Dealers Should ‘Play To Their Strengths’ by Greg German

My neighbors and customers are sometimes surprised when they ask me what might be wrong with their tractor and how do they fix it. I am not too bad on the diagnosing side of things as most of the symptoms that they usually describe can be answered by “Yeah, you probably need to have the carburetor rebuilt,” or “Sounds like the idler pulley may be bad,” or possibly even “If that’s what it is doing, we might want to first check the compression.”

Then the next question is always “How do I fix it?” This is where it gets to be a bit embarrassing. A perfect example just happened to me this afternoon. This was also the inspiration for this article. Our deck belt broke on our Simplicity Prestige mower. I brought one home from the dealership, and like almost every task for me that involves some type of mechanical ability, it looks really easy from 40,000 ft. After 30 minutes of trial and mostly error, my wife walked over and said, “Looks like you better have one of your mechanics fix

Diversity, Smart Promotion Boost Alabama Dealership by Dan Shell

During a humid June morning on the hottest day of the year so far in south central Alabama, not 10 minutes goes by without yet another customer entering the remodeled showroom at J.R.’s Lawnmower Shop on the old Hwy. 84 business route just west of downtown. Owner Joe Richburg operated the business as a service-only venture for about a decade before expanding into whole goods, and perhaps it’s that service background that leads him to approach many customers with a couple of simple, concerned questions: “You got troubles? What can we do for you today?”

Such a solution-focused approach and commitment to customer service—with an eye toward diversity and smart promotion—have helped turn J.R.’s Lawnmower Shop into a “go-to” dealership in south central Alabama for premium handheld equipment and mowers, plus custom golf carts.

GIE+EXPO Update: Value-Added In 2009

GIE+EXPO has launched a new, enhanced web site—Virtual Marketplace—that includes an online directory of exhibitors. A standard listing is free to all exhibitors—a $95 value. Three other listing options, Silver, Gold and Platinum, are available to exhibitors and vary in price. Some new features of the various levels include enhanced company profiles, company logos, trackable hyperlinks to web sites, new product listings and more.

According to Warren Sellers, show director, Virtual Marketplace benefits attendees by providing a research and planning tool. “Attendees can use it to map out their strategy for tackling the indoor show floor and the hands-on demonstration area,” he says. “Some exhibitors will highlight specials and product launches they are planning for the show.”

Deep Thoughts—and a Laugh

Today’s savvy retailers are finding new strategies for dealing with their excess inventory that do not involve markdowns! How many of these are you already taking advantage of?

Dam the River—Examine every open order that hasn’t yet shipped. Cancel or cut back optional merchandise. Cut out marginal items. Postpone introducing new lines.

Dealers Choice At GIE+EXPO by Dan Shell

The fourth PET Dealers Choice Awards promise more excitement again this year at GIE+EXPO 2009, where dealers will vote on the show’s top new products submitted to Power Equipment Trade. This year’s awards also features on-line voting that will open up in mid September, and giveaways for both on-line and on-site Dealers Choice Awards voters.

The Power Equipment Trade Dealers Choice Awards honor top new products at GIE+EXPO—as voted on by dealers—in five categories: wheeled equipment, handheld products, power sports/recreational products, accessories/attachments and business management services.

Latest Recreation Products for Dealers

Cub Cadet announces the availability of the Volunteer 4x4D UV. The Volunteer 4x4D combines the rugged simplicity and low maintenance of an 854cc, 3-inline cylinder, Yanmar diesel engine with the advanced performance of a fully independent suspension. This combination makes it one of the only diesels that can handle both big jobs and off-road challenges.

Diesel vehicles have always had the working advantage with more torque, lower maintenance, and better fuel economy. Gas UVs, on the other hand, have dominated the off-road market with long suspensions and smoother rides. Cub Cadet has combined both the best in diesel engines and a fully independent A-arm suspension with the Volunteer 4x4D to give customers the best of both worlds.

Industry News

KYMCO USA has announced a new on-line sales training program offered to all KYMCO dealers, with incentives that include a free scooter for the first 25 dealers who have two salespeople successfully complete the course. “It is well known that companies willing to invest during tough times usually come back even stronger when the economy improves,” says Steve Lazoff, Director of Sales for KYMCO USA. “Offering this quality training course, with financial incentives for completion, is one more way we are going the extra mile to support our dealers.”

The program is targeted directly at the person on the dealer floor. No travel is required. Students complete online exercises for review and with an investment of only 30-40 minutes per day, they can graduate in about six weeks.

Supplier Sales, Distribution and Program News

The Outdoor Power Equipment Aftermarket Assn. has announced that its Bill Nelson Scholarship Endowment has awarded two 2009 scholarships, each in the amount of $1,500. The recipients are Jessica Andrews of Mesa, Ariz., and Emily Fountain of Glennville, Ga.

Jessica Andrews is currently attending Arizona State University, where she is pursuing a degree in journalism and mass communication. Her father, Jeff Andrews, is employed by Desert Extrusion Corp.

The Latest In New Products, New Technology

Western Snowplows, the leader in snowplows and snow and ice removal equipment, announces the launch of 2 new products—the Western HTS snowplow and a new line of Western Tornado poly electric hopper spreaders.

The new Western HTS snowplow is specifically designed for half-ton, 4WD pickup owners, giving them a full-size, full-featured plow that meets the weight specifications of today’s half-tons. The rugged HTS handles standard-duty commercial and extended-use homeowner applications. It features a hydraulic scrape lock for enhanced scraping and clean back-dragging performance, a simplified UltraMount mounting system for fast and easy hook-up or removal, and industry-leading Nighthawk halogen headlamps to illuminate the entire plowing area.

Low-Cost Parts Cleaner

Dedicated technician Rodney Rom, whose “socket notch” Tech Tip ran last month, has contributed several tips. Here’s a neat way to keep parts clean:

“I call this item my ‘CleaneReefer.’ Although not the most attractive tool in my shop, it saves me countless hours of cleanup time by preventing the dirt blown off parts from reaching the floor in the first place.