Episode #195- Industry Tradeshows... are you going?

Episode Notes: 

The Season of Transformation: Conference & Tradeshow Season

Trade show and conference season is officially upon us in the collision repair industry, and it's the perfect time to make a commitment that could transform your business. 🚗💥 After spending decades with my head down working, I finally started attending industry events after the pandemic and found myself asking, "Why did I wait so long?" 🤷‍♂️
 
 These “don’t-miss events” offer 4 game-changing benefits you simply can't get anywhere else. 🔑

1st, you'll discover what's new – the latest tools, equipment, and repair methods essential for safely fixing today's complex vehicles with their advanced safety systems and EV technology. 🔍 No parts guy, paint jobber or tool truck is bringing all that knowledge directly to your shop. 

2nd, educational opportunities abound through classes and workshops covering everything from production improvements to ADAS center requirements. 👨‍🎓 This isn't a cost… NO – it's an investment… with substantial returns. 

3rd, keynote speakers and industry leaders like Mike Anderson and Dave Luehr, and several others, deliver wisdom that can literally change your professional trajectory. 

And finally… 🤝 networking connects you with successful peers whose insights can dramatically improve your operations – remember, your network equals your net worth. 💰

Whether you choose large events like SEMA in Vegas, quarterly CIC meetings, regional gatherings like the Southeast Collision Conference, Northeast, ABAT or local association meetings, ❗ the important thing is to attend at least 1 this year. 

✔ Check your ego at the door, immerse yourself in new possibilities, and watch your business transform. If you've been putting this off year after year, make this season different. And if you see me wandering around an event, please come say hello – I'd love to connect and hear your story! 🗣

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Chapters

• 0:00 Trade Show Season is Here
• 4:36 Top Benefits of Attending Conferences
• 7:36 The Power of Coaching and Growth
• 9:15 Keynotes and Networking Benefits
• 11:38 Must-Attend Industry Conferences
• 14:30 Closing Thoughts and Invitation

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

So if you're part of this rapidly changing, constantly challenging but extremely exciting and rewarding collision industry and my guess is, if you're listening to this, you probably are whether shop owner, equipment manufacturer, vendor, technician, you know damn well what season it is right now, right, we're at the start of conference and trade show season. I mean, I can't believe it's already been four months since SEMA in Vegas Seems like I was just there. The Collision Industry Conference has already had its first quarterly event in Palm Springs and the conferences are stacking up.

Speaker 2: 0:36

Welcome to the MindWrench Podcast with your host, rick Sellover, where minor adjustments produce major improvements in mindset, personal growth and success. This is the place to be every Monday, where we make small improvements and take positive actions in our business and personal lives that will make a major impact in our success, next-level growth and quality of life.

Speaker 1: 1:05

Hey, what's up everybody. Welcome to the MindWrench Podcast. I'm your host, rick Silover. Thanks so much for stopping in. If you're a returning listener and haven't done so already, please take a minute and click the follow or subscribe button and then rate and review the show. When you rate and review the show, the algorithms for Apple, spotify, google Podcasts, iheartradio, amazon Music and all the other platforms will see that it's valuable and show it to more people that have never seen it before, and hopefully it can help them too. I would really, really really appreciate your help, sharing this word with your friends and family as well, and if you're a brand new listener, welcome. I hope you find something of value here that helps you in your personal or professional life as well. Please make sure to click the subscribe or follow button so you never miss another episode.

Speaker 1: 1:54

You know, last year I talked about this subject and it generated some really good response, and I thought here we are again, you know, at the start of the trade show and conference season, and I thought this is just a good message that everybody in this industry should really hear this week. I wanted to share a quick message with all of you about something that's been on my mind the last several weeks. Just a brief, something I wanted to share, as the days are getting a little longer, spring's right around the corner and our schedules start filling up with those important things that we want to accomplish this year, as well as planning maybe a little PTO and possibly a little travel right? So if you're part of this rapidly changing, constantly challenging but extremely exciting and rewarding collision industry and my guess is, if you're listening to this, you probably are whether shop owner, equipment manufacturer, vendor, technician, you know damn well what season it is right now, right, we're at the start of conference and trade show season. I mean, I can't believe it's already been four months since SEMA in Vegas Seems like I was just there. The Collision Industry Conference has already had its first quarterly event in Palm Springs, and the conferences are stacking up. All the popular industry speakers like Mike Anderson, dave Luer, john Shoemaker and Danny Grettenberg, just to name a few, already have a booked schedule of appearances this year, as well as a host of new speakers and industry leaders looking to share their knowledge with the rest of the collision world. Now, if you have not ever attended one of these events yet and you are interested in the future of our industry. My best advice is to get your ass out there this year and start attending some of these conferences and, trust me on this, you have no idea what you're missing out on. Really, all it takes is one experience Visiting a couple vendor booths and getting the skinny on the latest equipment, or listening to the wisdom of one of those top speakers I mentioned, making contact with some of your peers and sharing the stories and tactics that make other shops and your shop special, or just getting out of your shop for a day or two and seeing what's possible for you and your business you will get hooked.

Speaker 1: 3:49

As someone that spent his whole entire career in the collision business, I worked for decades never really engaging our industry outside my normal everyday work life, except for an occasional trade show Back in the 90s. They used to have trade shows. All the time I just kind of stayed in my comfort zone, you know, kept my head down, just worked my ass off and sure. I went to an occasional paint company meeting where I listened to some great keynote speakers, as I've spent the last 30 years on the distribution side, so I had a little taste of what they're all about, but it wasn't until our country was just coming out of the pandemic when I really started embracing the concept of just getting out there and checking out some of what collision conferences had to offer, no matter how far away they were from my hometown and man, all I could think was why the hell did I wait so long? So I thought I would take a few minutes and not only help you understand some of the key benefits of making the commitment to attend a few of these events this year, to start getting engaged in this business that supports your way of life, to start playing your part in becoming part of the solution in an industry that really needs everyone rowing in the same direction, but also to provide a guide of some of the upcoming shows to attend. Here's just a few of the top reasons to attend Number one what's new? Top reasons to attend Number one what's new?

Speaker 1: 5:03

Getting out and seeing the new products, new tools and equipment available is probably the most important thing you could do for yourself and your business. These are the keys to your success in repairing today's and tomorrow's vehicles safely and correctly. As the complexity of vehicles keeps advancing, the repair methods, as well as the tools and equipment needed to perform those repairs also is advancing. Staying on top of these changes is not only critical to the functionality of today's automobiles, but to the safety of your most valuable asset, that's right, your customers. Keeping up with the new technologies like ADAS and the other safety systems now on almost every single new vehicle produced, as well as what's involved for you, the repairer, when an EV shows up at your shop for repairs after an accident, is almost impossible to do without actually attending a trade show floor and talking with the vendors from these providers and seeing the latest options available. Listen, although your jobber may bring in a flyer for the latest new primer, adhesive or polisher that's available, nobody is bringing what's new to properly repair today's vehicles right to your shop. Right, attending a collision conference is the best way for you to see all that's on the market. Talk to the manufacturers yourself, see the demonstrations live or get your hands on the latest gear yourself. Number two opportunities to grow.

Speaker 1: 6:23

Another one of the game-changing benefits of attending these conferences is the vast number of educational classes or workshops available, as well as the latest trainings from the industry leaders and consultants, manufacturers and vendors on a wide variety of subjects, whether you're looking for some tactical advice on process improvements or production tips for your back shop, the latest trends in repair planning, detailed looks at what it takes to open an ADAS center, or what to do or not do when an EV or hybrid ends up in your shop.

Speaker 1: 6:53

There is plenty of top talent to help guide you in the right direction. Some of the education is included with the cost of registration for the conference and sometimes there is a reasonable fee. This is where you need to make that mental shift from thinking of that amount as a cost to the more correct term of investment in your shop. When you take the time to learn about better processes and practices, how to correctly charge and collect for your services rendered, charge and collect for your services rendered, improve your paint shop profitability, or how to create a better culture within your shop, you absolutely will make more money. Education is an investment, and one that pays great dividends. If you're looking for a competitive edge for your business or a more effective jumpstart to your personal development, I'll make your first step super simple.

Speaker 1: 7:40

It is a fact that an incredible number of the most successful business owners, nearly half of the Fortune 500 companies, top-earning professional athletes, entertainers and industry leaders like Microsoft's Bill Gates, former President Bill Clinton, oprah Winfrey, richard Branson, amazon's Jeff Bezos and Salesforce's Mark Benioff all have one thing in common they all have at least one coach and some have several that they work with on a consistent basis, someone that helps guide, mentor and support them, challenge them, help them set and achieve goals that move them forward and then hold them accountable to follow through, driving personal and professional growth. Working with a coach has many substantial benefits. Just for an example, 80% of coaching clients report improved self-esteem or self-confidence thanks to coaching. 99% of individuals and companies that hire a coach report being very satisfied and 96% would do it again. If, deep down, you know it's time to make those improvements in your business, your personal life, that you've kicked down the road year after year. If you're tired of knowing there's a better version of you waiting to shine, but unsure of how to bring that version to light. If you're tired of wanting to enjoy a more successful business but not sure how to start. And if you don't want to go another 12 months without better results but you don't want to go it alone, then take the first step. Want to go it alone? Then take the first step. It's super simple. Sometimes talking to the right person can make all the difference. Go to wwwrixalovercom contact and I'll set you up with a free consultation. Call with me to see if one-on-one coaching is right for you.

Speaker 1: 9:13

Number three keynote speakers. One thing I learned early on in my career, working for a jobber while attending one of those paint company conferences, was the value of listening to a great keynote speaker. I still remember my first experience attending a keynote. I was listening to Speaker Hall of Fame member Dr Alan Zimmerman. It actually made such an impact. His message changed the direction of my life and started me down a path of self-improvement, a path I'm still on almost 20 years later. This is one advantage of attending a conference that I can't stress enough. If you've ever listened to someone like Mike Anderson from Collision Advice or Dave Luer from Body Shop Solutions, if you've never had that opportunity in the past, then make a commitment to do it this year. Not all conferences or trade shows will have a keynote speaker, but many of the educational classes are led by folks like Mike Anderson or Dave Luehr and many others. There are some great industry leaders that have a passion for sharing their wisdom with others. Be sure to take advantage of it.

Speaker 1: 10:13

Number four networking. Have you ever heard the saying your network equals your net worth? Well, there's a lot of truth to that statement if you think about it. If you're a shop owner and your network includes larger, more successful shop owners, by spending time around them, don't you think that you may discover some additional ways to increase your RO market penetration, learn some productivity tips or profitability or even tax moves that increase your income? Hell yes, you would. And likewise you, being part of someone else's network, may provide them with some unique insights from your business that helps their bottom line.

Speaker 1: 10:49

The quickest way to a better running facility, a stronger business, increased income, a beneficial list of industry resources and a powerful network is to spend some time in a room with your peers like-minded shop owners willing to share their strategies with each other. Collision conferences and trade shows are the perfect place to accomplish this. In fact, one of my clients I've worked with for the last couple of years had realized this after attending a paint company conference, where he witnessed that massive advantage of attending these types of events and has now started attending a local association near him where he made some great new shop owner connections and has applied some of their concepts to increase his shop's business. The potential is endless. When you're a shop owner, equipment vendor, tech salesperson or just the average Joe or Joan looking to expand your possibilities, networking is the vehicle that gets you there.

Speaker 1: 11:42

And then, lastly, you don't know what you don't know, right? I've heard that plenty of times. Well, one way to learn what you don't know is by immersing yourself in a room with people that may know more than you Listen. Be sure to check your ego at the door first, and the more you learn as an owner, the more you can develop your employees and, more importantly, your clients. It's been said over and over before that an educated consumer is your best customer, and today, in our industry, we are doing a much better job with that education.

Speaker 1: 12:16

If starting the process of giving yourself that competitive edge in your marketplace is as simple as attending an upcoming collision conference, whether it's a small, local one or something big like CIC or SEMA and exposing yourself to what's out there the new tools, the equipment, the products and technology what possible reason would you have for not wanting to do that. I've been to several over the last couple years and I will continue to attend as many as possible going forward. But here's a couple of my favorites CIC, or otherwise known as the Collision Industry Conference. This conference happens every quarter and has grown to record attendance just over this past year. And these are the folks doing this for free that actively work on making this industry better. Every single meeting there's plenty of committees made up of volunteers and industry leaders. So if you're a shop owner, I would highly recommend attending one of these meetings. Be part of positive change for all of us. Or just attend and meet the true movers and shakers in Collision. I guarantee you wouldn't regret it.

Speaker 1: 13:22

Then there's SEMA. What can I say? It is the ultimate in automotive get-togethers. It's always in Vegas around the start of November and has grown massively over the past two years and has much to offer. If you want more info, listen to my SEMA wrap-up, episode 187. And then there's the Southeast Collision Conference, put together by both Carolinas Collision Association and Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association. This conference has much to offer Lots of trade show floor space, great lineup of speakers and educators and full of some great down-home operators with their southern hospitality and I'll be there doing a presentation on the cost of contamination. There's just too many shows to list, like Northeast out in New Jersey, abat down in Texas, the Midwest Show and countless other AASP meetings and get-togethers and conferences.

Speaker 1: 14:14

If you have never attended one of these before, or one of the other several others held in metro markets across this great country, make it a point to put one or two on your must-list this year. I promise you won't regret it. And hey, if you see me wandering around at one, come on over and say hi. I hope to see you then. Well, that's all I had for you today. Thanks again for tuning in. I really appreciate your support and I hope you have a great week. I can always be reached at wwwrickselovercom, where you can find all my social media links podcast episodes, blog posts and much more.