Ike Wilson purchased his fair share of trailers throughout his life . Each time he did so , the overall experience fell flat . It was these repeated experiences that gave Wilson the idea to sell trailers himself . Though not a salesman by trade , Wilson felt you didn ’ t need to “ talk a big game ” if you were willing to treat your customer right . In 2017 , Wilson started I W Trailers and it ’ s been a smooth ride ever since .
“ In the past , I found either the salespeople weren ’ t willing to answer questions , or they didn ’ t have good product knowledge ,” Wilson shares . “ When I decided to open I W Trailers , I knew we needed to treat our customers the way I wanted to be treated .”
It ’ s a simple concept , but it ’ s sometimes the simple things that lead you down a path to success . Wilson ’ s investment in his customers offered a return that gave him a clear advantage when it came to sales .
“ Our customer care is what earns a lot of our sales . Our customers appreciate not feeling ‘ brushed off ’ and having their questions answered .” he explains . “ Customer service is our biggest asset .”
That ‘ asset ’ is the reason I W Trailers cannot keep a trailer on its lot , even in the middle of a pandemic . In fact , Wilson was forced to establish a customer waitlist because inventory demands are so high . Wilson sales have seen record numbers .
“ We slowed down at the start of COVID , but , after the first few weeks , we ’ ve been extremely busy . We can barely keep up ,” says Wilson .
According to Wilson , there are many factors as to why demand is so high for trailers , despite other industries suffering . Along with production slowing at manufacturers , he attributes the inability to vacation and the ever-popular “ honey-do list ” as main motivators . Wilson has had so many customers flood the dealerships with projects to complete that he ’ s had to even turn business away .
“ I have to check myself sometimes . There ’ s a sales side of me saying , ‘ Gosh , I can ’ t believe I ’ m turning away business . These are more trailers I could sell .’ But , overall , production has slowed .”
Wilson says people are spending money , usually reserved for vacations , on trailers . Additionally , with people being stuck at home , there ’ s been increased interest in side-by-sides or recreational trailers vehicles . For those , they need trailers .
From the start , Wilson has aimed to keep customers happy . So , turning them away has not been easy . By anchoring his business on honesty , Wilson knows that those customers will return one day , even if they ’ re left empty-handed for now . Over the years , he ’ s developed three rules for the day-to-day operations of his dealership . It ’ s something he recalls often , especially when demand is at an all-time high . continued on page 30
TYPES OF TRAILERS Car Hauler , Dump , Equipment , Gooseneck , Landscape , Tilt , Truck Beds , Utility
TOP TRAILER BRANDS SOLD Big Tex Trailers CM Truck Beds
4413 Unicoi Dr . Unicoi , TN 37692 423-943-2956 continued on page 18
28 NATDA Magazine www . natda . org