Sales

THIS IS MY 28th year in the motorcycle business. During that time, I’ve had the privilege of working with thousands of dealership professionals and developed a keen eye for which salespeople will do well and which ones won’t.

Winning at sales involves a lot more than selling stuff. Here are six things I’ve discovered about people who succeed:

In the Aug. 31, 1972, East Coast edition of Rolling Stone magazine, an unknown musician named Peter Criscuola ran an ad that read: “Drummer: willing to do anything to make it.” Two guys looking to create a band, Stanley Eisen and Gene Klein, called Peter to explore his seriousness. “Would you wear a dress on stage?” they asked. “Would you wear high heels on stage?” “Would you wear … makeup?”

OWNING A powersports dealership is like walking up a down escalator while juggling and singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” with people throwing rocks at you. As if that weren’t enough, someone decides to set fire to the escalator. Not a pretty picture — or an easy task.

A day in the life of a dealership owner is more complicated than you can ever imagine. Employee issues, insurance regulations, tax implications, building maintenance, bank negotiations, and OEM policies and procedures nag at your boss constantly. It’s a never-ending barrage of demands. If the guy who owns your dealership has lost his hair, now you know why!