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November 10, 2020 

Opening General Session: Coveted Customer Experience: How to Grow Your Business

Speaker: Jay Baer
11:00 - 11:45 a.m.

You’ve heard it before. Over and over, in fact. “Improve your customer service.” “Optimize the customer experience.” But what does that even mean? 

Today, when your intersection points with your customers may number in the dozens (or even hundreds) tackling customer service or customer experience holistically is impossible. You can’t magically get better at every customer touch point. But you CAN get better at the touch points that matter. Coveted Customer Experience is a fast-paced, dynamic, inspirational, and hilarious presentation that shows you how to gain and keep more customers by improving on the three things that really matter to your customers. And you’ll be entertained and inspired by a minimum of 9 relevant, customized (and often hilarious) examples and case studies.

What we will discover:

  • Why customer experience is the fastest route to growth
  • When customer experience stops and customer service stops
  • The 3 elements of your business that are non-negotiable for your customers, and where they’ll give you a pass
  • What customers really expect from your business category, and how to exceed it (without spending a fortune)
  • Specific, concrete plans you can put into practice tomorrow that will create a customer experience worth coveting, that produces big results 

2021 RV Trends to Watch: Business Impacts & How to Prepare

Speaker: Jason Groesser, Trader Interactive
Time: 3:30 - 4:15 p.m.
Track: Sales

As with any business, the RV industry is heavily influenced by economic factors outside of our control. Amid global recession worries, what can our industry expect for 2021 and how can we prepare to be ahead of the curve? Join Jason in this session as he uses data and trends collected from millions of  real RV consumers to aid dealers in more informed decisions for their 2021 strategies. We will delve into how personalization and touchpoints are more important than ever. Dealers will leave this session not only knowing what to expect in the year to come, but real takeaways they can bring back to their dealership to set them up for a profitable year.

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • The economic impacts facing dealers in the coming year
  • Data on RV consumer search trends, buying habits, communication expectations
  • Strategies to increase and optimize your market share

November 11, 2020

How do I know I Have the Right Strategy for These Times?

Speaker: John Spader, Spader Business Management
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Track: Dealer/GM

Come to this session to challenge yourself, your strategies and thought processes for these times. Included will be the strategies, thought processes and actions of the top performers. Also included will be a review of industry evolution and where is the RV industry in this process as well as what this says about the future. 

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • How do I know how much of my 2020 success was market given versus management driven?
  • The crystal ball is very cloudy right now. What are the key strategic questions and actions a dealer should be asking and doing right now?
  • To use a checklist to determine if you’re doing the right things now to “RESET” the business for post COVID-19

Important: Mr. Spader's session will only be provided at the time listed above and will not be recorded or available for playback.

Top 5 Safety Gotchas at RV Dealerships

Speaker: Ted Ullman, KPA and Brian Davies, KPA
Time: 1:00 - 1:45 p.m.
Track: Fixed Operations

Safety “gotchas.” They are rampant, they hide in plain sight, and they have potentially dire consequences for your RV dealership employees and ultimately your bottom line. During this session, you'll hear from two of KPA’s top environmental, health and safety consultants as they share the five most common errors they see while auditing and inspecting RV dealership facilities.  This presentation will also cover measures that you can take to prevent potential incidents and accidents to keep your workforce safe. You'll leave with actionable steps and risk mitigation best practices so that you can improve compliance and minimize losses at your RV dealership.

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • Possible consequences of violating OSHA requirements
  • What self-inspections should be on your list
  • Tried and true methods for keeping your employees safe, your dealership compliant and your risk profile low

November 12, 2020

Transitioning Out of Your Business: Don’t Let Your Business Retire You! 

Speaker: Brad Stanek, Morgan Stanley
Time: 11:00  -11:45 a.m.
Track: Dealer/GM

For many of you, much of your wealth is tied up in your dealership and real estate. Your financial security highly depends on your business’s success. All of us remember 2008, and the many sleepless nights it caused. Because of this, finding ways to be less reliant on the business is a must. Join Brad Stanek, Financial Advisor, as he shares with you how top dealers are building wealth outside the business, the ways they might protect this wealth against lawsuits, family divorce and other risks, and specific strategies you can use to give you the increased comfort you are looking for. 

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • How top dealers are building wealth outside their business 
  • What you need to know about possibly protecting this wealth against lawsuits and other risks 
  • Specific ideas you can use the moment you get back home

Important: Mr. Stanek's session will only be provided at the time listed above and will not be recorded or available for playback.

Caring for and Feeding First Time RV Owners

Speaker: Michael Rees, A World of Training
Time: 1:00 - 1:45 p.m.
Track: Sales

We have all experienced a huge increase of first time RVers this year. Now we need to care for them, and feed them more of the great RV experience, if we are to keep them as RV owners. We have a responsibility to them, as well as our team members, to give everything we have to welcome them and help them interact with the rest of the RV community. If we don’t, we will lose them as customers of our own dealerships, or even as owners of RVs completely. During this workshop, Michael will take you through three specific ways to care for and feed new owners, giving everyone the best possible chance to retain these new customers – hopefully for life!

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • Ways to interact with ALL sold customers for best retention, using both fresh and time-proven methods
  • Who in your dealership will be responsible for communicating with new owners?
  • What to invest in, and making sure there is a return on that investment for first time owners

Understanding Participation Options: The Best Fit for You and Your Dealership

Speaker: Matt Gibson, Protective
Time: 2:15 - 3:00 p.m.
Track: Dealer/GM

There are a myriad of service agreement and other F&I product participation programs available to RV dealer, retro, CFC, NCFC, and DOWC. What program is right for you, and do you qualify? How much do they cost? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Why should you be considering a program? Are they too complicated and risky? What should you be looking for? What are the differences between programs and companies? 
 
Attendees will receive an overview of the various types of participation programs, pros and cons of each, the terminology and what to look for in each program. Not all programs are alike and vary by company. Attendees will also learn about the cost of formation, annual fees, and some of the hidden costs, along with nuances in the RV industry.  If you have questions, are considering beginning a participation program, or simply want to evaluate yours, this is the seminar for you.

During this workshop you will learn:

  • The pros and cons of each type of participation program
  • What to look for in a participation program
  • How to decide if a participation program is right for your dealership

November 13, 2020

Level Up: 7 Digital Tactics to Immediately Elevate Your Brand & Drive More Visitors to Your Dealership

Speaker: Simon Heseltine, Trader Interactive
Time: 11:00  -11:45 a.m.
Track: Digital Marketing

If a consumer has a pleasant experience on your website, they are that much more likely to follow through to walking in your front door. So as a dealer, how do you ensure that  your digital presence reaches a broader audience, creates a user-friendly experience, AND cultivates repeat visitors. In this session you’ll learn 7 digital tactics needed to elevate your dealership's online presence and how to create recognizable branding that grows your organic online presence. 

We’ll start with the basics like online listings, optimizing website and social media performance, and then talk about  SEO, SEM and retargeting. Finally, we will highlight KPI’s you need to measure how effective your efforts are. There will be practical discussion of tools to use, short-term and long-term traffic projection models, how to make your analytics work for you, and what you need to be doing on your website today.

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • 7 real takeaways to help them elevate your online presence
  • What is currently keeping your site from reaching that next level
  • Which benchmarks to measure the success of your campaigns

November 16, 2020

Influencing the RV Consumer Path to Purchase

Speaker: Paige Bouma, Trader Interactive
Time: 2:15 - 3:00 p.m.
Track: Dealer/GM

The average consumer consults 24 touch points in their path to purchase - and 19 of those are digital. Are you prepared to influence consumers before they ever reach out to you or walk through your dealership door? And once they make contact, how do you cultivate that lead into a sale? In this presentation, we will begin by focusing on those 19 digital touch points and help dealers’ home in on the online tactics that will influence and engage their next RV lead. After we provide takeaways for your online presence, we will take dealers through key points related to lead management. We will look at top performing CRM systems, how to continue to cultivate leads, and how to train your sales staff to better manage all leads that come in.

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • Top performing marketing channels for the RV dealer
  • Key methods for driving brand awareness beyond your dealership or website
  • New and emerging trends in marketing and how or if you should leverage them
  • The importance of leveraging data to optimize advertising spend

How Premier Dealers Avoid Pitfalls and Maximize Wealth in Today’s Unpredictable World 

Speaker: Brad Stanek, Morgan Stanley
Time: 3:30 - 4:15 p.m.
Track: Dealer/GM

Many of you have heard the traditional Chinese curse before, “May you live in interesting times”.  We do live in very interesting, AND unpredictable times, politically, economically, and socially.  For many of you, much of your wealth is tied up in your dealership and  real estate. Your financial security highly depends on your businesses success and it is crucial to make the right financial decisions during these unprecedented times.  Join Brad Stanek, as he shares with you how top dealers are protecting and growing their total wealth during these uncertain times, and dealing effectively with key issues.

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • Techniques that will help you better protect yourself and your family against future lawsuits and divorce
  • How to maximize the after-tax value of your dealership for when you are ready to exit
  • How to make even smarter decisions with the liquid wealth you have generated

Important:  Mr. Stanek's session will only be provided at the time listed above and will not be recorded or available for playback.

November 17, 2020

Down Payment Cures Reverse Equity

Speaker: Jered Sobel, Sobel University
Time: 11:00 - 11:45 a.m.
Track: Sales

Lenders don’t want to finance reverse equity or gross profit! Learn how to get down payments in the Product Selection Step from your clients’ point of view. This seminar will address how to help the client in a significant reverse equity position.  Many dealerships find themselves in disputes with customers when determining trade value or pricing to overcome potential reverse equity situations. As a result, customer interactions end when an agreement can’t be made over down payment. This session will equip sales staff and F&I teams with actionable tools to increase profitability.

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • How to shift the down payment conversation away from uncomfortable to comfortable to get more money down
  • Common types of conventional financing as it pertains to the customer’s ability to get the product they want

Key Factors for the Successful Business Process

Speaker: Greg Dewalt, PRVCA
Time: 2:15 - 3:00 p.m.
Track: Fixed Operations

It is said that if you have good people and a good process, you cannot fail but to have a successful product. Good people are a matter for the HR department, but the process is for the managers.  Does your service process measure up to all the elements? We will take the 7-step simple service system and dissect it using the key elements of successful processes. We will demonstrate how to apply the key elements to a process.  At the end of the seminar, you will be able to take the key processes and apply them to your own process.

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • Key elements of a successful process
  • The simple service system and how it relates to the key elements
  • To assess, create and fine tune your processes to ensure they are incorporating the key elements

November 18, 2020

Ouch! The Sharp End of Managing and Leading Hurts! 

Speaker: Michael Rees, A World of Training
Time: 11:00 - 11:45 a.m.
Track: Dealer/GM

Making the wrong move as a general manager or dealer can hurt - financially and mentally. This workshop will take attendees through the difference between managing and leading, as well as the different styles of leadership. As leaders and managers, we need to adapt our own styles to our employee's learning capabilities and needs. This workshop will give specific instances to show how the educated leader and manager can successfully navigate "opportunities to improve" situations as they arise. Michael will go through key questions to ask yourself before, and during, challenging employee situations so you get a result! 

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • To create an environment to allow employees to motivate themselves
  • To effectively manage enough the toughest of employee challenges
  • Practical applications to use the theories of effectively leading and managing in an RV dealership

Bracing for Impact: How the Elections Will Affect Your Dealership

Speaker: David Kemps, Morgan Stanley
Time: 1:00 - 1:45 p.m.
Track: Dealer/GM

Over the last few years, you’ve seen legislation that had a significant impact on your industry – such as the limitation of deducting floor plan interest, last minute tax reform that’s hard to plan for, and costly, ever-changing healthcare laws. Now that the voters have spoken, it is time to assess what this election could mean for you and your RV Dealership. In this session, David will walk you through the expected direction of future legislation and its impact on the RV industry.  

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • How the make-up of the Congress could accelerate or hinder important tax changes impacting you and your dealership 
  • Who the key players are in Congress, what changes will impact the RV industry, and what to watch for in 2021
  • Changes in policy will impact the value of your business and what you can do about it

Important:  Mr. Kemps' session will only be provided at the time listed above and will not be recorded or available for playback.

Building a Championship Team: Identifying, Hiring and Retaining Top Performers

Speaker: Jamison Carrier, Relentless Dealer Services
Time: 2:15 - 3:00 p.m.
Track: Fixed Operations

Top Performers change your business on every level. Their performance will raise the bar in your dealership, and simultaneously improve the performance of your dealership’s average performers. This workshop will clearly define the process of sourcing, recognizing, landing, and retaining top performers in fixed operations and every other department. 

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • Where to find top level talent in your markets
  • How to use the interview to differentiate between great interviewees and great performers
  • What it takes to create an environment where top performers thrive

November 19, 2020

Bullet Proof Your Life: Protect Yourself So You Can Sleep at Night 

Speaker: Brad Stanek, Morgan Stanley
Time: 1:00 - 1:45 p.m.
Track: Dealer/GM

Lawsuits are becoming more and more frequent. Family divorce rates are at an all-time high. You have worked too hard in building your business and personal wealth to lose it in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, too many owners find out they don’t have adequate protection until it is too late. Join  Brad Stanek, Financial Advisor, for this informative discussion that shares what hidden risks you need to be aware of, how do develop a proactive plan so you are not caught flat-footed, and specific strategies that you can use right away in order to bulletproof your wealth. 

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • The risks of litigation – and how they apply to you and your dealership
  • The different protection strategies that can be put in place to help protect you and your loved ones
  • Some components of a wealth protection plan

Important:  Mr. Stanek's session will only be provided at the time listed above and will not be recorded or available for playback.

November 20, 2020

Take Advantage of the New Normal: Marketing Tactics to Optimize your Rental Income

Speaker: Paige Bouma, Trader Interactive
Time: 1:00 - 1:45 p.m.
Track: Digital Marketing

Whether you are a seasoned RV renter who is familiar with the platform, or someone looking to break into the RV rental market, this session is for you. The presentation will open with exclusive data on the RV renters demographics, shopping habits and preferences. We will then focus on how you can use that data to inform your pricing, package, and experience strategies. 

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • Understand key buying habits and experience preferences of RV renters
  • Dealers will learn how to use consumer buying habits to better influence their digital marketing strategy
  • Gain key takeaways of how to sell an experience, not an RV rental

Owning Your Backyard: Optimizing Your Store for Local SEO

Speaker: Matt Stoffel, 9 Clouds and Betsy Sprenkle, 9 Clouds
Time: 2:15 - 3:00 p.m.
Track: Digital Marketing

With over 90% of RV research happening online, it's important you're showing up for as many relevant searches as possible — especially in your local market. In this session, 9 Clouds' SEO expert will take us through the key tips and methods for making sure dealership ranks when it needs to and makes the most of Google's algorithm. Join us to learn the best approaches to local search engine optimization (SEO)!

During this workshop, you will learn:

  • How to start getting your business information listed and linked consistently across the web
  • How to properly use brand, local, and camping keywords to rank optimally on search engines
  • Get tips for how to push your website's SEO from just Google-friendly to truly giving value to the customer and priming your sales funnel

On-Demand Sessions


What’s Ahead for the Outdoor Recreation Industry? 
A Conversation with the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable’s Jessica Turner
Speaker: Jessica Turner, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR)
Track: Dealer/GM

The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) brings together all elements of the outdoor recreation business community to educate policy makers on issues such as access to public lands and better ways to manage visitor services at the federal and state level. In this on-demand session, ORR Executive Director Jessica Turner outlines what’s ahead for the outdoor industry in the coming year following some major legislative victories that will increase funding for public lands infrastructure – including campground modernization. 

Learning Objectives:
  • The Collective Impact of Outdoor Recreation on GDP
  • Implementation of the Great American Outdoor Act
  • The Importance of New State Offices of Outdoor Recreation
Wage and Hour Laws – Updates and Implications for Your Business
Speaker: Robin Nigro and Russ Cole, KPA
Track: Dealer/GM
 
Wage and Hour Laws have had several notable revisions over the last several years. During this session we will discuss several and provide clarification and examples which will help you remain compliant at your RV dealership.  We will summarize the following: overtime laws and basic overtime and examples of states that have more than one category of overtime.

Learning Objectives:
  • The difference between federal and state overtime laws and which apply to your business.
  • How to calculate overtime under different compensation models and different pay periods (i.e. bi-weekly vs. semi-monthly) helping mitigate costly wage claims and possible class action lawsuits.
The RV Market:  A Conversation with Baird’s Craig Kennison
Speaker: Craig Kennison, Robert W. Baird & Co.
Track: Dealer/GM

Robert W. Baird & Co. is one of the nation’s leading investment firms covering the RV industry.  In this on demand session, Baird’s Senior Lead Analyst Craig Kennison provides his insight into the RV market partly based on his team’s RV dealer survey, which is now conducted monthly in partnership with RVDA.  

Learning Objectives:
  • Baird’s RV Retail Forecast for 2020 and 2021
  • Factors That Will Drive RV Demand in the Short Term
  • Why RV Dealers Should Participate in Baird’s Monthly Survey
What You Need to Do that Your CPA Hasn't Told You - Financial Statements for Non-Accounting Execs
Speaker: Steve Blake, Somerset CPAs and Advisors
Track: Dealer/GM

Maintaining books and records is a key component to running any business. In this session we will discuss the reasons to maintain books, how to maintain books, and then how to use the books to make your business even more successful. Imagine the cash flow impact if you could get a better interest rate on your floor plan, better terms on your debt, lower taxes, more successful pay plans, and a higher return when you transition out of your dealership. Come listen to how to appropriately record what you are already doing to improve your cash flow.

Learning Objectives:
  • Reconcile your books
  • Accrue non-cash activity
  • Close your books and be confident in their accuracy and completeness
Utilizing Incentive Compensation as an Alignment and Retention Tool
Speaker: Howard Cox, Somerset  CPAs and Advisors
Track: Dealer/GM 

In this session we will introduce a financial model to align the interests of all stakeholders (employees, financing partners, shareholders, etc.). We accomplish this through balancing the need to; 1. generate an incentive pool that is motivating for your identified high performers, 2. create a target return on investment to shareholders and 3. protect the sustainability of the overall enterprise by recognizing the requirement for a strong balance sheet. We also utilize deferred compensation within the overall incentive pool to supplement current cash incentivizes and create the desired "golden handcuffs" to promote key employee retention. 

Learning Objectives:
  • Create a motivating incentive pool
  • Create a target return on investment
  • Recognize the requirement for a strong balance sheet
Service Agreements & Reaching New Buyers: An Update from Protective
Speaker: Bill Koster, Protective Asset Protection
Track: F&I

As a flood of new buyers enter the market, they may not be familiar with how service agreements can protect their new motorhome or travel trailer. 

Learning Objectives:
  • The benefits of service agreements to new buyers
  • Trends in service agreement penetration during the pandemic
  • How Protective works with its agents to help dealers sell more in the F&I department.
Building a Positive Customer Experience in Your Service Department: Simple Ideas to Enhance Your Customer’s Service Experience and Build Loyalty and Referrals
Speaker: Greg Dewalt, PRVCA
Track: Fixed Operations
 
Customer service and satisfaction is not enough to build lasting brand loyalty. Todays’ s customer expects more. We need to expand our ability to provide the best customer experience today’s consumer is looking for. Greg will discuss simple enhancements for your service process to promote and exceed customers’ expectations to provide the ultimate customer experience

Learning Objectives: 
  • The definition of the customer experience
  • The differences from customer care and customer service
  • The customer experience elements in the service process
Three Data-Driven Strategies to Grow Sales
Speaker: Jason Krantz, Strategy Titan
Track: Dealer/GM
 
Using data correctly is vital to maximizing the sales potential in a dealership’s market area.   In this on demand workshop, new RVDA associate member Jason Krantz of Strategy Titan will explain how dealers can take advantage of data they may already have to increase RV sales as well as discuss new forecasting tools available to the industry.  

Learning Objectives:
  • Using existing sales data more effectively
  • Data tips for inventory management
  • New local market forecasting tools
Black Folks Buy RVs Too: Do You Want Black Folks Money or Not?
Speaker: Earl Hunter, Jr., Black Folks Camp Too
Track: Sales

Black Folks spend 1.3 trillion dollars per year yet RV Dealers have not recognized their spending power. Currently, the push is on to encourage "more" Black Folks to indulge and enjoy the Outdoor Lifestyle. We believe RVing is the easiest barrier to entry, however, there are some key points that have to be addressed before Dealers fully understand the ROI. It is not rocket science, but Dealers must remove fear, educate Black Folks and invite them to RV lots with the same efforts as they do for "other" buyers. Ask yourself....how many media/advertising outlets have you used to invite Black Folks to traditional RV shows? Do you know how most Black Folks feel about financing, and why? We know the answers and we look forward to sharing all.

Learning Objectives:
  • Removing fear
  • Adding knowledge
  • Inviting/welcoming new customers
New Google Ads Targeting Restrictions: What You Need to Know
Speaker: Matt Stoffel and Betsy Sprenkle, 9 Clouds
Track: Digital Marketing

Google will restrict ad targeting capabilities for RV dealers and other industries. While these changes may throw some digital ad campaigns for a loop, dealers can stay ahead of the curve. The presenters will explain what these changes are, why they’re happening, and how dealers can maintain strong results with their Google advertising dollars. 

Learning Objectives:
  • What restrictions are coming to Google Ads targeting
  • Why these changes are happening
  • How your dealership should respond to keep getting great results
Navigating Risk in Today’s Business Environment
Speaker: Tom Kline, Better Vantage Point, LLC with Phil Ingrassia, RVDA
Track: Dealer/GM
 
Running a dealership has never been more complicated.  New buyers, new hires, and new vendors mean the risk of business and consumer disputes have never been higher. In this on demand session, RVDA President Phil Ingrassia and Tom Kline of RVDA Associate Member Better Vantage Point review some common areas of dealership risk and how an outside perspective can help protect the dealer principal and the business from costly disputes and regulatory violations.  

Learning Objectives:
  • Successful responses to online reputation issues
  • Prevent complaints from becoming lawsuits
  • Accessing expert advice for your dealership
  • Cash reporting and other compliance issues
Crash! Online RV Damage Repair Estimating
Speaker: Tony Yerman, TLY Consulting
Track: Fixed Operations

Whether it’s an accident, storm damage, or vandalism, RVs unfortunately get damaged. In this on demand workshop, RV Learning Center Fixed Operations Consultant Tony Yerman explains some of the factors dealers need to consider when doing damage estimates and repairs.  

Learning Objectives:
  • Investments needed to get into the damage repair business
  • What insurance companies require for estimates and payment
  • An overview of the new online damage repair estimator tool
How to Navigate a Full Tsunami of Service Opportunities
Speaker: McKay Allen and Trevor Allred, Kenect
Track: Fixed Operations

With record sales for many of you in 2020, where do you now turn your attention to continue generating revenue?  Well, of course, your service department.  Come join McKay Allen, VP of Marketing, and Trevor Allred, VP of Business Development to learn how to increase your service-department capacity and revenue - especially as you prepare for a busy fall season.  

Learning Objectives:
  • Keep customers informed
  • Expedite customer-response time, reduce the average service-bay time per customer
  • Collect payment more quickly and easily