The MEMA Professional Development Series meetings are a great opportunity for member companies to offer professional development to customer facing mid-level employees. Those interested can register to attend one, two or all three meetings. Attendees registering for all three meetings will receive a discount. In addition to hearing presentations and coaching from presenters, attendees will have the chance to network with others in attendance.

March 13

The Power of Professional Presence

Christina McKenna, President, Bluestone Executive Communications
This session will examine key elements of professional presence and how savvy professionals establish and leverage professional presence to get results.

AI in Sales: Redefining Customer Connections

Hank Barker, AI Enthusiast
Delve into the world of AI with Hank at our ‘AI in Sales’ segment. From understanding AI’s evolution in sales to engaging in hands-on AI prompt creation, this session covers it all. Learn how to ethically integrate AI into your sales techniques and stay ahead of the curve!

May 1

Scenario Planning: Navigating the Road to New Business

Thomas Kowal, President, Seraph North America
Thomas will discuss the critical role of scenario planning, especially given the dramatic shifts in automotive sales and business development over the past five years. The industry has seen a surge in complexity with the emergence of new OEMs, new powertrains and evolving vehicle technology characterized by more sophisticated software yet simpler hardware options. Geopolitical fluctuations, in regions such as Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and China as well as a shift towards “local for local” production strategies have further complicated the landscape. As the industry’s standards evolve and risks escalate. We can learn from experts accustomed to navigating high-risk environments, such as Special Operations, and we can adopt rigorous methodologies like FMEA, risk analysis, and probability assessments to navigate these challenges effectively.

Leveraging Your Customer Contacts To Grow Deeper & Wider Relationships Within Accounts

Dave Tear, Owner, Sales Coaches’ Corner
Dave will share how to leverage your customers to meet their colleagues (maybe your future main contact). How many times have you been shocked that the main contact at a customer is moving on? To make it worse, you don’t know the new person at all. We don’t have to tell you how dangerous that is. Don’t be caught flat-footed & get out-sold by your competitors with that relationship.

June 5

Beyond Bullet Points: Crafting Memorable Presentations for Key Partners

Rebecca Dutcher, President & Founder, RED66 Marketing and Sydney Fairman, Senior Account Manager, RED66 Marketing
Looking to improve relationships and increase sales with presentations that get their attention? In this session, you’ll learn techniques to create high-impact presentations that engage prospects and their multiple decision-makers, build trust in your company, and drive decisions in your favor.

Topics covered:

•            Capture attention and build rapport quickly

•            Craft compelling narratives that establish credibility and solve their pain points

•            Create visuals that clarify complex ideas and make your benefits memorable

•            Guide your buyers decision making process

•            Structure your presentation to guide prospects to say “yes”

Selling in Today’s Complex Buyer Network
Alana Nicol, Owner, Gerry Weinberg & Associates Inc.

Sales have changed dramatically in the last 10 years. The buying network has grown and become savvier. On average there are a minimum of 6-10 decision makers involved in complex B2B sales. Buyers are also much further along in their buying decision before engaging with salespeople than they ever were before.

In this session, you will learn new strategies and tactics to be more successful with today’s modern buyer.

Topics covered:

•         Identifying and Accessing Key Decision Makers

•         Understanding and Uncovering pain indicators by buyer personas

•         How to guide your buyers decision making process