Get revved up for AIMExpo
All of us at ARI at very excited about the inaugural launch of AIMExpo coming up next month in Orlando. We’re proud to sponsor the Powersports Business Institute @ AIMExpo’s Sales & Marketing track. This show offers dealers a unique opportunity to meet with OEM and aftermarket manufacturers, business solutions providers and network with fellow dealers — all under one roof. If you’ve not already done so, check out the impressive list of speakers and exhibitors lined up for the show!
As ARI’s Director of Education, I’ve made ongoing dealer education the focus of my career. I take great pride in seeing dealers’ eyes light up when they “get it” during one of my sessions. In today’s business climate, it’s important for dealers to keep up with the latest trends in marketing, especially technology, to connect with the growing number of hyper-connected consumers (Millennials, Generation Y, Net Generation, for example) in order to grow their business. The way I see it, there are few events as broad as AIMExpo that provide dealers with the opportunity to soak up the latest trends in core business topics: sales, marketing, digital solutions, service, operations and, most important of all, driving bottom line profit margin. For those of you attending, I encourage you to come armed with a laptop or tablet in hand, so you can do some serious note taking on the vast array of information to be provided by experts as well as your peers.
As I write this, I’m finalizing my two presentations — “Selling More Online and In-Store” and “5 Myths About Search Engine Marketing” — for AIMExpo. I’m excited about having the opportunity to share with you tangible, actionable tools that you’ll be able to use to drive more sales. My goal is to provide you with techniques you can use to leverage your website to meet the unique characteristics of online buyers and web-influenced buyers. Web influenced buyers are different from traditional customers for a few reasons: they tend to know what they want, and they educate themselves about their purchase options before setting a step in the dealership. This type of consumer requires a different sales approach than buyers who prefer to shop and buy online, a topic we’ll delve into at the show.
My other session focuses on search engine marketing, a topic clouded with all sorts of myths that send dealers off in the wrong direction, spending dollars with no metrics on ROI. My goal is to separate the myths from the facts, and provide you with the information you need to feel that you understand how search engines work, and you know the right questions to ask when approached by search engine marketing companies seeking to promote your business through paid or organic search. This sounds like a complicated topic, doesn’t it? I assure you, I’ll boil this down to terms you will finally understand!
I’m really looking forward to meeting dealers one on one, so be sure to stop by our booth (#923) or during one or both of the sessions and say hello. Also, feel free to send me questions on the topics above prior to the show at mccann@arinet.com or 877-806-2150. The more direct dealer feedback I have, the more I’ll be able to customize my presentations to the needs of the audience. See you in Orlando!
Bob McCann is ARI’s Director of Education. ARI creates award-winning software solutions that help equipment manufacturers, distributors and dealers Sell More Stuff! — online and in-store. ARI removes the complexity of selling and servicing new and used inventory, parts, garments and accessories for customers in automotive tire and wheel, powersports, outdoor power equipment, marine, RV and white goods industries. More than 22,000 equipment dealers, 195 distributors and 140 manufacturers worldwide leverage their website and eCatalog platforms to Sell More Stuff!
Contact: mccann@arinet.com; 877-806-2150
Website: www.arinet.com
