In a marine dealership, the service advisor position is often responsible for making or breaking the customer’s retail experience – and the service team’s work experience. That’s why it’s critical to employ someone that excels at advocating for both the dealership and the customer.
At the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., Yamaha Marine University instructor, service department guru and president of VRZ Consulting Valerie Ziebron will help MDEC attendees find and grow a Master Service Advisor in their dealership.
In her MDCE session, titled “Lessons Learned From the Master Service Advisor,” Ziebron will explore the mindset, tools and habits that allow these advisors to excel. The session takes place Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. ET as part of MDCE’s Service Plus Track.
“We learned through our pre-conference surveys that leadership and management are key areas of focus for dealers in 2014, and Valerie’s session centers on how to transform service advisors into outstanding leaders,” explains Liz Walz, director of education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, which produces the annual event in partnership with Boating Industry. “With customer loyalty and employee satisfaction on the line, this is a critical piece of service department success.”
Each of the 2014 MDCE educational tracks — Sales, Marketing, Leadership and Service Plus — features five sessions. In addition to this session, the Service Plus Track will cover topics such as increasing marine accessories profits, building customer loyalty, boosting parts sales, and more.
“Valerie is a perennial MDCE favorite, and many conference attendees come to the event specifically to hear her speak,” says Boating Industry editor-in-chief Jonathan Sweet. “With her extensive background in service and parts, Valerie has her finger on the pulse of service department efficiency and productivity, areas that are of critical importance to a dealership’s overall health and financial success.”
The 2014 MDCE will offer 30 educational sessions, the most the event has ever offered, including the return of its popular Pre-Conference Workshops. The conference has traditionally included three educational tracks, but it has expanded to four tracks: Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus. A Closing Keynote address also has been added for the first time this year.
The MDCE is scheduled for Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. It has attracted an increasing number of dealers every year since 2007. In 2013, MDCE featured double-digit growth in dealer attendance, and MRAA’s goal is to grow the event to more than 1,000 dealer attendees.
To learn more, visit MRAA.com/MDCE.
About the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo
The Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ annual conference and member meeting. As the marine industry’s only dealer-specific educational conference, the MDCE offers an in-depth lineup of educational topics, a full-featured expo hall and a series of fixed networking opportunities, all of which are designed to help marine dealers connect with and learn from others who can foster their success. The MDCE is co-produced by MRAA and Boating Industry, and it features pre-conference workshops, opening and closing keynote presentations, four tracks of educational content and 30 sessions in all. It will be held Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit MRAA.com/MDCE.
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