22 Keynotes June 2024 aloa.org EDUCATION Take a Ride on the Auto Side By ALOA SPAI Director of Education William M. Lynk, CML, CPS, ICML, CMIL, CAI, M.Ed. T HE 2024 ALOA CONVENTION & Security Expo in Las Vegas is just a few months away, and it is offering everyone a plethora of educational opportunities — especially regarding the automotive division. Get in the driver’s seat to easily expand your knowledge, skills and even your income. It’s easier than you think. Safety Zone It all starts with challenging yourself. In past columns, I have stressed that it is human nature to do the things we are most comfortable with, and we often avoid the hard, complicated or new things that may face us. Having the cour- age to step out of your comfort zone can expand your horizons, your knowledge and even your potential income. It’s hard to not fear the unknown — but some- times that’s exactly what we have to do. When I teach SFIC, I begin by going around the room and asking students to very briefly answer three questions: 1) their name, 2) city they live in, 3) what their experience level is with SFIC. I add that if you have no experience, that is excellent because you will learn a tre- mendous amount in the 8-hour class. For those who are extremely familiar with SFIC, I ask them to help the others as needed. There is no shame in taking a class and knowing nothing about the topic (unless, of course, there are pre- requisites in place). If you have a background in auto work, great. Increasing skills by taking a hands-on automotive class is always a benefit. For those who have never done such work, maybe it’s time you do. If your knowledge of automotive is lim- ited to “autocorrect” on your cellphone, classes may be in your future! Intelligent Conversation Another important reason to have at least a minimal background in automo- tive work topics is so that you can be conversant in the discussion of automo- tive topics. If you work in a lock shop, being able to accurately order automo- tive parts from distributors and manu- facturers may be necessary. The correct terminology will be vital for accurate orders. When a customer calls you and asks about EEPROMs, immobilizers, transponders, etc., you really don’t want to say, “I don’t know nuthin’ about that stuff.” It would be much better to say, “I/ We do not specialize in automotive, but I can refer you to someone who does.” The “Referral” Sometimes we lose out on missed oppor- tunities. If you do no auto work but a customer calls in looking for it, what do you tell them? I hope you say, “We do not specialize in automotive work, but I can refer you to a colleague of ours who is an expert in that field. His name is ____, and here is his phone number.” ALOA 2024 will offer many hands-on automotive classes for students of all levels.
