Ward's Dealer Business: NADA workshops are valuable for convention participants

It'll be easy for NADA Convention and Expo participants to be distracted by the non-stop entertainment and other diversions offered by "Sin City." And a dealer easily could get lost among the rows and rows of exhibitor at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

But what really will make the annual pilgrimage worthwhile this year is attending some of the many workshops NADA offers its members at the convention. A dealer could conceivably learn something in a workshop that would be more valuable over the long term than a hot steak at a blackjack table.

This year's super workshop is called "Technotrends: Using technology to go beyond your competition." It will take place Tuesday, Feb. 6, from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m.

The traditional workshop program will take place throughout the convention. Track 1 is "Strategic Business Management and Succession Planning. Track 2 is "Business Development -- Finding and Keeping Your Customers." Track 3 is Vehicle Sales -- Performance and Profitability." Track 4 is tided "Fixed Operations -- Advantages of Unity" Track 5 covers "Human Resource Management and Development." And Track 6 is called "Technology -- Combining Clicks and Bricks."

Daniel Burrus will identify strategic technologies that will directly impact dealers and their industry. Participants will learn how these technologies can be used to transform products, services and markets, as well as customers and competition. Mr. Burrus says his presentation will "change the way you think about technology by providing practical insights enabling you to turn a rapidly changing business environment into an advantage."

The following ia a sample of the workshops available.

In Track 1, Carl LaRoche of the NADA Retirement Trust will teach dealers how to use a qualified retirement program to increase employee morale, decrease turnover and attract quality employees in a tight market.

Randy Barone of American Financial leads the Track 2 speakers. He will show dealers how they can increase business by 50% by uncovering a system to manage leads from a variety of sources.

As part of Track 3, Douglas Waikem of the Waikem Auto Group will look at electronic commerce from the dealer's perspective.

Donald Grey of Automotive Youth Education Systems, in Track 4, will discuss how to recruit, train and retain technicians.

Among the human resources issues to be addressed in Track 5 are dealing with employee issues in the 2000s; recruiting, education and retention; celebrating change within the organization; and shattering age-old myths with technology, as well as others.

In Track 6, Dave Peacock of NADA 20 Groups will focus on the best ideas for dealership computer systems.