Your service department should be the most profitable part of your dealership.

Small talk is fine to start the interview, but get down to business and ask the right kinds of questions to uncover which candidate is the best fit for your dealership. A how-to story in the Wall Street Journal recommends focusing on four kinds of questions.

Dealers, we'd like to hear your thoughts on this Industry Q&A topic we are gathering data for for our fall print edition: "In what areas have your suppliers passed on more costs to you, such as training, advertising, etc., and what has been the impact on your dealership?"

Share your best practices for selling used equipment with those who are new to the tractor buying market.

Leverage the power of “word of mouth” recommendations through online product reviews of new products.

Recently, a salesperson told me that when she started her career, there were more than a dozen people selling her same product in her small city. Now, nearly 20 years later, her business has grown exponentially, while many of the original and new competitors have faded away. Her explanation: “I was going to be the best.”

Rural Lifestyle Dealer's blog post on the challenge of educating customers about ethanol took the top spot for most views in August. Stories about acquisition and best practices also ranked high.