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

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 .

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 .

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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 . 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 ? 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 .

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 . 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 .

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 . 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 . 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 .

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 . 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 .

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 . 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 .

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 .