Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/752766
6 • November 28, 2016 • Powersports Business NEWS www.PowersportsBusiness.com DECEMBER 2016 3: 17th Annual North Coast Toy Run, Fort Bragg, CA 8-10: Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN 9-11: Progressive International Motorcycle Show, Javits Center, New York, NY 10: S.N.O.W. FEST 4 Snowmobile Film Festival and Vintage Rally, Wahkon, MN JANUARY 2017 6-8: Progressive International Motorcycle Show, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. 13-15: 2017 Vintage World Championship Snowmobile Derby, Eagle River, WI 13-15: Progressive International Motorcycle Show, Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center, Dallas, TX 14-20: WPS National Motorcycle/ATV Sales Meeting, Boise, ID 21-23: Garage Composites Update, Denver, CO 19-22: 2017 AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby, Eagle River, WI 27-29: Progressive International Motorcycle Show, I-X Center, Cleveland, OH 28-29: V-Twin Expo by EasyRiders, Duke Energy Center, Cincinnati, OH FEBRUARY 2017 3-5: Progressive International Motorcycle Show, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN 9-10: Tucker Rocky | Biker's Choice Dealer and Brand Expo, Embassy Suites Dallas Frisco Hotel Convention Center & Spa, Frisco, Texas 10-12: Progressive International Motorcycle Show, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL 11-12: North Carolina Motorcycle Dealers Association Winter Meeting, Greensboro, NC 11-12: Texas Motorcycle Dealers Association Annual Conference, Courtyard Marriott Downtown/Convention Center, Austin, TX 18-19: Parts Unlimited/Drag Specialties 2017 NVP Product Expo, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN Feb. 28-March 4: Bintelli Dealer Meeting, The Bahamas MARCH 2017 3-4: Martin Moto Modern Classics Motorcycle Show, Boyertown, PA 10-19: Bike Week, Daytona Beach, FL APRIL 2017 5-9: Arizona Bike Week, Scottsdale, AZ 13-15: Polaris RZR UTV World Championship, Laughlin, NV 20-23: 12th Annual Taiwan International Motorcycle Show, Taipei 101 World Trade Center, Taipei, Taiwan 20-23: MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Race Series Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX 22-30: Outer Banks Bike Week, Harbinger, NC 26-29: Laughlin River Run, Laughlin, NV 28-30: MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Race Series Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA 28-30: Leesburg Bike Fest, Leesburg, FL MAY 2017 3-7: Thunder Beach Spring Motorcycle Rally, Panama City Beach, FL 12-14: MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Race Series Virginia International Raceway 20: Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Hangtown MX Classic, Prairie City SVRA, Rancho Cordova, CA 27: Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Glen Helen National, Glen Helen Raceway, San Bernardino, CA CALENDAR OF EVENTS Email dmcmahon@powersportsbusiness.com to get your industry event added to the calendar. NATIONAL POWERSPORTS SALES BY MONTH ORLANDO POWERSPORTS SALES BY MONTH 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 18,000 20,000 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Touring Cruiser Sport UTV Quad Standard Touring Cruiser Sport UTV Quad Standard One of the toughest jobs for a powersports dealer is determining what products will — and will not! — sell off of their lots. This has a lot less to do with crystal balls as it does with being intimately aware of your dealer- ship past sales (by season) and your custom- ers. And by essentially ignoring much of the hype from OEMs. When dealers are told, for example, that product type "A" or type "B" is in high demand and they should stock it, the OEM probably isn't misrepresenting the product — but what is hot in one part of the country might not be in another. Before floorplanning that hot new unit, dealers need to ask themselves: "Where is it setting fire to the sales charts — is it national, regional or in my local market?" Along with that, dealers really need to determine the time of the year that the product type was selling. Let's look at some examples that can help you determine the mix of vehicle products you should have in your showroom. Look at the percentage that is being sold by type in your area. The point is simple: A dealer's location is driven by the local market. Your customers are going to purchase product that makes sense to their environment. There are many reasons why the mix changes from the national average, but the fact remains that a local dealer's product mix will be different from the national average. It is critical, there- fore, that dealers understand their market — and stock the dealership with the proper mix of product. The second item dealers need to concern themselves with is the seasonality of the prod- uct — both by time of year and by the location of the dealership. The national average is a bell-shaped curve (see National chart) with six months of strong sales from March to August, with the expected ramp-up representing spring months and the expected drop-off in the fall. Now compare that chart to our chart of the Orlando market. What happened to the bell curve? There isn't one. Orlando's overall sales cycle differs considerably from the nation as the local prod- uct sales cycle reacts to the seasonal factor in a southern market. There are a number of reasons for this effect on the buying cycle. One thing for certain is that they will always be changing. A successful dealer will monitor his or her market on a monthly basis in the cur- rent year and compare that to the previous year's market, looking for the correct mix of product and the unit volume sold in the cur- rent month by product type to the previous year's sales. Successful dealers will have the knowledge as to what the hot product is in their market and seek out the OEM who can fill their needs — not be the dealer who can simply fill the OEM's needs. PSB Tom Walworth, president of Statistical Sur- veys, is a 37-year veteran of the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based firm. Scott Stropkai is the com- pany's national sales manager for powersports. Contact them at www.statisticalsurveys.com or 616/281-9898. National market trends don't equal local trends TOM WALWORTH & SCOTT STROPKAI STATISTICALLY SPEAKING sold the dealership to local new car dealer, Rami Yanni, a Harley-Davidson rider and enthusiast. Yanni owns a number of franchises in Vacaville, including Buick, GMC, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Nissan, as well as four other Nissan dealerships across northern Cali- fornia, including Yuba City. The Harley-Davidson dealership will con- tinue to operate at its current location at 720 West Onstott Road in Yuba City. George C. Chaconas, the exclusive agent for this transaction and the head of the National Harley-Davidson and Powersports Division for Performance Brokerage Ser- vices, facilitated the transaction. DEALERSHIP SALESMAN RETIRES AFTER 42 YEARS Gary Manning, a former salesman at Pete's Cycle has retired after 42 years in the industry. The dealership released an email statement to its followers, thanking Manning for his years of dedication and congratulating him on his retirement: "It is with bittersweet congratula- tions that we inform everyone that salesman HOT NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 See Hot News, Page 7 Source: Statistical Surveys