Royal Flush Sales

The Best Hand in the Business

BUILD CUSTOMER RAPPORT THROUGH REVIVE YOUR RIDE PROGRAM

REVIVE YOUR RIDE-

the first, industry-wide, collaborative marketing program available free of charge and intended to boost consumer visits to powersports retailers and dealerships nationwide. Tap into the power of this collective effort and help boost your bottom line.

Build the Need to Buy Now

  • Holiday Gift Guide or Registry

    Shopping for the holidays starts now. Consider printing (or posting on your Web site) a Holiday Gift Guide with items ranging from $30 to $100 or $250, or $1000 or more. Have special sales where customers buy now and save more. The guide can include a printed or printable “wish list” so that riders can check off what they’d like and supply it to their non-riding family and friends. There are plenty of accessories or gear items that would make excellent stocking-stuffers or small gifts. Consider a holiday gift registry. Consider gift certificates for service or accessory installation, or for a helmet fitting and a new helmet.

  • Frequent-Buyer Program

    Create a frequent-buyer program that will help keep your customers coming back for the benefits. Whenever they’re inside the doors, they are seeing all sorts of your products on sale.

  • Double the Points, Benefits, or Value

    For the limited time of the promotion, double the points, benefits or value of any other program you are working with now.

  • Limited-Time Friends and Family Pricing

    Offer limited-time-only “friends and family” pricing/handling.

  • Holiday Layaway

    Bring back the holiday layaway programs of decades past. The customer makes their selection from your stock or catalogs and you charge an up-front deposit and perhaps a fee. The customer makes a few periodic payments and picks up the merchandise upon final payment. Your customer has the benefit of shopping early, making payments, and not having to worry about hiding any gifts for weeks before the holiday. You have the benefit of seeing the customer several additional times and working additional sales. Check for any state or local regulations first.

  • Promote Saving GREEN and Going GREEN

    Promote saving green and going green. Have a display, host green chats, have one-sheets where you can show how customers can save money by trading the car for a bike or scooter even a few days a week, and how they can help the environment at the same time by burning less fossil fuels, using less oil during changes and more.

Make an Event of It

  • Focus on What’s Important

    Offer events that focus on what is important/topical/real right now, like a “Heck with the Economy” party, or something unexpected like a fashion show to interest women and trendsetting Gen Y youth. Host a customer ride with the finish line at your dealership, and a barbecue, demos, test rides (new and used). Stage a bike show and include customer bikes, concept bikes and halo product. Set up a 50cc test ride for kids (and their parents) use MSF Dirt Bike School Coaches or ASI Instructors. Make your dealership a place to do something, have some fun.

  • Use Motorcycles to Market a Cause

    Use motorcycles to market a cause, similar to LIVESTRONG. Motorcycle riders are charity minded. Your dealership could be the drop-off point for food or toy drives, and a cause-driven event provides riding opportunities when you and staff can spend time with existing and potential customers.

  • Set Up Free Event Parking

    Work with aftermarket suppliers to set up free parking for riders at motorcycle/ATV gatherings, whether it’s a local race or a bike show.

  • Create “Motorcycle Days”

    Work with event management companies to create “motorcycle days” at local destinations and community events, homecomings, baseball parks and sports arenas and offer discount tickets and free parking for motorcycles.

  • Encourage Your Customers to Bring a Friend

    Encourage your customers to bring in a friend or neighbor for a test ride. Test rides present the age-old dilemma of insurance, liability, curtailments, and the definition of “new” product. But the MIC’s research confirms that the very best tool in new motorcycle and ATV sales is the test ride.

  • Promote Rider Training

    Promote rider training. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic RiderCourse and DirtBike School can help your customers decide if riding on- or off-road is right for them. They first may want to buy a helmet, gloves and other safety-wear so they can train in their own personally fit gear. Consider crediting the course fee toward the purchase of a motorcycle.

  • Learn About the “Try Before You Buy” Program

    Know that Specialty Vehicle Institute of America members (most of the OE ATV brands) participate in the “Try Before You Buy” program that reimburses all appropriate course fees and pays the training incentive when the customer buys an ATV after completing the training.

  • Host Special Events

    Host special events that work for your dealership. After-hour events or Sunday morning gatherings could be convenient and enticing for your customers. Enthusiasts want information about products and how to use them. Consider free safety checks (which can lead to specials on service and tune-ups and even accessorizing). Consider a women’s night hosted by female staff for female customers. Consider suspension clinics and safety inspections. Consider a customizing design night. Consider a sport bike night or a motocross night. If there are factory-sponsored or support team riders in your area, work with your distributor or manufacturer to arrange an appearance that you publicize. With the season coming up, consider a hunting/fishing-with-ATVs night and partner with a nearby outdoors supply store. Consider hosting an evening of “Ask the RiderCoach” with one who is MSF-certified. MSF training materials available online make it possible to have mini-seminars on group riding, or riding for seniors.

  • Host a Custom Bike Show with Prizes

    Host a custom bike show with prizes, and invite local builders to give one-on-one advice to bike owners on customizing their rides. Dress up a popular stock model for the event to showcase the many simple bolt-on mods that will make a bike stand out. Event attendees could receive special discounts on parts and accessories.

  • Hold a “Motorcycle Makeover” Contest

    Hold a “Motorcycle Makeover” contest. Customers who purchase a minimum amount of parts or accessories within a certain time period are entered to win a motorcycle makeover. They could choose from a pre-determined selection of custom parts for their ride.

  • Offer free “Bike Fittings”

    Offer free “bike fittings” to help owners evaluate the ergonomics and comfort of their own motorcycle. Explain how simple changes to the handlebars, hand and foot controls, and seat can improve the comfort and rideability of your bike.

  • Host Your Customers on Race Day

    Host your customers on race day. Watch MotoGP, World Superbike and Supercross and motocross on a big-screen TV. Offer some free food and drink and some that customers can buy. Give free soft drinks to those who ride in. Offer publications that cover racing to your customers.

  • Build an Event Calendar on Your Website

    Build an event calendar on your website to show everything that you’re doing in the weeks and months ahead.

  • Offer “Free” Seminars on Service

    Offer “free” seminars on service, suspension set-up, pre-ride inspections and more to pass on knowledge, experience and build community among your customers.

  • Consider a “Women Only Wrenching Night”

    Consider a “Women Only Wrenching Night” that’s just for women (no guys). They want information, they want to learn basic maintenance skills, they want to ask any question they have and they want to build their confidence. Open it up and don’t talk down to them. They are motorcycle customers, too.

  • Offer “Friends and Family” Service/Handling

  • Expand “Concierge” Style Services

    Expand “concierge” style services: Offer pick-up, delivery and other value-added services. Take the hassle out of service for your customers.

  • Create DIY Service Kits

    Create DIY service kits and train your customers how to do simple maintenance themselves. They most likely won’t, but you will have sold the kit and established a rapport and confidence in your service.

  • Offer Winterization Packages

    For those in colder climates, offer winterization packages to give customers confidence that their bikes/ATVs will be ready to ride in the spring. Include storage, basic maintenance and spring prep, or full service so the bike/ATV is ready to roll when the customer picks it up. Consider offering discounts on new gear, parts and accessories to customers who purchased a winterization package. Sharpen up your bike, and yourself, for the new riding season.

Gear Up, Then Saddle Up

  • Inform Riders They Should Be Covered Head to Toe

    Riders should be covered head to toe, whatever the weather. Bare hands and jeans aren’t acceptable riding gear. New riders need information. Tell them about: helmets, eye protection, jacket or suit, pants, gloves and boots. Missing, improper, old or outdated gear are opportunities to sell new gear. Offer free gear fittings. Show them what’s useful by demonstrating new technology, features and benefits. Demo the fall/winter gear that will make it more comfortable to ride later into the year. Let them see what’s in style and what’s cool to wear today. Offer to “Complete the Set.” In most states, a helmet may be the minimum amount of protection needed by law, but the rest of your customer’s body may disagree after a crash or even a minor tip-over. If they’re missing any piece of safety gear, give a discount on anything it takes to complete the set.

  • Demo Your Popular and Newest Gear

    Demo your popular and newest gear, for hunters, women, off-roader, street riders, all segments of your customer base.

  • Put Together a Fashion Show

    Put together a fashion show with all the new gear, including how to prepare for winter. Create a holiday display showcasing gifts for the riders in your life.

  • Offer Free Helmet Checks and Fittings

    Do free helmet checks and fittings. “Is your helmet safe?” It doesn’t take a crash or fall to ruin your helmet. Oil and sweat can cause unseen deterioration inside a helmet. A bad-fitting helmet can be dangerous. Bring it in for an expert fitting and an inspection. Those who bring in helmets get a discount off a new one. Exchange and then destroy the old helmet.

  • Provide a Personal Shopper

    Train and make available a personal shopper, someone who takes notes on individual customers and alerts them to new products that are tailored for their needs and wants. This is a great support for new riders.

  • Create Boutique-Type Displays

    Create boutique-type displays with all the gear (near the bikes) for a “touring kit,” “hunting kit,” “off-road kit” and so on.

  • Market Casual Wear and Other Aftermarket Gear

    Show your customers how to be a rider when they aren’t riding. Many gear manufacturers also offer great casual wear for weekend or casual Friday, and still stay connected to motorcycling and ATV riding. Whether they’re in a cubicle, on the dance floor, or the sofa, there’s plenty of aftermarket gear that will keep them cool, looking.

Information from the Revive Your Ride Website 8-30-2010.

 

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

6 Responses to “BUILD CUSTOMER RAPPORT THROUGH REVIVE YOUR RIDE PROGRAM”

  1. Maxie Chappa says:
    December 16, 2010 at 7:21 am

    I love dirt bike. Currently ride a Suzuki RT 125. I’m not an athlete but regular ride the local league. If anyone wants to exchange experiences let me be told.

  2. Candi Boyda says:
    April 7, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    Indeed! GIRLS UNITE AND FIGHT!”, “FEMALES RULE!

  3. Darla Beyah says:
    April 14, 2011 at 4:30 pm

    I truly loved BUILD CUSTOMER RAPPORT THROUGH REVIVE YOUR RIDE PROGRAM | Royal Flush Sales. Brick and mortar is consequently old school. If you want to get ahead with your products or services in today’s market you need an online presence.

  4. Paul Klee says:
    June 12, 2011 at 6:22 pm

    Casey Stoner may not be the world’s best-loved bike rider but think about it, when you look at the level of competition he can regularly win against you have to accept his ability. Maybe what they say is true and nice guys really do finish last. The nastier you are, the nearer the winner’s enclosure you get.

  5. north london counselling says:
    June 29, 2011 at 1:04 pm

    I don’t normally comment but I gotta say regards for the post on this perfect one : D.

  6. Austin Fatula says:
    July 22, 2011 at 5:50 pm

    Hey this is an awesome post. thanks for sharing.

Leave a Reply

Posted on: Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Posted in: Best Practices for Business, Motorcycles & Scooters, Uncategorized

Tags: , , , ,

Search