Dealer Speak:
Developing Sales Opportunities
BY PATRICK DUNNING EDITOR’S NOTE: Many years ago Power Equipment Trade featured a regular column called ‘Dealer Speak’ where an editor would solicit responses on a given topic from dealers around the U.S. As we move into the year of perfect vision, 2020, the editorial board of PET decided it was time to bring that column back. If any dealer would like to participate in a future column, please be on the lookout for questions periodically posted on the PET Facebook page. If you’d like to speak on a particular topic, reach Associate Editor Patrick Dunning at Patrick@hattonbrown.com. 14
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hroughout the country, dealers are thinking outside the “Big Box” to target their customer base and expand outside traditional product lines. When the snow hasn’t fallen or grass isn’t wet, local resources are leveraged in diverse ways for small businesses to capitalize on new regional niches in their respective markets. Of those who responded to PET’s previous 2018 Dealer Survey, 23% said yes to considering expanding their operation with products outside traditional lawn and garden power equipment lines while 29% say they’ve already diversified. PET recently followed up and reached out to dealers in 2020, inquiring
about their tactics used to boost yearround sales, and if they’re looking into diverse equipment lines. Their responses reveal one thing, diversity is diverse: ● Westland Lawn & Snow Equip Inc. sits in the suburbs west of Detroit, in Westland, Mich. Owner Aldo Decina says while there’s still a lot of season left, the lack of snow this winter has put a damper on sales. “The snow industry is horrible right now, it’s not working out well,” Decina says. “You can make a lot of revenue on service and repairs with snow equipment but it depends on the weather,” he says. During winter their focus lies on 21 in.,
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