Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/448268
Sales is the engine that drives your business. You sell your equipment to generate as much income as possible at point of sale, but also to give the parts and service departments future business too. One equipment sale can be like a fruit tree that bears future fruit (parts and service) for several years until the next piece of equipment is purchased by the customer. Your service sales also support the parts department, and making sure you maximize service sales is important to the long-term health of your business. Your parts department employees need to know the equipment well enough, so they can sell the proper parts and suggest additional parts that will make it easier for your customers. All dealerships need to dedicate themselves to making sure that they are doing everything possible to capture sales in every department, not just equipment sales. For ease of remembering, I will use SELL as an acronym to make my point. SatiSfaction By definition, "satisfaction" means: Assurance beyond doubt or question; complete conviction. When you look to your customers' satisfaction first, the result will be to have customers that fulfill this definition. By setting this as your goal, you set your dealership up for repeat business. Your business, along with all businesses, need repeat customers and the profit that is created by them. A study by Infoquest, a marketing research company, found that a "totally satisfied customer" contributes 2.6 times more revenue than a "somewhat satisfied customer." Furthermore, the same study found that a "totally satisfied customer" contributes 14 times more revenue than a "somewhat dissatisfied customer." How do you set up this type of scenario? One way is that when you sell equipment, parts or service, you need to know how the equipment is going to be used, how often it is going to be operated, and what type of conditions it is going to be used in. If you have that information before you recommend the proper item, then your customers feel comfortable that you are partnering with them rather than just telling them what to do. Satisfaction does not end with the sale though. It is keeping customers updated with warranty repairs when manufacturers issue them, as well as various specials that would help them in maintaining their equipment throughout the year. I am in favor of using any means necessary to make sure that you are connecting with your customers regularly. I suggest having your customers tell you which is their preferred method (e.g. phone calls, texting, e-mailing). This regular contact will ensure they know you care about their future business, too. EducatE (inform) Your employees need to know what you believe in and how they should interact with customers. You need to train your employees on what to do with regard to your customers. 12 FEBRUARY 2015 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com Feature Story | Best Practices ■ By JeFF SheetS Profit Center SerieS (Part i): SaleS First in a three-part series: Image ©Istockphoto.com/36712489