Forward-thinking

This year’s Dealer Boot Camp will give attendees a taste of what the future could look like for dealerships. Bob Clements, president and CEO of Bob Clements International, will use the Dealer Boot Camp to share tips on how dealers can position themselves to take advantage of changes that will come to the industry.

“It’s not about what I need today but five years from now,” Clements says. “How am I setting myself up as a dealer to be successful?”

The Dealer Boot Camp features six morning sessions Wednesday through Friday. The following are a few things Clements hopes dealers attending his Boot Camp sessions will take away:

1. Technician training will be different:

Service departments will look different in the next five to 10 years. As engines evolve, Clements says training also needs to evolve for technicians.

“More engines are going to use fuel injection like automobiles,” he says. “So, our technicians are going to need different kinds of training, tools and equipment.”

2. Customers will be different:

In the next few years, Clements says Millennials will start to emerge as a primary customer base. Millennials might research products online, but he says they still want a relationship with local stores and dealers. They want to be engaged with the dealerships.

“They’re not going to want to stand behind a counter and wait,” he says. “They want to walk back with you.”

3. Parts counters will be different:

More customers will want to look up information on parts on their own at dealerships. Clements says future dealerships might feature kiosks and tablets that have information on available parts or give customers the ability to purchase parts using their smartphones.

“Everything will be done electronically with your smartphone. We need to make sure software is up-to-date,” he says.

4. Demand will be different:

With the popularity of services like Amazon Prime’s free two-day shipping, more people expect to receive products faster. Clements says dealers of the future will want to improve their fill rates and inventory stocking.

“It’s not about the price,” he says. “It’s about the availability of things.”

Clements advises any owners or managers of dealerships attend the Dealer Boot Camp sessions at GIE+EXPO.

“If you’re selling your business in two years, stay home, but if you’re planning on being in business in the next five to 10 years, this is a must-attend session,” he says. “We have a grasp on the future based on other industries. This is just a best guess at what the future for this business looks like, and I think the future looks good.”