Dealers Sound Off:
“If you were starting a dealership today, what investment would be most critical to your success?”

“In one word: ‘People.’ The priority would be finding people who are committed and dedicated to our customers and our business. Regardless of whether you are selling cosmetics, groceries or farm equipment, the most challenging task is hiring, training and retaining great people. Training and money can do a lot, but it cannot change people’s intestinal fortitude to get out of bed and do their very best, day after day,” says Jeff White, White’s Farm Supply, Canastota, N.Y.

View more responses here:
www.RuralLifestyleDealer.com/Q&AInvestments

Setting an Effective Compensation Program

Bob Clements International’s Boot Camp Video Series continues with strategies for developing an effective performance-based compensation program for your service, parts, sales and support teams. Check out the series, www.RuralLifestyleDealer.com/BootCampCompensation. Clements and his team are also hosting regional 1-day Boot Camps. Go to www.BobClements.com to sign up.

Introducing “Dealers in Motion”

The rural lifestyle segment continues to be the strongest market in the ag sector and dealers are expanding, acquiring, taking on new brands and being recognized by manufacturers. We want to highlight those happenings in our new series “Dealers in Motion.” Send in your announcements to Managing Editor Lynn Woolf, lwoolf@lessitermedia.com to be featured online or in an upcoming print issue.

How Dealers Can Compete in Today’s Digital World

A recent Rural Lifestyle Dealer podcast featured Dave Groves of Equipment Dealer Marketing, who consults with dealers regarding websites and their overall online presence. Groves says that if you haven’t updated your site recently or your site lacks certain key components, Google won’t regard you as an expert and won’t direct people to you. You’ll lose potential sales, regardless of how great your dealership is. His advice to dealers, “Put the focus on your dealership. Too often the focus is too much on the brand.” Tune in: www.RuralLifestyleDealer.com/PodcastDigitalMarketing.
The podcast series is sponsored by Yanmar.