MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE MOTOR DEALERS' ASSOCIATION OF ALBERTA
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MDA Anual General Meeting /Board Meeting
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Watch your inbox for Information Circular and Proxy this week!
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Executive Committee Meeting with AMVIC
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The MDA Executive Committee recently held a meeting with AMVIC to discuss current issues and opportunities.
Resulting from that meeting, we will be working with AMVIC to provide a clarification on advertised price time limits. Watch for a Member Alert on this topic coming soon.
We also discussed ways dealers can improve Inspection Performance Metrics. Several key actions were identified – please see the AMVIC Quick Hits in today’s newsletter for more information.
Finally, we discussed a potential regulation change to classify the federal luxury tax the same as GST (in advertising). This is by no means an easy change but as more information is available, we will be sure to update you.
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MDA Training Offering Strategy
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To make our training opportunities easier to anticipate, we will be moving to a two-semester system that offers Fall and Spring sessions. We have informally been moving in this direction over the past while, however, we will be formalizing it and providing more timely promotions to help you engage your staff. This spring we will create a promotional poster for the Fall semester that will be mailed to each member to post in their staff rooms. The poster will include the full slate of courses that will be offered in the Fall, including QR codes so that employees can find out more. We will continue to send our weekly Training Updates, but feel this direct approach relieves some of the pressure on dealer principals and general managers to get the word out. Please watch for this mailout before the end of June.
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Provincial Sales Information
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During our recent meeting with the AMVIC Team we had a discussion around some “low hanging fruit” to improve our performance on inspections. The first opportunity that came up was Business Licensing, which is showing a failure rate of 17% so far this year, or 23 businesses who were not properly licensed when the inspection was completed. This seemed odd in the case of franchised dealerships as these would virtually all be related to renewals.
AMVIC indicates that in most cases, the issue comes up when a renewal includes some kind of change relating to the ownership structure or a change in directors. We are told that when nothing changes, the renewal is usually seamless with minimal lapses in the license.
For context, here are the various license classes within AMVIC’s scope:
AUTOMOTIVE SALES
Retailer (new and/or used) – authorized to sell to consumers.
Sell new or used vehicles to the general public.
Display vehicles for sale.
Purchase vehicles from the general public.
Wholesaler – NOT authorized to sell to consumers.
Sell, consign and exchange vehicles only with other automotive businesses and never to consumers.
Export vehicles outside of Canada.
Purchase vehicles from consumers only to sell to an automotive business.
Businesses may be required to provide a $50,000 security to AMVIC in the form of cash, irrevocable standby letter of credit or surety bond. Please contact licensing to inquire.
Agent or broker – NOT authorized to sell to consumers.
Negotiate or conduct on a consumer’s behalf an agreement in which the consumer buys, sells or leases a vehicle.
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Recap: 2024 Calgary International Auto & Truck Show
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After a three-year hiatus, the Calgary International Auto & Truck Show revved up the excitement last month.
The event started with the Calgary Motor Dealers Association’s (CMDA) VIP Reception, sponsored by Smart Program. An employee from every CMDA member was presented with a 2023 Salespersons of the Year Award.
The 2024 Vehicles & Violins Gala sold out, and guests were treated to lovely live music from the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and a delectable spread of international cuisine.
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CADA National Workforce Study
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Data Submissions are due by April 30th!
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The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) is pleased to be conducting the national Workforce Study for all CADA members in 2024! Participating dealers will receive a wealth of valuable data and specific comparison reports on various components related to employment at your dealership.
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Federated Insurance:
How to help prepare your business for natural hazards
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Wednesday, April 24, 2024 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
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PBS Financial Systems Inc. 4041-128 Avenue SE, Calgary
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Are you ready to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence to drive unprecedented growth for your dealership in 2024? Mark your calendars for April 24, 2024, as the MDA UnWorkshops return to revolutionize the way you approach your business!
Our upcoming UnWorkshop promises an immersive exploration into the ever-changing capabilities of AI, tailored specifically to elevate your dealership's success. Led by Jay Radke and Mathew Growden, (previously part of the Google Automotive Retail Team in Canada), live at PBS Systems headquarters and featuring a virtual session from an industry expert, this will be a day full of insights.
These live sessions are designed to provide practical insights and actionable strategies that you can implement immediately.
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Radius Security: Crime Corner
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Catalytic Converter Chaos: Legislation that could have helped prevent thefts – struck down.
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Justice Heather Lamoureaux of the Alberta Court of Justice made a significant ruling, striking down the Scrap Metal Dealers and Recyclers Identification Act as unconstitutional.
This legislation, aimed at curbing scrap metal theft, required detailed seller information recording for police use and would have made it harder for criminals to sell stolen goods and impose tougher penalties to those caught red-handed. However, Lamoureaux argued that the Act encroached on federal jurisdiction, solely addressing criminal law without a sufficient link to trade regulation or civil rights.
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The consequences of this ruling are profound. With the Act deemed invalid, the regulatory framework intended to deter the theft and sale of stolen catalytic converters, has been scrapped. This leaves businesses vulnerable to an uptick in converter thefts, as criminals exploit legal loopholes.
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Please welcome our newest Dealer Training Partner: Kintz Group
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Are you a boss or a leader?
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Bosses take credit. Leaders take the bullet. Here are a few rules that great leaders follow.
You know exactly what your expectations are. If you don't know what you expect out of your people, there's not a chance you'll be able to lead them anywhere.
Your team knows exactly what your expectations are. Trying to hold someone accountable to phantom goals doesn't work. Ever.
You teach your people how to execute what you expect. Even if you know where you're going and your people do too, if they don't know how to get there, none of it matters.
You coach and support your team as they develop skills. Shoulds don't help anyone get better at their job.
You inspect what you expect. Engaged leaders are great leaders because they're always working to ensure everyone is doing their job.
Remember great leadership is about mentoring and training. Bosses rigidly stick to what they've always done and how they've done it. Bosses check the boxes and meet the obligations, but never connect with their people.
You might think you're leading by pushing your people toward surviving another month, but if you're not creating a culture of professionals, they're not going to act professionally.
The Kintz Group has been the #1 training solution for hundreds of dealerships across the nation! With proven sales methods that close more deals, and best management practices that run winning teams - Tim Kintz is the coach and mentor every dealership needs year-round.
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The Ultimate Online Sales and Management Training!
Is your team training regularly to continue building their skills and processes? This is where KintzNOW comes into play. Build a winning team on a custom training curriculum, a designated performance coach, training games, tools, and material!
Want to learn more? Get their special pricing by texting MDAA to (817) 479-5312!
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DealerPILOT: What is included in inclusion?
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If we go back to our friends at Oxford Languages, they give us two definitions of inclusion.
1. the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure.
2. the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of other minority groups.
When it comes to the workplace, we often default to the second definition. This is perfectly reasonable as this is the area of focus and challenge that is most prominent in today’s business world.
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We hope you enjoyed this edition of the MDA’s Monthly E-Newsletter.
We appreciate your comments, concerns or feedback.
If you would like to sign-up additional staff from your store to receive this publication, please provide their names, positions and email addresses to info@mdaalberta.com.
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