Softer RV sales increase the importance of a dealership’s service department and good service can bring in potential new buyers. These highlighted workshops in the fixed operations track at the RV Dealers Convention/Expo will examine how to improve service and harvest the benefits from satisfied customers. The Convention/Expo will take place Nov. 6-10, 2023, at Paris Las Vegas.
Convention fixed operations workshops, including a deep-dive super session, are designed to help dealers encourage their service staff to use the service process to secure the next round of consumers ready to become faithful customers for the dealership.
From 8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 7, Leonard Buchholz of DealerPRO RV Training will lay out “7 Steps to Increased Profits in Service.” There are basically seven steps to increased profits in every service department and just like a repair diagnostic tree, dealers can take each one individually, correct the out-of-line condition and then move on to the next one until all seven are operating just like they are supposed to be.
During the workshop, attendees will learn:
- The seven basic steps to profitability.
- What causes out of line conditions.
- The corrective steps necessary to build long term profitability.
- How to build a seven-step action plan to use when they get back to their dealership.
Next, from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 7, professional trainer Peter Chafetz will present “Transform Your Service Advisors into Up-Sell Machines.” Explore why service advisors typically fail to maximize necessary service up-sell opportunities, how to change the service advisor’s mindset and effective strategies to jack up fixed ops revenue.
During the workshop, attendees will learn:
- To understand why many service advisors view the act of “sales” as an activity to avoid.
- How to help service writers understand the importance of building customer relationships that ultimately set the stage for maximizing up-sell opportunities.
- How to encourage customers to act in their own best interest by maintaining their campers and ultimately saving money.
Then, from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, David Spader will host “Solve Service Writer Suffering.” Join Spader as he helps attendees better understand how to hire, develop, and manage a service writer. Attendees will also learn what can be taught and what must come from internal motivation. Spader will also share the results from an in-depth study looking at the predictors of success and satisfaction in the role.
During the workshop, attendees will learn:
- Why the service writer position is so difficult to fill
- To identify the required motivators that can’t be trained
- To use a provided tool (Service Writer “Fit” Tool) that will enable them to evaluate current and future service writers
Valerie Ziebron, a highly-rated convention speaker, makes her return to the RV Dealers Convention/Expo to offer “Put the Advise in Advisor – Lessons from the Master Advisors,” and an in-depth super session “Cultivating a Top Performing Shop,” the sessions are 8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a. m., and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., respectively, on Wednesday, Nov. 8.
During the 60-minute workshop, attendees will learn:
- Why advising on additional service actually lightens your workload
- How to build loyalty while selling more
- The two magic “”E”” words that advisors use to build trust
- During the super session, attendees will learn:
- The areas where your shop excels and that can be further developed to be strong competitive advantages
- The areas of opportunity that need work – and specific do-able ways to turn them around
- What top performing shops are doing differently than the rest
Finally, from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, Buchholz again looks at “How to Turn Your Advisors into Sales Experts, Drive Revenue and Increase Customer Satisfaction.” Discover the service sales process successful dealers use to drive sales.
During the workshop, attendees will learn:
- How to increase customers satisfaction with proven communication strategies and techniques
- To use a checklist to determine the effectiveness of your advisor and develop a training strategy to address deficiencies
- How to make a five-step action plan
To register for the 2023 RV Dealers Convention/Expo click here. Regular updates will be posted on the convention website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
The event is sponsored by RVDA of the U.S., RVDA of Canada, and the Mike Molino RV Learning Center.