'Boots On The Ground' Boots Service Sales by John Walker

For years there have been varying schools of thought concerning the equipment dealers’ need for two sales forces within the dealership. These two parallel but separate sales forces are: 1) Equipment sales personnel and, 2) Product Support sales personnel.

For those arguing that any equipment dealer can operate with one sales force, a salesman who combines the duties of selling the equipment as well as convincing the customer to use all of the dealer’s facilities at a far less expense is indeed a “rare bird.” To say that this absolutely will not work is an inaccurate statement, but it rarely works well because of many reasons; one being that equipment sales personnel believe it to be “negative selling” just to mention product support to a customer or prospective customer. The equipment dealers who have developed what we refer to as a “parallel sales force” have, if they have done so correctly, developed a strong product support sales force that generates an extremely large am

Deep Thoughts-and a Laugh

There are some things that business owners and managers do during difficult times that sometimes just don’t make sense. Here are five of those that you should be careful to avoid:

Don’t panic! Panic is the root of many business problems because emotions overtake logic. When that happens, decisions become short-sighted and are based on short-term results. Stay calm and evaluate the impact of the changing economy on your business over the immediate-term as well as the long-term using sound logic and realistic scenarios that might play out. Certainly you should consider worst case scenarios, but be careful not to immediately assume that they will play out. How you handle things will in a large way determine to what extent the economy impacts your bottom line.

Latest Recreation Products for Dealers

BRP introduces the 2011 Can-Am Commander line-up, 5 models with 2 engine options that deliver on the Can-Am promise of cutting-edge design, meaningful innovation and focus on convenience, maximum value and more usability for the consumer. This side-by-side family has been designed to bring a new level of power, handling and user-focused features to the industry. Power comes from 2 engine options: Rotax 800 V-Twin EFI and 1000 V-Twin EFI. This gives the Commander the most power and best fuel efficiency in the industry. The Commander 1000 is 39% more fuel efficient than its class competitor. Features include Dual-Level cargo box, TTI rear suspension, anti-dive front-end geometry, throttle-by-wire through its Intelligent Throttle Control (iTC) system, 2" diameter ROPS, the most fuel capacity in the industry (10 gallons) and the most cockpit storage of any side-by-side.

Supplier Sales, Distribution and Program News

Bandit Industries, Inc. has been selected as the 2010 World Trader of the Year by the West Michigan World Trade Assn. in recognition of its impressive global success and strategy. Sales Manager Casey Gross and International Sales Manager Felipe Tamayo traveled to Grand Rapids, Mich. to receive the prestigious award, presented by WMWTA Board Member Thomas Palumbo.

The award recognizes Bandit’s commitment to international trade, and highlights the deliberate steps taken to achieve their success in the global market. Bandit saw a 200% increase in their international sales volume in 2009.

The Latest In New Products, New Technology

Rotary pressure washer parts and accessories keep equipment running longer. Available products include: O ring kits, steel and brass male and female plugs, male and female brass sockets, quick couplers, chemical injector kits, stainless tips, trigger guns and assemblies, pressure regulators, nozzles, hoses and strainers, and coupler and tip assortments. Rotary guarantees quality that meets or exceeds all OEM standards for operation. Rotary’s 2010 catalog is available free for servicing dealers and distributors and features more than 8,000 parts, tools and accessories.