Sales

I recently came across a statistic stating that consumers spend up to 70 percent of their discretionary income during the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

This stat was a quick reminder of just how important the holidays are for all of us in the motorcycle industry. In fact, this short, but critically important window of time can be the difference in meeting your annual sales goals and finishing the year in the black — or coming up short and seeing the dreaded red.

So my question for you: What are you doing now to prepare for the fast-approaching holiday season? Below are five strategies you can implement to maximize your holiday sales.

The way I see it, motorcyclists are people first and enthusiasts second. So, when I started my Strokers Dallas empire 16 years ago and had to decide what “gear” to carry, I opted to stock things that would sell to most folks, not just motorcycle folks.

Most motorcycle shops mainly stock leather jackets, riding jackets, helmets, chaps, gloves — all that stuff. But what about everything else a person needs? I have told my staff many times that I’ll sell pencils, doughnuts or bath soap if I thought I could sell enough to make a good profit. To be successful, we have to operate outside the lines. A successful shop owner needs to think: What do riders need besides what I’m selling here? (The answer? They need everything that non-riders need!)