10 • January 2024 • Powersports Business

FROM THE EDITOR

INSTA TIPS

Is your dealership capitalizing on the top-of-mind marketing ease that Instagram offers ? Did you come up with an ideal way to showcase your customers in an effort to help spread the word about your shop and its employees ? If so , let us know . Powersports Business will highlight Instagram posts from a variety of dealerships in upcoming editions of the magazine .

Dealerships featured all follow the Powersports Business Instagram at @ powersportsbusiness . All posts featured will be photo or video in nature , with content from Instagram Stories not considered for this piece .

Source : © Adobe Stock - foxysgraphic

A couple of years ago , I wrote that I ate pork and sauerkraut on New Year ’ s Day without a clue why this was a tradition . My parents always made it and invited me over . And , of course , it ’ s free food that I don ’ t have to cook , so naturally , I showed up .

BRENDAN BAKER

But where it started and what it meant , I had no clue . I know it began as a German tradition or perhaps Pennsylvania Dutch to bring luck .

I generally consider myself lucky . I ’ m lucky to be healthy and relatively secure financially and where I live . I ’ m lucky to have a big family nearby that I can drop in on , or vice versa , whether it ’ s a holiday or just a weekday . And I ’ m lucky to work in a great industry with talented peers with a company that has my back ( and gives me healthcare ). Those are pretty big things . For the most part , these just happened without much input from me .

Roger Penske always preached to his racing teams that luck was when preparation meets opportunity . And I think there ’ s definitely something to that . We may not be able to make our own luck , but if you don ’ t prepare for success , will you ever get it ? You can ’ t even win the lottery without playing the game .

For the past few years , this industry has been rather lucky . Subsequently , we ’ ve sold more bikes and gained new customers in no small part thanks to a nasty virus . Most of us have avoided becoming deadly ill from it , as we ’ ve profited from the lockdown and social distancing that came with the pandemic . Now , we have to go back to the basics we were doing before things turned upside down .

I ’ ll take luck over talent and tenacity any day of the week . Although , hard work and tenacity are a given on most days . Luck is not always a component of our day-to-day work , or is it ? What exactly do you define as luck ? I don ’ t play the lottery ( I did play the Mega Millions when the jackpot went over $ 1 billion ). And I don ’ t gamble ( much ). But I consider myself lucky for many reasons , which I will attempt to illuminate .

What I love about the new year is it ’ s time to take stock of how we are doing and how to make the year ahead a good one . We do a lot of planning in this industry ( in publishing , too ). But planning to be healthier and happier is not something we have meetings about . Or maybe I ’ ve missed those Zoom calls . But once a year , many of us think about how we ( the royal we ) are doing . Are we reaching our goals ? Have we fallen back a few steps ? Are we ready to jump into the new year and make whatever changes are necessary to succeed ?

Next year may offer more challenges ; are you ready to take them on ? As an industry , we are ready , but we could be more prepared . The outdoor recreation industry is in great shape . The pandemic and social distancing worked wonders on this segment of the economy . So , there is the opportunity to make big things happen and grow the industry more if we are prepared and in synch . ( Not the band )!

What ’ s that thing Penske used to say ? I think we have a perfect recipe for success , but do we have the roadmap to all the ingredients ? We should have this or be working on it . I see more butts on seats than I used to before the pandemic , but it ’ s how we engage with our customers to keep them coming back that matters now .

An Accelerate Conference speaker reminded me that we are in the business of selling fun . We must keep the fun part at the forefront and connect with enthusiasts from all areas of the outdoor industry to bring them in to see what we have to offer . We have a ton of great product for any type of customer , whether they are a beginning rider or returning rider or from any race / ethnicity and political persuasion . We have a very inclusive and fun industry where some people even make money just living the lifestyle ( Instagram , YouTube , I ’ m looking at you ).

Jessica Turner , president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable ( ORR ), says the outdoor recreation economy is strong . “ Our industry continues to benefit communities across the country – big , small , urban and rural alike . We are thrilled to see once again the data reflect what we hear every day , that outdoor recreation is not a nice to have — but a necessity for healthy people , places and economies .”

There are more than a trillion reasons why I agree with Jessica ( see our Finance section ). The outdoor industry is incredibly successful . Recent data shows that 2022 had the most significant economic impact in the history of outdoor recreation . It also had a powerful economic impact on the U . S . economy , generating 4.98 million jobs and making up 3.2 % of employees in the U . S . This is more than luck . I think Americans just work hard and play hard . But the Germans still have good pork and sauerkraut .

Got an Instagram tip that works at your dealership or one with which you do business ? Feel like raising the collective industry tide ? Let us know at mhubbard @ epgacceleration . com .

ERICO MOTORSPORTS @ ericomotorsports

Followers 3,322

Erico Motorsports of Denver , Colorado , shared the comment from a recent five-star review that described the dealership ’ s exceptional customer service . The customer highly recommended the dealership and described it as “ my trusted choice for all things motorcycle .” Expand the visibility of a five-star review by posting it across your social media platforms .

FREEDOM CYCLE @ freedomcyclenh Followers 1,146 Show customers what your team is doing to get smarter and improve the customer experience . Freedom Cycle of Concord , New Hampshire , shared photos from a dealer show that its team attended with a caption that reads , “ Corey , one of our salesmen , recently went to the Royal Enfield dealer show . They released a new Super Meteor 650 , had a custom built Roland Sands on display , a remake of the original Royal Enfield and gave them a tour of their new facility used for training !”

HONDA OF THE OZARKS @ hondaoftheozarks Followers 866 During the chilly winter months , remind customers how they can prevent cabin fever by getting out on their motorcycle or powersports unit , and how to do so without suffering from the cold . Show them what accessories they need , from appropriate riding gear to a windshield , to make riding in the winter a reality . Honda of the Ozarks , located in Springfield , Missouri , shared a video showcasing side-by-side accessories . The caption reads , “ Style your # Honda # Pioneer 1000 with your favorite Honda for the winter season . Give us a call today for special pricing !” Whether via video or photos , show customers what they need to make getting out in the cold enjoyable .