Columnists

Crashed? Need help? There's an app for that

ONE OF THE SPECIAL joys of riding a motorcycle is finding a lonely road in the middle of nowhere. There’s no traffic, the towns are miles apart, and it&rsqu
Mike  Vaughan

I am living MY dream

DEAR GRANDMA and Grandpa, I hope things are going good up there in Heaven. Spring is here, and that’s always a good thing for us in the motorcycle industry.
Rick  Fairless

Three who defy the stereotype

IT'S MAY! Spring is in full swing and there are tons of motorcycles on the road with more females in the saddle than ever before.
Dave  Koshollek

Your closing ratio is terrible (here's how to fix it)

YOUR DEALERSHIP’S CLOSING ratio is terrible. That’s what the statistics tell us.
Tory  Hornsby

Stop the moto-snobbery

WHAT DOES A motorcycle rider look like? Or an ATV enthusiast? Do they wear their hair a certain way? Do all men have mustaches? Do all women wear lots of dangling
Mary  Slepicka

How to make the WRONG impression

WE ALL KNOW first impressions run deep, but do we realize impressions can include our personal vehicle? Like a calling card, in this business our personal vehicle
Dave  Koshollek

Industry must integrate data across platforms

YEARS AGO a dealer friend shared his perspective on digital marketing by asking me, “Why would I spend my budget on anything other than Google AdWords? It&r
Rod  Stuckey

How are your dating skills?

COURTING CUSTOMERS is almost like courting a mate. I claim they’re identical, except the attraction to the opposite sex and procreation is even stronger tha
Eric  Anderson

Dealer Expo reflects the industry it serves

IF YOU DIDN'T go to Dealer Expo in February, you missed a pretty good show.
Mike  Vaughan

Crowdsourcing next year's Dealer Expo

THE 48TH ANNUAL Dealer Expo has come and gone. How’ve you been? Sales doing OK?
Mary  Slepicka

MIC dealer membership comes with a caveat

MORE THAN 150 DEALERS from 38 states reportedly have joined the new dealer membership program launched last month at Dealer Expo by the Motorcycle Industry Counci
Joe  Delmont

Jesus, Charles Manson, and mean women

DEAR GRANDMA AND GRANDPA, I hope y’all are fine up there in Heaven. We are surviving OK down here in Dallas.
Rick  Fairless

Why good follow-up calls can generate repeat business

J.D. POWER and Associates surveys new motorcycle buyers to collect data that measures owner satisfaction with the buying experience.
Dave  Koshollek

The difference between a rut...and a grave

IT'S MARCH ... can you believe it? They say time flies when you’re having fun. If that’s true, then I must be having a blast!
Tory  Hornsby

Race involvement: A delicate balance for dealers

DEALERNEWS IS THE VOICE of Powersports Retailers, helping them combine their passion for the sport with their pursuit of profit.
Mary  Slepicka

We say 'thank you' to February and look forward to fall '14

IF YOU'RE READING this, then it means that the Mayan prediction of the end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012, didn’t take place and we’ve got at least
Mike  Vaughan

Treat customers like you treat co-workers, and vice versa

A PARTS PROFESSIONAL had told me about a situation he recently had with his service advisor.
Dave  Koshollek

How to play the motorcycle business game, and win

DO YOU CONSIDER the recession over? During the last four years, our industry downsized from approximately 7,500 franchised dealers to just over 4,000. That’
Rod  Stuckey

Customers will still pay for three things — do you provide them?

WE ARE SPOILED. We won’t pay for what we already know. We won’t go two minutes out of our way to come see you. We’ve become a razor-edged crew o
Eric  Anderson

Mid-America auction: Triumphs up, race bikes fluctuate

THE 22ND ANNUAL Mid-America three-day auction was held Jan. 10-12 in Las Vegas. In contrast to last year’s event, when two auctions were held simultaneously
Mike  Vaughan

Sugar Bear springers, old scoots and purple paint

DEAR GRANDMA and GRANDPA, I hope y’all are living large up there in Heaven. I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last letter. Hey Grandpa, are t
Rick  Fairless

MMI's DSO fine-tunes graduates, and dealers who hire them

THE FIRST COMPLAINT I heard about an MMI graduate was in 1978. I was working at a Honda dealership in Phoenix, Ariz., when a Motorcycle Mechanics Institute gradua
Dave  Koshollek

Move on, and start directing your future

WERE YOU SURPRISED that Obama was re-elected? I wasn’t. I can do the math. According to IRS Tax Data in 2010: 50 percent of the U.S. population pays a
Tory  Hornsby

A trip to Indy might be just what you need

I'M SO SICK of writing. It’s mid-December as I write this, we’re on deadline with this issue, and I’ve lost my muse. I’d rather be out
Mary  Slepicka

Denis Manning tackles SB435 issue head-on

PROBLEMS. We've all got them. They come in various shapes, sizes and times. How we deal with them is a reflection of our intelligence, drive, and sense of res
Mike  Vaughan