STILLWATER, USA – KICKER® and longtime distributor partner NTC Group (Selangor, Malaysia) have announced the inaugural class of the NTC Technical Training Center (NTTC), KICKER’s first organized, global training endeavor.

The NTC Technical Training Center is an invitation-only, 12-day class, dedicated to enhancing the skill sets of Chinese distributors and 12-volt business owners.

“The curriculum covers everything from bookkeeping to social media, merchandising, product knowledge and marketing,” said Chet Weddle, KICKER International Sales Manager for the Asia/Pacific region. 

NTTC features a complete KICKER sound room and retail store environment, where each product line is thoroughly explained. The students are given an opportunity to hear and experience the differences in each product for themselves.

“They start with signal, finish with sound, and cover everything in between,” Weddle said. “They are modifying what they learn for their business model, then taking it to their retail establishments. We’re creating a hierarchy of knowledge.”

When training internationally, overcoming language barriers is an ongoing challenge. The inception of NTTC serves as a significant stride to overcome this issue.  A curriculum was created specifically to service business in a Chinese culture, taught in their native language.

“We’re trying to find a better way to do business in China,” Weddle explained “When you get to a dealer, a one-hour training can become a two-and-a-half hour process because of the translation. It’s very difficult.

“We discussed if can we develop a facility within their environment. We (KICKER) can be a big part of that now, because we’ve invested in the NTC Group for 30 years, and in China for 20 of those. They’re taking these students and teaching them how to do business, and KICKER is the main staple of that business, using what NTTC teaches them.”