What makes URG different from lots of other conventions is that URG’s really all about training. Yes, there was golf on Thursday and the URG Education Foundation raised over $12,000…many thanks to Bo Wroten. An amazing accomplishment! All the proceeds of golf and the generous players helped to raise this kind of money. Don Porter, Executive Director of URG and his team did an outstanding job too.
If you wanted training, you got it. Every hour there were six different classes going on. You picked what you needed when you needed it. That’s the way it should be. Bill Stevens and Mike Kunkel from Profit Team Consulting were always training with standing room only. J.C. Cahill, Ryan Falco, Paul D’Adamo, Rob Rainwater, Mike Lambert, just to name a few, were among a list of fantastic speakers. Certainly, it wouldn’t be URG without Chad Counts, a great asset to our industry. Chad’s Uncle Jim also did a great job. Mike James of E-Comply spoke twice. It’s evident that E-Comply will be a key part of your business in 2017 and going forward.
Ryan Garner and Tom Bessler know the good and bad of this industry and they did great speaking. I did two classes at URG. One class covered “Are you Hiring Eagles or Turkeys?”, and other class focused on “Phone Skills”.
Yes, there were some inspiring motivational speakers too. G.B. Outlaw did the honors on Friday. On Saturday, we heard from the well-known speaker, Richard Flint. Besides being a nationally recognized speaker and author, Richard is a “lifestyle coach” that many who are seeking to stop repeating and start achieving hear as a frequent guest on radio, television and talk shows. Richard’s ballroom was packed and everyone thought he was talking to them “One-on-One”. I know I did! Did you?
This great training conference was held in historic San Antonio, Texas surrounded by sites indicative of those past patriots that knew what they needed to do for their country and how they sacrificed to make it happen. Isn’t that what we do for our businesses? Next year, the URG Conference is scheduled in Orlando, Florida for April 5th – 7th, 2018.
Why give me the date now, you ask? Next year’s 2018 conference will be a continuation of what we must do to keep succeeding in business. So be proactive! Start planning to be in Orlando in 2018. Set those dates aside. URG gets bigger and better every year. If you wanted to know how things work at Snyders Salvage, they spoke twice this year. You wanted to hear BEST Practices, from the likes of Besslers, American Auto Salvage or Bishope Auto Parts, you should have planned ahead. How about being able to spend time listening to people like Benny Cunningham? Or learn how to RECOGNIZE and FIX the biggest advertising mistakes made by most auto recyclers?
Folks, this year’s URG Conference was a great learning environment. Seeing my good friend Michael Angeli, Brian Collins from Commercial Forms, Jason from We Buy Key Fobs, Theresa Kabot from K2 Funding, James from Wen Industries, Chris from Brock Supply, and the whole team at Car-Part.com, J.C. Theresa and Roger. And I have to end this by saying “Thank You” for the Recyclers Power Source Magazine for sponsoring a Golf flag at the URG Golf Tournament.
Please save the date for next year’s URG Conference in sunny, family-friendly Orlando, Florida. Come a few days earlier with your family and write it off as a business trip. Don’t forget your suntan lotion. The date is April 5th – 7th, 2018. See you there.
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D.J. Says, 2820 Andover Way, Woodstock, GA 30189
D. J. Harrington is an author, journalist, seminar leader, international trainer, and marketing consultant. He works primarily with customer service personnel, and his clients include such world-class companies as General Motors, DuPont, Caterpillar, and Damon Corporation. He may be reached at 800/352-5252. E-mail: dj@djsays.com. 52 weeks a year, we are as close as your telephone.