended products based on that information. These recommendations improve as the website learns more about each visitor, so visit often!

Two new digital training modules can be viewed from the Marketer Technology and Sales Training Program (MTST) on propanecouncil.org. More than 3000 marketers from 650 companies have learned how to increase their propane sales by attending PERC’s highly popular MTST sessions.

Now in its fourth year, MTST helps marketers identify and break into new markets and maximize existing ones by developing sales techniques that work. Each of the seven day-long classroom sessions introduces marketers to promising propane-powered products and provides hands-on practice on smart ways to approach clients and close the deal.

Beginning this year, digital training has been added to the program as a way to provide access to MTST outside of a traditional classroom. A team of industry volunteers guided the development of the online modules by choosing the training topics and by selecting an online learning system that best meets the needs of propane marketers across the country.

Like the classroom courses, the digital training addresses both the “what” and the “how” to succeed in markets that offer growth potential for gallon sales throughout the year and will offer an in-depth look at specific sales opportunities and share timely product and marketing campaign background and support. The no-cost modules are designed so that marketers can take the course online at any time, any place.

The initial round of digital training is designed for those who have previously attended MTST classes. The first two modules offer training on selling water heaters and school buses. Each takes 45-60 minutes to complete and involves interactive content, audio, video, and quizzes.

Additional modules on different topics will launch before the end of this year and throughout 2017.

To access this training, visit www.propanecouncil.org/Grow-Your-Gallons/Marketer-Training/Marketer-Training/

Courtney Gendron is Certified Employee Training Program Manager for the Propane Education & Research Council.