MAACA Conference TOOLS

This summer, those in the automotive industry come together for professional development, to learn the latest trends, practices and technology, and to reconnect with others in the industry at the annual TOOLS conference and trade show hosted by Mid-Atlantic Auto Care Alliance (MAACA for short). TOOLS is the automotive aftermarket conference in PA. With nationally-recognized speakers, trade show, networking opportunities, and family-fun there’s something for everyone! Watching techs come away with something they didn’t know before, seeing owners learning about how to improve their bottom line, witnessing service advisors discover how to better interact with customers; interacting with everyone during the vendor show, these are the moments that make TOOLS the success it is. We hope to see you there!

The Institute's Speakers:

Our Speaker Schedule:

Automotive Business Financial Intelligence

Thursday | Presented by Cecil Bullard in Hopewell

If you are a shop owner struggling to earn the profit you deserve or are thinking of starting your own shop, this is a must attend class. This training gives owners and managers a real understanding of the numbers that make up their business and how to combine them to achieve maximum profits while reducing stress and time investment. Learn how Top Shops are achieving 20% net, or more: 10 numbers that are key to your financial success and how to get them 4 must have financial reports to understand and manage your business How to build a financially balanced business Margins or dollars – “Both” Creating projections used to identify opportunities and improve your financial results 6 Keys to Achieving your financial goals How to create effective Pay Plans that hold margins and Pay MORE When to increase your rate and how to determine if your pricing is “Right” You will walk away with a better understanding of how to be financially successful and what you need to achieve a 20% net profit. You will be more confident in your ability to build your bottom line and reduce your stress.

Email Marketing: Winning the Customer Communication Code

Friday | Presented by Jimmy Lea in Vistas D

This program is perfect for: Business who rely on Email Marketing for Retention Business who desire loyalty from customers The audience will leave with: Actionable Communication messages encouraging Raving Fans and Loyal Customers Appropriate Scripts for Legal Customer Communication Are you tired of unanswered calls, ignored emails, and unresponsive texts from your customers? Do you wonder if it's your message, your approach, or the communication tool you're using? Well, guess what? It's all of that, and so much more! Discover the secrets to effortlessly connecting with your audience, ensuring unwavering loyalty, and fostering lasting relationships. Jimmy's arsenal of personalized communication techniques will equip you to say goodbye to generic messages and hello to impactful interactions. Dive deep into understanding your customers on a whole new level—identify their preferences swiftly and eliminate missed connections. Join us for an inspiring session where we unravel the mysteries of effective communication. Don't miss this chance to reshape how you engage with your audience, creating meaningful connections that last a lifetime. Ready to unlock the true potential of your communication? Let's connect every time, together!

Winning Your Future - A Frank Discussion with Automotive Repair Shop Owners

Friday Afternoon | Presented by Michael H. Smith in New Holland

Our industry is changing permanently, and the pace of change is accelerating. Our historic business-as-usual approaches are sure to fail in the years to come. Owner-operators need to understand what's happening, what's coming next, and how to prepare now to thrive into your future. Owners who resist these trends, or those who just hold still, will fall quickly behind. From participation in this class you will: -Understand the expanding range of exit & succession options available to owners today -Learn how to increase the value of your company for future sale, from an investor's perspective -Discover how PE firms and REITs operate, make money, and make project decisions -Discuss how to prepare your company, leaders and team to become the top-1% & lead our industry in the future -Consider your own professional & company legacy, exit parameters and transition considerations

Confident Selling

Saturday Morning | Presented by Cecil Bullard in Hopewell

In this class students learn what the business needs to do to earn a fair profit, why it is important to have financial balance, and how they hold the financial success of the business in their hands. They learn the costs of emotional discounting and how to overcome them. We discuss the effect that a bad attitude can have on the business, its clients, and themselves. Students also learn how their actions can improve results or ruin them. We talk about the 10 biggest mistakes that many service advisors make and how to overcome, as well as 15 rules for writing service that (if followed) will make their job easier and them more successful. Students learn what we sell, and what their most important job is, which will help them stay focused, better serve their client, and improve the profits of the company. We go through personality profiling and body language and how to use each to make the client feel better understood and more comfortable, while purchasing more. We cover phone shoppers, closing, and how to build value in our products. Students learn their unique selling proposition and how to use it to answer client questions, build more value in our products and close more sales. Students also learn a simple 6 step process to manage better that if followed will make their work more enjoyable while increasing the productivity of the team. This is an intense sales class that will greatly improve the results of those that attend.

Master the Multiverse: Unlocking Extraordinary Futures as a Multi-Shop Operator

Saturday Morning | Presented by Michael H. Smith in New Holland

So you think you are ready to transcend the conventional limits of success and enter the dynamic realm of becoming a Multiple Shop Operator? Join us for an eye-opening exploration into the fundamentals that will guide you before you take the plunge into the Multiverse of shop duplication. The era of being a multi-shop company is no longer the summit—it's just the first step toward an array of extraordinary futures that were unimaginable in our industry a mere decade ago. Preparing to expand into a second shop demands more than just transactional knowledge—it requires a conceptual and strategic rethink. Once mastered, adding a third location becomes not only feasible but strategically brilliant. With the right approach, visionary owners and their teams can craft a future growth pipeline as vast and successful as their imagination allows. In an industry marked by retiring baby boomers, the opportunities for expansion are limitless.

Discover:

-How to shatter the glass ceilings created by old-school ideas and approaches, freeing your potential for optimal success

-The crucial fundamentals of multi-shop operations, extending beyond mere POS systems, SOPs, and timely bookkeeping

-The art of crafting championship leaders and teams—an unparalleled competitive advantage that stands the test of time

DOPE, The Bird Personality Experience

Sunday Morning | Presented by Jimmy Lea and Rhonda Lea in Vistas C

Transform Your Shop's Communication to Connect Every Time and Maximize Your Revenue Are These Shop Challenges Costing You Money?

• Customers who don't trust your service recommendations.

• Service advisors struggling to explain repairs to customers.

• Technicians and service advisers not communicating effectively.

• Front office conflicts affecting shop efficiency.

• Customer complaints about communication.

• Lost repeat business due to misunderstandings.

Turn Your Team into a High-Performance Pit Crew Discover how you can use the Bird Personality system to:

• Close more service recommendations by matching each customer's communication style.

• Transform service advisor-technician relationships for faster ticket completion.

• Reduce costly comebacks through better team communication.

• Turn angry customers into raving fans.

• Increase average repair order through better explanation techniques.

This Isn't Your Typical Shop Training Participants will experience hands-on, automotive-specific scenarios including:

• Technician-advisor communication exercises

• Interactive team dynamics scenarios

• Real-world case studies from successful stories Real Shop Results

• Increase in service recommendation approval rate.

• Reduction in customer complaints.

• Improvement in shop efficiency. • Higher CSI scores.

• Increased customer retention.

• More 5-star reviews.

• Reduced employee turnover.

Perfect For:

• Owners working with service advisers, managers, and technicians.

• Service Advisors who need to build trust quickly.

• Shop Managers balancing customer and team needs.

• Technicians struggling to explain technical issues.

• Front Office Staff handling difficult customers.

• Parts Department personnel coordinating with multiple departments.

What Makes This Different from Other Shop Training?

✓ Automotive-Specific: All examples and scenarios from real shop situations

✓ Immediate Application: Tools your team can use in their next customer interaction

✓ Interactive Learning: Practice with real shop scenarios

✓ Measurable Results: Track improvements in ARO and customer satisfaction Participants Will Be Able To:

For Service Advisors:

• Reading customers instantly to present estimates effectively.

• Building trust in the first 30 seconds.

• Explaining technical information to different personality types.

• Turning price objections into value acceptance.

• Following up without being pushy.

For Technicians:

• Communicating findings clearly to service advisers.

• Explaining technical issues efficiently.

• Reducing friction with coworkers.

• Documentation that prevents misunderstandings

For Managers:

• Leading diverse shop personalities.

• Resolving team conflicts quickly.

• Improving shop communication.

• Building a customer-focused culture.

This Experience Includes:

• Individual communication assessment.

• Automotive-specific case studies.

• Interactive problem-solving scenarios.

• Communication templates for different customer types.

• Take-home support materials. Bonus Material- FREE Customizable Marketing Templates