The Challenge: The first affordable luxury cars were on the market, and demand was huge. Customers expected top-of-the-line service, and Lexus made sure they got it, via highly trained sales consultants in its more than 180 dealerships.

Then came the challenge. Competing cars arrived on the market, and Lexus realized that consultants needed more tools—more sales aids and behavior models—to surpass the competition and guarantee customers high-quality service. Plus dealerships needed a self-paced program that was available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Solution: Interactive Alchemy designed and developed Lexus Labs, a multi-award-winning learning delivery system that's available on-site and on demand. It's engaging, challenging, informative, relevant, and incredibly realistic.

Instead of an electronic book, participants find a program with the look and feel of a video game. And instead of a lecture, they find full-motion video simulations of real-world situations. Participants decide how each sales conversation progresses and then see how their choices play out. Onscreen scores show the effects of their actions. Are they meeting the customer's needs? Moving toward closing the sale? Along the way, participants get tips on handling the situation. And if they're having technical problems, an Interactive Alchemy customer service representative is just a toll-free phone call away.

Lexus Labs also includes an extensive performance-support component and many other features. How popular is it? What began as a 5-hour program now encompasses more than 40 hours of training and information that reaches more than 8,300 Lexus associates at 184 dealerships.