Less Regional, More Meaningful

Six weeks. That’s how long we used to prepare for our annual regional meetings. A dozen emails, ads in every written publication, phone calls and automated texts asking you to come meet us for a meal and discuss the year that CADA was having. On the most grueling days, we’d spend the morning in Steamboat then drive 6 hours across Wyoming to get to Burlington/Yuma/Wray for dinner.

There were plusses and minuses. We are eager for every opportunity to spend face time with dealers. But, 90 minutes per city is hardly enough for a dialogue. Many of you felt preached to instead of listened to. We often rushed substance to hold a tight travel schedule. And consecutive days of this type of travel could be, at times, dangerous.

This year, we are seeking alternatives that allow us more time with dealers – and their staff.

For the plains and the Western slope, this means CADA coming to you – under your rooftop. We’ll replay the classics - financials, the Auto Show, and legislature. But we’ll spend less time predicting the future or introspecting on where enviros may strike next. I believe that our time should be as much about your obstacles as our accomplishments. This meeting should guide the work of the next 12 months, not celebrate the work of the prior.

For the densely populated areas like Denver and Colorado Springs, there will still be central meetings. The dealer visits will come, but with only 182 days left in the year (including Sundays) and 269 dealerships, putting off the regional until we can touch every store would put you behind the knowledge curve and stunt your ability to guide us with your feedback. Rest assured; we will follow up with a request for an individual visit. But we don’t mind playing for big crowds.

Equally important, we want to use this time to meet your staff. Quick hellos with Titles, Finance, Service, and Office Managers help to quickly identify dealership pain points that may not rise to the attention of a general manager. For instance, this week’s Open Road discussed Colorado [finally] accepting California’s form Reg 262 to transfer a car with a California title. This has been a leading cause of title rejections for the last three months. But that knowledge is often isolated to titles.

Your staff can help us sort through these niche problems. Knowing them, and having them know us, can reduce the lifecycle of policy problems. With the cadence of staff turnover and dealerships changing hands, we think this is the perfect time to get reacquainted with our front lines. Colin Powell said, “the day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you’ve stopped leading them.” CADA wants to continue to lead the way on issues of statewide concern.

So please pardon the presumptuousness of our inviting ourselves over. But we want to get to know you – again. We think it will benefit the both of us. Email requests for convenient times will hit GM’s inboxes later this month. We hope to see you this summer/fall.