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Fountain Inn, SC United States | Last week I quizzed some of you as to who our mystery man was. I probably shouldn't have mentioned that he was known for racing, that made a Google search rather easy. Oh well, next time, no clues!  Anyway, just wanted to let you know there's a new article in our "library" that looks at the man behind Victory Motorcycles. Hope you enjoy it!
There's a teaser on the front page.
Or, you can just get the story here:
http://www.vision-riders.com/articles.asp?Article=34398
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | JAM, thanks for the article, very interesting. I especially like this.
Recognizing the importance of good dealers, Mark commented in an industry magazine, Powersports Business, "We emphasized that to the dealer; you need to know more than they [the customer] do when they walk in." Noting that such customers already have decided on a bike before they walked into the dealership but haven't decided which dealership to buy from. "They're going to ask you questions and they probably already know the answers to those questions. They're trying to see if they trust you, if they want to buy from you. So they expect you to be very, very knowledgeable about these machines and to be able to answer the questions."
It is so tuff to go to any large city motorcycle dealer in my area and have them talk motorcycle to you. You normally get someone just selling.
I read about the On Road Div. earlier this month and I'm not supprised. I think Polaris is positioning themselves of something like a "Smart Car". When you look at the technology that is going into some of their side-by-sides and the motorcycles, there is no doubt in my mind they could market a small car in the future. |
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Fountain Inn, SC United States | Yes, I thought that was interesting as well. I think it's something that all manufacturers (bike, car, electronics, etc) strive for. I think Victory has show that it's an ongoing challenge. If you were able to listen to the podcast (link at end of article), Blackwell indicates Germany is their next market - very big on bikes. It would be very cool to see Victory take some marketshare from BMW. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | One of the sales guys at the new dealer in San Antonio was taking to a customer within earshot of a Victory rider and myself having a talk. I heard the customer ask the sales guy "Is the bike Water Cooled?" I was talking when the sales guy answered so I do not fully hear the reply.
The rider I was talking to said "The sales guy told him Vics are water cooled!" I said "Huh?"
I turned towards them and said, "I'm sorry, did you say that Vics are water cooled?" He nodded. I then stated, "Every Victory motorcycle ever made is Oil Cooled, not water cooled. No radiator."
They still have a lot to learn. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 7
Lakehills, Texas | Radioteacher speaks the truth! I'm the other rider he speaks of and he is correct about the salesman saying the Jackpot the guy was looking at was water cooled. They should have had a refresher on the Vic line before the Demo days so everyone was up to speed! The dealership seems to be doing things the right way and were very attentive to their customers.
Mr. Blackwell speaks of having the dealers knowledge level ready to answer all questions but maybe he should look to his own people. This was my second visit to a Demo event and both times I was not aproached or spoken to by the Vic reps as I browsed the bikes and looked at the display! I could have been a possible buyer instead of an owner, they would never have known. They were not unfriendly just do not seem to be interested to engage someone without the customer coming up to them. I listened to a Vic rider selling the benefits of the Vics over the Harley to another guy as the Vic reps looked on. Just seemed like that should have been their opportunity to get involved and really give the guy a good lesson in Victory! Sorry for the rant!!!
Good luck to Kent Powersports, they seem to really want to please the customer and have a really nice dealership! |
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Tourer
Posts: 548
Mount Vernon, WA United States | Like it or not the "sales force" of the retail industry just isn't what it used to be. There was a time, when you were interested in something, you went to your local business, hung out, maybe swept up, helped out, got hired, and eventually maybe, in the best of scenarios, you ended up one day running the place. That just doesn't happen much anymore if at all. For most dealers, in most ANY industry, it's hard enough to find people that will actually just show up to work.... MOST of the days they are supposed to. To actually find someone that will show up to work and be willing to learn something???? Those days are just gone. Some of it is just a cultural shift, and some of it is that the margins dealers (any dealer of anything) works with are so tight, they can't really pay much to more than maybe one lead sales guy, and the rest are minimum wage-ish.
But... even with that... Victory seems to do quite well. I guess enough people hear about the quality product in spite of the salesman of the world. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1350
| I remember the 2000 Sturgis ride from the dealer to Spearfish. Mark was on a Vic riding right in front of me. GREAT guy. He talks with everyone one at the meets and always says Victory is a team.
As far as salesman go..... A few years back I read 2 books books written by a car salesman. He was the No. 1 salesman 7 years in a row. He is in the World Book of Records because they chose him to be in it. He gives GREAT info. I have talked to young salesman in many lines. They are brainwashed into the "fast" sale format. I always treated customers the way I wanted to be treated. I believe it's the training they get and of course who's paying the bill?
Here's an example, when I worked part-time at the local dealer I wanted to put an ATV plow on the showroom floor. The floor manager, said no we have this display. Pointing at a cardboard sign. I talked the owner into letting me do it. 3 days later the floor manager came over to me and said I was right. The winter before they sold 15 plows. They sold 45 the first 30 days of having one on the floor. Us guys like to kick and touch something before we buy it. When I sold power equipment at Home Depot I was No. 1 salesman for the NE region but the computer did not have the info for all of the country. My store was one of the small ones. The asst manager would rearrange my John Deere lawn tractors by the book when I wasn't working. I would come in an move them back. One day he told me I had to leave them because that's the way corporate wanted them I said okay. 3 days later he asked why my sales were off. I said let me put my mowers back the way I want them. He did and my sales shot back up. The answer? I had them sit up so the wives could get on them easily. Once the wife sat on one I had it sold. Those books from corporate did not have that in them.
A salesperson does not have to have the correct answer to every question. They have to be correct with their answers and call the customer as soon as they have the correct answer to any question they do not know.
I think you will find that Victory reps lean toward the dealer doing their job that's why they don't jump in unless asked. Kind of like giving directions, only one person gives directions or the person will be more lost then they are. |
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Mark Blackwell: A Closer Look
