Effective management skills, team-building at the workplace, and techniques to ensure customer satisfaction will be the topics of three NTEA sessions led by a consultant who has worked extensively with the automotive and truck equipment industries.
Beau Hamilton, president of Hamilton Consulting Inc, Kirkland, Washington, will begin his work for the NTEA by leading a preconvention workshop for upper managers of truck equipment firms who are under age 35. It is a closed session only for NTEA Young Executives Network members.
The workshop will be held Tuesday afternoon, February 22, after a brief YEN meeting starting at 1 pm; the workshop will end at 4 pm. Its aim is to help young executives build focus, discipline, and accountability into their leadership styles.
Hamilton will present an open session covering some of the same ground the next day. That session, entitled "Building a Productive Shop Team," will be held from 2:30 to 3:45 pm on Wednesday, February 23. It will focus on building teamwork among employees and holding them accountable.
"The general session will focus on how to be an effective leader by getting your work team motivated and focused," Hamilton said. "It boils down to how to give clear directions to your employees, how to coach them to maximize their performance and produce high-quality work."
The third session entitled "Creating Superior Customer Satisfaction" will be held from 1 to 2:15 pm Wednesday, February 23. Hamilton distinguishes between customer service and customer satisfaction.
"Vendors tend to think about service while customers think about satisfaction," he said. "For example, if a truck equipment distributor has a forklift out of operation and an employee is sick, customers still expect superior service."
Customer satisfaction results from providing products and services in a speedy manner that are high-quality and that require innovation and flexibility on the part of the vendor, he added.
Hamilton is a trainer in addition to being a motivational speaker and consultant. He founded The Hamilton Company in 1984. He has worked with hundreds of corporate clients throughout the US and Canada, including many from the automotive and truck equipment industries. For example, he has provided training for members of the Autobody Craftsmen Association, Automotive Service Association, Towing and Recovery Association, and the Automotive Recyclers Association.
He was a speaker at the 1995 and 1996 national conventions of the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE). In addition to national conventions and trade shows, Hamilton has been a speaker at a number of state and regional conventions. His clients include several truck equipment distributors.
Hamilton also has consulted with several manufacturers, including Jerr-Dan Manufacturing, producer of tow truck equipment, and paint manufacturers Akzo Nobel Coating, Olympic Stain (PPG), Spies Hecker, and Sherwin-Williams. Outside of the automotive industry, he has worked with Microsoft, Starbucks, Honeywell, US West, and Weyerhauser.
The Automotive Management Institute lists Hamilton as an author and instructor of accredited classes, "How to Provide Superior Customer Service in an Automotive Repair Facility" and "How to Build an Effective Team in an Automotive Repair Facility."