Let October Change Your Life!

What to expect from the Bob Clements International team at this year’s GIE+EXPO.

Bob Clements speaks to a packed room of dealers and employees at GIE+EXPO.
Bob Clements speaks to a packed room of dealers and employees at GIE+EXPO.

There is only one event that I’m aware of that gives both business owners and their employees the ability to be exposed to new, fresh ideas and training that will help improve both the profitability of the dealership, the lives of the owners, and the skills of their people. That event is GIE+EXPO held each fall in Louisville, KY. 

Dealer Day

This year will once again feature Dealer Day. During this time dealers and their employees are exposed to cutting-edge training for the technicians as well as the latest ideas on how to improve both the profitability and customer experience at the dealership level. They have exclusive access to the show before their contractor customers hit the floor.  

Technician training

I worked with Eric Sides, the director of the Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC), and Mike Williams with the North America Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA), to build on the success of last year’s Dealer Day. Both Eric and Mike have designed basic training programs for “B-level” technicians that deal with Fuel Service Training, Carburetor Systems, Basics in Electrical Diagnostics, and Propane Systems. For more advanced training you can send your techs through training on Two- and Four-Stroke, and Compact Diesel Engine Failure Analysis as well as advanced skill building on Drivetrain Systems. All of the classes will be taught by the industry’s premier technical trainer and are a must for every dealership that is working to improve the skills and profitability of their service department.

Owner and management seminars

For owners and managers, I am going to kick off the Wednesday session and share with you the importance of taking back control of your dealership and giving yourself a life. My focus the last 12 months has been to get both owners and managers to look past the next season and begin putting a five-year plan together. It can be life-changing for them. I am a firm believer in capitalism and understand it works best when everyone gets to share in it. If you want to move both yourself and your dealership to the next level, my workshop on “Dare to be Different” is a must attend.

On Thursday morning, both Jim Daum and Brian Clements from my team will get you thinking differently about your business and the importance of understanding your Key Performance Indicators for each department. Most owners and department managers know basic numbers like gross profit and gross profit margin, but tracking fill rate out of stocking inventory, lost sales, transaction times, inventory days, recovery rate, tech efficiency and completion time are critical to maximizing the profitability of the department. I would encourage you to bring in your income statements for the last two years and schedule a time after the workshop to sit down with my team to get your numbers on track. 

On Thursday afternoon our workshop is going to focus on ways to get out of a financial rut with quick and simple ideas for dealers to instantly create cash flow.

On Friday I am going to share with you the importance of moving your dealership away from dependence on equipment sales, along with why measuring and improving the absorption rate of both parts and service is the key to growing a business that has guaranteed value down the road.

If all of that is not enough, my last workshop on Friday is going to focus on the importance of making your slow season busy and profitable. I have proven strategies that I use in dealerships across the country to help stop the cash drain and invigorate the slow season so it adds to the profitability of the year instead of draining it. 

I can’t tell you how excited I am about the lineup for training we will have at the dealer pavilion for this year’s GIE+EXPO. If you are willing to give me three days of your lives and an open mind, this could be the year that all the work, effort and frustration finally begins to pay off. Hope to see you there!

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