What are your customers saying about how you treat them?
Liz Hochstedler, Managing Editor — Powersports Business
February 28, 2013
At our weekly PSB meeting the other day, the subject of customer service came up. As a magazine dedicated to informing and educating those in our industry on a variety of topics, including customer service, we’re especially aware of customer service hits and misses in our daily lives. The conversation... Read more »
Are you appealing to the right niche markets?
Steve Shankin, Founder/President/CEO — Seizmik and Vialink
February 26, 2013
Everyone knows that I’m in the business of making accessories for UTVs. We work with a number of companies, not just on their OEM accessories but on the actual vehicle design as well. It’s pretty fascinating to see how the UTV market has evolved, grown, fragmented and specialized in the last five... Read more »
Start your end (cap)
Jennifer Robison, National Retail Specialist — Tucker Rocky Distributing
February 21, 2013
Last month I mentioned that taking action by exploring your due diligence was one of the most thoughtful things you can do to determine what to stock, how much, when, and what amount of space should be dedicated to brands, categories and products. You and your staff, with this information about your... Read more »
Why marketing goes wrong so often (and what to do about it)
John R. Graham, Marketing & Sales Consultant
February 19, 2013
Marketing is a mystery — at least that’s the way it seems when compared with just about every other company function. There’s plenty of talk about “marketing,” but efforts to nail it down, specifically,usually end in an uncomfortable silence. It makes the point that it’s difficult to get... Read more »
Increasing sit-downs boosts sales
Steve Lemco, Author — "Motorcycle Sales Made Easy" and "You Gotta-Wanna"
February 13, 2013
Editor’s note: This is the fifth blog in a series about asking for the sale. In this installment, Steve Lemco explains how easy it is to get a customer to sit down and discuss a sale. Before worrying about solving customers’ objections or the price issue, concentrate on developing relationships;... Read more »
4 Tips for making online videos for your business
Ben Borchert, Marketing Analyst — 50 Below
February 12, 2013
My brothers bought me a beer making kit for Christmas. Alongside all the supplies and ingredients, I found a DVD: “How to make beer.” I popped it into my computer and clicked play. It was awesome. Not the video quality: the information. The video felt like someone talking about their passion: making... Read more »
Stop business crises before they create havoc
John R. Graham, Marketing & Sales Consultant
February 7, 2013
Perhaps even more than the lure of money, optimism dominates the entrepreneurial mind. Whether it’s well grounded or not, every business enterprise is fueled by it. “During the Great Recession, more Americans have become entrepreneurs than at any time in the past 15 years,” states the Kauffman... Read more »
What a customer hears — or doesn’t hear — on the phone
Liz Hochstedler, Managing Editor — Powersports Business
February 5, 2013
When customers call your dealership and get put on hold, what do they hear? Are they treated to an exuberant “Welcome to Joe Schmo’s Cycle, where we carry the greatest brands in town. Did you know most of our staff has been here 10 years or more, and they can’t wait to get you on your dream bike,”... Read more »
Turning those lookers and shoppers into buyers
Mark Mooney, Director, Retail Performance - Pied Piper Management Company LLC
January 31, 2013
Turning all those lookers and shoppers into buyers is, in retail, the “holy grail” of topics. We send our managers and sales folks to workshops and seminars looking for answers. We test the waters, view the landscape, and hope that just over the horizon is the Promised Land, the mother lode. Retail... Read more »
Winter is the perfect time for a website tune-up
Laura Reinders, Marketing Manager — PowerSports Network & Traffic Log Pro
January 29, 2013
For many dealers, winter is the time of year when much-needed attention is given to their website, often resulting in a fresh coat of paint in the form of a new graphical look. Although that fresh coat of paint looks great, it is important to go beyond appearance and give the site’s content an overall... Read more »
