Let me tell you a story \u2026<\/p>\n
In October, I was hired by the Board of Directors to be NIADA\u2019s Chief Staff Officer \u2013 the CEO. \u00a0I bring to NIADA 35 years of trade association experience and more than three decades impacting policy in Washington, DC.\u00a0 I bring to NIADA a lifetime commitment to helping entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
I sought this job believing NIADA to be a great organization.\u00a0 What I found, is this is an amazing organization.\u00a0 I sought this job because I wanted to work with great entrepreneurs.\u00a0 What I found, are amazing entrepreneurs essential in their communities.\u00a0 I sought this job because I wanted to help take the organization to new levels of success.\u00a0 What I found was an already successful organization primed to achieve the next levels of greatness.<\/p>\n
I took over NIADA standing on the shoulders of greatness.\u00a0 NIADA under Steve Jordan\u2019s leadership achieved unprecedented levels of growth and success.\u00a0 When Steve left, Shaun Petersen was tasked with the unenviable role of interim CEO.\u00a0 Shaun rose to the occasion and helped steer NIADA through the worst year any of us have ever experienced.<\/p>\n
You two are a hard act to follow.\u00a0 We will build on your success and take NIADA to new levels of service to the members.\u00a0 Let me tell you how.<\/p>\n
Immediately upon being hired, I began a listening tour.<\/p>\n
For thirty-days, I spoke with every Board member, every staff member, every state executive, every state board president, key segment leaders, and key vendors.\u00a0 I asked what they liked and didn\u2019t like about NIADA.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What we did right and what we could do better.\u00a0 What they thought the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats to the industry and the association.\u00a0 I compiled all of my notes and reported them to the Board.<\/p>\n
The Board, staff, state executives, and I began drafting a strategic plan.\u00a0 By my 90th<\/sup> day, in February of this year, the Board adopted a written strategic plan to guide us on our journey.\u00a0 I re-organized the staff to better meet your needs and implement the strategic plan.\u00a0 Let me walk you through the key points of NIADA\u2019s strategic roadmap so you know where we are going.<\/p>\n
The Board adopted what may be the first vision statement for the organization.\u00a0 It\u2019s the statement of why we exist and what we are trying to achieve by our existence.\u00a0 \u201cA robust, ethical, and professional independent used vehicle market trusted by consumers.\u201d\u00a0 Note the inclusion of consumers.<\/p>\n
The Board revised the mission statement.\u00a0 The mission statement guides everything we do.\u00a0 \u201cPromote, educate, and advocate for ethical independent automobile dealers and their consumers.\u201d\u00a0 Again, note the inclusion of your customers because they are part of your story.<\/p>\n
The strategic plan puts our members and our state associations front and center, let\u2019s take a look at the seven strategic goals.<\/p>\n
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- NIADA will help the industry continue to grow with a minimum of regulation in a fair and equitable marketplace.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
This, is advocacy.\u00a0 This is your voice.\u00a0 This is our seat at the table.\u00a0 Because, in Washington, DC and our state capitals, if you\u2019re not at the table, you\u2019re on the menu.\u00a0 To achieve this goal, we hired Brett Scott to be vice president of government affairs.\u00a0 Brett is our first, full-time advocacy staff member in Washington, DC.\u00a0 We will add to Brett\u2019s team to amplify your voice.\u00a0 We\u2019ve expanded our Legislative\/Regulatory Committee and our Buy Here Pay Here Commission so that you have more input.\u00a0 It\u2019s working.\u00a0 Working with our GPS partners, we beat back damaging GPS regulations in Illinois.\u00a0 Working with the New York \u2013 New Jersey association, we beat back damaging recall legislation.\u00a0 And, there is neither GPS nor recall provisions in either the Senate or House infrastructure bills.<\/p>\n
We are meeting regularly with the CFPB and now the FTC.\u00a0 We are active in coalitions.\u00a0 We are becoming well known in DC.\u00a0 NIADA is at the table.<\/p>\n
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- NIADA will be the authoritative voice of the used vehicle marketplace.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
At this meeting, we are unveiling our totally new website, which is clean, professional, and easy to navigate.\u00a0 We will expand research and information to help you better manage your dealerships.\u00a0 Look for the introduction of the Daily Independent, that will provide timely, highly impactful information relevant to you.\u00a0 Through our 20 Group Program, we have more information about the used vehicle marketplace than anyone else, yet we don\u2019t do anything with it.\u00a0 That will change.<\/p>\n
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- NIADA will create a demand among consumers for using NIADA members.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
It is unacceptable that a web search for how to buy a used car does not bring up NIADA or any of our states in the first 10 pages on Google!\u00a0 We will be on top.\u00a0 We will add consumer education videos and guides on the website and told why it matters.\u00a0 Imagine if NIADA members were identified on used vehicle websites.\u00a0 While Saint Matthew is the Patron Saint of Tax Collectors and accountants, we can learn marketing lessons from him as well.\u00a0 At Chapter 5 verses 14 and 15, he tells us to take our lights out from under the bushel basket so that it can shine bright.\u00a0 That\u2019s what we will do for consumers.\u00a0 Oh, and just you know, for me Matthew 18 verse 20 says, \u201cwherever three or more members are, that\u2019s where we\u2019ll be.\u201d<\/p>\n
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- NIADA will attract more members to the Association.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Nothing speaks louder in Washington or in state capitols than having a lot of members.\u00a0 A lot of employees.\u00a0 A lot of votes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
NIADA is working with the states to develop comprehensive marketing and member engagement materials so that we can grow.<\/p>\n
The state executives formed a marketing and membership committee to achieve the goal of improving our communication with members \u2013 without beating you to death with emails \u2013 and to increase membership.<\/p>\n
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- NIADA will help improve the operations and reach of the state affiliates.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Nothing is more important to the success and growth of NIADA than the success and growth of our state affiliates.\u00a0 The members and the states are at the center of the strategic plan.\u00a0 In addition to the marketing and membership committee, the state executives formed an app committee, and a continuing education committee to develop education for the state executives and all of our boards.\u00a0 The state executives are driving the bus.\u00a0 NIADA staff is providing staff support to these committees.\u00a0 Working together, we can change what ever we set our minds to.<\/p>\n
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- NIADA will offer exceptional member benefits.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
We are restructuring how we work with vendors to ensure that agreements are a win for the vendor, a win for the members, a win for NIADA, and a win for the states.\u00a0 The new website will make finding these member benefits easier.\u00a0 It will become a virtual trade show.\u00a0 It will have a benefits calculator to show just how many multiples of your investment is returned to you.\u00a0 We will establish relationships with credit unions and community banks.\u00a0 We will work with the auctions to address concerns about condition reports.<\/p>\n
And, at this meeting, we are launching a new, expanded, and greatly improved certified pre-owned and warranty program that will allow you to compete head-to-head with franchise dealers.\u00a0 The CPO program benefits you, it benefits your state, and it benefits your customers.\u00a0 The CPO program is one more way NIADA is helping members benefit, profit, and grow.<\/p>\n
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- NIADA will help members optimize their business to compete in an evolving marketplace through 20 Groups, best practices, benchmarking, education, certification, meetings, and networking.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
We brought Chris Leedom back and formed a 20 Group Steering Committee.\u00a0 We\u2019ve hired three amazing new moderators, Ed Curry who brings retail and service experience, Bill Elizondo and Ben Goodman two buy here pay here experts.\u00a0 In addition, we have two guest moderators Mau Esposito and Randy Brinkman.\u00a0 The Steering Committee will help us standardize the experience 20 Group members have.\u00a0 As we create new groups, we will do so cognizant that not all members can afford resort meetings.\u00a0 Before you join a group, we want to know what you expect and we want you to know what to expect.\u00a0 We now have the breadth of resources to offer 20 Groups to every level of member, whether buy here pay here, retail, or service.<\/p>\n
We will bring back the Certified Master Dealer program.\u00a0 We will offer a national learning management system, white labeled for the states, that consolidates on-line training resources so you can manage the training of your employees in one easy to use place.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll notice at this meeting that we\u2019ve expanded education. \u00a0The tracks are clearly defined and identified.\u00a0 The sessions were developed by dealers for dealers.\u00a0 New this year is the Service Bay.\u00a0 These micro-sessions are designed to quickly provide you with information and ideas you can immediately put to work.<\/p>\n
Education is a key to success, and NIADA is committed to your success.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This is your plan.\u00a0 It\u2019s what you said you wanted NIADA to be.\u00a0 We\u2019ll know we\u2019re successful, when you say, \u201cI can\u2019t run my dealership without NIADA.\u201d\u00a0 So,<\/p>\n
Whether you say \u201cy\u2019all or youse guys\u201d.\u00a0 Whether you\u2019re \u201cfixing to\u201d or \u201cgonna\u201d.\u00a0 Whether you\u2019re sweet or unsweet.\u00a0 Whether you are buy here pay here or retail.\u00a0 NIADA is your home.\u00a0 Your voice.\u00a0 Your association.\u00a0 And, I can\u2019t tell you how happy I am to be a part of you.<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Let me tell you a story \u2026 In October, I was hired by the Board of Directors to…\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":41,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_appearance_grid":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-69","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-from-the-ceo","8":"cs-entry","9":"cs-video-wrap"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}