3point5.com Streamlines HEAD Skis Pro Purchase Program

3point5.com, the online campus of retailers, manufacturers and retail sales professionals, was recently asked by HEAD Skis to develop a custom online pro purchase program. Unlike existing pro purchase programs, this initiative would connect the retailer and the pro in person, at the retail shop.

In the past, “pro” or industry purchases were a point of contention for retailers – taking high-margin business away and preventing retailers from servicing would-be customers. 3point5.com utilized its existing online architecture to create a program for HEAD Skis that links professional athletes, instructors, industry leaders and their local retail shops – allowing for interpersonal relationships that were nonexistent in previous pro programs.

“Historically, the problem with pro programs has not been how much product was being sold into the market, or even who was buying it,” said Duncan Robins, CEO of 3point5.com, Inc.
“The retailer really had no idea what was being sold to whom and that created understandable angst. When we talked with HEAD we zeroed in on one subject – how can we get retailers excited about having local ambassadors using and promoting the products they sell and what does the retailer want from this process?”

The answer, according to Head and 3point5.com, was simple: create exposure to the athlete in person — this builds a personal relationship and an up-sell opportunity with no transaction processing and no inventory risk. In short: it’s an opportunity to make some money by connecting the athlete with his or her gear.

HEAD’s unique Pro Purchase Program starts with a special issue “Pro Card”. Each participating retailer works with a local rep to distribute Pro Cards as they see fit. This hand-to-hand exchange creates loyalty to the shop and sparks an instant local relationship. With their Pro Card in hand, pros simply log onto HEAD’s Web site to order discounted merchandise. The process is completed when HEAD ships the product directly to the local retail shop. The pro then visits the retail shop to pick up their order.

“Everything is designed to create a more substantive interaction with the pro,” said Mike Bisner, HEAD VP of Sales. “Not only does the retailer know who’s ordering product in their area, but they also help us select the pros themselves. Retailers now have an opportunity to encourage the pro to send consumers to their shop and gain additional business from them. And by using our own Web site, it takes all of the inventory and transaction risk away.”

In the end – the pros get their gear, the manufacturer has an army of brand advocates, and retailers finally get a chance to be truly involved in the pro purchase process.

For more information on 3point5.com services, including their online “Pro-Partner Program” please contact: 1-866-3POINT5.

About 3point5.com
3point5.com is an online campus that represents over 50,000 registered pros and sales professionals, 250 manufacturers, over 5,000 retailers in an increasing number industries, including Outdoor, Snow, Bike, Action Sports, Golf, Tennis and Hunt/Fish. 3point5.com offers a fun and secure place for retail sales professionals to train, access information and interact within their industry. To-date, more than 700,000 “Edu-Games” have been taken by sales staff across the country. Edu-Games are 3point5.com’s unique, interactive testing programs that reward participants with product discounts and incentive programs for completed training.

About HEAD –
HEAD NV is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of premium sports equipment. Its shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“HED”) and the Vienna Stock Exchange (“HEAD”). The business is organized into four divisions: Winter Sports, Racquet Sports, Diving and Licensing. The Company’s products are sold under the following brands: Head (tennis equipment, squash and racquetball racquets, badminton equipment, alpine skis, boots and bindings, snowboards, bindings and boots), Penn (tennis and racquetball balls), Tyrolia (ski bindings), and Mares/Dacor (diving equipment). HEAD N.V. is a market leader in all these product markets. Its products are officially endorsed by some of the world’s top athletes, including André Agassi, Andrew Murray, Richard Gasquet, Marat Safin, Ivan Ljubicic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Patty Schnyder, Amelie Mauresmo, Bode Miller, Hermann Maier, Johann Grugger, Marco Büchel and Maria Riesch.
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