The Rural Lifestyle Dealer staff joined nearly 30,000 attendees at the 2018 GIE+Expo, viewing more than 450 exhibits. The number of exhibits and attendees set a new record again this year, showing the continued strength of the rural lifestyle market.

Thirty-seven percent of contractors indicate that they will purchase more new equipment, while 27% indicate they will purchase more used equipment in 2018, according to a report from the Equipment Leasing & Financing Foundation.

Rural equipment dealers forecast another good year for overall and aftermarket sales, according to Rural Lifestyle Dealer’s 2017 Dealer Business Trends & Outlook survey, the magazine’s 9th annual. Despite the economic and social turbulence of an election year, these optimistic forecasts follow a very strong year for growth in 2016. Eighty-four percent of dealers think 2017 will be as good as or better than 2016 for total revenue and more than 90% think aftermarket revenue will also be as good as or better than last year. This compares with last year’s survey in which more than 88% of dealers expected 2016 to be as good as or better than 2015 for total revenue and more than 90% expected aftermarket revenue to be as good as or better than 2015.

Studies show that if you help a customer arrange financing, they are three times more likely to go to your dealership first the next time they’re looking to purchase equipment. They are also 2½ times more likely to buy from you again. If you helped them finance a purchase, there is a 75% chance that they will finance their next purchase with you as well, according to statistics from lender DLL.