In just a few days it will be time for me to break out the suitcase, pack up the laptop, and head to Las Vegas for the Driving Sales Executive Summit. Having never been to #DSES I am a little excited, to say the least. That said, if the speakers are any indication of quality of the conference overall, I should be in for a great few days.
Having attended and spoken previously at Digital Dealer and other digital events, most of my conference experience has been focused towards online marketing. DSES looks to provide a much broader focus for leaders and a great view of where the auto industry is headed as a whole.
That said, here are some topics I am excited to learn about:
- Leadership: Despite being a leader within my own company, I am always excited to see how other leaders motivate their teams. While I’m excited to see the leadership focused speakers, I’m equally as excited to network with other dealership managers and to get the best of what they use to keep their stores on course.
- Consumer Experience: Most of us in the industry know that the old ways of forcing the consumer through a 10-step process are no longer working. I’m excited to learn more insights on how to improve our sales experience from the second a consumer starts researching all the way through their ownership lifecycle.
- Marketing Personalization: While most of us recognize the opportunity in “big data” to create more 1-to-1 personalized marketing experiences, it doesn’t seem like many are doing it very well. I want to learn what the best are doing and how they manage it all without seeming automated.
While those are just a few items I hope to find in the sessions, my favorite part of any conference is to work and chat with industry peers. From finding different solutions to common problems to having that “okay Kris, you’re not crazy” moments, the interaction is always most helpful.
Are you attending #DSES? Want to chat? Shoot me a message via Twitter @KrisNielsenKC .