With everything that’s transpired this year on the regulatory front, how can you not be with us at Industry Summit 2015? I mean, we’ve stacked the deck with two officials from the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), individuals who have been on the frontlines of the industry’s fight against government overreach.
Our conference, by the way, takes place Sept. 8-10 at the Paris Las Vegas. Delivering the event’s opening keynote will be 2015 NADA Chairman Bill Fox. He will offer a spirited defense of the franchise model and the indirect financing channel that drives it. Kicking things off the following day will be Andrew Koblenz, the association’s executive vice president of legal and regulatory affairs and general counsel.
Andy has been at the forefront of the NADA’s advocacy efforts since 2006, and he’s going to take us inside the industry’s biggest regulatory challenge. Bottom line, if you’re not sure what all the media reports about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau mean to your F&I department, you need to make plans to be with us.
But of course, we’ve got a ton more to offer this year. Our tagline for this year’s show is “Train. Discover. Network.” I’d like to explain what that entails.
“Train,” of course, refers to our training workshops. And as we’ve done in prior years, we’re bringing out the who’s who in F&I training.
There’s Ron Reahard, president of Reahard & Associates. He’s going to address today’s point-and-click world and how F&I managers can prepare for today’s smartphone-wielding consumers.
We also have Rick McCormick on this year’s agenda. The F&I trainer will delve into the ingredients that make up a top-performing F&I department. If you’ve followed Rick’s work in F&I and Showroom, you know he preaches the need for F&I managers to lead, not drive, customers through the F&I process. So if you’re looking to change things up a bit, make sure to add Rick’s session to your itinerary.
We’re also welcoming John “The F&I Professor” Vecchioni back to the conference. If you’re still asking customers about their driving habits, you can’t afford to miss John’s workshop. He’s going to arm you with a new line of questions designed to help you head off objections and connect your customers’ needs to your products.
George “The Father of the F&I Menu” Angus is also on this year’s program. He’s going to address the current regulatory climate and reveal how the industry’s top F&I departments are using the rules of the road to their advantage.
Also on the docket is Steve Veldkamp, training director for Great Lakes Cos., a Kalamazoo, Mich.-based general agency. If you’re having trouble with lease deals, you can’t miss Steve’s workshop. He’s going to point out the specific needs of lease customers, reveal five critical questions you need to ask lessees, and offer tips on how to tailor and present your menu to today’s lease customer.
Gerry Gould, director of training for UDS and the original host of F&I Tip of the Week, will also be at Industry Summit 2015. He’s going to cover his best tips from his F&I Tip of the Week series. He’ll be joined by UDS’ newest trainer, Fernando Romani, so don’t miss their presentation.
Industry Summit will also feature a special F&I- and agent-only session led by the conference’s newest trainer, Joe St. John. The director of training for IAS will field questions submitted by readers. But let me just say, if you haven’t seen Joe speak, be prepared to be floored.
Your conference pass will also provide access to Jim Ziegler’s two-day Profit Masters seminar, a program dealers and industry executives have paid $1,500 to attend. Greg Goebel is also returning to host his Special Finance and Used Vehicle Retailing programs.
As for “Discover,” we’re launching a new feature this year called Tech Talk. It will kick off with a presentation from Sean Bradley, founder and CEO of Dealer Synergy and author of “Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the Secret Strategy of Search Engines.” At the conclusion of his address, representatives from today’s leading tech companies will be given 15 minutes each to demo their software tools and provide attendees with insider tips and shortcuts to key features.
Then there’s “Network.” We’re offering a host of networking opportunities, all designed to connect you with the top minds in the industry. Now I’ve only scratched the surface of what we’re offering this year, so be sure to check www.industrysummit.com. If you have questions, email me at gregory.arroyo@bobit.com.
