Salesmanship |
Show Off, By: Bob Zagami About the author:
Bob Zagami is the National Sales Director, Engineering Information Solutions for Image-Max; a single-source, national provider of document management solutions. He studies the RV industry as a hobby and has owned trailers and motorhomes. You can reach Bob at 978-461-2143 or via e-mail (zagami@tiac.net). We have started to get excellent responses to this series of articles via e-mail and telephone. Many readers will send off a comment after each issue hits the street, several dealers have called or written with both positive and negative comments, and I have been able to establish relationships with some industry representatives. I suspect this article may draw more than your average number of responses, and that's not bad. Because I am not working in your industry, I may not have all the background information required to write about this subject, but let's give it a shot and see what happens. As I write this article the RV show season in the Northeast is in full swing. I try to get to most of the New England shows and always hit the big ones in Hartford, Boston, Springfield, Worcester and Providence. The shows never change -- it's the same layout every year, and the unsuspecting consumer would think that there is a prize for the dealer who crams the most stock into the smallest space. I understand that the major investment required to exhibit at trade shows dictates a mentality that screams "how much did we sell today?" It's obvious to anyone who attends these shows on a regular basis that they are indeed "selling shows." I think in many cases this attitude, and market conditions, actually works against the dealer when there is not a show. I'm not sure how the rest of the country handles their RV shows, but I can tell this: there are too many in New England. I can attend a different RV show, within two hours of my home, every weekend from early January to mid-March. Nobody is going to convince me that there is this much business, or customers, in New England. We don't have a "super show," and each area competes with their own local show. It's apparent that many of the dealers believe that the RV consumer won't travel far distances to go to a show. I disagree. Give them the right kind of show and they will come, and bring their friends with them. I can't believe that the New England dealers enjoy spending every weekend at a show, and spending the rest of the week trying to figure out how to get their units from Hartford to Boston (back to back shows) or from Springfield to Worcester (back to back shows). There doesn't appear to be any communication or coordination between the RV dealers and the show promoters. If this is really a problem for the dealers, they can change the environment by simply working together and deciding which shows they will support and which ones they will boycott. The experienced RV buyer knows that the deals are going to be made at the shows, so they probably stay away from the dealer showrooms. There is no sense of urgency to buy at any one particular show, because you will get the same, or better, deal at the show next weekend. Confusion reigns at the show level, and is further compounded by the dealer open-houses that always wind up competing for consumer time with another RV show in the area, or certainly within a short driving distance. Making the situation even more uncomfortable is the way dealers' layout their precious space. At some of these shows it is actually impossible for two people to walk side-by-side down an aisle. In one display the aisle was only wide enough for one person. If somebody was coming the other way, both people had to turn sideways to pass. This particular dealer had about eight to ten units in this aisle, and the only thing the people wanted to do was get out of there and into somebody else's booth that had some breathing room. There must be a better way to handle these situations. Here are a few ideas for your consideration. Multimedia Computers I haven't seen any dealers using the powerful multi-media capabilities of today's computers in their displays. Some dealers will have portables to check stock and desktop computers to communicate in real-time with banks and finance companies. Why not use computers and large screen monitors and TVs to show videos and slide presentations about your dealership? Imagine an area in your booth that would be wide open, have couches for prospects to sit and rest, offer refreshments and have their undivided attention. While they relax, they are watching a video on your computer - projected on a 36" or 48" monitor or TV - showing your dealership, talking about your professional staff, and showing special models back on your lot. The computer would also have the ability to show slide presentations that highlight new and used units with specifications. Manufacturer Videos Most manufacturers now offer videotapes for about $15 in various industry trade and consumer publications. However, you seldom see these videos at the RV shows. Why not set up an area with a TV and VCR that will continually show the manufacturer's video production. Employ the "silent salesman" approach and let the video do the selling in a non-confrontational environment. A quality video can cost $25,000 to $50,000 or more. Why don't more dealers make better use of this valuable investment available from the manufacturers they represent on the show floor? I don't think I've ever seen a dealer actually selling the videos in their booth. Can we assume that a person who would buy the video, would be a better-than-average prospect? Travel Videos Selling the lifestyle, and not the product, will earn you more profit and a satisfied customer. Why not show the end product of their purchase -- the places they can travel to in their new trailer or motorhome. Show videos of national parks, major theme parks, popular vacation destinations, wilderness getaways, and even potential retirement and snowbird locations. Open Display Area "More" does not always mean, "better." Tight displays, lack of room, too many people in small spaces and no room to communicate does not lead to a friendly selling environment. Why not open up the display area, show fewer units, and create an area where people will stay and talk in a non-threatening way without feeling like they have to move on because of the crowds. My argument is that these conditions only give prospects a reason "not to buy" instead of achieving your goal to sell them their next RV. I think you would actually sell more units by creating a better environment that welcomes them and encourages them to stay in your display longer than your competitors. Your argument may be that you are selling the number of units you expect to sell, so why rock the boat and change the way you do business? My argument is that you will sell all of the units you regularly sell and a whole lot more - in a better-displayed exhibit area. Changing Attitudes Too many shows, and not enough space to change the way you do business, all work against changing the attitudes that have created this situation. Reducing the number of shows, and expanding some of them to supershow status, would allow dealers to take more space and use it more effectively to enhance the RV buying experience. I'm sure there are pressures from manufacturers that might seem to make all this impossible, but that's where better communications are required. Dealers and manufacturers must work together to accomplish common objectives to increase RV sales and introduce more prospects to the RV lifestyle. If I'm off base I'll hear from many of you, but if this makes sense I want to hear that also. The more input I get from the magazine's audience, the more we can improve this series to help you improve your sales. Good luck and good selling. RVN
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