Resources and best practices for machinery dealer development

Our blog has a mix of articles written by our founder, Walter McDonald, and by other industry experts, business owners, and equipment dealer team members. Learn about everything from marketing ideas to tips for successful branch operations to how to retain customers—and everything in between!

How Technology Can Transform Efficiency of Field Service Requests

By Steve Ross

Worldwide, customers and dealers lose billions of dollars per year not repairing equipment on the first visit to the site. Current methods of phone calls and email are challenging for the equipment user to supply the servicing dealer with enough information to prioritize down units and enough details about the issue to fix the unit… Continue reading How Technology Can Transform Efficiency of Field Service Requests

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How to Simplify and Grow Your Dealership:Automated Reports that Work

By Debbie Frakes

Current End-User Customer ExpectationsOur current market research work for machinery dealers clearly indicates that equipment owners of large fleets and small fleets expect parts and service to be provided within 24 to 48 hours. In some cities this expectation is less than 4 hours. They also expect to be informed and kept up to date… Continue reading How to Simplify and Grow Your Dealership:Automated Reports that Work

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Leadership – Building a Customer-Focused, Process Driven Passionate Business

By Chris Holmes, President (ret.) Nortrax, a John Deere Company

Over my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from many great entrepreneurs and leaders. As I write this article, we are in the midst of trying to navigate our way through the COVID-19 virus and the impact it will have on family, friends and business. My hope is that many of… Continue reading Leadership – Building a Customer-Focused, Process Driven Passionate Business

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Accelerated Start-Up: How to Get Your Brand New Sales Rep Productive in Less than 100 days

By Walter J. McDonald

You have just spent quite a lot of time, effort and money recruiting and selecting what you hope will be a highly productive new member of your sales team. Your recruitment process has been developed over the years, including testing, screening, reference checking and multiple interviews. You might have even invited the candidate to complete… Continue reading Accelerated Start-Up: How to Get Your Brand New Sales Rep Productive in Less than 100 days

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16 Tools to Build Your Service Labor Business

By Walter J. McDonald, President, The McDonald Group, Inc.

Industrial Equipment Dealers want and need to know how to improve service labor sales and profitability. To them, until now, nothing seems to work very well. I have just completed four consulting projects for equipment dealers and a series of five dealer workshops for an equipment manufacturer. All of these efforts were focused on improving… Continue reading 16 Tools to Build Your Service Labor Business

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How to Sell Engineered Systems

By Walter J. McDonald, CMC President, The McDonald Group, Inc.

Engineered Systems are custom-designed and fabricated tools to improve productivity. These systems are cost sensitive and require significant economic justification. Their value-added in the production process is to increase efficiency and to safely enhance throughput. There is wide application for engineered systems in the petrochemical, food processing, industrial materials handling and virtually all manufacturing industries.… Continue reading How to Sell Engineered Systems

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