If you haven’t noticed by now, we’ve categorized each of our magazines this year to cover
a specific topic that pertains to a dealership’s overall health. In our January/February
issue, we reviewed 2018 and looked at how dealerships could prepare themselves
for the year ahead. Last issue, we looked at various ways to improve your marketing,
including budget setting, email compliance and geofence targeting. This issue, we’re
diving into key ways of increasing your profits through sales techniques.
To kick things off, we’ve asked Bob Clements to shed light on the personal aspects of
sales. In Sales: Building Long-Term Relationships (Page 12), Clements dives into the
five stages dealers should work through in order to keep customers happy and coming
back for more. From the reasons behind initial documentation to planning both before
and after the sales call, this article will provide the theoretical backbone behind your
next sale.
With 89% of consumers preferring to interact via text message rather than a phone
call, we thought Kenect, a company that converts existing landlines into text-capable
services, would be the perfect company to discuss why 89% of consumers prefer texting.
In How Texting Customers Can Increase Business for Trailer Dealers (Page 50), Kenect
explains how texting can increase your sales with customers that are 7x more likely to
respond to a text than a voicemail.
Next, our very own Melanie Bierweiler discusses how NATDA’s Tire and Wheel Road
Hazard Protection Plan can not only increase the profit margin of your dealership, but
provide valuable, reliable security to your customers as they travel down the road. In A
Protection Plan That Provides Safety in Coverage and in Profits (Page 60), Bierweiler
breaks down the benefits for your customers.
Lastly, we’ve got several new exciting things to announce!
• The 2019 NATDA Trailer Buyer’s Guide has officially been released. While you’ll have
a print version at home, don’t forget about the online version if you ever need the
information at your fingertips.
• Join Mark Podeyn on May 30th for the third installment of our 2019 NATDA Dealership
Performance Training Webinar series. You can register at www.natda.org.
• Looking for that perfect team member to add to your dealership? The NATDA Industry
Job Search is a free-to-use tool for NATDA members.
• We’ve officially opened dealer registration for the 2019 NATDA Trade Show & Convention.
Head to www.natda.org/tradeshow or call 727-360-0304 to register today.
We’re incredibly excited about the announcements coming in the next couple months
pertaining to this year’s show. We hope to see you all in St. Louis!
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NATDA Magazine
www.natda.org