10 • March 2024 • Powersports Business

FROM THE EDITOR INSTA TIPS

Instead of ABC , as described by Alec Baldwin ’ s pushy sales character Blake in the movie Glengarry Glen Ross , where he breaks down the basics of selling as Always Be Closing , I think it should be Everybody Is Selling . The acronym is not as

BRENDAN BAKER catchy , however .

I get countless calls and emails every day from people who are selling something . Even the nice ones are trying to sell me something ; from another perspective , we are often selling something , too . We all sell something , whether it ’ s hamburgers or motorcycles . We are part of the machine , that vast web of wants and needs , where the skilled ones weave through the maze to match up the right buyers and sellers , and everyone gets what they want .

A story on Hubspot said it is time to move away from “ Always Be Closing .” The author states that the phrase was really catchy in the ’ 80s when the movie was made . And it captured the persistence and determination of what a salesperson needs to succeed , but is it the best advice for today ’ s environment ? The author poses that it is not .

He argues that today ’ s buyers are not susceptible to gimmicks and pressure tactics that used to be common 40 years ago . The ABC selling style puts the salesperson at the center of the process , which is no longer as effective .

According to the report , most customers are more motivated to make a purchase when they see the salesperson as a “ trusted advisor ” instead of being pushed into a deal by brute force . That never works for me . I will walk out if I get a pushy salesperson . I want someone who will have my interests and needs in mind . A salesperson should be customercentric instead of sales-focused .

Being sales-focused leads to snafus like Wendy ’ s recently had when they rolled out their plan for “ dynamic pricing .” What ?! How does this help Wendy ’ s customers ? Clearly , Wendy ’ s hadn ’ t thought the idea all the way through , or they would ’ ve understood the response . Do you want fries with that for another

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$ 10 ? I don ’ t think so . And I am not paying $ 7 for a Frosty just because they are busy . I will go to McDonald ’ s or Burger King down the street instead .

I took sales training years ago , even though I was not in sales . Then I got into sales , and everything I thought I knew about sales went out the window . I was given a territory of prospects that spent little to no money with our company then . It was frustrating , to say the least , and I always felt like I was failing , but that ’ s part of what you must deal with in sales – rejection . I learned from my time as a salesperson that everyone was in sales whether they knew it or not . We are all part of the team that goes to market to sell one or many products . The key is to listen to customers ( not Blake ) and find out what they want .

POWER HOUR Speaking of things you may want . We are happy to announce the launch of a new podcast called Power Hour . It ’ s an idea that has floated around our halls for several months , but we are now finally ready to get it off the ground . The idea behind Power Hour is that we meet with dealers , industry insiders , and other powersports stakeholders to discuss what they bring to the industry . The format is very informal and will mostly be over a Zoom call , but we plan to bring a different approach than others may have . We will meet off the record for the first part of the call ( no more than 30 minutes ). From there , we will chat about things we can discuss on the record , as well as a general “ get-to-know-you ” period to make everyone comfortable .

The idea for the Power Hour came from our contributing editor , Glenn Hansen . He points out that we often meet with groups to discuss what they do , but we never seem to be recording it . We usually find the conversations illuminating in some way , whether it was from something shared with us or just a nice , friendly , get-to-know-you period so that we can work together later on down the road . This industry is as much about relationships and the people as the products . And one thing I learned from my time in sales is that people buy from people they like . That goes back to my original point that everyone is selling . And if that ’ s the case , you probably buy from people you like , too .

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 .

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 .

VALLELY SPORT & MARINE @ vallelysportmarine

Followers : 500

Vallely Sport & Marine shares a throwback post once a week captioned “ Fifty Years Friday ” to celebrate its fiftieth year of business . Find a unique way to share the history of your dealership , your dedicated staff or any fun facts that will help customers get to know your dealership and employees . The dealership ’ s recent throwback post is captioned , “ Fifty Years Friday ! Pictured is our first load of 1977 Lund Boats in fall of 1976 . We are so proud to represent this amazing company for our 47th year in the region ! A lot has changed in our 50 years , but one constant is Lund ’ s commitment to building the best fishing boat on the water !”

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE FORT COLLINS

@ indianmotorcyclefortcollins Followers : 4,192 Instagram is a great way to promote not only the sales department , but all departments . Remind customers that you ’ re a one-stop shop like Indian Motorcycle of Fort Collins recently has . The dealership posted a picture of its service department with a caption that reads , “ Why choose Indian Motorcycle of Fort Collins for maintenance and repairs ? Here ’ s why we ’ re your go-to for service ,” followed by a list of reasons , then , “ Let us help you get the most out of your purchase and keep your Indian running smoothly all year long . Schedule your appointment at the link in our bio .” Use a tactic like this to encourage existing customers to step through your doors again .

ALAMO CYCLE PLEX @ alamocycleplex1 Followers : 2,328 If you have an upcoming event , let your customers know through Instagram and other social media platforms so they will stop scrolling and start rolling into your dealership . Alamo Cycle Plex of San Antonio shared and entertaining and lighthearted video inviting customers to check out its Extravaganza event . The caption to the video reads , “ Our watercraft Extravaganza is today from 9:00 a . m . to 5:00 p . m . Come on into the store today and join us to see our watercraft models on display and on sale from Kawasaki , Sea-Doo and Yamaha ! Come see these smoking hot deals and join us for some mimosas !”