By TORY HORNSBY - GENERAL MANAGER, DEALERSHIP UNIVERSITY
JUNE 8TH, 2010
A very small percentage of people in America own motorcycles, and this demands some thought on how to find and target those that do ride in your local market area. One reason that Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is becoming more and more popular among powersports dealers is because it’s an extremely viable way to find ‘Powersports Specific’ prospects who are in the market to buy… right now. Read more >>
By CHRISTOPHER KOURTAKIS - OWNER, 360° INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS
MAY 13TH, 2010
The days of just having a Web site to drive traffic to your company are gone. Your site needs to effectively communicate with your customers, rather than just provide them with information. Below are five simple and easy ways for your site to become more interactive. Read more »
By CHRISTOPHER KOURTAKIS - OWNER, 360° INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS
MAY 3RD, 2010
With the recent news of Facebook passing Google as the most visited site, we can not forget about the second most used search engine on the Web: YouTube. Is your business using YouTube? Do you have a YouTube profile? YouTube is a great tool to communicate with your customer on a consistent basis. If you have not considered YouTube before, here are 6 quick ideas to help you get started: Read more >>
By FRAN O'HAGAN - PRESIDENT, PIED PIPER MANAGEMENT CO.
MARCH 2ND, 2010
Imagine you’re shopping for a motorcycle and visit two dealerships. At the first dealership, the salesperson tells you all about the impressive engineering that went into the motorcycle he’s trying to sell you. When you visit the second dealership, the salesperson reaches over to his desk and places an aluminum work of art into your hand. He points out how short the piston’s skirt is—kind of like a pancake fastened to a connecting rod—and how the closest copy in the auto industry would be on a Formula One car; yet here it is in your hand, and it’s part of the motorcycle that you’ve just decided to buy. Read more >>
By TORY HORNSBY - GENERAL MANAGER, DEALERSHIP UNIVERSITY
FEBRUARY 24TH, 2010
Who are you marketing to? The answer to this question shapes your entire campaign, yet is overlooked too often. Of course, most dealers would say the logical answer of “I’m looking for people who are interested in motorcycles and ATVs, etc.” as your goal is to drive people who will buy something from you into your store. As we all know, however, this is much more difficult than it sounds. Read more >>
By FRAN O'HAGAN - PRESIDENT, PIED PIPER MANAGEMENT CO.
JANUARY 29TH, 2010
Henry Ford once said, “If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have asked for a faster horse.” What about your customers? Do you call your customers to ask them about their sales experience in your dealership? If so, good for you, since the very act of following-up with customers will sell incremental motorcycles. Read more >>
By TORY HORNSBY - GENERAL MANAGER, DEALERSHIP UNIVERSITY
JANUARY 11TH, 2010
There’s a recipe for success when it comes to planning and creating a successful marketing campaign. In fact, there are four critical components to every marketing initiative: No. 1 is your marketing message; No. 2 is targeting the right audience; No. 3 is using the right media method; and No. 4 is it hitting at just the right time. In this blog, I’ll delve a little deeper into the first part: Your message. Read more >>
By JOHN SPADER - PRESIDENT OF SPADER BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
DECEMBER 8TH, 2009
You’ve survived a generational downturn in sales. Now make sure you’re ready to take advantage of the opportunities ahead. If you’re like many dealers we know, you’ve endured the most significant challenge to your business’ survival to date. You’ve cut trusted staff, shelved long-term plans, reduced inventory and locations, and watched your balance sheet take a body blow. You’ve paid a steep price to keep your business intact while many others have been forced to liquidate. But you’ve made it. Read more >>
By TORY HORNSBY - GENERAL MANAGER, DEALERSHIP UNIVERSITY
SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2009
We’re in a new era and a new economy. As I’ve previously written, the industrial age is behind us and the information age is here. We’re also in a place where customers have more choices and resources than ever, which in turn give them more power. This vast increase in customer resources also has brought about more competition, distractions and clutter than ever before. This further illustrates the need to stand out from the crowd and present yourself and your dealership in a unique way to your specific target audience with the right message, via the right media, at just the right time. Read more >>
By JOHN SPADER - PRESIDENT OF SPADER BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
JULY 27TH, 2009
Most powersports dealers have had a great run in the past 5-10 years. While business can’t ever really be called “easy,” it has, for the most part, been a friendly marketplace up until this year. This year with the mortgage crisis. Banks tightening. Stock markets dropping, etc. Not exactly ideal conditions for success in the powersports industry. As dealers face these tough situations, many for the first time, there seems to be two paths being taken. Read more >>
