Digitizing Information Means More Sales by Greg German

It’s 2009, and I cringe every time I see our office staff picking up a pencil to mechanically write down some information, our parts personnel keeping a book full of notes of critical details that they need to handle for customers, or our service manager writing down on his cardboard calendar a new job that he just booked.

Yes, we do a pretty good job of handling the needs of the customer. But when that employee is either sick, is on vacation or just decides that he/she is ready to move on, all that hand-written information and personalized tracking systems are lost and almost impossible to duplicate. I call this “captive information.” It is captive because only the employee, who wrote it down, has real access to it.

All Employees Should Be Super Sales Reps

I will wager that all equipment dealers in North America have been asked at some point in time, by someone: “How many sales people does your dealership have?” While your dealership may or may not have dedicated sales reps, the reply should be: Everyone in this dealership is a sales person. Everybody is constantly selling the value added aspects of the dealership and the services this dealership has to offer.

Two of the most productive “sales” positions are the dealership’s counter personnel and shop and field technicians. No other positions within the dealership have more personal or phone contact with your customers than these positions. These employees are on the front line facing your customers after the sale of the equipment.

Basic Software

Basic Software Systems is a highly successful family owned and operated corporation that was founded 30 years ago with the vision to provide a Business Management Software solution to dealers across the country.

Basic Software Systems’ products solidify the professional quality that is demanded in the industry today. Whether through the manufacturer online catalog, ordering interfaces of real-time processing, or the accounting features within the program, customers reap the benefit of Basic Software Systems’ technological advancements today and into the future.

Charter: Maximizing Service

Do your technicians routinely perform tasks such as clean-up, building maintenance, unloading etc.? Are your technicians estimating the amount of time to bill on work orders? If so, you are kissing revenue goodbye! A minimum of 80% of a technician’s day should generate billable hours! Having your techs perform non-revenue generating tasks such maintenance and clean-up duties can have a negative impact on your revenue. Tracking 100% of your technicians’ paid time is the key to boosting your dealership’s profits.

In order to get accurate labor efficiency reporting, all of your technician’s time, including billable work, internal work (such as set up, paid breaks, training, shop clean up, sales support, etc.) should be recorded to some sort of work order. The service module in Charter Software’s Business Management System, DealerWin, can be used to create work orders for billable and non-billable tasks and track excess time, flat-rate adjustments, and customer loyalty adjustment

c-Systems: Advanced

Chances are you’re scrutinizing operating costs, inventory levels and profit margins as never before, looking for ways to enhance efficiency and achieve greater control of processes. Your business needs are not decreasing, and customers are just as demanding as they’ve ever been. So now, more than ever, it’s essential that your business management system provide the features that keep you competitive.

As the leader of business management systems for more than 25 years, c-Systems provides software that is innovative, technologically advanced, and specifically designed for power equipment dealers, with automated processes that help you operate more efficiently and deliver more value to your customers.

M&M Lawnmowers Tackles Tough Times by David Abbott

M&M Lawnmower Sales & Service, known by everyone in the area as the “lawnmower shop on Armenia,” has been on the block, and around it, for quite some time. Under two sets of owners, the location has been a mower shop for more than 40 years. “Everyone in the area knows it; everyone in town has been in here at one time or another,” says general manager Daniel Bade, adding that they may not always know the name, but they know the place.

The three main lines carried include Toro, Gravely (Ariens) and Stihl. M&M also represents Billy Goat products. “We can only honestly represent so many lines,” owner Eric Mullins says. “So we try to stay with the best.”

Paulson Debuts Latest

Paulson Computer Systems Inc. has recently released the latest version of its InvenTrakk business management system for power equipment dealers: InvenTrakk 3.1 InvenTrakk 3.1 offers more than 25 new enhancements for InvenTrakk users, including InvenTrakk’s new lightning fast point of sale capability, which allows InvenTrakk users to check out customers faster than ever before.

Alongside the release of InvenTrakk 3.1 is Paulson’s release of two brand new and completely free add-ons for InvenTrakk, known as ScheduleTrakk and ExportTrakk. ScheduleTrakk is a powerful scheduling system that integrates with InvenTrakk and allows InvenTrakk users to track appointments and schedules for absolutely anything they need, from repairs to customer follow-ups, lunch appointments and more.

Briggs’ PSP Roll-Out: Enough Critical Mass? by Dan Shell

The ongoing computerization and modernization of the lawn and garden equipment industry and its dealer networks recently cleared a huge hurdle with the implementation and roll-out of the Partners Standard Protocol (PSP) technology by Briggs & Stratton that lets dealers communicate directly with manufacturers and other suppliers from within their computerized business management systems—without having to visit separate supplier web sites.

The dealer-specific PSP system was developed in 2002 and is administered by the Motorcycle Industry Council and used by dealers in the marine, power sports and RV industries. Yet there have been other standards proposed in the past, ever since the North American Equipment Dealers Assn. (NAEDA) and Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) began to work on the issue in the mid ’90s (yes, last century).

Deep Thoughts—and a Laugh

Contact . . . contact . . . contact with current customers is a good way to build their loyalty. The more the customer sees someone from your firm, the more likely you’ll get the next order. Send Christmas cards, see them at trade shows, stop by to make sure everything’s okay.

Send a simple newsletter to your customers: tell them about the great things that are happening at your firm and include some useful information for them. Send them copies of any media clippings about your firm. Invite them to free seminars. The more they know about you, the more they see you as someone out to help them, the more they know about your accomplishments—the more loyal a customer they will be.

Latest Recreation Products for Dealers

Specialty Equipment, LLC introduces a new concept in how to load equipment and vehicles on a truck safely and quickly. The Extreme Tailgate Ramp is the new “must have” accessory for anyone loading and unloading a truck on a regular basis. It bolts directly to any tailgate and takes up only about 5.5" of bed space. Utilizing an expanding “baby gate” type design, it extends as far as 108" creating a 57" wide ramp capable of holding up to 1,600 lbs. It is constructed entirely of extruded aluminum and stainless steel, so it is light and won’t rust, but has great tensile strength due to the interlocking web design.

The optional tailgate extension kit allows the closed ramp to flip up and become an alternate tailgate on the rear of your truck’s gate. This adds over 2' of bed space to your truck and can be secured with a simple lock. Additionally, the “arms” of this kit can be rotated when the ramp is extended and become “legs,” transforming the ramp into a worktable.

Supplier Sales, Distribution and Program News

Positec USA has announced a partnership with Integrated Distributors Network (IDN) to sell Worx lawn and garden power equipment nationally through independent service dealers. The Worx brand includes a full line of corded and cordless lawn mowers, grass trimmers, edgers, hedge trimmers and blowers.

Known for its innovative electric product designs, Worx is launching the first lithium-ion battery powered lawn care equipment into the U.S. market through IDN. The Worx program includes three new lithium lawn care tools: the 18V Grass Trimmer (WG151.5), successor to its popular 18V Ni-Cd model WG150, winner of the prestigious Popular Mechanics Editor’s Choice award; an 18V Hedge Trimmer (WG251.5) and an 18V Sweeper/Blower (WG540.5).

Dealer Makes Big Impact by Dan Shell

It’s not every day that a dealer finds Vince Shiely, president of Briggs & Stratton’s Yard Power Products Group, sitting in the dealer’s office, chatting over a cup of coffee or soda. Late last summer dealer Leo Maestranzi found himself in that situation—and made the most of it. The subject of parts ordering came up, and Maestranzi demonstrated to Shiely how inefficient and labor-intensive it was to key in orders separately through each supplier’s web site, outside of the dealership’s business management system.

“Once I showed him how our parts department was submitting orders, he said, ‘That’s ridiculous,’” Maestranzi remembers. And then Shiely did something the lawn and garden industry has been waiting on for more than a decade: He made a few calls, put together a team of in-house experts, and within months the company was in the process of implementing Partners Standard Protocol (PSP) business communications technology.

The Latest In New Products, New Technology

Shindaiwa announces the availability of its latest C4 Technology product, the EB8520RT Backpack Blower. Using the same enhanced ergonomic backpack frame as the highly successful EB802 Backpack Blower, the Shindaiwa EB8520RT features a C4 Technology 79.7cc engine with outstanding power, fuel efficiency and low emissions. At 229 MPH and 813 CFM, the EB8520RT is one of the most powerful backpack blowers in the market today.

The EB8520RT has many new and unique features designed to enhance performance and durability, including: ergonomic 2 point fully adjustable straps for easier mounting, and completely reengineered frame and backpack system for greater operator comfort; excellent fuel economy compared to comparable 2-stroke blowers; new design intake cover to help reduce leaf blockage of air intake and minimize risk of overheating; new 1 piece ignition coil and heat sensor mechanism designed to reduce the engine RPM when the unit is subjected to overheating from leaf blockage;