FOCUSED TRACKS
 

Finance

Overview: Transforming revenue distribution for both domestic HHG and logistics business is well underway. The objective of revenue distribution model modernization is to provide fair, transparent and consistent service compensation to agents for all parts of an interstate HHG move or a logistics shipment. During this track, we will provide an overview of the plan, share how it will impact agents, collect agent feedback and provide a timeline for rollout. Attendees can expect to hear from UniGroup subject matter experts as well as agent leaders from the revenue distribution agent working group. Transforming revenue distribution has been a priority for the last couple of years, and we are excited to be sharing the details with the agency family. 

Who Should Attend: CFOs, Finance Directors, Finance Managers, Controllers

Sessions within Track: 

• Accounting, Invoicing and Distribution Highlights for 2022 
  Want to know what’s new in finance for 2022? This is the session for you. During 2022, privately held companies are required to adopt a new accounting standard related to leases (ASC 842). This standard may have a significant impact to agency organizations, namely requiring operating leases to be “grossed” up on the balance sheet based on the present value of lease payments over the life of the lease. Tune into this session for more info on how this may impact your organization. The finance team will also share information that will aid your agency in more effective processing, including tips and hints for successful invoicing and distribution. This session will help set you up for success in 2022.
   

• Revenue Distribution Model Change 
  In this session, you will learn about future proposed changes to our revenue distribution model. The finance team will share an overview of the proposed new model structure and a high-level implementation timeline. Time will also be spent gathering and discussing your feedback. 
   

• Agent Savings Programs
  This session will provide an overview of the services and products available to assist you in saving money through the Procurement Hub. Hear about real-life case studies where agents are benefiting from the value of these programs and provide insight into other programs the team should consider in the future.

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Logistics

Overview: In this track, the UniGroup Logistics team will share where we are headed in the future by presenting their 2022 vision, including priorities for 2022. Learn more about capacity growth plans and how your agency driver growth will help return capacity strength to the network and the recruitment of UniGroup-managed drivers. Attendees will also receive an update on Express including the strength of the network, opportunities for improvement and coming changes. Gain knowledge of the process a new business opportunity goes through at the Home Office: opportunity, qualification, pricing, contracts, solution, and proposal. Learn more about services the UniGroup Logistics team can provide to help you and your customers, including project management and customs brokerage. Attend this track to get a better understanding of the future of logistics at UniGroup, the capabilities we can bring to your agency and build relationships with UniGroup subject matter experts.

Who Should Attend: Logistics Sales and Operations Staff

Sessions within Track:

• Logistics: Look Forward Together Part 1
  The Logistics team will share their strategic objectives and discuss where they are and where they want to be. This interactive session will be looking for your feedback on items you believe will add value to your business, and discuss business growth and the value proposition of the co-op.

• Logistics: Look Forward Together Part 2
  Don’t miss out on the continuation of the discussion from the previous session.

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Sales

Overview: The Sales team will share ways to grow your business in 2022 and beyond. A session will be offered for each of the following lines of business — residential, national account and logistics. In these sessions, you will learn more about the challenges that face these lines of business and how they can be addressed to improve your sales productivity. 

Who Should Attend: Logistics, National Account and Residential Sales Professionals

Sessions within Track:

• Growing Your Logistics Business: Support From the UniGroup Sales Team
  Are you looking to grow your logistics business in 2022 and beyond? Then this is the right breakout for you. This session will begin with a state of the union review of the logistics business performance and trends. We will dive into key verticals and how they performed, and we will discuss projections for 2022. We will then provide insight into how the UniGroup logistics sales team supports the agency family and the support we provide through prospecting, lead generation, account management, RFP support, tradeshows and more. But don’t just take our word for it. Hear what agents have to say about how the UniGroup sales team has assisted their agency in building a more robust pipeline, win more business and drive topline revenue. A must attend session for anyone interested in booking logistics business.  
   

• Hear it from the Customer: National Account Client Panel Discussion
  You won’t want to miss this breakout. A panel of corporate clients will be discussing their views on global mobility, its challenges and trends. Gain understanding of the impact the pandemic and rising cost have had on mobility programs. Learn about challenges faced in recruiting talent in a tight labor market. Discover what keeps corporate clients up at night as it relates to transferring employees. Understand the expectations they have for their mobility supply chain partners and finally learn how work from home or work from anywhere might impact mobility in the future. This informative breakout session is a must attend for corporate salespeople. 
   

• Driving Residential Sales: A Sales Strategy Playbook
  If you want to improve sales productivity, drive topline revenue, see more customers and close more leads then you won’t want to miss this breakout session. This session will begin with a state of the union review of market and enterprise performance and trends from 2021. Then hold onto your seat as we show you how to move your residential business forward. We will provide insight into best practices from key agents in the residential sales space and show you how we can assist you in moving you or your sales team to the next level. Key topics will include self-generating leads, virtual surveys, solution-based selling, nurturing your pipeline, differentiation and more. You won’t want to miss this interactive and informative breakout session. See you there!  

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Household Goods Operations

Overview: Join the Household Goods Operations teams to learn about changes and improvements with the middle mile trailer program, Snapmoves, container inventory, volume management and more. Meet team members and discuss how we can best support one another and customers in 2022. Special guests will also include representatives from UniGroup marketing and technology to share relevant updates Operations team members may need to know as we enter the new year.

Who Should Attend: Operations Professionals

Sessions within Track:

• Household Goods Peak Season Plan
  Join Household Goods Operations to learn about changes and improvements with the middle mile trailer program, Snapmoves, container inventory, volume management, and more. The household operations team is growing; come meet your team and discuss how we can best support one another and our customers in 2022.
   

• Household Goods Market Update
  Join the Household Goods Marketing, Sales and Pricing teams for a session similar to market tempo meetings but with a look toward the future. Sales leaders will share a state of the union, discuss how we’ve performed by business lines and provide volume trends. The Pricing team will share updates and what to expect from the upcoming year. Learn about updates and improvements to the Leading Edge program from the Marketing team. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to hear from these Marketing, Sales and Pricing leaders.

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Move Coordinators

Overview: Learn from the top coordinators in the agency family. In this track, you will work through the issues that can occur during a move with fellow coordinators and gain best practices. Heart of Quality winners will share their tips and answer your questions. Leaders in customer service from the agency family will share how to advance to the next level as a move coordinator. 

Who Should Attend: Move Coordinators of All Levels

Sessions within Track:

• Heart of Quality Panel
  Q&A session with the current Heart of Quality award winners. Learn from the best of the best.
   

• Learn to Lead
  What does it take to advance to the next level as a move coordinator? Learn how to lead a team of coordinators. This session will be led by agency leaders who oversee teams of move coordinators. They will discuss how they moved into management and what knowledge they pass along to their teams.
   

• Problem Solving for Move Coordinators
  Learn from the top coordinators in the agency family. Sit down with these platinum level experienced coordinators and learn how they handle disruptions and changes throughout the day and learn how to work through problems that come up during the move process.

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PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS
 

We are looking forward to providing several professional development opportunities in addition to the focused tracks. Please find additional details about the topics below and click here to learn more about the presenters.

De-escalation Academy

Presented by: Myra Golden

Description: The pressures of the pandemic and the meanness of the public have forced employees to take on many unexpected roles— therapists, cop, conflict-resolution negotiator. De-escalation is now one of the top skills for customer-facing employees. 

 In this session, long-time customer service and de-escalation expert Myra Golden breaks down strategies for defusing intense situations, providing practical approaches that can help you calm angry customers. Myra goes over what often causes situations to escalate and shares reasonable steps to prevent an escalation. She also provides tips that can help you reframe conversations, manage expectations, handle customers who ask for your supervisor, and more.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover how to transfer the customer out of the emotional right-brain by linking the communication chain
• Positively position the issue to guide your customer to the next steps
• Apply optioning to challenging problems and watch customers de-escalate on their own
• Psychologically prime customers to accept your word as final
• Resolve, actual resolution, managing expectations, guiding to next steps 
• Guide the customer to the next steps when you can't immediately give them what they want
• Bring intense interactions to closure faster by building on Recognize and Reframe steps

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Consciously Addressing Unconscious Bias 

Presented by: Tim Overton

Description: Tim's Consciously Addressing Unconscious Bias training provides unique stories, insights, and lessons that teach the science underlying how our brains work and that invite all people to participate in the process of improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within the organization in ways that build individuals, companies, and the bottom line. People leave this training with an understanding of specific things they can do to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging conversations and results around them. Tim presents in such a unique and non-threatening way on some tough insightful material. When Tim presented to UniGroup home office last fall, it was heralded as one of the best training sessions we have ever had. 

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The Secret to Sales Success

Presented by: Liz Habergerger

Description: You know how salespeople sometimes have a negative stereotype? This is because there are four key mistakes they make which hurt their credibility and ultimately impact their bottom line. This session will explore the four most common sales mistakes and talk about practical strategies to overcome them. Whether you are a sales leader, on the front lines with clients, or supporting the sales function of the business, a strong understanding of these fundamentals will increase your confidence, credibility and positively impact results. You will immediately see a difference in your interactions and conversations.

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Giving Back: Why It Matters and How to Market It

Presented by: Adam Lowy

Description: Many moving companies give back to their communities, but most of them don't have a strategy behind it.  Whether you've been involved with charities for years or are thinking about getting involved for the first time, this session has lessons for everyone.  Here you will learn about turning community partnerships into win-wins, as well as the ways to leverage these relationships to drive your business. Join us for an engaging discussion, and walk away with simple ideas you can put into practice right away.

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Keeping You Up At Night: Managing Risk in a Challenging Industry

Presented by: UniGroup

Description: The total cost of risk is increasing at a staggering rate for transportation organizations. Those who understand how to manage this risk effectively have a leg up on their competitors. This interactive session will discuss what keeps you up at night and how to manage risk effectively by identifying the top risks, types of insurance coverage and prevention. Takeaways include information on how critical exposures and controls are evolving as well as thoughts on how to better leverage insurance partners. Consider also signing up for a one-on-one session with a member of UniGroup’s Risk Management team. 

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Agent Labor Solutions

Presented by: UniGroup

Description: Learn more about the work the Labor Working Group is doing to address labor concerns across the business. The team will review current labor options and the candidate application process. The session will also address the three areas of opportunities identified by the group including: a consolidated labor platform, revenue distribution changes that compensate more effectively and labor background checks. Attendees will also be able to join an agent-facilitated discussion on best labor recruiting practices. 

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The ATA Moving and Storage Conference: Where We are and Where We are Going

The ATA Moving and Storage Conference: Where We are and Where We are Going

Presented by: ATA MSC Executive Director Katie McMichael

Description: Curious about what ATA is working on and the benefit to your company? Wondering what it even means to be an ATA Moving and Storage Conference Member? During this session Executive Director Katie McMichael will update agents on the nuts and bolts of your association membership. From basics like services and products available to you all the way to the government affairs priorities for the industry at large, this session will help you understand how to put your ATA MSC membership to use within your company.