As the marine industry gets back on track for growth, hiring has become a key area of focus for many marine dealers. Yet statistics reveal that typical businesses only hire the best person for the job about 20 percent of the time.
At the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., marine industry trainer and business consultant David Spader will help MDCE attendees develop a hiring system that saves dealers thousands of dollars by reducing turnover costs and avoiding the poor performance that comes with bad hires.
In the MDCE session, “Hire the Best Person for the Job,” dealers will learn strategies proven to deliver hiring success rates upwards of 80 percent. Attendees will walk away from Spader’s session with five steps to hiring and interviewing job candidates, the “Big 6” performance predictors, and one principle designed to improve the effectiveness of every interview. The session is scheduled to take place Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. ET as part of MDCE’s Leadership Track.
“It’s tough to take advantage of improving market conditions if you don’t have the right people in the right positions,” explains Liz Walz, director of education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, which produces the annual event in partnership with Boating Industry. “But that’s easier said than done, especially when you’re faced with a shortage of qualified candidates. That’s why we asked David to tackle this topic. The strategies he will share have helped many dealers identify outstanding employees under challenging circumstances.”
Each of the 2014 MDCE educational tracks — Sales, Marketing, Leadership and Service Plus — offers five sessions. In addition to Spader’s advice on interviewing and hiring dealership personnel, the Leadership Track features topics such as creating a strategic plan; protecting your business, your family and your wealth; understanding employee motivation and engagement; and improving decision-making.
“David is well-known for his expertise in leadership development and hiring,” says Boating Industry editor-in-chief Jonathan Sweet. “As a member of the Spader Business Management team, which has served the marine industry with its dealership training and 20 Groups for nearly 40 years, he offers strategies that have been proven throughout the retail landscape. We’re fortunate to once again welcome David as a presenter at MDCE.”
The 2014 MDCE will offer 30 educational sessions in all, the most the event has ever offered, including seven Pre-Conference Workshops. The conference has traditionally included three educational tracks, but in 2014, it has expanded to four tracks: Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus. A Closing Keynote address also has been added 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, for a total of 615 marine retail professionals. 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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