Powersports Business Blog
Turning those lookers and shoppers into buyers
January 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 gurus who enlighten the sales process in ways that ensure success are far and few between, if they exist at all. That's not to say there's no one out ...
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Powersports Business Blog
Remember “You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda?”
January 2013
The big news from this year's Long Beach motorcycle show is not what happened, but what might happen. First though, remember the Honda motorcycle ad, “You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda?” Believe it or not, 2013 marks fifty years since that ad helped mainstream America notice — and buy — motorcycles in the 1960s. Back to the Long Beach show … At last year's show, Honda released the CBR250, a sub-$4,000 model aimed at driving new buyers into ...
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Powersports Business Blog
Why I Still Love Powersports
December 2012
I count myself as one pretty lucky fellow. I have the great fortune to be able to meet and talk to a lot of wonderful people. I get to interact with dealers from all over the country, share information and ideas and pass it all on to others that can use it. Sharing ideas and mentoring others is something to embrace, and I relish the responsibility. I was really struck by this during a couple of impromptu dealer visits a few weeks ago. These ...
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Powersports Business Blog
The Basic Stuff
October 2012
I was in a dealership the other day conversing with a few of the team leaders. The discussion was centered on what was (and what was not!) happening in their sales department. “Let's focus on which policies and procedures are being used in the department,” I said. “Great,” was the answer back from most everybody — except I did notice a “Why are you wasting my time?” look from one of the team leaders. “Let's start with some of the basics,” I said, ...
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Powersports Business Blog
Harness anticipation to boost customer satisfaction and profitability
August 2012
Matt Appleman runs a very small custom bicycle shop in Minneapolis, specializing in hand-built carbon-fiber bicycle frames. Matt's business may be small, but he has adopted an important sales tool — anticipation — that you can apply at your dealership too. Matt describes how he builds bicycles like this: “Upon approval of the design, the fun starts for me, and the anticipation begins for you! As the frame is being built, I'll keep you up to date ...
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Powersports Business Blog
Do today's motorcycles provide an opportunity to sell more extended warranties?
July 2012
Stop and consider how much new technology is appearing on today's motorcycles. You know all about ABS brakes, maybe you have even ridden a motorcycle with traction control, but what about bikes with electronic suspension adjustment or a computer screen instead of separate instruments? Or ride by wire, or electronic quick-shift, or a plug-in GPS module to data-log laps around a racetrack? There are motorcycles for sale right now that offer all of ...
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Powersports Business Blog
Who has it worse than rejected motorcycle salespeople?
June 2012
We know that the typical motorcycle salesperson has to ask for the sale seven times to hear a customer say yes. What if there was a salesperson who had to ask for the sale 50 times to hear his first yes? Meet Jose Jiminez, who for the past year has manned a Southwest Airlines cart in the Ontario, Calif., airport, encouraging travelers to signup for a Southwest Airlines Visa card. Jiminez is not only a salesperson, but is one who can't let ...
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American Marketing Association: Marketing News Exclusives
Harley-Davidson Leads the Pack in Retail Experience
May 2012
According to Mike Kennedy, vice president of North American sales for Harley-Davidson, their 2012 first place ranking for Pied Piper PSI comes after a year of focus on improving the sales process factors measured by Pied Piper PSI. Q: How do you ensure that all of your retail locations around the world have a coherent branded experience and stay at the top of the game? A: We're currently focused on a journey to elevate the customer experience. … ...
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Motorcycle & Powersports News
Pied Piper Releases 2012 Prospect Satisfaction Index
May 2012
Harley-Davidson dealerships returned to the top ranking in the newly released 2012 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI) U.S. Motorcycle Industry Benchmarking Study, which measured dealership treatment of motorcycle shoppers. Study rankings by brand were determined by the patent-pending Pied Piper PSI process, which ties “mystery shopping” measurement and scoring to industry sales success. BMW and Ducati finished in a tie for second, ...
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Powersports Business Blog
Harley dealers boast effective selling; what about other brands' dealers?
May 2012
2012 Pied Piper PSI results for the U.S. motorcycle industry confirm that Harley-Davidson dealerships sell as effectively in 2012 as they did back in 2008 — pre-recession — when motorcycle dealerships nationwide were still enjoying another year of solid sales. But what about the dealerships that sell Honda, Triumph, Kawasaki, or any of the other brands? Many of these dealerships operate in 2012 with half the dealership staff that they had in ...
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