24 • September 2026 • Powersports Business

MELISSA COFFEY

• CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

make sense to someone who doesn’ t already participate in powersports?

If every piece of content assumes the customer knows the difference between every model, trim level, suspension package and engine configuration, we’ re talking mostly to ourselves.

The next customer may not walk in saying,“ I’ ve narrowed it down to these three models.” They may say things like:“ My family wants something we can do together;”“ I want to start riding, but I

Joe Murphy Director of Operations

TOM WOOD POWERSPORTS GROUP

have no idea where to begin;”“ My friends all have side-by-sides.”

That is your opening. We need to get better at selling the experience before we sell the machine.

TERRIBLE TIME TO SIT Yes, the market is different. Interest rates, affordability, inventory and consumer confidence all matter. But you can’ t control most of those things. You can control whether your dealership spends September waiting for traffic— or creating it.

Pull 100 dormant customers from your CRM. Call

20 a day. Plan one ridiculously fun event. Shoot five videos with your phone. Invite your best customers to bring a friend. Ask your team one simple question:“ What could we do this month that would make someone want to come hang out here?” Then do it.

Because the dealers who win the next few years won’ t necessarily have the biggest buildings, largest ad budgets or most brands. They’ ll be the ones who refuse to sit around waiting for the good old days to come back. The customer may not be walking through the door on their own anymore. Fine. Go get them.

Till next time, shiny side up and checkered flags!

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Melissa Coffey is a 2x PSB“ Women With Spark” award winner and a longtime powersports and motorsports industry leader with deep expertise in brand building, demand generation, and growth strategy. She now leads CATCH Strategy— her boutique consultancy providing fractional CMO-level marketing leadership, strategic planning, revenue generation and execution support for companies across the powersports, motorsports, marine, bicycle, and EV markets.