It’s your year

GIE+EXPO is calling 2016 “the year of the dealer,” and the education offerings show that’s a true statement. A Wednesday keynote, followed by dealer-specific education sessions and a special UTV University all highlight things dealers can improve on when it comes to increasing sales and growing their market.

“Kick-off” Keynote; Jason Dorsey

Selling across generations: Specific actions that drive sales with each generation

Wednesday; 1:30 – 3 p.m.

A bestselling author at 18, Jason Dorsey is known as The Gen Y Guy. His Wednesday afternoon keynote will look at millennials and how they differ from other generations when it comes to buying and selling.

Dorsey says his session will be a “Thanksgiving meal,” with bountiful information on how to generate more sales with this generation of customers as well. He’ll show dealers how to communicate with millennials, motivate millennials and market and sell to millennials. Dealers will take away actions they can apply to their dealership right away, customized to them and their experiences.

“It’s important because millennials are the fastest growing generation of employees and the largest generation of employees,” Dorsey says. “They’re the fastest growing customer and consumer. We have to win them to stay in business.”

The keynote will teach attendees about new generational truths based on Dorsey’s latest research. It will change how you think about selling to each generation at the same time. While Dorsey speaks on this topic to many businesses, he’s bringing an added advantage to GIE+EXPO: his first job was working for a landscape company at the age of 15.

Dorsey is Chief Strategy Officer at The Center for Generational Kinetics. He leads research and strategy about millennials and Gen Z for clients around the world. He’s been featured as a generational expert on 60 Minutes, 20/20, The Today Show, The Early Show and many more.

The “Kick-off” keynote, sponsored by Gravely and STIHL, is included with tradeshow admission.

Bob Clements Owners’ and Managers’ sessions

Bob Clements is the president of Bob Clements International, a training and development company specializing in creating high performance dealerships and organizations. Over the last 25 years, he’s worked with major manufacturers in the OPE, AG, construction and boating industries.

His team will provide attendees with the tools they need to achieve personal and financial freedom. The five free sessions will take place in the Dealer Resource Pavilion.

Dare to be Different: How to take on Goliath and Win

Bob Clements

Wednesday; 11 a.m. – noon

Clements will provide advice on leveraging your unique advantages to gain business and improve profitability. As a small business, it’s important to remember these advantages and use them to rise above your competition.

“The customer really doesn’t know what the dealer brand is,” he says. “Who are you? Why should I do business with you? That’s really what we’re trying to do: get the dealers to understand their brand needs to be more clearly outlined.”

Increasing sales in your service department

Clements and Jim Daum

Thursday; 11 a.m. – noon

Clements and team member Jim Daum will share strategies for growing your service business and making your service department more profitable. The service department is the backbone of the dealership and should be making you money.

Increasing Your Sales Through Your Website

Dustin Ackart, Elemeno Web Design

Thursday; 2 – 3 p.m.

In his session, Dustin Ackart will look at how to effectively use your website to increase sales and preview additional avenues that you can utilize to increase your customer reach.

Increasing sales in your parts department

Bob Clements and Brian Clements

Friday; 11 a.m. – noon

Your parts department – It takes marketing, customer service and knowledge to make it profitable and efficient.

Clements and his son, Brian, will discuss ways to leverage your team’s skills to increase your parts department sales. Topics will include cross selling, up selling and displays.

Finding, interviewing and hiring key employees

Sara Hey

Friday; 2 - 3 p.m.

Clements’ daughter, Sara Hey, will walk through the entire process of finding, interviewing and hiring employees.

She’ll also provide tips to ensure that you are hiring the right fit for your culture and team. Clements says a problem a lot of dealers are having right now is finding good people.

A lot of dealers are looking for potential employees with dealership experience, but he says that’s not the best idea.

A lot of skills required for a dealership employee are crossover skills from other jobs, so instead he suggests looking outside of the industry.

POWER UP SESSIONS: We used to do that; a roadmap to dealership success

Mark Mooney

Thursday; 8 - 9 a.m.

Mark Mooney, powersports dealer consultant, is a former powersports dealer, with 35 years in the industry.

“I have learned over the years that we all make mistakes,” he says.

The biggest thing in sales, Mooney says, is that many sales people only ask for the sale around 30 percent of the time they’re on the sales floor.

“They should be asking for it 100 percent of the time,” he says. “Your sales can be increased.”

Mooney’s session is sponsored by PowerSports Business and OPE magazines. The $5 fee to attend will be donated to charity.

The gold medal mindset

Shannon Miller

Friday; 8 – 9 a.m.

In her session, Shannon Miller will discuss how the gold medal mindset leads to victory on the competition floor, in the boardroom and in our personal lives. She will share her insight on what it takes to be a winner: the importance of goal setting, leadership, maintaining a positive attitude and teamwork.

Miller competed in both the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, and was a member of the “Magnificent Seven” team who won the U.S. Women’s first ever team gold in gymnastics.

After retiring from Olympic competition, Miller received her undergraduate degrees in marketing and entrepreneurship from the University of Houston and her law degree from Boston College.

The $5 fee to attend will be donated to charity.

ADDITIONAL DEALER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE:

UTV University. The new UTV University will feature proven powersports dealer training specialists and a roundtable discussion about the state of the UTV industry.

It ends with the Dealer Kick-Off Keynote with Dorsey followed by the Dealer Preview on the show floor.

Tech Training & Certification offered through the Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC). Sessions will be held throughout the day Wednesday. Details can be found at www.gie-expo.com.

Latino Link Dealer Breakfast: Owning the Hispanic Business in your Market

Wednesday; 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.

Pam Berrios, NHLA President-elect will moderate a panel of dealer representatives and contractors in a conversation of what it takes to earn and keep Hispanic business locally.