Selling To My Wife
Many of you have been involved in auto sales at one point in your career, and if you worked with good people, you probably learned a lot about selling. I know that I was employed at an import dealer with an amazing sales manager, and had my eyes opened many times. I was reminded of
Beyond Boomers: What Are the Kids Riding?
I recently read an article on Motorcycledaily.com about “Why don’t we see more Japanese Retro Bikes?” If you read the comments section, you can see why. Everyone has a different idea as to what “Retro” looks like, and it’s going to be almost impossible to satisfy all of the people like the ones in the comments section.
My Grandmother Said It Best
My grandmother had a phrase that she saved for describing people who believed they were above everyone else, who thought that they were better; deserving, somehow, to run their lives with different rules than the ones they expected others to follow. She referred to them as having “unmitigated gall.” This phrase popped into my head
Self-Canceling Turn Signals Should be Standard Equipment
The other night, I had my 1977 Yamaha out for a ride; a bike that has self-canceling turn signals. There was nothing new about that. Then I remembered that the brand new FJR1300 I rode last week did not have self-canceling turn signals. Why is that? Why does a 40-year-old Yamaha have signals that shut
Sales: Are You Playing It Right?
People often look at sales as a war; it’s them against the customer, or it’s them against the other salespeople in the industry. I completely disagree.
Test Rides: Are They Worth It?
I recently had an exchange with a friend of mine where we discussed the experience of buying a motorcycle, something we both believe should be special and unique. We are not the auto industry, where someone usually purchases a car because he has a specific need for one as transport, or perhaps a work vehicle.
For This Product, Please Go See Your Local Dealer!
I recently read several well-known motorcycle enthusiast magazines, one right after another when I noticed something that kept jumping out and slapping me in the face. All of the magazines reviewed several accessories or clothing. They did a great job of investigating the products and informing the reader about the advantages and foibles. I also
Is a Change of Scenery Really Necessary?
As we all know, Dealer Expo had a long lingering death. It was like watching a beloved pet decline, finally unable to get out of its own bed. The last time I went to Indy, it was very sad. I was finished seeing everything I needed to see, and had talked to everyone I had
Can the OEMs Squeeze More Blood from Us?
I see that Kawasaki has a new program called KESE. They want to sell us display items that they believe will make our showrooms look better. And, on the face of it, this is a good idea. Some dealers have showrooms with all the appeal of a sinkhole in Florida; maybe for them it could
Get Rid of the Black Holes in Your Parts Department
For anyone who has even a rudimentary understanding of space science, it’s known that a black hole has such intense gravity, that nothing can escape. This thought came to me when I was visiting a local shop. Behind the parts counter were a couple of those stools suppliers send out that have various logos on
Detail Syndrome
Is it just you, or your employees too? As a shop owner, you’re probably very cognizant of many of the little things around your store. You see all of the little details that many others fail to see. I call this “Detail Syndrome.” How many times have you come to work and as you walk
Let Employees Find Their Way
Be A Leader Not A Dictator [dropcap]I[/dropcap] don’t know about you, but I bought my store from an owner who was ready to get out, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time, working for him. By then, I’d been employed at a half dozen other dealers, and always came
