AAIW Daily: AAPEX Learning Forum for Tuesday November 2

The AAPEX Learning Forum sessions will be held adjacent to the Sands Convention Center at the Venetian Hotel, on the Venetian/Palazzo Congress Center Level 1, Marco Polo Rooms 701-706.
All sessions are included with the price of show registration and open to everyone. No pre-registration is required, except for the two Lunch & Learn sessions.
Seminar attendees will receive 0.1 CEUs (continuing education units) for each session toward their Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) or Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) certifications from the University of the Aftermarket.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Sue Kalish, AAIA, 240-333-1047 or email sue.kalish@aftermarket.org.

Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
OEM Proprietary Lubricants: Implications for the Aftermarket
In addition to the ILSAC GF-5 motor oils that will be rolled out for all gasoline and diesel engines this fall, General Motors (GM) will be introducing Dexos, a GM proprietary lubricant specifically engineered for its model-year 2011 engines. A panel of stakeholders will give their perspectives on proprietary lubricants and their effect on the aftermarket.

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
2011 Aftermarket Outlook
With consumers hopefully emerging from the most prolonged economic downturn in decades, aftermarket manufacturers, retailers, and service providers eagerly anticipate better times ahead. But many significant questions remain. Drawing from a wealth of economic trends, consumer research, and product sales data, NPD Industry Analyst David Portalatin will share insights on today’s-and tomorrow’s-aftermarket consumer.

7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Selling Parts for Imports: Did You Ever Consider Listening to Your Customer? The Installer’s View
A diverse panel of shop owners, regional buyers, and technicians, who deal daily with parts stores and counterpeople, will detail specifically what they want and need from their auto parts suppliers. In addition to hot topics such as “How can your parts supplier help you to compete with expanding dealer service networks?” and “Is your road salesperson doing what shops need?”, the session will cover “How well can your parts store help you with new technologies, such as telematics?”

9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Government Affairs Update
The government affairs update will focus on the critical issues being considered by the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and states that will impact the economic future of the independent vehicle aftermarket and its customers.

9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Relating, Not Translating: How to Market to Latinos
While the specifics of marketing to this group may not apply as acutely for many Canadian markets, certain aspects of marketing to ethnic groups are sure to be valuable. By the year 2020, Latinos will account for one in five U.S. residents. Virtually every major brand, product, and service is scrambling to learn how to tap into this large, lucrative, and growing consumer base, but it requires more than just translating a message into Spanish-you’ll need to know which is the right Latino customer for your products and services, and how to connect with this consumer emotionally, rationally, and culturally.

11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Advanced Pricing Strategies
For most firms, establishing appropriate pricing is the most challenging decision they must make, since prices are always under attack by your competition. Recent economic challenges have made pricing even more important-in some cases, firms have gone into “panic mode.” To regenerate margin and profit performance, firms need to rethink their pricing from both a financial and psychological perspective to experience increased profit margins.

11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
LUNCH & LEARN SESSION – $15 per person to attend
Social Media: What Is It and How Do You Know When It is Working?
By now, you have heard of the significance of social media, and the risks your business might be taking by not participating. Social media has brought about a fundamental shift in the way your customers and everyone around you are communicating, so it is important that your company stays connected. A panel of aftermarket experts with social media marketing experience will address what you need to get your company up to speed, including how to gauge your success in the social media world.
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE DURING REGISTRATION OR BY CALLING COMPUSYSTEMS CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 866-229-3687.

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Profit is Everybody’s Business
In many businesses, top management has a clear understanding of how to improve results. However, the further down in the organization, the less understanding there is. In order to get a total-firm commitment to profit improvement, the essentials of profitability must be understood by all managers and by key operation employees. This session discusses how to translate financial planning into highly specific actions for individual employees.

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
New Vehicle Technologies and Their Impact on the Aftermarket
New and emerging OEM vehicle technologies and government-imposed regulations are having, and will continue to have, an impact on the independent aftermarket. How the aftermarket industry and supply base strategically prepares to design, validate, and supply components and subsystems for these new technologies will determine the future success of each supplier to these challenges.

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Customer Service: How to Keep Customers Rushing Back for More
We all know that the customer is king. In our increasingly competitive business environment, it’s more important than ever to cater to customers’ needs and desires, and provide customer service that goes way beyond politeness and courtesy. The best and smartest companies are finding that listening to what customers want and delivering on every promise, no matter how small, keeps customers happy and coming back for more.

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Ten Things Smart Executives Learn From Financial Downturns
For many years, smart businesspeople have successfully navigated around political, economic, and financial panics. This time around, as before, the best have kept their heads and prospered. The executives that succeeded understood that behind this last financial mess, things were happening that would set the stage for their successful future.

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
They Want What? Meeting the Expectations of Service Shop Owners and Technicians

There is more to a repair business than ordering parts to repair a problem diagnosed on a vehicle. Fail to understand what they expect when it comes to marketing support, technical specifications, product warranty, and training, and you can lose a sale or even worse, lose a customer.