"Correlating Parts Service to Customer Wants and Needs"

Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007, 10 a.m. (PST)

Good customer care is critical to having a profitable business. Tune in to next week's SEMA webinar, "Correlating Parts Service to Customer Wants and Needs," presented by Gary Naples of Freelance Associates, to learn how to develop a winning tactic that will help transform one-time buyers into repeat customers, and repeat customers into loyal advocates of your business.

How to Participate

During the webinar, you will be able to interact and ask questions via phone or computer. Simply follow these steps:

View the presentation during the webinar by clicking here the day of the webinar.

- Connect to the audio portion of the webinar by calling toll-free to 866/637-2754, pin 1542.

All SEMA webinars are recorded, and the audio and video portions of past webinars are available for download. Recent sessions include information about minimum pricing agreements, trade show tips, product data and more. Check out all the sessions available for download at www.sema.org/webinar.

SEMA-opposed legislation (AB 616) that threatened to require annual smog-check inspections for vehicles 15 years old and older has been rejected by the Senate Appropriations Committee, after having been approved previously by the full California Assembly and the Senate Transportation Committee. The bill also would have required that funds generated through the additional inspection fees be deposited into an account which would be used to scrap older cars. The bill is dead for the year. 

“SEMA members, car clubs and individual hobbyists across the state loudly and forcefully objected to passage of this bill,” said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald. “Ultimately, the lawmakers in Sacramento heard their message.”

SEMA and its grassroots lobbying organization, the SEMA Action Network (SAN), opposed the bill for several reasons: 

• AB 616 ignored the minimal impact vintage cars have on air quality. 
• AB 616 ignored the fact that vehicles 15 years old and older still constitute a small portion of the overall vehicle population and are a poor source from which to look for emissions reduction.
• AB 616 ignored the fact that classic vehicles are overwhelmingly well-maintained and infrequently driven. 
• AB 616 would have increased costs by creating an annual inspection fee for owners of these vehicles. 
• AB 616 represented another attempt to scapegoat older cars.
• AB 616 would have dramatically impacted the ability of fixed- and low-income motorists from owning and driving their older vehicles.

“We are especially indebted to those legislators who opposed the bill because it would have placed an undue burden upon car owners simply because their vehicle is older than an arbitrary date set in law,” McDonald added. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

The deadline for exhibitors to update their company listings for the printed version of the 2007 SEMA Show Directory is this Friday, Sept. 7. To update your listing, click here. Note: Changes made after September 7 will be reflected in the online directory only. 

For complete information about the 2007 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

Dick Berggren, seen here with SEMA Chairman-Elect Rick Rollins (left) and SEMA Hall of Fame inductee Ron Funfar (right), will host the New Product Awards Breakfast held at the 2007 SEMA Show.

Dick Berggren, well-known racer, NASCAR-on-FOX TV personality and founder of Speedway Illustrated magazine, will kick off opening day of the 2007 SEMA Show as the featured speaker of the New Product Awards Breakfast.

Held at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, the New Product Awards Breakfast is where the hottest and best new products are announced. Awards are presented in 11 categories, including performance-street, performance-racing, off-road/4-wheel-drive, street rod/custom car, mobile electronics and more. All showgoers are invited to attend the event, which includes a sit-down breakfast and stories from Berggren himself. As a former sprint car, Super Modified and stock car driver who won 26 events, Berggren brings a unique perspective and keen insight into the racing world.

Tickets to the breakfast are free, but space is limited. To secure a ticket, visit www.SEMAShow.com or contact Lisa Moreno at lisam@sema.org.

Filler for eNews

Filler for eNews

Filler for eNews

Filler for eNews

The following details on Jaguar's XF R mule is courtesy of Brenda Priddy & Co.  

"Jaguar has just recently shown pictures of their upcoming XF sedan, and, within days, we caught a “test mule” of its high-performance XF R version!

"This crude-looking mule is comprised of an S Type body, with the front of the new XF tacked on and covered with camouflage. But under the hood lies Jaguar’s 4.2L supercharged V8—hinted by the four exhaust pipes and the group of XK R coupes trailing behind.

"The XF is expected to reach dealers in spring 2008, and the hot XF R model should follow about a year later."

SEMA created a webpage called "Trademarks, Patents & Copyrights: What Your Business Needs to Know" as part of its ongoing efforts to help SEMA members protect their valuable intellectual property. The webpage provides a basic overview of the subject along with information on how to register intellectual property. The web material expands upon articles periodically appearing in SEMA News on the same topic. SEMA notes that registering intellectual property is a key to establishing legal rights, such as the right to protect against infringement by obtaining a restraining order from a court. The intellectual property webpage is listed under the “Legislation & Regulations” link on SEMA’s home page,  www.sema.org. For details, contact Stuart Gosswein, stuartg@sema.org.