In
By Glenn Hansen
IS THE TENSION REAL ? WHAT CAN BE DONE ?
“ the past , manufacturers relied on independent power equipment dealers to deliver messages . If you can convince the dealer channel about your products , they will talk to and convince customers ,” said Carlos Haddad , vice president and general manager of Husqvarna ’ s North American professional business unit . “ Then along comes social media , and the messaging power of manufacturers increased directly to consumers .” Haddad said this mirrors the change made by U . S . politicians who used to rely on journalists to broadcast their messages . Then the 2008 presidential election happened , and social media became the direct-to-consumer opportunity . Today , like voters , shoppers begin their product research online and communicate directly with brands .
“ Manufacturers want to be in control of messaging to consumers ,” said Haddad , “ but so do dealers . Both want to be in the driver ’ s seat of consumer communication . This has caused tension .”
“ We still need to communicate with dealers ,” he added , “ while we communicate directly with customers who no longer begin their research in store .”
Communication Triangle I started the research for this topic assuming that relations between OPE dealers and manufacturers need improvement . That ’ s a big generalization , considering there are thousands of OPE dealers in the U . S ., and dozens of manufacturers , ranging from established giants such as Toro , to niche manufacturers such as RC Mowers . But then I backed away from my assumption and asked nearly a dozen manufacturers , “ Is this an issue ? Do you discuss ‘ dealer relations ’ in your corporate meetings ?” Answers ranged from a definite “ Maybe ” to “ Absolutely .”
“ Dealer relationships have always been , and will always be , a key strategic focus area for Bobcat ,” said Steve Ross , senior director of grounds maintenance equipment commercial business .
A few of the manufacturers I spoke with hesitated to frame it as “ an issue ,” sensing a negative connotation . “ I don ’ t know if it ’ s an issue ,” said John Vranches , division sales manager for Takeuchi US , “ but at the end of the day , you must have a manufacturer and a distributor / dealer , and they need to be independent , not one owning the other .”
18 OPE Business September 2023 www . OPEBusiness . com