Nearly 60% of dealers say customers have a brand in mind most of the time or almost always when they visit their dealerships, according to Rural Lifestyle Dealer's 2018 Dealer Business Trends & Outlook Report.

Polaris Industries reports first quarter 2018 sales of $1,297 million, up 12% from $1,154 million for the first quarter of 2017.

Every 3 years since 2011, Ag Equipment Intelligence and Farm Equipment magazine have conducted a poll asking farmers why they would move away from their favorite brand of equipment.

For dealers who specialize in smaller equipment, the professional farmer who is categorized as “small” should also represent a fertile area for customer prospecting — because it’s huge.

Rural Lifestyle Dealer's 2018 Dealer Business Trends & Outlook survey asked dealers to comment on opportunities in the rental market. See which categories offer the most potential for rental.

Earlier this year, Ag Equipment Intelligence surveyed U.S. and Canadian farm equipment dealers on their major sources for equipment loans. Check out the results.

According to the Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers, U.S. year-to-date sales of under 40 horsepower tractors were up 1.1% for the first quarter compared with last year and up more than 5% compared with March of last year. Canadian year-to-date sales of under 40 horsepower tractors were up 3.7% for the first quarter compared with last year and up 0.7% compared with March of last year.

The tit-for-tat retaliatory policies are feared to hit U.S. farm exports, exacerbating the troubles of farm equipment makers, which have been battling weak domestic demand for the past 4 years.

Spotting significant differences between your dealership’s performance and that of comparable dealers can be the first step to improving your profitability.

See the stats regarding service techs, salespeople, market growth and capital expenditures.