Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/561797
36 • September 17, 2015 • Powersports Business MOTORCYCLE www.PowersportsBusiness.com Motoprimo GM looks for 'attitude, amplitude' in employees BY KATE SWANSON ASSISTANT EDITOR Fresh off of a successful Yamaha demo day, Motoprimo Motorsports' general manager Craig Turman sat down with Powersports Business to discuss the dealership's past year. Turman has been a part of the Lakeville, Minn., team for a year and has helped start strategy changes that have led to overall success. "There were areas that need improvement, and they just hadn't recovered from the reces- sion," said Turman. "That's now changed; we've made some significant improvements." Turman has worked in the powersports industry for nearly 30 years. Included in his experience are stints with RideNow Powers- ports and Coast to Coast Powersports before joining Motoprimo. "The fortunate thing is I was a parts man- ager in the past, and I've been a sales man- ager." He said his experiences with those departments have carried through to his strategies at the dealership. The main challenge Motoprimo faced upon Turman's arrival was increasing not only overall sales, but unit sales. Despite already having a good customer base, Turman explained that the dealership did not have the best reputation for service. "You can't sell a person a motorcycle if you lose them in service," he said. Step one included getting the proper people in place who would take care of the customers to the best of their ability. To find these new employees, Turman looks for two attributes: attitude and ampli- tude. "There's something you can't buy: It's called want-to. If they don't want to, you've got the wrong person. They need to have both the attitude and the amplitude [for sales]," he said. "I think some of the biggest mistakes that people make is they are not active with the customers. Just because you're a general manager doesn't mean that you are inactive. You have to create a positive culture within the store," said Turman. "You need people, process and product, in that order." The dealership's membership with a Gart Sutton & Associates 20-group has also helped lead it to success. "What I value most about that is you get a chance to get away from the store. You get to think clearly, and you get to be critiqued by your peers. Also, you learn what's working in other environments," he said. Recently, Turman went to visit a deal- ership in Mississippi with other 20-group members to view the store's sales department in action. Turman says that the membership fuels a bonding experience between dealers, and they're able to share what works best and also what to avoid. Motoprimo has gained momentum over the past year, becoming one of Triumph's top dealers and experiencing revenue increases as well. In June, Motoprimo hosted a two-day demo for Yamaha and received a large turnout. "We had 180 riders in two days; we couldn't take anymore," Turman said. "It was an absolute success." The most popular models at the demo ride included the Yamaha FJ-09 and FZ-07. PSB Service turnaround adds to unit sales growth Craig Turman brought extensive experience to Motop- rimo, where he has been general manager for a year. Motoprimo Motorsports in Lakeville, Minn., has seen unit sales growth as a result of improved service, and Motop- rimo's newly implemented strategies have led to an improved store culture.