LAS VEGAS – From dancing showgirls and a magician to a retired four-star admiral and former U.S. Navy SEAL, the NAPA Event Store Owner General Session had something for everybody on opening day Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas.
Because the last NAPA Event was 10 years ago in 2005, show organizers wanted to give attendees something to remember, and the combination of entertainment and sage business advice seemed to strike a chord with the approximately 500 general session attendees at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Keynote speaker William H. McRaven, who recently retired as a four-star admiral after 37 years as a Navy Seal, entered and departed the stage to two rousing and prolonged standing ovations.
“In examining the relationship between the Navy and NAPA, I discovered that we are more alike than you might realize,” said McRaven, whose last assignment was as the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command with 69,000 men and women and a budget of $10 billion. “No matter what business you are in, details matter. In my business, you die if you don’t pay attention to details. In yours, your business and employees suffer.”
He said one of the first lessons he learned in the military was how to properly make his bed.
“It was the single most important lesson I learned,” said McRaven, who served two years on the National Security Council staff under President George W. Bush. “The bed was made right and tucked tight and everything had to be done right. It was the first task of the day and it was vitally important. If you couldn’t make your bed right, how could you complete the more challenging tasks?”
He said store owners need to take pride in the seemingly small tasks that they do every day, because they are important. For example, he said, owners and employees have to know how to wear their uniforms and stock their shelves.
“I spent a lot of time in Iraq and Afghanistan, where I had a very small room. I got up and made my bed every morning. When I came back the bed was made. I controlled that.”
He said store owners need to think about what they can control in their business and control those things, no matter how insignificant they may seem.
He said he learned the value of guiding enlisted men to work as a team when he was commanding a small eight-man boat in choppy, frigid waters in training exercises off the coast of California.
“Enlisted men were looking to you to make sure you did it right. You learn the value of teamwork,” McRaven said. “ You learn the value of having somebody who paddles. I was responsible for that boat crew. When it didn’t perform well, it was my responsibility – every action that happens in that boat.”
Similarly, store managers are responsible for everything in their store. “Take responsibility for your crew, your store and all who are in it,” he said.
Leaders in the Navy and in the automotive aftermarket need to judge others – employees and potential employees – by what is in their hearts.
“Judge others by how they carry their rucksack and what is in their heart, he said. “Not by their size or color or ethnic background.”
Most people fail at some time in their lives, but don’t let that failure define you. “At some point you are going to fail. Don’t let it get to you. You have to learn to overcome your failures,” he said.
Finally, he said store owners will have a lot of opportunities in life to give people hope. “Take those opportunities,” he said. “It may be a phone call or a meeting or just kind words of encouragement. Life will be tough sometimes. Business will be tough sometimes. But just don’t quit. Show them about what being a NAPA professional is all about. Show a young kid or the community what that looks like. Change the lives or one, two or 10 million people.”
The NAPA Event will be the biggest aftermarket event put on by one company in the U.S. with some 18,000 attendees. “Now you can wow your customers for the next three days,” he said.
Askey introduced Rick Hendrick, owner and chairman of NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports.
Hendrick announced that in 2016, 2017 and 2018 NAPA will be the primary sponsor of 19-year-old Chase Elliott in NASCAR Racing. “He is going to win an assload of races,” Hendrick said to rousing applause.
Askey also interviewed Chris Brogan, a consultant, advisor and strategist to several Fortune 500 companies. He asked Brogan what stores should do to compete with mega retailers such as Walmart.
“Warm relationships get you over the finish line,” Brogan said. “You need to be frictionless and make it easy to work with you. Be
Brogan said stores need to make the buyer the hero by making them look good. That will gain recommendations.
“Go out of your way to serve the customers,” Brogan said. “Exceed their expectations.”
He said that NAPA stores should have their own social media, such as Facebook and YouTube with a local flavor. “Don’t rely just on the NAPA corporate site,” Brogan said. “Engage your customers through your local website with social media.
"Take a picture of a customer and his vehicle and post it as your favorite customer. He will share it with others. That will bring in more business. Connect with customers on other social media networks. Connect with and serve your customers. Find ways to be helpful and bring relationships with your customers to another level.”
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