Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
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INDUSTRY NEWS 10 O U T D O O R P O W E R E Q U I P M E N T www.outdoorpower equipment.com Seminars, technician certification, Q&A feedback, networking and best-practice tips are among the many reasons dealers flock to the Green Industry & Equipment Expo (GIE+EXPO) at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. And, the 2014 event will be packed with learning opportunities. GIE+EXPO's 2014 dates are Wednesday, Oct. 22, through Friday, Oct. 24. Wednesday will be an exclusive preview day for dealers, retailers, distributors and media. The Dealer Resource Pavilion will be open 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and indoor exhibits will be open 3-7 p.m. During a welcome reception on the show floor 5-7 p.m., many of the exhibitors will host games, food, festivities and prizes in their booths. On Thursday and Friday, the trade show and the adjacent Outdoor Demonstration Area will be open to all in the industry. Dealer Resource Pavilion & Free Management Classes The Pavilion is the hub for dealers at this annual event. It is the location for free seminars for outdoor power equipment dealership owners and managers, led by dealership consultant Bob Clements. The pavilion features a showroom, along with a parts and service department, where Bob and his team will share their latest ideas and tips on how to turn slow seasons into profitable seasons, improve your bottom line in the parts and service departments, and more. In addition, planning is in the works for Box Lunch Workshops on Wednesday. For $25, dealers will have the opportunity to choose between two topics, which will be announced soon. For dealers looking to move your store to the next level, this year's show is a must-attend event. Free Management Classes by Bob Clements Wednesday, October 22 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Dare to Be Different Between the government, manufacturers, distributors and employees, dealerships today are finding it more and more difficult to reach the level of profitability they hope to achieve. If you are ready to take your dealership to the next level, then you owe it to yourself to join Bob Clements as he shares the keys to taking control of your dealership and taking back your life. Bob has mastered the art of empowering dealerships and their people to achieve higher levels of success. In this fun, insightful and motivational program, Bob will inspire you and your people to reach levels of performance you have only dreamed of achieving. Thursday, October 23 11 a.m. – noon Add Dollars to Your Bottom Line by Improving Your Service and Parts Departments' KPIs In today's competitive marketplace, it is vital for owners to understand the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in their parts and service departments. Most owners and parts managers know basic numbers like gross profit and gross profit margin. But, tracking "fill rate out of stocking inventory," "lost sales," "transaction times" and "inventory days," as well as "recover rate," "tech efficiency" and "completion time" are critical to maximizing the profitability of the department. In this hands-on workshop, the Bob Clements team will share the formulas they use to determine KPIs and quick ways to add dollars to your bottom line by making simple improvements. 2 - 3 p.m. Get Out of Your Financial Rut and Generate Instant Income Every small business owner at some point in his or her life has been in a financial rut — payroll to meet, bills to pay, floor plan due, and not enough money to spread around. In this open forum, the Bob Clements team will share and discuss the six core principals they use to create instant income for dealerships to relieve the burden of low or no cash flow. Friday, October 24 11 a.m. – noon Radically Transform Your Dealership by Improving Your Absorption Rate Achieving 100-percent absorption is the holy grail of dealerships outside the OPE industry. In this eye-opening workshop, Bob Clements and his team will share why it's important to know your absorption rate, ways to improve it, and how absorbing at 100 percent will increase the value of your dealership and allow you to be profitable regardless of the weather or reduced margins on your wholegoods. 2 - 3 p.m. Turn Your Slow Season into a Profitable Part of Your Year As the season winds down, you can hear groans from dealers across the country as they wait for the slow season to begin. Every dealership has a point in its year when business slows, and the profits stacked up during the busy season start to slowly melt away. In this workshop, Bob Clements will share proven strategies dealerships across the country use to stop the bleeding and invigorate the slow season. Tech Training & Certification Tech training — priced $30-$45 for each class — will be in the Kentucky Exposition Center's East Hall on Wednesday and are offered through the Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC). Wednesday, October 22 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. Basic Tech Classes GIE+EXPO announces details on Dealer Resource Pavilion and education