Raleigh, NC- Kioti Tractor received record attendance when it hosted its annual dealer meeting in Raleigh, NC, Feb 22-24. Kioti's management worked diligently to establish a program that would provide dealers with sales training and product information they could utilize to help navigate through the tough economic period many are facing.

By focusing the meeting on sales training, Kioti gained the attention of its dealer network, leading to record attendance at a time when many companies have scaled back or eliminated travel budgets.  "We are extremely pleased with the attendance at this year's meeting," states C.G. Kim., president of Kioti Tractor.  "The time and financial commitment our dealers have made to attend, reinforces their dedication to our company and our product line."

The agenda for the three-day meeting included a welcome reception, new product introductions, new sales incentive programs, a presentation on Developing a High Performance Dealership by Bob Clements, a presentation on the Principals of Selling by Jim Falk of Agricredit, as well as several service organizations that could help dealers with traditional print, online, radio or television advertising.

At the end of the meeting, Kioti bussed all attendees to their nearby corporate headquarters in Wendell, NC. At the Kioti facility, dealers received a building tour and personally met many of the Kioti personnel they speak to on a day-to-basis for sales, parts, service and general customer support.  Following the tour, dealers returned to the hotel in Raleigh where they attended Kioti's annual semi-formal awards dinner.

"This year's record attendance couldn't have come at a better time," states Ron Parrish, market development manager for Kioti.  "2008 was the first year in which we ran our 5-Paw Dealer Program. The program had five qualifying areas for each dealer: sales, parts & service, a customer satisfaction score (CSS), issue resolution and facility appearance.  The annual awards dinner provided the perfect venue for us to recognize our 5-Paw Dealers for the first time."