Featured Video
Check out these informative videos from Rural Lifestyle Dealer.
Register today!
Register at the Rural Lifestyle Dealer Web site and get members- only access to the latest and greatest information in the Rural Lifestyle marketplace. Don't miss out; register today!
‘Get Into the Game’ with ATV/UTV Implements
Dealers can be successful if they know their market, use demonstrations and focus on a core group of equipment.
Roger Peach, Contributing Writer
Whether it’s hunters, gardeners or hobby farmers, rural lifestylers are always looking for ways to get the job done more efficiently. That gives manufacturers a reason to make implements like scrapers, spreaders, blades and mowers designed specifically for ATVs and UTVs.
Selling these implements won’t make a typical dealership a fortune. But selling them can keep customers coming through the door and, in the process, cement the critical “relationship link” between local customer and dealers.
Dealerships that are successful at selling ATV/UTV implements tell Rural Lifestyle Dealer that they generally stock a small, core group of equipment that is determined by local demand, including sprayers, blades and mowers.
But this “core” is subject to change based on local and seasonal needs. For example, sprayers and mowers might get bumped out during the fall in favor of snow blowers and log splitters. So dealerships must keep on their toes and know their market inside and out.
Show It to Move It
If you want to capitalize on ATV/ UTV implement sales, you have to “get in the game,” says Jerry Sandy, product manager for UTVs with Husqvarna.
|
Dealer Takeaways • Hook implements up to the ATV/ UTVs on display so customers can see the possibilities • Make sure customers understand all their vehicles’ capabilities, and how implements fit in • Fight the Internet sales challenge by taking advantage of your dealership’s proximity to customers |
Sandy has been involved in the ATV/ UTV-product industry for 5 years and he’s seen the complete range of dealer attitudes toward implement sales. Some dealers couldn’t care less about selling such implements, and others take implement sales seriously because it expands complimentary product offerings. Dealers have to be creative to sell implements well.
“Hook up a plow or sprayer to that ATV or UTV and set it out where prospects can see it when they stop by your store or pass by,” advises Sandy. “That plants a sales seed in their mind.” Promoting implements is important because potential customers typically don’t have the complete picture of what their machines can do.
“Sure, they might come into your store on a mission to fulfill a specific need,” Sandy says, “but it’s only after they use their ATV or UTV for a while that they start to think about other jobs that could be done quickly and safely from the comfort of their ATV or UTV. The plow or sprayer that originally brought them in can turn into sales of mowers, rakes and seeders after they have a chance to consider the versatility of their machines — and how they can save time with other implements so there’s more time to enjoy their property.”
To “get in the game,” dealerships catering to rural lifestylers must stock the implements that local customers need and want. Then they must cultivate their business by showing customers the implements are available and showing how the equipment can help them get work done effectively and efficiently.
The Fun Factor
Len Damouth, sales manager for ATV/UTV products at Cowtown USA of Cuba, Mo., reports combined sales of 75-100 ATVs (CAN-AM) and UTVs (Club Car) per year.
The most popular implements sold include mowers and sprayers, which are typically used in combination with various Club Car XRT models.
“We pretty much have an equal split between farmers and hunters as customers for our ATVs and UTVs,” Damouth notes. “Both of these types of customers battle brush and weeds, so that explains why mowers and sprayers are so popular. This also happens to be cattle country, so our Club Car vehicles often get called upon to haul feed and hay.
“Very few of our customers have a complete picture of what’s available to them and what individual product pros and cons happen to be. We take great pride in being able to provide them with the information they need to make the right selection for their needs.”
Cowtown USA features a 4,000-square-foot showroom for its ATV/UTV sales. The units are staged in a variety of seasonal displays with logs, mulch and stone used to create scenes that readily connect to customers’ imaginations and their possible uses of the machines. Sprayers, mowers and snowplows are often part of the displays.
“One of the advantages that we have over agricultural equipment that can do similar tasks is the ‘fun factor,’ ” Damouth says.
“ATVs and UTVs are much more fun to operate than a tractor. Farmers won’t always admit it because they can be conservative and all business, but when they can have a machine that can do a lot of different jobs by adding implements, they generally pick the thing they can envision having a little fun with, too.”
Demonstrations Are Key
Midwest Powersports, an exclusive Polaris dealer located in Milbank, S.D., has been successful at promoting ATV/UTV implement sales with two basic practices. The store makes it a point to display implements attached to vehicles and demonstrate equipment whenever they can, says Vince Yamaura, a partner in the business.
“We hook up implements to our Rangers and put them on display so customers can see what they look like,” he says. “We match vehicles and implements according to the selling season. It’s a great way to promote products.”
Midwest Powersports has two showroom display areas. Both typically feature an ATV or UTV connected to an implement. Sprayers are the biggest-selling implement sold at the store, but snow plows, land-leveling and rake implements are also common purchases.
“Demonstrating implements is very important to generating implement sales,” Yamaura says. “Sometimes you just have to demonstrate to convince a customer something will work. For instance, Agri-Fab has a boomless nozzle sprayer that can cover a 30-foot width. A lot of sprayer customers find it hard to believe this can be done, but they get convinced after we get them out in our demonstration area and show them the sprayer coverage they can get.”
Know Your Customer
Dave Sisson, an owner of Sisson’s Chainsaws & Stoves in Bolivar, N.Y., says, dealers can’t do a good job unless they know their customers and what they need.
“We’re in a tremendous hunting area near the Pennsylvania border where deer and turkey are popular game. It’s also snow country in the winter so our biggest implement sellers involve snow-moving equipment. Sixty-two-inch and 72-inch blades are our primary sellers and winches are very popular, too,” says Sisson, whose dealership sells Husqvarna UTVs.
The key to selling both the UTVs and implements, Sisson says, is keeping your ears open. “We always ask the customer what they intend to use their UTV for so that we can make the right recommendation for their application.”
Sisson also believes in equipment demonstrations as a key sales ingredient. “We have three demo units ready to go at all times. If we didn’t do demos with the equipment, we would hardly sell a thing. At the very least we can do demos at our store. But we especially like doing the demos at the customer’s location whenever that can be arranged.
“By doing the demonstration at their place, they can see just how the machine and implement performs in the exact environment in which it is intended to be used. With some customers we’ll even let them keep the demo unit overnight so they can use it and get a good feel of how it will perform for them. Demos are the best way to get the customers to make the decision to buy.”
Welcome the Hunters
Desten Segrest, general manager at Farmers Cooperative of Port Gibson, Miss., has seen significant sales of ATV/UTV implements at the business he manages in southwestern Mississippi.
“This is deer hunting country and we’ve learned to cater to that,” Segrest says. “ATVs and UTVs are generally used by hunters and those who operate hunting camps in the area. The primary implements these folks want are sprayers, seeders and drags or harrow-type equipment, all of which can be used to cultivate food plots for deer.
“Hunters and hunting camps need weed control, so they go for the 15- and 25-gallon sprayers and spray herbicides so their food plots aren’t taken over by unwanted vegetation. Seeders are used to spread seed and fertilizer, and light cultivation equipment is needed to prepare food plots for planting.”
Customers are Educated
WCT Outdoors of Brenham, Texas — a division of Washington County Tractor — features a large showroom and service building, plus 10 acres of land next door for equipment demonstrations.
The 15,000-square-foot showroom is set up to display equipment in mock environments which include dirt, boulder and water scenery to help customers imagine where the equipment might be put to use.
Zach Jensen, sales manager at WCT, says that ATV/UTV customers do a great deal of research on equipment before they buy.
“They come in almost knowing more than you do,” Jensen says. “They’ve been on the Internet and they know the features and prices when they come in to talk.
“We approach customers with super-low pressure. We let them look around and when they’re ready to talk, we’ll ask: ‘What do you want to do?’ Once we have an answer, we can determine if their research is on track, and that the equipment they’re considering is what they truly need.”
Most of WCT’s ATV/UTV business is Kawasaki-based, but they also sell Club Car products. The biggest implement seller is sprayers.
“We have a tremendous number of weekend warriors in this part of Texas and they’re always looking to haul their buddies out to the ‘back forty’ somewhere to do
 |
|
For dealerships to sell more implements for ATVs and UTVs, sales people must pay close attention to what their customers need — whether it’s spraying herbicides, seeding a food plot or hauling hay for livestock, says Jerry Sandy, product manager for UTVs at Husqvarna. |
something. That’s about half our ATV/UTV business. The other half is made up of working ranchers,” Jensen says.
“Ranchers in particular are interested in spot sprayers to control weeds around their property. We’ll also sell a lot of winches to both the weekend warriors and ranchers who can get them themselves in a tight spot once in awhile.”
Plenty of Competition
If you’re a dealer who doesn’t like competition, ATV/ UTV implement sales may be difficult. There’s lots of competition for the implement dollar, including Internet players that have a strong foothold in the market.
Great Day’s Paul Meeks is in tune with today’s current sales outlets for ATV/UTV implements. His interest is understandable, as Great Day designs and markets a number of ATV/UTV products, including Super-Spot Sprayers and PowerLoader lifts.
“Traditional equipment dealers are in competition with national and regional chain stores, as well as the established network of farm- and ranch-oriented stores — including the many co-ops around the country,” says Meeks, Great Day’s CEO. “In addition to all that, there are some aggressive Internet businesses that fill a niche.”
Meeks says it would be a mistake for dealerships to expect huge profit margins on ATV/UTV implements because production costs are high.
“Dealers who try to maximize the profit margin flirt with pricing themselves out of the sale,” he explains. “ATV/UTV implement pricing can be very narrow because price points can be reached quickly and that can turn away customers. A local dealer can price equipment so that it pushes customers to other sources such as the Internet.”
Justin King, a partner in Internet-based Amazing ATV Machinery, says it’s not practical for dealerships to carry a huge variety of implements because the demand is limited and there’s an opportunity to sell from catalogs.
From his perspective, it’s an understandable strategy. “I don’t know of any dealer who concentrates on local sales that can support all of the ATV/UTV implements available solely on their local sales,” says King. “What I see are dealers who pick and choose their implements carefully based on established customer demand.”
King notes that Internet-savvy implement customers often make their way to the Amazing ATV Machinery web site for hard-to-find items, or items that they felt were priced too high.
“Internet-based businesses can operate on a 25% profit markup,” King explains. “Dealerships tend to be as much as double that. The dealership’s advantages are they can be a local source for the product and they can provide any service that needs to be done.”
So how do rural lifestyle dealerships compete against Internet sites? Meeks believes they need to use established strengths.
“Dealers have to establish themselves as the expert on implements their customers need and want,” Meeks advises. “Customers who go to the chain store typically aren’t in contact with someone who really knows the equipment inside and out. That’s a major selling point for dealers who are capable of intimate product knowledge.
“Dealers also have the advantage of proximity to the customer and have the capability of having a closer relationship to the customer than is generally possible through Internet contact. Dealers don’t have to give up ATV/UTV business if they want it in the first place.”
