By Michael Hart
 Kim Lear |
Consumer expectations are changing fast. Disruptive technologies have made customization and convenience important factors business owners didn’t even have to think about as little as five years ago.
What do business owners really know about what their customers want? Who are their customers, and where else are they shopping for their products?
These are some of the vital questions “trend spotter” Kim Lear will answer at the Friday, November 4, SEMA Show Keynote and Coffee session, entitled “Buyer Behavior and Your Business.”
“This is for anyone who needs to be more effective in selling to the consumers of today and the consumers of tomorrow,” Lear said. “It’s going to be a future-focused look at what people are buying, why they’re buying it and what their expectations are.”
In this session, attendees will learn:
- How to identify those trends that change how we buy things, especially those that call for discretionary spending.
- Ways to grow their businesses by creating remarkable customer experiences.
- The best and worst examples of customer loyalty.
- What they need to build an action plan that will not only retain their current customers, but also generate new ones.
“Many of the companies in the aftermarket industry are family-owned businesses,” Lear said, “and they run on relationships. Those companies are in a very good spot. They understand already what it takes to build standout experiences for their customers and the relationships they have with them.”
Lear, an expert on how emerging trends impact the marketplace and the workforce, has keynoted for some of the most prestigious companies in the world, including Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Disney and American Express. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, USA Today and on NPR.
As a prime example of how consumer expectations have changed, she points to her own recent experience in buying a new car.
“I did the entire thing online,” Lear said. “They’ve created an online experience where you can learn about and customize your car in almost a gamified way. I literally went to the dealership just to pick it up.”
How can business owners compete with that? Learn how in Lear’s “Buyer Behavior and Your Business” session.
For complete information on all the 2016 SEMA Show education tracks, visit SEMA Show Education.