20 • November 2026 • Powersports Business
SOLUTIONS www. PowersportsBusiness. com
particularly in the Southeast, where there is a strong and established culture around recreational riding.
Southern consumers have a real passion for UTVs, and the Southeast has an extensive network of mud parks, trail systems, riding destinations, and family-friendly recreational areas. That creates a strong environment for dealers to sell not only the vehicle, but the entire recreational experience that comes with it.
For a dealer, that translates into more opportunities to sell units, accessories, parts, and service. For the OEM, a strong recreational market creates greater brand exposure, more dealer activity, and ultimately more opportunities for sustained growth.
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Understanding that regional culture is important when developing a dealer network. You’ re not simply selling a product— you’ re selling into a lifestyle that already has a passionate and active customer base.
Q: When you inherit an underperforming territory, what are the first three things you do?
A: Evaluate, Mentor, and Train— that’ s an important part of managing a dealer network, particularly with a startup or emerging OEM.
When taking over an existing territory, one of the first things I want to understand is how the previous rep actually managed the dealerships. Did they
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BECOME A DEALER consistently visit and call on dealers, develop relationships, and create opportunities, or were they simply waiting for the phone to ring and an order to come in?
With a startup or newer company, that distinction is especially important. You may be responsible for seven or eight states, and building that territory requires a tremendous amount of windshield time. You have to be willing to travel, get in front of dealers, introduce the brand, develop relationships, train dealership personnel, and continually follow up.
Not every sales representative is suited for that environment. Startup sales can demand significantly more travel, persistence, and self-direction than managing an established territory. You have to be comfortable spending a lot of time on the road and understand that building a market doesn’ t happen by waiting for orders to arrive.
Q: What separates a dealer who becomes a long-term growth partner from one who just takes a stocking order?