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!
By Walter J. McDonald
Collaborative Relationships Between Dealer Sales and Product Support Are Essential to Overall Success From the Sales Manager’s perspective, the primary objective of a machinery dealership is to increase market share, profitability, and customer service. But, achieving these goals is often frustrated by continuous conflict between sales and parts & service. When you objectively examine these… Continue reading How to Field a Winning Team
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By Walter J. McDonald
How To Improve Deal Visibility and Closure Rates Reprinted with updates from Achieving Excellence in Dealer/Distributor Performance Have you ever considered signing up for a camera safari in Tanzania East Africa? It’s famous for large numbers of big game species at home on the sweeping Serengeti plains! Just think about it. This is the classic… Continue reading Photoshoot On The Serengeti
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By Walter J. McDonald
Congratulations. You have just been appointed manager of new and used machinery sales and rentals in a large multi-branch machinery dealership. This is a significant challenge and the purpose of this guide is to help you get a quick start and help ensure long-term success for you and your sales team. In my experience, highly… Continue reading Sales Operations Assessment for The Newly Appointed Multi-Branch Dealer Sales Manager
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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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By Bill Pyles
I’ve been working in Product Support most of my life. Most of those 30 years have been primarily focused on service department product support. I spent time as a shop mechanic, field mechanic, shop foreman, and service manager. I learned a lot during those years. I learned: How to move labor and material around on… Continue reading Confessions of a Service Manager
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By Walter J. McDonald
As Dealer Manager, you may be in charge of a Dealer Revenue Center. Dealer Revenue Center Management has been the pivotal dealer Best Practice for over four decades. Yet, why are so many dealers still floundering in specific areas of their business? I think it has to do with Bus Drivers, Controls, Maps, and Tools.… Continue reading Bus Drivers, Controls, Maps, and Tools
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By Walter J. McDonald
In my experience, the Field Service business is the most complex Revenue Center in a machinery dealership. Field Service is more difficult to manage than sales, parts, rentals, or shop service. The problem involves pricing as well as a cost. Field service is fraught with potential inefficiencies that dramatically impact the cost. Step 1- Optimize… Continue reading Thoughts on Effective Service Management
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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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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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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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