Merry Christmas to all during this holiday season! Through our travels and acquaintances, we find 99% of us dealers are from the same mold (the other 1% — we know who you are). Someone said the only difference between any civic group, church or business, is the names and faces. People are all alike.
As we end the year, spend some time with friends and family, and contemplate last year and the plans for the next. Let us not dwell on the negatives, but be thankful for the opportunity and hope we have. Assuming everyone knows the greatest commandment, the second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself." What a different world it could be if only everyone could at least attempt to try this simple solution to all our problems. We all have the ability, just not the will.
Living in reality, maybe there should be a "Church of the Dealership" for us. Some pastor/priest might offer a blessing at this time of the year like,
May your year-end be full of prosperous sales, may new inventory be fresh and non-interest bearing, may your parts bins be full of paid for and fast-turning stock, may all your tractors crank without jumpers, all your used trade-ins be twice as good as the customers said they were, may the book keeper be happy and the mechanics solve all the issues that the manufacturers say cannot happen or have never happened before.
May your roof never leak, your service trucks never break down, your pot holes be mended and the parking lines be white. May your customers who come in for parts always bring the correct model and serial number and when they don't, may your parts people be blessed with clairvoyance.
May your sales reps only press for orders you really need, your brands engineer's give you that one extra feature everyone knows you need, may your service rep show up the exact day of any catastrophic customer issue and may you never have a 'back order' again.
May your banker call and increase your credit lines at half the current interest rate, may your books and parts inventory always balance and may your janitor find a lost deposit book that will cover this week's payroll!
In that light of our wishes for blessings to you and yours, may the good Lord take a fresh likin' to us and bless us all real good next year! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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Told from the perspective of an in-the-trenches owner/operator — Tim Brannon of B&G Equipment, Paris, Tenn. — Equipment Dealer Tips, Tales & Takeaways shares knowledge, experiences and tips/lessons with fellow rural equipment dealerships throughout North America. Covering all aspects required of an equipment dealership general manager, Brannon will inform, entertain and provide a teachable moment for current — and future — leaders within equipment dealerships. |
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