ASTRA Offers Customer Service Workshop at Marketplace & Academy

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) will host a special professional development session for sales representatives at its annual Marketplace & Academy.

Participants will complete the customer service component required for ASTRA’s Certified Master Sales Representative (CMSR) certification and will have access to the remainder of the CMSR modules online to be fully credentialed. The credential is just one component of ASTRA’s program to promote a stronger toy industry by increasing professionals’ knowledge about business, finance, customer relations, promotion, technology, and the importance of play.

ASTRA CSMR “With so many of our valued sales representatives joining us in Pittsburgh, we are bringing them an education opportunity that is both targeted to their roles and sets them up for successfully earning the CMSR credential after they finish this session,” says Kimberly Mosley, president of ASTRA. “Sales representatives play such a critical role supporting effective toy industry business relationships and distribution systems. We are pleased to offer a convenient way to deepen their expertise and jumpstart the process of getting the recognition they deserve for that expertise through ASTRA certification.”

The CMSR workshop will be held on June 9 from 3:30 to 5 p.m EST at ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.