The Future of Sales and the Powersports Industry

We live in a world where there are now vending machines for cars. A company named Caravana is leading the revolution in car buying, and while you shouldn’t necessarily be running to put your ATVs into an oversized snack machine, you should be paying attention to the revolution that is sweeping the auto and powersports dealership technology industry and changing the way that you do business. If you haven’t already noticed the changing customer climate and started to adapt, here’s what you need to know.

The Future is Customer-Centric

People aren’t interested in being sold things. They never really have been huge on “sales,” of course, but now more than ever, people want an experience and a brand that they can count on.

The customer experience is responsible for as much as 75% of repeat business that is seen at powersports dealerships around the world, and if that isn’t enough to get you onboard, here are some more things to keep in mind.

The Internet is at your customers’ fingertips. It's giving them the chance to get everything that they want out of their investment in powersports equipment, no matter where they choose to shop. Therefore, they’re going to take their time and pick the dealer that puts their best interests first. What are those interests?

Primarily, the future customer wants things like:

• Personalized recommendations and support
• Industry-related information and educational content
• A quick, seamless, and hassle-free buying experience
• A relationship with a brand that they can trust
• The dealership to be up on Powersports Dealership Technology

The New Sales Tools

Along with the revolution in the changing sales environment, your collection of sales tools is going to change, as well. Dealerships can no longer rely on the same tools they once used if they are going to continue to grow into the future of the industry. Today’s sales team needs customer-focused tools and resources like:

• CRM software to manage customers, customer needs, and all transactions is huge to powersports dealership technology.
• Social media to build reputation and brand authority
• Integration and marketing automation tools to eliminate tedious or unnecessary busywork
• Analytics tools to measure data and track the customer journey from start to finish

If your sales team is taking care of customers and using their tools to nurture those relationships, the sales will generate themselves.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

In a recent study on sales tools and teams, it was discovered that sales reps have an average of 11 different tools that they use to handle sales and customers. Not only that, but as many as 80% of the companies surveyed reported that they spend as much as $1,000 per sales professional on technology and sales tools each year.

The trend is on the rise, and with the growing availability of technology resources to assist with powersports sales, you need to get on board. The good news is that if you invest in the right tools, you don’t have to spend a lot to give your team the tools that they need. Choose wisely and make sure that your sales strategies focus on providing future customer precisely what they want and need.