A SEMA Measuring Session has been scheduled for the 2011 Scion tC. Sessions for the subcompact hatchback, open to SEMA manufacturing members, are limited to 60 minutes per company and up to three companies at one time.

Complete details are available here.

The deadline to register for the session is Wednesday, June 4. For more information, contact Bill Wolf at billw@sema.org. 

A SEMA Measuring Session has been scheduled for the 2011 Scion tC. Sessions for the subcompact hatchback, open to SEMA manufacturing members, are limited to 60 minutes per company and up to three companies at one time.

Complete details are available here.

The deadline to register for the session is Wednesday, June 4. For more information, contact Bill Wolf at billw@sema.org. 

A SEMA Measuring Session has been scheduled for the 2011 Scion tC. Sessions for the subcompact hatchback, open to SEMA manufacturing members, are limited to 60 minutes per company and up to three companies at one time.

Complete details are available here.

The deadline to register for the session is Wednesday, June 4. For more information, contact Bill Wolf at billw@sema.org. 

A SEMA Measuring Session has been scheduled for the 2011 Scion tC. Sessions for the subcompact hatchback, open to SEMA manufacturing members, are limited to 60 minutes per company and up to three companies at one time.

Complete details are available here.

The deadline to register for the session is Wednesday, June 4. For more information, contact Bill Wolf at billw@sema.org. 

The value of the SEMA Show goes beyond industry trends and product intros. It's a hotspot for education and ideas that can be incorporated into businesses at all levels, helping to uncover ways to increase profits outside of new products to push at the shop.

Buyers, installers, retailers and dealers from all over the world attend the SEMA Show to discover new products, trends and profit opportunities. While many will succeed in finding the new accessories and equipment their customers have been clamoring for, the true quality of the SEMA Show is also measured by its overall value as an industry hotspot for ideas, business and education.
 
The annual event has evolved over its 40-plus-year history and today offers a number of services to help attendees stay abreast of the latest in technology and business education while honing in on the product introductions, people and information that are most relevant to their businesses.
 
“Ideas are as important to us as products are,” explained Jon Titman of Automotive Essentials Inc. “Automobile dealers always ask what’s new that will help them sell more vehicles and make more profit, and we expect to return from the Show several ideas to answer that question for our customers.”
 
Like many attendees of the SEMA Show, Ron DiVincenzo of truck accessories retailer Cap World, will scan the halls to find new products that can be added to the company’s current line. However, he feels that the Show offers other ways to increase a company’s profits beyond finding products to push at the shop.
 
“We’re always looking for ways to increase profit dollars through reducing costs,” explained DiVincenzo. “For us, the SEMA Show is also about education, and we will spend time in the great educational seminars.”
 
Over the Show’s four days, attendees will see the latest product innovations and trends not just from the companies involved in their specific market segments, but from the industry as a whole, adding another layer of value and opportunity for industry buyers.
 
“New products and trends can be seen throughout the Show, and they are the lifeblood of our restyling and accessories business,” said Titman. “Many times we may see a product that isn’t directly related to our industry, but will get us thinking about how we could incorporate it into our business.”
 
While the economy has shown indications of recovery, organizers of the 2010 SEMA Show have maintained an aggressive approach to developing a value-driven experience for attendees, a similar approach that was used for the 2009 Show, when the economy's uncertainty was a key concern for the industry.
 
And for some buyers, more of the same from last year would be a good thing. “Last year’s Show was a real winner for us,” said DiVincenzo. “We picked up a few new lines that have really boosted our sales and gross profit dollars.”
 
The 2010 SEMA Show is set for November 2–5, in Las Vegas. Attendee registration and complete Show information is available online at www.SEMAShow.com.

The value of the SEMA Show goes beyond industry trends and product intros. It's a hotspot for education and ideas that can be incorporated into businesses at all levels, helping to uncover ways to increase profits outside of new products to push at the shop.

Buyers, installers, retailers and dealers from all over the world attend the SEMA Show to discover new products, trends and profit opportunities. While many will succeed in finding the new accessories and equipment their customers have been clamoring for, the true quality of the SEMA Show is also measured by its overall value as an industry hotspot for ideas, business and education.
 
The annual event has evolved over its 40-plus-year history and today offers a number of services to help attendees stay abreast of the latest in technology and business education while honing in on the product introductions, people and information that are most relevant to their businesses.
 
“Ideas are as important to us as products are,” explained Jon Titman of Automotive Essentials Inc. “Automobile dealers always ask what’s new that will help them sell more vehicles and make more profit, and we expect to return from the Show several ideas to answer that question for our customers.”
 
Like many attendees of the SEMA Show, Ron DiVincenzo of truck accessories retailer Cap World, will scan the halls to find new products that can be added to the company’s current line. However, he feels that the Show offers other ways to increase a company’s profits beyond finding products to push at the shop.
 
“We’re always looking for ways to increase profit dollars through reducing costs,” explained DiVincenzo. “For us, the SEMA Show is also about education, and we will spend time in the great educational seminars.”
 
Over the Show’s four days, attendees will see the latest product innovations and trends not just from the companies involved in their specific market segments, but from the industry as a whole, adding another layer of value and opportunity for industry buyers.
 
“New products and trends can be seen throughout the Show, and they are the lifeblood of our restyling and accessories business,” said Titman. “Many times we may see a product that isn’t directly related to our industry, but will get us thinking about how we could incorporate it into our business.”
 
While the economy has shown indications of recovery, organizers of the 2010 SEMA Show have maintained an aggressive approach to developing a value-driven experience for attendees, a similar approach that was used for the 2009 Show, when the economy's uncertainty was a key concern for the industry.
 
And for some buyers, more of the same from last year would be a good thing. “Last year’s Show was a real winner for us,” said DiVincenzo. “We picked up a few new lines that have really boosted our sales and gross profit dollars.”
 
The 2010 SEMA Show is set for November 2–5, in Las Vegas. Attendee registration and complete Show information is available online at www.SEMAShow.com.

SEMA Show attendees learn how to develop brand identity via social media.

Social media represents a fundamental shift in the way people communicate. It’s a way of life for today’s young generation, but it also has a place in business. Social media can help build brand recognition, drive traffic to your brands and build lasting relationships, according to Mark Sprague, marketing manager for NGK sparkplugs and moderator of the Social Networking and Viral Marketing seminar at the 2009 SEMA Show.

Online Social Networking 24/7

Online social networking is comparable to a club meeting for people who share the same interests, according to Natasha Swanson, web sales manager for Monarch Products. For instance, pertaining to the automotive industry, a club for enthusiasts of a particular vehicle model may consist of members who have a glitch in a car they’re trying to fix or they may be interested in a high-performance upgrade and seeking recommendations.

As social networking relates to the SEMA Show, attendees go to seminars to find solutions to their problems and learn about new products and how to expand their business. They walk through Show aisles to meet vendors and receive recommendations. They attend cocktail parties to meet new people, network and exchange ideas.

Likewise, people use social networking sites to meet people with similar interests, exchange ideas, find solutions to problems and get recommendations. The SEMA Show is five days long and a cocktail party is just a few hours long. Online social networking has no time constraints.

“Bloggers can post today, and several years down the road people may still be discussing that topic on the same thread,” Swanson said. “There are no boundaries and no limits to the amount of topics that can be discussed, recommendations to be given or the amount of people the conversation reaches.”

The effectiveness of traditional advertising is rapidly declining along with magazine and newspaper distribution. The specialty parts and accessories target market has changed. It’s now generation-wide and today’s generation is different from the ones advertised to in the past. They are web-focused and have 24/7 access to Twitter and Facebook. According to a recent SEMA study, 44% of today’s generation reads blogs and 69% have a Facebook account but only 20% read automotive magazines.

“We can no longer reach this target market through traditional advertising,” Swanson said. “We can’t use general Internet advertising either because this generation is constantly spammed with advertising, which is no longer effective because they ignore our ads.”

Develop Brand Identity

The first thing entrepreneurs must do is to develop a brand identity in which buyers can connect. This is formed by the brand’s reputation among enthusiasts. To boost that reputation, become involved in the market, offer great customer service, sell quality products and have proper technical support. In addition to price, today’s generation places a high value on relationships and good customer service. They also care about what their peers think and often obtain recommendations from them.

“As an entrepreneur, you want people to talk about your company on social networking sites, user forums and blogs to get your name out there,” Swanson said. “For people to talk about you, they have to know who you are and you must develop a relationship with them. Salespeople have a bad reputation for a reason. Nobody likes a sales pitch. People want to buy from someone they trust who cares about them as a person and is familiar with their vehicle.”

Become a value to potential customers by posting online how-to articles, content that relates to the product being sold, technical reviews, technical installations and user reviews. Make an effort to understand potential customers and what they’re trying to accomplish. When they go to purchase, they’re going to buy from the person with whom they have built a relationship and helped guide them through the process instead of shopping around for the lowest price.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Social Media

According to Mike Schwab, vice president of NGK’s aftermarket division, there are seven deadly sins that go along with social media. They are as follows:

Lust: Loving your customer is great but take it slow. Get to know what they’re talking about before you start pushing your message, which should be in unison with theirs.

Gluttony: Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Greed: It’s hard to shake hands with someone when you’re reaching in their back pocket for their wallet. Don’t think of it as a sale; think of it as a relationship.

Sloth: Avoid temptation to set it and forget it. When companies first started to build their websites 10–15 years ago, they populated them with everything about their brands and then left them alone and they became stale. Think of potential clients as friends who you talk to everyday.

Wrath: If there are people out there bad-mouthing your brand, don’t try to correct what they’re saying. Instead, listen to them and change the way you do business so you can make that person’s downfall your next positive step. Internet users are the ones who are talking about your product and telling you how to make it better.

Envy: Don’t be dissuaded by other people who are doing business better than you. Everybody jumps into social media at various stages. You don’t need to be the first one out there leading it; you just need to be out there working your plan and making it better.

Pride: Stay humble.

To download and listen to this session in its entirety, or to access other show seminars, click here.

Brenda Priddy says that it has been a while since her spy group has seen any evidence of Audi working on the RS3, but these shots indicate that quattro GmbH engineers are back at work on this very hot hatch!

This early mule of Audi’s future pocket-rocket was photographed testing at the Nürburgring. While this test car is wearing an S3 body, Priddy says that the air intakes on either side of the grille appear to be modified and slightly larger. The brake rotors also appear to be larger and cross-drilled.

Power should come from Audi's 2.5L five-cylinder turbocharged engine. Good for 340 hp and 331 lb.-ft. of torque in the TT-RS, Priddy expects the 2.5L to be rated nearly the same in the RS3. Considering that the proposed RS3 would probably weigh about as much as the TT-RS, a 0-60 time of around 4.6 seconds might be possible.

Photos copyright Brenda Priddy & Company. Reuse or reproduction without copyright holder's consent is prohibited.

Brenda Priddy says that it has been a while since her spy group has seen any evidence of Audi working on the RS3, but these shots indicate that quattro GmbH engineers are back at work on this very hot hatch!

This early mule of Audi’s future pocket-rocket was photographed testing at the Nürburgring. While this test car is wearing an S3 body, Priddy says that the air intakes on either side of the grille appear to be modified and slightly larger. The brake rotors also appear to be larger and cross-drilled.

Power should come from Audi's 2.5L five-cylinder turbocharged engine. Good for 340 hp and 331 lb.-ft. of torque in the TT-RS, Priddy expects the 2.5L to be rated nearly the same in the RS3. Considering that the proposed RS3 would probably weigh about as much as the TT-RS, a 0-60 time of around 4.6 seconds might be possible.

Photos copyright Brenda Priddy & Company. Reuse or reproduction without copyright holder's consent is prohibited.

Brenda Priddy says that it has been a while since her spy group has seen any evidence of Audi working on the RS3, but these shots indicate that quattro GmbH engineers are back at work on this very hot hatch!

This early mule of Audi’s future pocket-rocket was photographed testing at the Nürburgring. While this test car is wearing an S3 body, Priddy says that the air intakes on either side of the grille appear to be modified and slightly larger. The brake rotors also appear to be larger and cross-drilled.

Power should come from Audi's 2.5L five-cylinder turbocharged engine. Good for 340 hp and 331 lb.-ft. of torque in the TT-RS, Priddy expects the 2.5L to be rated nearly the same in the RS3. Considering that the proposed RS3 would probably weigh about as much as the TT-RS, a 0-60 time of around 4.6 seconds might be possible.

Photos copyright Brenda Priddy & Company. Reuse or reproduction without copyright holder's consent is prohibited.