ENX Magazine was honored to attend the 2016 Select Dealer Group’s (SDG) Owner’s Meeting, held at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino in Chandler, Arizona from Tuesday, February 16 through Wednesday, February 17.
Formed in 2003, the SDG counts 39 members, representing territories from 48 states and one member from Australia.
Dean Swenson of The Swenson Group, presiding President of the SDG, says that they try to keep the group to around 40 members in order to maintain a manageable and intimate environment. He says that it’s important to keep membership to a level that promotes ideas and participation, but not so much that you dilute the conversation.
Dean Swenson, President, SDG
The general rule is that the group only accepts members from non-competing territories, but they will make exceptions if the competing member approves, says Swenson.
Three times a year, SDG members gather in locations across the U.S. for interactive education, networking and discussions of best practices – and the opportunity to see old friends.
The meetings are organized for different purposes, and include other high-level staff, but the one in Chandler was strictly for owners.
In the lobby, at the breakfast buffet outside the meeting hall, the humor is dry, the coffee is flowing, but the members are focused.
Make no mistake, when the doors are closed and it’s time to get down to business, that’s exactly what they do, speaking frankly and passionately about the opportunities and pitfalls of their businesses.
Much of the discussion time is owners addressing the different strategies and approaches that any business owner would find helpful, regardless of the industry.
For example, Chip Miceli of DPOE, led a discussion on creating the ideal work culture. Members contributed insights and observations on identifying, retaining and compensating good employees.
One panel covered acquisition strategies. Hosted by John Hey, Strategic Business Associates, and featuring Jim Dotter of Virginia Business, Jim Loffler of Loffler, Aric Manion of Kelley Business, and Joel Longlin of Counsel, the members discussed the things to watch out for as well as various practices and strategies that enabled them to successfully complete acquisitions.
Another segment focused on “Great Ideas.” Moderated by Jim Dotter, four members – Jeff Jehn of Waltz, Jeff Grimes of Graffen, Tyson Stargel of Stargel, and Tim Eliott of Standleys – presented innovative solutions to such challenges as the handling of referrals, managing IT services and compensating reps for MPS. At the conclusion, an impromptu collection of prize cash took place and members voted on a winner.
Deb Dellaposta of WPS led a discussion on customer satisfaction and retention strategies.
Swenson says the key to extracting value from the meetings is listening to what a dealer is doing in a competitive market. If several dealers are doing the same thing and agree that it’s a good practice, it should ease any fears.
To underscore this point, Swenson cited the member from Australia, a highly successful dealer in his country, who travels to the U.S. three times a year to attend the meetings.
“He says, ‘Look, if I can find two or three things that work, the dollars I can make or save, offset any type of expense, exponentially,’” explains Swenson.
This year’s conference was sponsored by GreatAmerica Financial, Ross International, Muratec and Clover Imaging Group, all of whom gave presentations about their companies and latest products and services.
The value for the sponsors is undeniable. Swenson notes that they have the opportunity to address 40 business owners. If those business owners are already clients of the vendor, the clients can provide testimonials.
“Many of those sponsors have become true business partners,” states Swenson.
When the vendors are done presenting, however, they must leave the room.
Members are encouraged to share all their business experiences, including failures. The tales of such struggles help other members navigate away from similar paths and mitigate risks.
“It helps us get better, get stronger, grow, avoid pitfalls and understand good partnerships,” explains Swenson.
When new dealers are accepted into the SDG, they are expected to present to the group. Though it can be awkward at first, they soon accept the responsibility and trust that membership demands. This time, Solutions Yes, a Portland, Oregon-based Kyocera business solutions dealer shared secrets to fast growth in their territory.
“If you get up there and talk about your business, it’s going to give everybody a better flavor of your business and that’s going to help you and the group,” says Swenson.
A panel of software companies experienced how tough the group could be. The panelists answered questions about their companies, the cloud and how they envisioned the future. During the Q&A session, several SDG members challenged the panelists with some pointed questions.
At the conclusion, however, everyone was back to smiles and handshakes.
“I call it a band of brothers,” says Swenson. “It’s unbelievable to me that my peers – some of whom are brand new to the group – bend over backwards to help each other.”
