Have you ever sat down and figured out exactly how much money you were losing year after year? How about your sector of business as a whole?
Motorcycle dealers, like many retailers, got lazy with their sales process. They filled the store with models and often clerked rather than sold the product.
In addition, many dealers hire enthusiasts as salespeople. That often means they identify with someone’s hard luck story: "I can't buy it, so I understand you can't either." As a result, they sell what is cheap rather than what is best or profitable.
Discounts and price-matching compounded those problems, for many have become a race to unprofitability and the out-of-business sign.
Cheap credit brought people to their showrooms who couldn’t’ pay during the bubble, but the ones who could buy are still there.
What are the sales team's conversion rates of people walking in vs. those that buy? People no longer come to any retailer to dream - they want to buy. Your salespeople must help them do that.
Many still display all the bikes like refrigerators, line after line - it doesn’t spotlight the joy of riding.
New marketing has to include YouTube videos of people enjoying their bikes and dealer events.
Do programs exist to attract women riders or first-timers? Dealers could offer to pay for new riders’ classes in a rebate on their vehicle.
Finally, no matter what product you sell, if you have a bunch of salespeople who continue to bemoan how no one is buying, give them sales training, but if they can’t cut it, replace them - even if its your husband.
You need people without baggage to sell your merchandise.
