RVBusiness, March/April 2019

Fore the Record from page 26 Spader Report from page 24 assuming retail demand stays solid to That would be a 48 decline 23000 units from the 2018 numbers With the dramatic dip in January shipments down nearly 40 for the month and about 12000 units year over year there are certainly indications that a glut of field inventories continues My belief is that Dr Curtins 4445000 shipment estimate for 2019 is much closer to reality an 8 reduction year over year taking into account the daunting January start All things considered it will likely take well into the 2nd quarter maybe longer work out the inventory balance and adjust volumes to real market conditions Each of us must decide for ourselves which path we are on Look at history facts trends and the trusty crystal ball to decide how youre going to play out the hand weve been dealt Like always there will be winners and losers My suggestion Fight for margins at every level and be as agile as you can Lets see a continued stream of new products and features to keep dealers and consumers interested in our products In any event I can assure you these will prove to be interesting days RVB M A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 9 RVBusiness 119 If you think about it we all like an excuse to buy something we want right away Your customers are no different Does your marketing and advertising plan build urgency into every week and every month of the year Does it give your salespeople something affirmative to tell their prospects about why this is the best time to buy It doesnt really matter if it is an anniversary sale the summer kick off sale the end ofschool sale the flag day sale the new construction sale you get the picture Especially in the prime season be sure to always have something happening that rewards the customer for making that purchase decision immediately Make sure your marketing calendar is planned in advance and have the collateral material queued up so that your people your inventory and your facility are branded correctly for the event in progress Nothing is more fun for the customer than to shop at a dealership with that vibe of energy and enthusiasm that comes with a successful promotion They feel it and they feed off of it They see others buying and they want to do the same Conversely nothing bursts that bubble of energy faster than seeing a faded sale tag that has obviously been in a unit for months When you plan your promotions for this summer keep it fresh keep it enthusiastic and keep it organized One final thought as the season starts to warm up Take an afternoon and just walk around your business Try to look at it with the eyes of someone who is visiting for the first time What do you see Clean bathrooms Uniformed employees with obvious good attitudes Organized desks and workstations How about the shop and your accessory store are they clean and well merchandised Is the customer parking area clean and well marked Do your customers have to feed through your store or can they wander around the inventory unassisted Is the inventory clean well organized and level with jacks down We all know what these things should look like but since we are there every day we sometimes stop noticing them stop seeing with the eyes of the customer Take some time right now to make sure that your dealership is as clean and organized as it can be Remember the customers are coming and whether they say it or not they are forming their opinions about you and your business from the minute they pull into your parking lot This year make sure they like what they see RVB