Whether you are a large dealership with
multiple stores or a smaller trailer
company with just a few employees,
have you really thought about
what your company can
do better during an
unexpected slow period
or “downtime” in your
sales year?
Your company has invested
countless hours and money
training your salespeople to
be well equipped and excited.
Your marketing and advertising
campaigns have worked well in the
past and are fully budgeted for 2018. Your
current sales are great. You know what I’m
talking about and have experienced these slower
or sales downtimes, haven’t you?
Often it happens during the summer months when families
with school age children go on vacation. Or if you live in
northern geographical areas like I do, my customers want to
be active outdoors because of the warm weather. Another is
during weeks when a major holiday occurs, as people are busy
with travel and activity plans, preparing food, buying gifts or
simply just don’t have the time nor desire to return a salesman’s
follow-up call, email or set an appointment reviewing new trailer
quote specs and options within. Or it just happens unexpectedly,
and we simply ask ourselves again, why have our sales numbers
dropped?
So how do you handle it? Do you panic with an ill-advised,
expensive marketing gimmick or sales fad stating, “we must
quickly do something.” Do you ask to see a couple of your
lower achieving salespeople in your office and give them pink
slips? While you may justify the
above at times, what are some
creative ideas or tasks you can
implement in your local dealership when your sales activity and
numbers slump?
With over 40 years of successful experience in sales, marketing,
media, business development, management consultant and
business owner, I would encourage you as owners or Sales
Directors to use it as an opportunity to reinforce your
dealership’s core branding message. This message should be
consistent, bold, confidant and repeated often throughout your
business with a “Winning Attitude.” It should reflect the driving
force in creating lifelong, loyal customers.
Another would be to encourage your people with a sales
contest for the next two - three weeks, providing the winner a
great prize that is achievable for all to attain.
If your dealership has the additional capabilities of providing
repairs, parts and service, offer a two-week special developing
More trailer news on page 46
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