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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/538504
less recognizable than you to take a designated scouting trip and evaluate the competition. This must be a person who can really take a hard look at what other businesses are all about. Most deal- ers who I visit don't know this (Don't tell anyone!), but I have a form that I use to evaluate what I see and feel about a dealership. I don't bring the form with me on dealer visits, but know it so well that I simply take notes during my visits. Then, when I get back to the hotel, I can fill out the form based on my notes from each day. It helps me look at the business individually, but also gives me a chance to compare my notes with information that I've gathered from other dealers that I've visited over the years for analysis sake. My suggestion is that you create an evaluation form with informa- tion that you are looking for during the scouting trip, and make sure the scout fills out the form as quickly as possible after leaving the business. Your scout should retrieve information primarily about hard facts but also about the feeling of the dealership. It is easy to evaluate cleanliness, displays, signage, etc., but how does the dealership feel? Is it customer friendly? How long did it take to be greeted? Do the salespeople know their "stuff "? I could go on and on about what to include in an evaluation form. I would encourage you to send a scout to visit your competition not only once, but a few times to see if the experience remains the same and then periodically (at least once a year) to keep tabs on any changes made. This is a proactive way of knowing your competition and not just through comments made by mutual customers. The goal is to take the information and make yourself better — not to make yourself feel better. Once you have the information, application is always the key to help you take your business to a new level. I also recommend looking at the big box stores this way too! Don't just evaluate the businesses similar to yours; look at any businesses that sell what you sell, and analyze them. There are great things that can be learned in these types of stores too. #3 "SCORCHED EARTH STRATEGIES" ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOU OR THE COMPETITION As I mentioned in my introduction, sometimes dealers want to create a "monopoly" rather than just a solid business. In a previ- ous position, I used to set up consumer financing for businesses, and one of our goals was to avoid businesses that were trying to sell high volume at very low margins, because unless a business sells incredible amounts of inventory, it can drive that business into a tailspin very fast, especially during tough economic times. What happens to all of those financed customers who have no warranty or equipment that breaks down? They tend to stop pay- ing their loans or demand things from the financing company or manufacturer because there is no local business to go to. I mention FEATURE STORY www.outdoorpowerequipment.com OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT AUGUST 2015 25