Contentious issues between marine dealers and manufacturers have existed for as long as I can remember. And I have been in this industry for many years. I do believe, however, that Now is the time! That’s right… now is the time, during this economic duress, for both dealers and manufacturers to forget about the contentious issues of the past, that so often negatively affected business relationships, and start working together for an industry renaissance. Continue reading Now is the time!
Don’t let any of your sales team lose a sale or, worse yet, a customer. Unfortunately, it happens every day in all types of retail businesses.
For example, my wife and I once went to a flooring store to shop for a particular floor tile we had learned about and thought would be ideal for a remodeling project we were planning. The store featured much of what customers want when they go shopping. They had a good inventory, very nicely displayed, with a lot of top quality, name brand product options. But they did not make a sale and, in fact, lost a customer as a result of the sales lady who waited on us. She was rather rude and insulting! As a result… we walked out and have never gone back to that store. They lost what could have been a sale as well as a good customer. Continue reading Don’t let your sales team lose a sale or a customer
I have been asking myself that question often as I have pondered the current economic mess we are in and how it has hurt both dealers and manufacturers. In trying to put myself in a typical dealer’s shoes, my thoughts reflected back to when I became a dealer, buying and operating a new car dealership in the Peoria Illinois market after retiring from OMC. The U.S. experienced a mild recession while I owned the dealership, but nothing like what dealers and manufacturers have to contend with today.
So what would I do if I were a marine dealer today? What would I recommend dealers do in 2010 and beyond? Every dealer’s situation is different and it’s hard to come up with a silver bullet that works for all. However, I did come up with a list of things that I would do if I were a marine dealer heading into 2010. This list is based on my experience as a new car dealer along with my corporate life of knowing and working with marine dealers all over the U.S. Continue reading What would I do in 2010 if I were a marine dealer??