Tag Archives: economy

I think we are all guilty of waiting for “It.” From the movies we watch, the stories we read, the news we hear, “It” is all around us for most of our lives. It seems like (at least in my case) I have found myself falling into “Its” web despite knowing better. “It” is that breakthrough product, that new unit, that one sales strategy, that new employee, that new marketing plan that we think will reward us with the one big pay day.

A man visits a Midwest dealership looking for a cruiser class motorcycle. The salesperson asks about his favorite local places to ride and learns he is new to the area, having moved for his new job. The man has done his research, decided on a bike, and the bike is in stock.

Let’s focus on sustainable ways to drive more floor traffic. Note that I said, “sustainable,” since a one-time, budget-busting advertising blitz is probably not the long-term answer. Here are three free or inexpensive solutions that are sustainable.

Recently I have found myself in more than a few discussions with friends and colleagues where I have mentioned that although I have recognized a year filled with personal and professional success, it is getting harder to recognize a win.

As the season drives forward at full speed there are signs of recovery and growth. OEMs have new financing, unit sales are up, and there seems to be a small national sigh of relief. But is your business aligned for success?

Escalating bad debts and loan delinquencies. Decreasing retail-lending approval percentages. The former usually leads to the latter, which is what we encountered in 2009 and, to a lesser extent, in parts of last year.

It’s a simple question, but a potentially powerful one in this climate.

Greg Heichelbech, the new Triumph North American CEO, brought up a topic repeatedly during the brand’s recent dealer meeting that should be uniformly addressed throughout the industry: Discounting.

As if we added race gas to our tank, it seems there is a burst of acceleration, and the business bike we have all been cruising along on seems to just be running a little bit stronger.

Numbers released this week by the Motorcycle Industry Council look grim on the surface. But there's good news as well.