Dealer Success Guide V41

Volume 41

TRUST MATTERS:

Five Ways to Create Lasting Relationships Page 12

GETTING A LIFT

with Lithium Batteries

A SUPPLEMENT TO

GIP_DSG_01_cover CM.indd 1

Liffco Power Equipment offers a full line of Greenworks lithium battery-powered equipment as resident demand for gas-free landscaping machinery increases.

Page 4

9/25/18 11:02 AM

"WHEN MACHINES RUN BETTER, TEAM MORALE GETS BETTER." — KE VIN, OPER ATIONS M ANAGER, ARTEK A OUTDOOR SERVICES

The day just runs more smoothly when you’ve got a dependable engine.

Kawasaki EFI engines are engineered for your most demanding work, letting you handle tough conditions and high workloads effectively. Quick starts, steady performance, satisfied people. That’s the power of EFI. WWW.KAWASAKIENGINESUSA.COM Visit www.greenindustrypros.com/10155851 G I E + E X P O B O O T H # 1 0 6 4 | O U T D O O R B O O T H # 74 2 2 D

GIP_DSG_02-03_TOC CM.indd 2

9/25/18 3:34 PM

Volume 41 – September/October 2018

Cc o n t e n t s

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

SEE YOU AT

GIE+EXPO

I

t’s that time again—the Green Industry & Equipment Expo, fondly referred to as GIE+EXPO— except it’s bigger and more targeted to you than ever. More Carrie Mantey than 24,000 attendees are projected cmantey@acbusinessmedia.com to be in Louisville for the annual event. Not only is the show tracking 12 percent ahead of last year as of press time, but more specifically, more of you are going than ever, with the servicing dealer registration category up 12 percent. It’s predicted that about 1,000 new booths are showcasing their wares, with 18 percent being entirely new exhibitors.

This year, the event that is sponsored by the National Association of Landscape Professionals, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and Professional Grounds Management Society is trying out a new format for you, primarily adding a show floor preview on the first day exclusively for dealers, retailers and distributors. This is your chance to preview new equipment before the throngs of landscaper pros descend upon the Kentucky Exposition Center.

No worries, though, there’s still going to be plenty of time to network and rub elbows with fellow dealers, power sports retailers, landscape and general contractors, media (like myself) and more. According to show management, you also have the following to look forward to: • 850 exhibits that cover 500,000 square feet inside the Kentucky Exposition Center and in the turf area outside.

• More than 20 acres of outdoor demonstrations and test driving adjacent to the indoor exhibits.

• More new product introductions than ever, with over 120 products in the New Products Spotlight and 21 exhibitors hosting press conferences.

• Educational and networking opportunities to boost your Warren Sellers, GIE+EXPO efficiency and bottom line.

“Every indication points to the 2018 show being bigger than ever on all fronts,” says Warren Sellers, show director.

“Participation from all segments of the industry is going strong. Add to that the synergy that’s being generated by the new Wednesday format, as well as exhibitors who are stepping up participation on the show floor—both indoors and out—and this is shaping up to be our best event yet.”

The next GIE+EXPO 2019 will run from October 16 through 18, 2019, in Louisville. It’ll be interesting to see what the show organizers do for dealers next year based off of feedback from this year. Can’t wait to see you there!

“Every indication points to the 2018 show being bigger than ever on all fronts.”

4 IN THIS ISSUE

4 Getting a Lift with Lithium Batteries

Liffco Power Equipment offers a full line of Greenworks lithium battery-powered equipment as resident demand for gas-free landscaping machinery increases.

8 Eight Search Engine

Optimization Tips to Maximize your Online Marketing Return

Dealers should consider implementing changes to their digital presence to make it easier for their customers to find them.

12 Trust Matters: Five Ways to

Create Lasting Relationships

Building quality customer relationships includes prioritizing the relationship with your customer over the sale.

14 Dealer Stock

14

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_02-03_TOC CM.indd 3

3

9/25/18 3:34 PM

Dealer Profile

By Angie Mellor

Getting a Lift with

LITHIUM

BATTERIES Liffco Power Equipment offers a full line of Greenworks lithium battery-powered equipment as resident demand for gasfree landscaping machinery increases.

G

oing green in the green industry can mean many things, whether it’s organic lawn care and weed control, or more efficient and effective irrigation systems. But until the Green Industry & Equipment Expo (GIE+EXPO) of 2016, it didn’t include battery-operated commercial lawn equipment.

Then, this year, Greenworks Tools introduced its Lithium Z zero-turn ride- and stand-on commercial mowers, with a zero-turn radius, zero gas and zero emissions, at select equipment dealerships. Liffco Power Equipment is one such dealership to feature the full lineup of Greenworks’ Lithium Z machinery.

A fourth-generation family-owned business, Liffco likes to stay aware of changing trends. The company was founded in 1919 as a seed and fertilizer distributor, but according to its owner, Darryl Murray, after World War II, the demographic of Long Island shifted from farmland to residential properties, and as such, Liffco began distributing and selling mowers to returning war veterans.

4

“As the landscape of Long Island changed, so did our business and the machines we sold,” Murray says.

“Now we have a large base of commercial landscapers, municipalities, private organizations and hundreds of homeowners that we deal with on a yearly basis.”

Since its incorporation in 1946, Liffco has boasted exceptional customer service. “What I like to tell customers,” Murray says, “is ‘give us a chance to earn your business.’ Not every dealership operates like that.

We want to welcome people into our store to see, feel and touch all of the equipment. Our showroom is extensive, with at least one of every model on display.”

ship or box store is a personalized experience for every customer,” Murray mentions.

Furthermore, Liffco stakes its reputation on reliability. “We pride ourselves on being there for our clients,” Murray states. “We want our

“What I like to tell customers is ‘give us a chance to earn your business.’”

Darryl Murray, Liffco Power Equipment

One way Liffco earns the business of its customers is by prioritizing the needs of each individual client.

“What we offer over another dealer-

customers to know that they can rely on us when they are in a jam to get their unit repaired and back to them in a fast and economical manner.”

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_04-07_DealerProfile CM.indd 4

9/25/18 3:32 PM

Dealer Profile

tain their equipment and prevent problems before more extensive services are needed. The company’s customer education also extends to finding ways to help patrons become more profitable by informing them of deals and discounts, and products that can best serve their businesses.

A potential ban on gas blowers in Liffco’s region opened the door for Greenworks to fill landscapers’ need for battery-operated equipment.

effort to accommodate customers in a variety of ways. For example, one of his most utilized services is pickup and delivery, a practice in which Liffco drivers go directly to a jobsite to deliver a piece of new or repaired equipment, or pick up equipment needing service.

According to Murray, this service is appealing to customers who might not have time between jobs or not be able to get into the shop during regular business hours. “It’s great because it keeps our drivers busy and gets the unit in as soon as possible, so our techs get the unit repaired and back on the road again,” he says.

“If our customers are profitable, then we are profitable because, without our customers, we are nothing.”

Liffco also makes every effort to provide equipment lines that best serve its customers. Murray says Toro offers some of his favorite commercial equipment, including walkbehind and ride-on mowers, and turf renovation and snow removal equipment. The company carries STIHL, ECHO and RedMax as well.

Unleashing the Power of Battery Whether servicing a commercial operation or an individual homeowner, Liffco doesn’t discriminate. According to Murray, “Part of what we do is offer complete service, from the smallest landscaper to the largest landscaper, from the novice homeowner to the guy who has owned his home for 40 years.”

Prioritizing Customer Education and Customer Service Liffco employees are familiar with the equipment they sell, and can advise customers how to main-

For example, mulching tools are a big seller since approximately 75 percent of the equipment sold includes a mulching kit. Murray highlights the benefits for customers by saying: “The average landscaper in our market spends thousands on dumping fees every month. With mulching, a customer can return the organic material back into the lawn and avoid taking away garbage that costs them to dispose of. Bang—instant profit.”

Murray believes that customer education and good customer service is essential to sustain and grow a business, and therefore, he makes every

Being so in touch with customer preferences allows Murray to stay on trend with environmentally friendly changes in equipment lines. He notes, “In our area, which is densely populated and on the outskirts of New York City, we have seen a push toward battery-operated equipment for some time. Our towns and counties try to follow the mandates for New York City.”

For example, Murray’s area is attempting to ban gas blowers and, though he is on a committee that is fighting this law and hoping for only a summer ban for three months, he also acknowledges the changing climate and is prepared to adapt. “This has opened the door for a company

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_04-07_DealerProfile CM.indd 5

5

9/25/18 3:32 PM

Dealer Profile

like Greenworks to fill the need for equipment during these months. Our customers are working on such tight time constraints and tight margins that to have a worker push a broom [in place of a gas blower] would just not be cost-effective.”

Greenworks currently offers three models of battery-powered blowers, each of which allows customers to select the battery capacity and thus the runtime. Murray feels that adding the Greenworks line to Liffco was a no-brainer. “It was easy to align ourselves with Greenworks because the company offers a full line of equipment—not just handheld, but also ride-on products. Ride-on mowers are efficiency incarnate in this industry, and with our customers, it is all about efficiency.”

While the initial cost of batteryoperated ride-on mowers is not

property owners that are telling us what they want in these situations.”

And what property owners and residents want are gas-alternative options. Tony Marchese, the director of independent retail for Greenworks North America, recalls introducing the eagerly awaited battery-operated prototypes at GIE+EXPO 2017. “Attendees saw and experienced models that were late-stage prototypes, and every moment since then, our efforts have been spent on tweaking and perfecting these machines. We have field-tested them with some of the biggest pro landscaping companies in the country this spring and, without exception, they have received rave reviews as true gas alternatives.”

“My favorite feature of the Greenworks equipment is the entire lineup.”

Darryl Murray, Liffco Power Equipment

feasible for some landscape contractors, they require less maintenance and downtime. For example, batterypowered equipment doesn’t require engine tune-ups, belts, pulleys or fuel. Murray adds that the savings on fuel is a great motivator.

“According to Greenworks, the fuel spent on this equipment over three years would equal the cost of buying one of these units. Some customers see the value in that,” he says.

Some customers who see that value are municipalities and private residential developments where green equipment use is mandated. “For example, we have a housing complex in New York City where the residents mandated to the management company that the maintenance workers can no longer use gas blowers, weed whackers or hedge trimmers,” Murray relays. “It’s really coming down to the 6

The Greenworks Commercial 82-volt GZ 60R ride-on mower has a 60inch steel deck, electronic height adjustment, 13-inch front tires and 23-inch rear tires for stability on rough terrain, and 4.5 to 5 hours of cutting time per charge.

In contrast, the Greenworks 82-volt GZ 488 stand-on mower features blade speeds from 2,800 to 3,600 RPMs, a 48-inch steel deck, 6 hours of cutting time per charge and 18 different cutting height positions. Marchese also notes, “Each model delivers long-lasting power, commercial-grade durability and maximum safety features, as well electromagnetic parking brakes for added safety, a 90-day blade warranty, two-year or 500-hour frame warranty, and three-year battery and motor warranty.”

While these Greenworks mowers

The Greenworks 82-volt GZ 60R ride-on mower boasts 4.5 to 5 hours of cutting time per charge.

have a variety of features to admire, Murray says he can’t pick just one. “My favorite feature of the Greenworks equipment is the entire lineup. It truly is a complete line that offers multiple SKUs in different categories. The 82-volt line has great power and is able to accommodate a number of different pieces of equipment.”

Murray previously mentioned that Liffco was nothing without its customers and, true to that statement, the company continues to raise the bar on customer education for new offerings such as Greenworks by informing customers about how many lithium batteries they may need to get their crew through an entire day with little downtime.

Murray believes that arming his clients with the knowledge and equipment to meet the changing demands of residential and commercial property owners is the first step to educate his audience, some of whom may be reluctant to change. “Many people are set in the same ways from 20 to 30 years ago,” he says. “Our biggest problem in the market has and always will be educating clients on how they can improve their profits or become more efficient.” But with the Greenworks battery-powered line to lift its profits, LIFFCO continues to carry on its mission of quality customer service and education.

Angie Mellor teaches communications and writing classes at Western Technical College in La Crosse, Wisconsin, while freelance writing and editing.

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_04-07_DealerProfile CM.indd 6

9/25/18 3:32 PM

MAKE YOUR NAME MEAN MORE. MORE LEADS. MORE REFERRALS. MORE SALES.

GROW YOUR REPUTATION WITH CONTRACTORS

BY OFFERING PROPANE EQUIPMENT. In an industry where your name means everything, you need to stand out from the competition. Adding propane equipment to your show room gives contractors a new solution for saving more while cutting their emissions — and leads to better business for you. With resources like Propane Equipment Dealer Point, a dealer search tool for contractors, you’ll be sure customers know where to find you. Go online to learn how to get started with propane mower sales today.

PROPANE.COM/MOWER-DEALER

Visit www.greenindustrypros.com/10723235

GIP_DSG_04-07_DealerProfile CM.indd 7

9/25/18 3:32 PM

Digital Dealing

By Ken Gibson

8

Search Engine Optimization Tips

to Maximize your Online Marketing Return Dealers should consider implementing changes to their digital presence to make it easier for their customers to find them.

S

ince the work they do mostly involves the outdoors, it is not too surprising that some outdoor power equipment (OPE) dealers are, unfortunately, less than savvy when it comes to streamlining their digital presence to achieve optimal results. Search engine optimization (SEO) and web analytics may seem like complicated issues, and to some extent they are, but pretty soon you can be ready to use both to boost your profits.

This article is for OPE dealer managers, as well as other important staff members, who want to make sure that potential new customers have no problem finding information about their organization online. The article is also going to explain how you can use web analytics to make powerful insights that can help your business grow.

Obviously not as much as the 8

amount that goes into landscaping, but a not unnoticeable amount of physical labor goes into SEO, a term that refers to implementing changes to your organization’s digital presence in such a way that your organization’s chances for being ranked prominently—when a person enters a specific query—get maximized.

1. Make Sure Information Is Correct

sibly catch, on your organization’s website even once hurts its chance of claiming the number one rank.

Customers don’t care whether you sometimes add “Equip” to the end of your name or sometimes “Equipment,” but for the sake of minimizing index discrepancies, search engines very much prefer that you make a choice and stick with it.

2. Add Keywords

The second thing you should do that is good for SEO is add lots of It is crucial to keywords to your organization’s make sure that all website in combination with lanof the information guage that connects the keywords to about the organization contained on your organization. Do not take this your website is correct since search to mean you should copy and paste engine algorithms use that informa“leaf blowers,” “string trimmers” and tion (along with other “lawn mowers” several things) to determine hundred times. That Elements for your rank, which strategy backfires, as Good SEO means that a considerwhen search engine • Correct and consistent able amount of typing, algorithms recognize information clicking a mouse and pages doing that and • A comprehensible staring at a computer automatically dock website structure screen needs to get their rank.

• A blog done.

Instead keywords • Image tags Spellcheck can—and must reside in sentencwill—save you most of es that express their • Links to quality websites related to the time, but search semantic connection your product engines prize consisto your brand. For in• Backlinks from quality tency over everything stance, “Jeff’s Outdoor websites else and having a Power Equipment sells • Social media key piece of informaoutdoor power equip• Positive reviews tion that was entered ment” would signal to wrong, in a way that a search engine that Credit: Black Ink Technologies spellcheck can’t posJeff’s OPE should show

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_08-11_SEOtips CM.indd 8

9/26/18 1:10 PM

Digital Dealing

Blog posts don’t have to be Shakespearean in terms of the quality of writing, but they do have to be original. up when a user types in “outdoor power equipment.”

You should also semantically connect your organization to the products that it sells on the Internet in places other than your organization’s website. Doing so gives search engines a larger and more diverse pool of information to work with, which increases the likelihood that their algorithm ranks you highly. If you don’t have social media accounts tied to the dealership as of yet, you should create some and start posting content related to OPE. Because where your company is Organization X and one of the products you sell is Product Y, the more webpages that a search engine can find saying Organization X sells Product Y, the better. A greater volume and variety of places on the Internet accurately describing the dealer makes search engines more likely to rank you highly, and social media is a free tool that you can use to increase that. Plus, social media has the added benefit of providing a new channel through which customers can find out about you.

3. Start a Blog One step further would be to start writing a blog. Search engines want to make their users happy by ranking the webpages that have the most relevant and valuable content (as it relates to their

queries) the highest. Hosting a blog that is dedicated to discussing OPErelated topics on your website would give you the opportunity to build a content library, which would provide search engines with more concrete examples of the purpose and scope of your website.

Blog posts don’t have to be Shakespearean in terms of the quality of writing, but they do have to be original. Search engines have the same policy on plagiarism as school teachers do—they significantly lower your grade if they catch you stealing other people’s words.

Links to your organization’s website on websites other than your organization’s website are called backlinks.

These are valuable to have in terms of SEO because they are indicators that people trust your website to be hosting good content. Otherwise, they wouldn’t link to it. If someone ever asks to write an article about your organization, make sure to request a link to your website in the article.

5. Accumulate Positive Reviews Reviews for your store affect whether you

HTML & Tags

4. Pay Attention to Links Starting a blog would also give you the opportunity to add to the amount of links to other websites that your website has.

When you are writing a blog, include hyperlinks to webpages that have useful OPE-related information.

Hosting links to other webpages that have to do with the product that you sell helps your webpages be seen by search engines as being potentially useful for users making certain queries. It goes without saying, don’t link to your competitors’ websites.

outrank your competition in search engine results. This is especially true at a local level. When people search for “OPE dealer Nashville Tennessee,” for example, depending on the search engine they use, it generally offers a list of OPE dealers in and around Nashville, along with a map showing where they all are.

The order of that list is determined, in part, by the reviews that people have written for the establishments.

6. Have a Structure in Place

Beyond having correct information, social media, links, backlinks and positive reviews, it is important for your

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_08-11_SEOtips CM.indd 9

9

9/26/18 1:10 PM

Digital Dealing

organization’s website to have a hierarchical structure that search engines find easy to navigate.

Search engines utilize web crawlers, or programs that automatically search the web, to determine what the results are going to be when a user makes any particular query.

Web crawlers look for indicators such as page titles, subtitles, strings of characters in the URL and metadata while they are seeking certain pieces of information, similar to how customers look for signs above aisles when they search for items in your store. You should make the structure for your website easy to follow—for both humans and machines.

Metadata is data about data and it is another thing that search engine algorithms factor in when they determine your rank. With HTML code, the programming language that is used to display most of the webpages that are on the Internet, content producers can include tags (keywords) that describe the individual images you are putting on your website. Since it is hard for a computer to look at something and tell if it’s a lawn mower, it helps, in SEO terms, to include tags for the images on your website in the code for your webpages. When you are adding tags for images, you should add your organization’s name as one to make a connection between it and the product you sell.

7. Diversify Refrain from putting all your eggs in one basket. In other words, do not position your digital presence to make it so that your website is likely to rank very highly for one query— instead make it so that it is likely to rank somewhat highly for many searches. These can be queries such as the product you sell, accessories 10

for the product you sell and servicing for the product you sell, just to name a few.

8. Take Advantage of Web Analytics

Web analytics is a school of data science that focuses on statistical inferences that can be made by looking at web traffic data. Certain services offer tracking solutions that, once tied into your website, can give you details about the people who visit it.

Insights that can be made through web analytics can help your organization better its SEO and sell more product.

For example, it can tell you where on the Internet visitors come to your website from. Having this information lets you know what is working in terms of getting people to come to your website.

Web analytics can also tell you whether people are viewing your website on a desktop or a mobile device, which lets you know which type of device you should optimize your website’s content for.

You can use web analytics to run A/B tests. An example of an A/B test is when you have your top banner display an image of your showroom for an A group of visitors, whereas for a B group of visitors, you have your top banner display a mission statement. Then you can compare which group of visitors stayed on your site the longest.

Another way web analytics can

Web Analytics Can Tell You • How many people visit your website • How long people spend on your website • What pages on your website people visit the most • Where on the Internet people are coming to your website from • What the demographics are for people visiting your website • What devices people view your website on Credit: Black Ink Technologies

be used to conduct A/B tests to strengthen your marketing efforts is to combine it with email campaigns.

Say you sent out a thousand emails with “low prices” in the subject line and a thousand emails with “quality service” in the subject line, and the two email templates contained a different link for your website. Then you can compare the effectiveness of the two email campaigns by comparing how many people visited each link.

Web analytics tools are mostly automated, whereas SEO is an almost entirely manual. Search engines recognize and penalize webpages that have computer-generated text, so you have to write it personally, and it is safer to check that your information is all correct yourself rather than trust spellcheck to accomplish it.

You must, however, discover useful web analytics insights and act on them for your investment in the technology to pay off.

You should treat your digital presence and your physical store more or less the same, meaning both should be easy for customers to find, peruse and interact with.

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_08-11_SEOtips CM.indd 10

9/26/18 1:10 PM

Digital Dealing

Treat search engines like you do customers.

After all, they are shopping in a way, too.

You should treat your digital presence and your physical store more or less the same, meaning both should be easy for customers to find, peruse and interact with. Search engine algorithms are like shoppers: Shoppers want an establishment where everything is easy to find and search engines want the same exact thing from your website. Furthermore, shoppers are upset

when price tags are wrong, just as misspelled information causes search engine algorithms to lower your rankings.

Treat search engines like you do customers. After all, they are shop-

ping in a way, too. Their goal is to find websites that their users find useful and the price they pay is the uncertainty that their users indeed find them useful. Therefore, you should make it as easy as possible for them to find your website and make your website’s purpose as intuitive to read as possible. That way, they are more likely to buy it.

Ken Gibson is a data analyst at Black Ink Technologies, which offers a software-as-a-service platform to provide more visibility across the entire supply chain—from manufacturing to distribution to territory management to dealers to the local marketplace. Black Ink combines customer relationship management, business intelligence, geo-mapping, data management, industry-specific data and pre-built library of statistical models in one easy-to-use platform to help accelerate customer acquisition and customer relationship management— helping the original equipment manufacturer, distributor and dealer grow. For more information, please visit www.blackinktech.com, and connect with @BlackInk_Tech on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Do more. Go further.

™

There’s no off-season for your business so why should there be for your mower? Altoz gives you year-round productivity, performance and an excellent return on investment with the industry’s most dynamic equipment. Go online or call today and see how you can do more and go further with Altoz.

Dealership opportunities available in select locations.

Engineered and made in the USA Altoz.com / 855-782-5869 ©2018 Altoz / GIP18-01

Visit www.greenindustrypros.com/11210794 GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_08-11_SEOtips CM.indd 11

11

9/26/18 1:10 PM

Wheeling & Dealing

By James Little

TRUST MATTERS: Five Ways to Create Lasting Relationships Building quality customer relationships includes prioritizing the relationship with your customer over the sale.

R

elationships are everything.

As I travel across the U.S., dealers tell me they see the value of strong relationships. In short, those relationships can lead to job opportunities, business partnerships and—even better—loyal customers.

The fact is that we work in a people business. What’s more is we work in a people business where big decisions and big bucks are often in play. And folks look to dealers for guidance and reassurance. They want to know their dealer is knowledgeable and trustworthy, and has their best interests at heart.

During my tenure with KIOTI Tractor—first as a dealer and now as the company’s dealer development manager—I’ve had the opportunity to hear from dealers on how they build relationships with customers, including what works and what doesn’t. As I help them build and expand their businesses, I’m always sure to share five key tips on building lasting customer relationships. They’re simple, but a meaningful effort that always pays off in the long run.

12

1 Community Comes First, Sales Second While the bottom line is certainly important, don’t let it be your sole focus. Think bigger. Understand that there’s so much more to what we do than just a quick sale.

You located your dealership where you did for a reason. Maybe you lived in that community your whole life. Maybe you’re starting fresh. It might be somewhere in between. No matter the case, immerse yourself in your community.

Don’t hide in the dealership. Get out and engage. Attend city and county functions, go to all types of community gatherings, and volunteer the use of your equipment at big events like festivals and fairs. Get involved with local charities and philanthropies. The key is to show you’re supportive and genuinely invested in the local community.

And, from a business standpoint, it doesn’t hurt to be visible in the community, whether it’s your personal involvement, product donation or advertising for your business. Look for thoughtful ways to insert your dealership into the fabric of the community—with a booth at a festival, a sponsorship of a local sports team or on a billboard next to the local park.

2 Treat the Customer Like a Friend Future (or lifelong) customers arrive at your dealership. What now? Treat them like friends and not only as a sale. Ask questions that allow you to get to know them and let them ask some back.

Here are a few other things I’ve found particularly helpful to start building customer trust: • Focus on their needs instead of on what you want to sell. Make it evident you have their best interests in mind. Ask questions about their land and anticipated equipment needs to get a better understanding of what they’re looking for.

• Know that sometimes what they’re looking for is not actually what is best suited for their needs. Hear them out, and thoughtfully walk through the benefits and functionality of each product.

• Make them comfortable by talking about what is important to them.

This could be family, kids, the weather, sports or community issues.

• Provide a test drive if possible at your dealership. Allow them to let loose and get a feel for the equipment. If acceptable, you might even let them test drive the equipment on their own property.

Either way, be mindful of customers’ comfort levels and then address the relationship appropriately. Build a friendship and the trust follows.

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_12-13_TrustMatters CM.indd 12

9/25/18 11:10 AM

Wheeling & Dealing

3 Share your Passion, but Know the Facts There’s a reason you do what you do. You love equipment. Your passion is tied to working the land. You dig dirt.

Your customer wants to share that passion with you. Tell them why you do what you do and how you got your start.

The more people feel your passion, the more they may gravitate toward it.

Once you connect with them over your shared passion, folks also want to know that you are knowledgeable about the products you offer. Walk through each product, and highlight the functions and benefits. Draw on earlier conversations about customers’ wants, needs and desires to inform this discussion. Oftentimes people want to understand how one brand compares to another and which one may better suit their needs.

Don’t forget to provide all the nitty-gritty details—like lift capacities, weights and even warranties. In addition to sharing details on the products, make sure they know all your dealership has to offer—expertise, service capabilities, product offerings and more. Being upfront with everything allows the customer to feel supported and confident in their decision.

Your passion is tied to working the land. You dig dirt. Your customer wants to share that passion with you ...

The more people feel your passion, the more they may gravitate toward it.

4 Go the Extra Mile

In any strong relationship, a willingness to go the extra mile for one another shows how much you care. The same is true here. Go out of your way to give additional help so your customers feel confident in their decision to work with you and are pleased with the ultimate purchase. It’s a big decision.

How can you do that? Offer a personal visit while they’re still in the decision phase. Help them think through the ways they may use the product, how often they may need maintenance assistance and more.

Connect them to another customer who purchased similar equipment to aid in the decision-making process and then get out of the way. Sometimes your customers are your best salespeople.

And remember these big decisions are often not a one-person job; they’re a family decision. Your customer’s spouse may have a different idea in mind on the price point, or another operator who may also use the equipment may have thoughts on comfort and maintenance.

Involve everyone and ask questions about what each person’s priorities are. Then support them as they choose the equipment that suits everyone’s needs.

5 Don’t Drop Customers after the Sale Probably one of the most important things you can do to gain trust and secure a lasting relationship with new customers is simple, but often overlooked.

Follow up and do it often: • Give them a call (not an email) in the weeks following the purchase to check in and make sure the equipment’s working properly. If not, send someone out to them.

• Set a maintenance schedule for each new customer.

Track that schedule, and proactively touch base in the days prior to needed oil changes, regular tune-ups and winterization.

• Celebrate alongside them.

Send a birthday or anniversary card. It’s the little things that make a big difference.

• Make sure the trust and relationship carry through into the parts and service department. You invested time into the relationship, so make sure your dealership colleagues continue to do the same.

Everyone has their own way of building relationships and that’s a good thing. As a dealer, what’s important is that you’re prioritizing the relationship with your customer over the sale. Trust matters.

Let’s keep it that way.

James Little is a former KIOTI Tractor dealer who joined the KIOTI team as its dealer development manager.

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_12-13_TrustMatters CM.indd 13

13

9/25/18 11:10 AM

Dealer Stock

Earthquake Shakes Things up by Converting Rototiller into Nimble Cultivator

The Application of Viscous Slurry in a Hurry SWX Global introduces its APEX XA 1200 applicator for the viscous slurries required in hydroseeding and environmental spray applications. Deigned to maximize productivity and minimize downtime, the XA further features: • A capacity of 1,200 gallons.

• A stainless steel mixing tank.

• Two variable-speed hydraulically driven agitators and a vortex slurry pump to ensure the entire tank empties—even with viscous slurries. www.greenindustrypros.com/12427978

Earthquake recently unveiled the VERSA, a two-in-one garden tool that transforms from a rototiller to an 11-inch cultivator with the simple tool-less removal of its outer tines and shields. The company says the 21-inch front-tine tiller also offers: • An energy-efficient Viper 99cc engine that provides plenty of power, while saving gas and reducing operating costs.

• A low center of gravity for ground-hugging stability and control.

• A tight profile that allows it to pivot and change direction within its own footprint.

• Tufflex poly side shields designed to direct churned soil downward.

• A bronze gear drive transmission arranged horizontally instead of vertically.

• A five-year limited warranty.

GIE+EXPO Booth #4030 www.greenindustrypros.com/12413347

Ideal for Extended Drilling Depths Little Beaver designed its D-Series augers with a secure drive pin connection, allowing operators to drill deeper than 15 feet. Suitable for extended drilling depths, according to the company, its D Series auger additionally delivers: • Diameters that range from 4 to 18 inches.

• Availability in 36-, 48- and 60-inch lengths with standard tips and blades, carbide blades or heavy-duty tips.

• The capability to drill down to 100 feet with auger extensions.

• Easy exchange of the tips and blades to accommodate varying soil types, permitting the operator to quickly switch on the jobsite.

• One-man operation and optimal portability thanks to a 26-inchwide profile that fits through gates and doorways to access areas unavailable to truck-mounted units.

• A hydraulic power source that achieves as much as 690 poundfeet of drilling torque for fast and efficient drilling.

• Sturdy solid-top construction that weighs half of competitive augers of the same size, making transportation—on and off the jobsite—easier for the operator.

• Simple connection to the drill with a drive pin. www.greenindustrypros.com/12429219

14

The Power of a Ride-on Trencher with the Control of a Walk-Behind Toro says its TRX dedicated walk-behind trencher balances power and maneuverability, so it’s ideal for those looking for the power of a ride-on trencher with the maneuverability and control of a walk-behind. The TRX comes equipped with: • Zero-turn capability and heavy-duty tracks.

• A low center of gravity to maximize stability on hills and slopes.

• A pivoting trencher head to provide high ground clearance during transport.

• Availability of three models—the TRX-16 powered by a 16-HP Kawasaki twin-cylinder engine, the TRX-20 with a 20-HP engine and the TRX-26 with a 26-HP engine to handle the most challenging trenching applications.

GIE+EXPO Booth #7148 www.greenindustrypros.com/12428302

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_14-16_ProductInfo CM.indd 14

9/25/18 11:18 AM

Dealer Stock

High-Velocity Output Makes Cleanup a Breeze Brave recently launched its BRPB160H walkbehind blower with a high-velocity output to make cleanup a breeze. Other features include: • Adjustable and reversible handles to accommodate a variety of users.

Trencher Comes with a Cut as Deep as 28 Inches

• Reduced hand and arm fatigue due to rubber vibration mounted handles.

Steiner says its trencher attachment can boost your landscaping efforts with power and precision. The attachment boasts:

• A rugged design. www.greenindustrypros.com/12421468

• A convenient depth indicator gauge, so you’re always in control without having to leave the operator seat.

• A cut as deep as 28 inches.

• A standard cutting width of 5-1/2 inches, but the flexibility to also dig as narrow as 4-3/4 inches.

• A precise width and depth that make it suitable for installing lighting, irrigation or pet fences, or aiding in other landscape renovation projects.

• A 550 foot-per-minute chain speed.

• The power to handle the toughest terrain with ease.

GIE+EXPO Booth #3052 and A7 www.greenindustrypros.com/12429150

One Bad Ax Disc Mulcher Attachment Loftness recently launched its Bad Ax disc mulcher attachment for skid steers with a fully machined 60-inch-diameter disc designed to cut trees up to 14 inches in diameter. The Bad Ax also grants: • The ability to cut material into finer particles due to recutter bars, along with counter teeth, that hold the material in place while it is being mulched.

• A hydraulic motor that directly drives the disc to apply 100 percent of the power to the job and eliminate the need to maintain belts.

Reinvented Broom Makes Short Work of Tall Jobs The One Pass Floor Blade effectively collects debris and fluids in one easy pass, while further providing:

• A rigid discharge deflector and angled recutter bar for more control of material discharge than hinged deflectors.

• A design that’s durable enough to use on concrete and gentle enough for custom painted surfaces.

• Ultra-sharp, heat-treated steel Quadco blades to slice through vegetation as opposed to shredding and tearing material.

• A silicone blade that wipes clean and stands up to chemicals and fertilizers.

• The flexibility to sharpen or rotate blades on site to keep a fresh cutting edge and maintain machine efficiency.

• Suitability for wet and dry lawn and garden tasks, including grass, fertilizer, mud and more.

• A polyurethane coupler with optimal vibration dampening.

• A silicone Y-blade edge that conforms to surface irregularities and can be used in temperature extremes.

• The avoidance of log jams in the chamber.

• Availability of two hydraulic motors, including a fixed-displacement gear motor and an adjustable-displacement piston motor. www.greenindustrypros.com/12429226

• The capability to quickly dry any surface for safety and cleanliness.

• An extending powder-coated pole that reaches up to 75 inches. www.greenindustrypros.com/12429231

GREEN INDUSTRY PROS DEALER SUCCESS GUIDE ■ VOLUME 41

GIP_DSG_14-16_ProductInfo CM.indd 15

15

9/25/18 11:19 AM

Tighter turns and cleaner cuts, realized.

Fulfilling customers’ ambitions moves you closer to yours.

You want to be the one that equips them to take their business to the next lawn, and the next level. Our promotional financing, tools and technologies make it easy to offer customers more purchasing power.

They’ll also help you increase store traffic, raise average transaction size and build repeat business. Just right for your future.

Find out how we can help you realize your ambitions.

Visit synchronybusiness.com/OPE or call us at 844-406-3294.

Credit extended by Synchrony Bank. ©2018 All Rights Reserved.

What are you working forward to?

Visit www.greenindustrypros.com/10853329

GIP_DSG_14-16_ProductInfo CM.indd 16

9/25/18 11:19 AM