We did our first Caliber University Shrimp 101 training. It was John Rosenberg and I that did the event after the new single side Rainbow Trout filet round robin.
The program went VERY WELL. We did it in the OPCO kitchen as this environment was where a typical cutting would be done. We had about 15 attendees.
Here are my notes:
Format:
– John Rosenberg (15-year SC, 3-year DSM in LA) and I led the session.
– We compared SUPC 6734939 PORTCLS 21/25 P&D tail-on against a similar Walmart product, showcasing key defects like sizing inconsistencies, black spots, and damaged shrimp. PS. Don’t buy shrimp from Walmart!
– Laura Vargas printed training booklets for SCs to follow along, making the session interactive despite no screen setup.
– We structured the training as a back-and-forth process. I described each step in the cutting and as John executed it in real-time, I would go over the education material in the handouts. When John completed that step, we would stop the education and discuss the cutting results. We repeated this process through an entire cutting. This kept the group engaged and reinforced learning.
– The session ran 1 hour 10 minutes, slightly longer than expected, but the SCs were fully engaged throughout.
– We ended with a taste comparison of Indian vs. Ecuadorian shrimp, allowing SCs to recognize differences firsthand.
Next Steps:
– We’ll fine-tune the format to keep it within one hour while maintaining engagement
– The program achieved both key objectives:
Strengthening new SCs’ understanding of shrimp
Building relationships with Caliber Foodservice as a go-to resource.
– One SC, Guillermo Bravo, already reached out to me for a sales blitz which we did together this past week. We visited 6 customers and I’ll be back in the region on Feb 20 to follow up with him and go on some appointments with other SCs in the region.
– We’re editing the training video and will share a link once it’s ready (note: no mic was used, so audio may be rough, lesson learned!).