FEATURE STORY
26 AUGUST 2015 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com
this because sometimes dealers want to discount prices on equip-
ment so low that there is really very little profit for either themselves
or their competitors. I have known several dealers who have tried
to have a "friendly" conversation with the other dealership owner
who might be using the strategy and discuss the disadvantages of
it. In some cases, it has worked and some it hasn't, but making the
attempt can make some sense. We all know there are other areas of
your business that bring in profit. The problem is that if you start
your customer with being known as the "low-price guy," sometimes
that is who you become known as in all aspects of the business. You
want to be known for more than price. You need to be known for
your friendliness, your knowledge, your efficiency, your can-do at-
titude and even more.
Healthy competition makes you better. I never want you to
think that winning isn't the goal when you are competing against
others. Every day, you want to be the one business that custom-
ers choose because you have communicated the aforementioned
qualities and more. By knowing your competition better, you can
make changes to help you grow and become even more in tune
within your marketplace. I like the following quote from legend-
ary sports commentator, the late Howard Cosell: "The ultimate
victory in competition is derived from the inner satisfaction of
knowing that you have done your best and that you have gotten
the most out of what you had to give." Your goal is to do your best
each and every day and communicate that to your customers. The
satisfaction comes when you see your customers grasp your mes-
sage and reward you with their business. Don't shrink from your
competition! Know and grow from your competition!
Jeff Sheets is the founder and owner of OPE
Consulting Services. Whether a business
is thriving or struggling to survive, Sheets'
rich experience in both the corporate and
not-for-profit sectors allow him to partner
with business owners to customize unique
strategies for their needs. For the past nine
years, he has worked extensively with hundreds of outdoor power
equipment dealers to create best practices in business structure,
personnel management and financial profitability. For more
information, he may be contacted at opeconsultingservices@
gmail.com or (816) 260-5430. You can also follow him on
Twitter @opeconsult, connect with him on LinkedIn, and visit
his website at www.opeconsultingservices.com.
OPE
