DIVERSITY

By Alisa Clickenger

COME TOGETHER RIGHT NOW

Singing The Praises Of A National Powersports Dealer Association

Within the powersports industry there’s been a call to action to form a National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA). Believe it or not, dealers don’t currently have a unified voice… and no one really seems to be addressing the dealers’ true needs. Sure, there are 20 Groups and dealer-focused magazines — however these informational tools, albeit good ones, are not a unified platform where dealers can come together with a shared vision, common interests and a unilateral voice. By the dealers, of the dealers and for the dealers, so to speak.

Dealers are where the rubber meets the road, yet this critical juncture has been curiously silent for the past 118 years. Strong dealers focused on retail excellence would lead to a better customer experience and buoy the entire industry. A possible mission statement for the NPDA could be to lead, strengthen and educate powersports dealers through professional programs and services that improve business skills of management personnel, as well as the technical capabilities of non-management employees.

Programs could be created to facilitate online education, co-op purchasing programs, insurance benefits for dealers, sharing best practices, as well as benchmarking and better communications. Members could have a unified body to share their views and concerns to all branches of federal, state and local government. Sounds like a major undertaking, but it may be a concept who’s time has come. Big things can come to fruition quickly and easily when the right focus and determination is applied. Kirsten Midura, who started Engines for Change in 2019, started with a single beach cleanup in New York. By the time COVID-19 hit, she and her moto friends organized logistics and support for sewing masks, giving rides in sidecars to doctors and nurses as well as making hand sanitizer for frontline workers. Engines for Change became a common link between organizations and motorcyclists who were working to save their city. Ms. Midura is not the only moto-based voice in the wilderness.

Porsche Taylor of Black Girls Ride has made an entire movement giving people of color a voice. She has created a community in which they can be heard and connected to each other via her magazine and rides. Taylor has brought all types of riders together through being steadfastly and unapologetically herself, catching the attention of major sponsors, including Polaris Industries.

And my own business pivot from leading Women’s Motorcycle Tours to creating Women’s Motorcycle Conferences has been enormously successful in just a short amount of time. We’ve gathered female riders from all across the spectrum of bikes, riding styles and abilities. We’ve received major support from the industry and have been able to provide connection and community in a tie when people are stuck at home.

What do three entrepreneurs in the powersports industry have to do with creating a dealer association? Listen up NPDA: None of us had funding, committees or employees. We simply took advantage of the opportunities in front of us and ran towards the gaps we saw, throwing our unique talents and skills at the vision we wanted to bring to life, and created something remarkable. We didn’t ignore a need, we didn’t let ourselves get chained to “it’s always been done this way so why change?” — and we didn’t listen to the naysayers.

Creating a National Powersports Dealer Association is an opportunity for dealers to combine your collective knowhow, learn from each other and bring to life something extraordinary and useful. An opportunity to lift each other up through knowledge and peer support, fill in those gaps and elevate this industry through shared knowledge and expertise. This is the dealers chance to strengthen the industry, leave a legacy and build a lifestyle for the sport we all love!

Alisa is a two-wheeled world traveler, author, tour operator, and event producer. She has been featured in a variety of media outlets as a woman pursuing a life of adventure and helping others to access their inner wisdom and be free to lead lives they are passionate about. Her book Boost Your

Confidence Through Motorcycling: A Woman’s Guide to Being Your Best Self On and Off the Bike

became an Amazon.com #1 Bestseller. In 2019 Alisa was also named to Dealernews TOP 100 People in Powersports. Her personal mission is to empower women through motorcycling and adventure while being a strong advocate for the powersports industry at large. Alisa’s motorcycle touring company is www.WomensMotorcycleTours.com.