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Let your competitor complain about the tough economy while you prosper. Brian Offenberger of BizGrowth Search Engine Solutions will tell you why a tough economy is the best time to capture profitable market share and show you how to incorporate 10 proven steps to increase profit, avoid lowering prices and install a "recession-proof" strategy that actually grows your business in good times and bad.

Title: "Right-On, No-Bull Guide to Marketing in a Tough Economy"
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2008, 10:00 a.m—11:00 a.m. (PDT)
Presenter: Brian Offenberger, BizGrowth Search Engine Solutions

CLICK HERE to register.

Also, don't miss this great webinar next month, "Fast Track Product Development with 3D Technology," presented by SEMA Vehicle Product Data Analyst Oscar Muñoz. Before you create the next hot new vehicle product, think twice about your approach. Reverse engineering can take months of acquiring and measuring your target vehicle, rendering the components on computer-aided design (CAD), and validating those models against production vehicles, not to mention the toll it exacts on your operations budget.

This seminar introduces the new, affordable, 3D-based technologies available to replace the tedious process of reverse engineering. Learn about laser scanners, Coordinate Measuring Machines, Rapid Prototype Printers and today’s desktop computer CAD applications, and improve the look of your bottom line.

Title: "Fast Track Product Development with 3-D Design Technology"
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2008, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (PDT)
Presenter: Oscar Muñoz, SEMA Vehicle Product Data Analyst

SEMA's Webinar Program: The SEMA webinar program brings the world-class business seminars featured during the SEMA Show right to your desktop. Different business-building sessions are constantly added to the program, offering members the latest insight and practices from today’s leading speakers.

All SEMA webinars are conducted live and are open to all employees of SEMA-member companies free of charge. To participate, all you need is a computer with Internet access and a telephone. All previous SEMA webinars are available for download by clicking here. To view upcoming presentations that you can attend via telephone and Internet, click here.

During the recent SEMA webinar, “Listen to Your Customers, Their Opinions Really Do Matter,” Joe Bates, vice president of Rockbridge Associates and Charles Colby, chief methodologist of Rockbridge Associates provided insight on how to effectively use customer feedback to create a profitable business model that satisfies customer needs and expectations and encourages continuous improvement within an organization.

Presenter Joe Bates explained that measuring customer satisfaction is important to increase customer loyalty in financial terms, such as customer retention and the success of new products, and helps to ensure a balance between short-term profitability and meeting customer needs.

Referred to as The Path to Excellence, Charles Colby explained the five progressive stages of improvement: problem definition, discovery, baseline measurement, planning and tracking.

“This method goes beyond writing a customer questionnaire and gathering customer opinion," stated Colby. “These are fundamental steps that make sure you are getting buy in from the organization resulting in something actionable that can be measured over time,” said Colby.

Colby broke down The Path to Excellence in the following best practice model for measuring customer satisfaction.

Stage One, Problem Definition: Talk to internal stakeholders to help build understanding and support for a customer measurement effort. Colby suggests using workshops, in-depth interviews and focus groups to gather information from various company stakeholders—board of directors, senior and mid-level management and employees. Topics to discuss include internal resources and obstacles and the current status of customer satisfaction and expectations.

Stage Two, Discovery: Turn to your customers to come up with a definition of service quality and customer satisfaction. A typical format to gather customer feedback is through a focus group, according to Colby, and the topics should include customer experiences with the organization and customer expectations.

Stage Three, Baseline Measurement: Survey customers to gather a comprehensive assessment of what your customers think of your current services and products. This helps to establish a current baseline for performance. Colby suggests using surveys via mail, telephone, in person or the Internet.

Stage Four, Planning: Use the information to develop a long-range plan for improving quality. Setting performance goals and identifying improvement priorities are key in this stage. Colby explained that this stage is also where customer expectations are quantified and compared to performance levels.

Stage Five, Tracking: Continue measurement of your efforts in a cost-effective manner, and feed your tracking information back into the planning process for continuous improvement. Colby emphasized the importance of monitoring satisfaction continuously and tracking changes.  

To hear this valuable webinar in its entirety and learn more about how to implement these processes into your business, access the audio portion of this webinar by visiting www.sema.org/webinar.

SEMA's Webinar Program: The SEMA webinar program brings the world-class business seminars featured during the SEMA Show right to your desktop. Different business-building sessions are constantly added to the program, offering members the latest insight and practices from today’s leading speakers.

All SEMA webinars are conducted live and are open to all employees of SEMA-member companies free of charge. To participate, all you need is a computer with Internet access and a telephone. All previous SEMA webinars are available for download by clicking here. To view upcoming presentations that you can attend via telephone and Internet, click here.

Although not due to bow until the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the new Mercedes-Benz E-class wagon seen here in full three-wheel workout was captured by Brenda Priddy's global network of automotive shooters. 

Priddy says the new wagon, codenamed W212 for you M-Benz spotters, will abandon Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) in favor of conventional brakes featuring wet-weather disc wiping and wheel-selective cornering brake control. Optional ceramic-composite discs could be introduced with the top-end AMG models.

The next E-class will mimic the wheel-arch extensions of the S-class, as well as the latter's rising character line below the door handles, massive bumpers and greenhouse. A more sculpted wide-frame grille, more geometric nasal air intakes, and the wedge-shaped profile should give the W212 a sportier stance, even in wagon dress.

Early styling models actually show a certain affinity for the most recent efforts from Lexus, such as rectangular quad headlamps and taillights—ironic considering that the Lexus LS is famous for copying Mercedes-Benz. Stuttgart still has plenty of time to hone the shape.

Driver assistance is a major theme for W212. Expect lane-departure warning, eye-movement monitor, traffic-sign identification, road-condition sensors and stability control that accounts for crosswinds, camber changes and tire wear. Engine choice will likely include the usual V6 and V8 suspects, as well as the naturally aspirated 6.3L V8 for the E63 AMG model, capable of 500-plus hp.

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An increasing number of specialty-equipment companies are facing the growing complexity of complying with emissions-related parts requirements, particularly when governed by federal and California environmental regulations. Questions often arise about the compliance process, how to handle "cease and desist" letters, and how to avoid penalties and fines when selling emissions-related products in all 50 states. 

SEMA will assemble government officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB)for a SEMA Show seminar to help create user-friendly solutions to these concerns. Panelists will address a wide range of emissions-compliance questions following an update on the current state of regulatory actions and directions. 

Moderated by SEMA technical consultant and industry veteran Jim McFarland, virtually any manufacturer/supplier of emissions-related parts or systems will benefit from this information-infused seminar. 

Title: "The ABCs of Meeting Federal and California Emissions Regulations for Aftermarket Parts...While Avoiding Costly Compliance Problems, Penalties and Fines"

Date:  Thursday, November 6, 2008, 2:00–3:30 p.m.

Place:  Las Vegas Convention Center, N256

Presenters:

• Jim McFarland (moderator)
• Anne Wick (EPA)
• Tom Ball (EPA)
• Jeff Kodish (EPA)
• Holly Pugliese (EPA)
• Jacline Lourenco (CARB)
• Richard Muradliyan (CARB)

For more information, please contact Jim McFarland at JMcFar1@aol.com.

Congress passed legislation which will overturn two Supreme Court decisions that had narrowed the definition of "disability" under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). In Sutton vs. United Airlines and Toyota vs. Williams, the court ruled that an individual must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities in order to "qualify" as disabled.

The court held that it is not enough for someone to be severely limited in their ability to perform a workplace activity. Instead, the limitation must extend to a major life activity outside the workplace as well. The National Association of Manufacturers, of which SEMA is a member, worked with lawmakers and organizations representing the disability community to redefine "disability" in a way that strikes a delicate balance in providing coverage while clarifying the obligations and requirements of employers. President Bush is expected to sign the legislation into law. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

MOVING UP: NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brad Keselowski will make his first Sprint Cup start in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 25 on October 11 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

NEW POLICY: NASCAR has revised its substance abuse police to test drivers, crews and officials before the start of the season and randomly during the course of the year.

DAMAGED: Houston Raceway Park suffered approximately $100,000 in damage from Hurricane Ike. Repairs are currently under way at the facility, which includes a dragstrip and a dirt oval.

MAN FOR HIRE: Funny Car veteran Del Worsham, who has successfully campaigned his family-owned machine for years, will be a hired gun next season. Worsham will drive the Funny Car fielded by Alan Johnson’s Al-Anabi Racing in NHRA competition.

NEW RUNG: USAC has added a new rung to its ladder system with the formation of the USAC Quarter Midget Racing Series under the direction of James Spink.

DIED: NHRA sportsman racer Steve Engle died September 14 from injuries suffered in a crash during the U.S. Nationals Labor Day weekend. Engel was 49.

HIRED: ARCA and short-track racer Justin Allgaier has been signed to a driver-development contract with Penske Racing.

900: Bobby Santos passed his sister Erica to win the 900th race in the history of the New England-based Northeaster Midget Ass’n Saturday in Scarborough, Maine.

POWER RANKINGS: Despite having his round-winning streak snapped at 31, which also ended his seven-race winning streak, in the finals at the Texas Motorplex, NHRA Top Fuel point leader Tony Schumacher remained at the top of the National Speed Sport News Power Rankings. The National Speed Sport News Power Rankings are published weekly in the 74-year-old motorsports publication.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, click on the following link for a special industry rate: www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/subscribe.html?pid=NQ%2BVfhkepT4%3D.