Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/551693
www.PowersportsBusiness.com SOLUTIONS Powersports Business • August 17, 2015 • 31 For all the terrific people in this industry — and there are loads of them — sadly there is a word you don't hear uttered very often when it comes to busi- ness associations. That word? Partner. You hear OEM. You hear distributor. Or website provider. Or DMS. But not "partner." That struck me when I was in Greensboro, N.C., earlier this summer talking to one of the most upbeat industry people I've found in a long time. His name is Monty Hendrix, and he's the owner of a successful motorcycle deal- ership that might have seemed like a long shot to some. Why? Because the day he opened the doors to his brand new dealership, Hendrix had no industry management experience, no consumer database and a brand that was just beginning to re-emerge in the public's eye — Indian Motorcycles. Yet Hendrix and his small, determined staff not only beat the sales expectation for their midsize market, but almost doubled it! In fact, earlier this year they were tops in Indian unit sales in their region and approaching the top 5 dealers in the world. How did they do it? Hendrix credits this success to a couple of factors, including his business "partners." That's a word he used to characterize Polaris and DX1, the latter of which serves as his store's marketing, sales and accounting tool. Hendrix is unique in that he came to the industry with more acumen than experience. He had tested and successfully shaped busi- ness philosophies but did not have any motor- cycle dealership experience on May 3, 2014, when he opened the doors to Indian Motor- cycle of Greensboro. To his credit, Hendrix incorporated those successfully shaped philosophies into the dealership, but he also listened. He listened to industry consultants about successful sale strategies and how to select a business plat- form that would allow his small business to be more efficient. "Polaris has offered us tremendous sup- port, and we've been very receptive to taking that input and trying to put it into action," Hendrix said. Being receptive is easier said than done, isn't it? Especially when you consider Hendrix opened his dealership doors with an estab- lished record of business success. Hendrix had opened (and still maintains) martial arts studios, each of which relies on a membership model to succeed. In being receptive to his partners, Hen- drix found efficiencies in the way he did business, while at the same time keeping true to those philosophies that had proven so effective at the martial arts studios. For instance, Hendrix used his business manage- ment platform to post to multiple social networks, so he could increase the number of people he could reach and also remain aware of what online feedback he was receiving. (Hendrix's store has more than 11,000 Facebook followers!) Equally, he maintained his priority of fre- quently engag- ing his members (consumers) through multiple online channels, includ- ing e-newsletters. Hendrix's business man- agement platform makes the latter easy by turning web leads into future email market- ing recipients. More than a year into his new business endeavor, Hendrix is changing roles. He's now the one offering input. The brick build- ing in historic downtown Greensboro that houses Hendrix and his dealership — now three Polaris brands strong — recently played host to the DX1 dealer advisory coun- cil, a group that includes DX1 dealers and lead DX1 developers. It's a group that prides itself on being receptive to the wants and needs of its partners. "Partner" is still an unusual word to hear in this industry, but perhaps with the receptive- ness displayed by Hendrix and others, it will become more commonplace. PSB Neil Pascale is the industry communications manager for Dominion Powersports Solutions, the provider of the DX1 Powersports dealer management platform. He can be reached at neil.pascale@dominionpowersports.com. The partner scenario: Easier said than done THE DEALERSHIP OF TOMORROW For all the terrific people in this industry — and them — sadly there hear uttered very often when it comes to busi- NEIL PASCALE George Ratterman, Andrew Bushnoe, owner Monty Hendrix, Chris Duong and Bob McBride have experienced early success since opening Indian Motorcycle of Greensboro in 2014.