3point5.com Addresses Word-of-Mouth Marketing at BRA Summit

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (April 27, 2009) – A recent NOP World study revealed that 93 percent of customers identify word-of-mouth as the best, most reliable source of ideas and information on products and services – a 26 percent increase from 25 years ago.

So it came as no surprise when an eMarketer survey revealed that 70 percent of Inc. 100 companies are planning a word-of-mouth marketing campaign in the next year – it’s the No.1 growing marketing vehicle.
Addressing the Board Retailers Association Summit VI in Huntington Beach last week, 3point5.com Sales Manager Matt Ford addressed ways his company harnesses word-of-mouth marketing online.

“We target some of the most influential word-of-mouth sales influencers on the planet – retail salespeople,” Ford said.
3point5.com builds online training sites for manufacturers and retailers in the Action Sports, Snowsports, Outdoor, Bike, Hunt/Fish, Golf and Tennis industries. Retail salespeople register and train for free, earning deep discounts on products they sell by passing “Edu-Games” testing brand, technology and product knowledge. More than 130 brands count training sites on 3point5.com, which is accessed regularly by more than 140,000 registered users working out of more than 16,000 retail locations.

BRA Retail Summit VI gathered retailers from across the country for three days of seminars on topics ranging from credit and debt management to the current state of the board sport industry. Interactive workshops focused on opening a dialogue between retailers and manufacturers as participants reconnected with old friends and built new business relationships.

“3point5.com is the perfect solution for a range of retailers – from large companies like REI and Cabela’s on down to specialty shops with just a few employees,” said Dave Stockham, Vice President of Retail and Member Services.
Firewire surfboards, Flow snowboards, SkullCandy and Hobie, Smith and Costa Del Mar sunglasses are among 3point5.com clients who serve board sports retailers.

“3point5.com was a natural choice for the Summit,” said BRA Executive Director Melissa Clary. “Their proven online training method is an efficient conduit for product information and a hassle-free way for retailers to re-ignite their employee-purchase programs. This gets products into the hands of those who know them best.”

Online retail trainer 3point5.com and the Board Retailers Association recently announced a partnership to build and promote Web-based training for the board sport industry.

Under the agreement, 3point5.com offer free sponsorship benefits on BRA-created training courses and delivers marketing capabilities to BRA, including the ability to conduct polls, surveys, offers, events and administrative functions. In addition, BRA retail members receive free three-month trial upgrades to 3point5.com subscription-based services and free hosting on one BRA-created course for a month.

In exchange, BRA endorses 3point5.com within the board sport industry as the online resource for its members’ retail employees.

About the Board Retailers Association
The Board Retailers Association (BRA) is the unified voice and action group representing independent board sports retailers across the United States. The name Board Retailers Association reflects the multidimensional aspect that most retailers in our industry have. Surfboarding, skateboarding, snowboarding and wakeboarding all share a central theme as board sport retailers. BRA organizes and expresses the views and concerns of independent board sport retailers to manufacturer’s associations and major trade show organizations in an effort to help promote our industry and support the board sports specialty retailer.

For more information:
Visit the Board Retailers Association Web site at www.boardretailers.org for more information.
Contact 3point5.com Sales Manager Matt Ford at mford@3point5.com or at 801 456-6981.

For a 3point5 demo visit: www.surfskate.3point5.com
Member ID: demosurf
Password: skate