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I Have a Customer List. I Just Don’t Know What to Do With It.
A dealer in North Dakota named Allen sent me this question a few weeks ago: "Sara, I know I should be marketing to my past customers. I just don't know where to start. Our data is everywhere: old systems, spreadsheets, you name it. Honestly, I'm embarrassed by the...
Your Parts Counter Has a Dirty Little Secret. It’s Called Fill Rate.
Let Me Paint You a Picture A customer walks up to your parts counter. They need one part. Your counter person looks it up, checks the shelf, and delivers the four words that make every dealer cringe: "We'll have to order that." The customer nods politely, maybe...
Your Service Department Is About to Get Slammed. Are You Ready?
Season is coming. You know it. I know it. And so does every customer who stored their unit all winter, never serviced it, and is now showing up at your door in full crisis mode — like you personally are responsible for the fact that they didn't deal with it in...
Why Don’t My Salespeople Close More Deals?
Sara, my salespeople are busy. They're talking to customers, doing demos, and spending time on the lot. But we're only closing about 20% of the leads we get. I watch them work and they know the products inside and out. They can tell you every spec on every machine....
The One Word That’s Driving Service Customers Away
Hi Sara, My service department is always busy, but we’re quietly losing customers and I can’t explain why. What am I missing? If being busy automatically meant customers were happy, every service department in the country would have perfect retention. Spoiler...
Are Dealers and Manufacturers Playing Chicken With Inventory?
Hey Sara, We stopped ordering inventory because we assumed the manufacturer would offer better discounts or programs if we waited. Now inventory feels tight, programs keep changing, and everyone is frustrated. Are we doing this wrong, or is this just how the game...
The Year-End Checkup Every Dealer Should Do
I know what a lot of you are doing right now. You are closing the books. You are looking at spreadsheets. You are telling yourself things like, "Well, that was interesting; hope next year will be better." Hope is not a strategy. But knowing your numbers is. So,...
Got Used Units Gathering Dust? Let’s Fix That.
Sara, please tell me I’m not the only one sitting on a mountain of used equipment. What’s the fastest way to move it without losing my shirt? First, you’re not alone! You wrapped up your selling season, you took in some trade-ins you thought would fly off the lot,...
Stop Hiding When Your Field Sales Rep Walks In
Field sales reps. Depending on who you are, you either look forward to seeing them walk through your door… or you suddenly remember that very urgent “thing” you need to do in the back until they leave. But here is the deal: if you know how to work with them, your...
How (and When) to Raise Your Labor Rate
Let’s be real. Most dealers figure out their labor rate the same way they figure out what pizza to order on Friday night… they call around and go with whatever the neighbor is doing. Easy, sure. Smart? Not really. Copying the dealer down the road has nothing to do...
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