Sell tractors, fix them, collect the money and innovate.
Farm equipment dealerships are not considered the most innovative industry, although remarkable innovations occur there on nearly a daily basis. 

“We sell tractors. We fix them. We collect the money.”
This was the insight I received from a seasoned iron peddler upon my first visit to an equipment dealership more than 20 years ago. Simple and action-oriented, his statement summed up the fundamentals of equipment distribution.

Rapid changes create both risk and opportunity. Your dealership is impacted by big changes in technology, the workforce and higher expectations of your customers, employees and suppliers.

Here is the inescapable reality: your front-line employees are the direct link between your company and your customers. To achieve your goal to go from good to great, your employees will need the following skills and knowledge, led by you, to establish a company culture centered on your clients. 

Can fishing help you appreciate the value of customer retention? If you’re “just fishin’,” catch and release is OK. But if you want to eat or sell the fish you catch, you want to do the things that hook the biggest fish.

A MAC colleague, Bill Mayes, has a way with words. His article last month sets up our 2021 theme of “Creating a Customer Centric Culture” and is a great concept.