By Greg Gerber on
12/2/2008 11:03 PM
Attendance was noticeably decreased over previous years with estimates ranging from 27 percent (RV Industry Association) to 40 percent (veteran exhibitors). In fact, many people commented that opening day was more in line with booth traffic seen on Day Three of other shows. Official attendance numbers will be released Wednesday morning by the RVIA staff.
However, most exhibitors I talked to were extremely enthusiastic not only about the traffic to their booths, but the quality of conversations they had with attendees. Apparently, the decreased attendance gave exhibitors and participants more chance to talk and to enjoy more relaxed and detailed product presentations.
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By Mike Whitty on
12/1/2008 9:20 PM
One of the first things you become aware of as an RV Sales Manager is that you have many roles to play. At various times (and often all the time) you are a time management supervisor, a meeting planner, a contest creator, a report generator, a talent scout, a disciplinarian, a coach, a salesperson, a customer service representative, a trainer and a psychiatrist. All of these roles, well executed, make for a great Sales Manager - one whose main purpose is to get the best out of his/her salespeople.
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By Greg Gerber on
12/1/2008 5:06 PM
Here we are gathered at the 46th annual National RV Show, after a very trying and tumultuous year. The industry looks vastly different than it did just 12 months ago. We can dwell on the negative, and allow it to influence our perspective entering a new year. Or we can focus on the opportunities that present themselves — and there are many.
There is plenty to do at this show. When all the costs are factored in, the companies displaying products here have spent a small fortune to be here — and they deserve a few minutes of our time to deliver their pitch and to show us their products. Dealers who took the time to come here also made a sizeable investment in their future.
Yes, there will be time for play and celebration. But when the show floor is open, it’s game time. If we aren’t selling, we should be prospecting. If we aren’t prospecting, we should be strategizing to capitalize on the momentum created by this annual event.
If each person attending this show can maximize the investment of their time in the next 72 hours, then 2009 will truly be a successful year of recovery.
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By Bob Zagami on
11/30/2008 8:33 PM
As the key players, including most movers and shakers in the RV industry, head to Louisville this week we want to wish them well and hope that there will be great excitement among the new products that RV manufacturers introduce at this year's important show.
Hopefully, the frustrations and challenges presented to our industry this year will soon be in the rear view mirror. Maybe we can spend a lot more time in 2009 looking out the windshield and driving down a new road to success and recovery ..... now wouldn't that be something to look forward to?
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By Greg Gerber on
11/26/2008 5:30 PM
Every couple of days I get an e-mail message or a news tip submitted through our website asking me why we aren't reporting on a specific story, or a certain company or a particular event.
It's not as though we are on the payroll of certain companies (as one guy suggested today).
It's not as though we are protecting our advertisers (as another suggested last week).
It's not as though we shy away from controversy.
It's likely because we don't know about the story or the issue.
If you don't see a story posted, send me an e-mail or submit a news tip through our website. I can assure people they will remain completely anonymous. A good journalist always protects his sources. But, it is helpful if details can be provided or if the tipster provides a way for us to contact him to get more information. That way, we can follow-up when we get the official explanation so the source knows what's really going on -- or he can confirm that the "official" explanation is bunk.
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By Greg Gerber on
11/25/2008 4:17 PM
I was touched to see how Marathon Coach ensured its laid off employees have something to be thankful for this holiday season.
According to a local television station, Marathon Coach President Steve Schoellhorn ensured that the 150 temporarily laid off employees would retain their health benefits through the end of the year. The company also announced the workers would receive their holiday pay when they return to work in January, plus they would receive a full bag of groceries this week including an entire turkey.
I am sure December will be a difficult time for the 150 employees, but I applaud Marathon Coach for doing what it can for its employees even when the firm must make difficult decisions to ensure the company's survival.
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By Bob Zagami on
11/25/2008 4:23 PM
All of the Baby Boomer prospects that the RV industry has been cultivating through the Go RVing campaign have disappeared from dealer showrooms across the nation. The fallout of the current financial meltdown has impacted the RV industry beyond the expectations of anybody closely tied to RVs. Nobody could have predicted the devastation that has turned this industry upside down or the loss of dealers, suppliers and manufacturers that we have witnessed this year.
The Baby Boom Bubble has burst, and it will be a long time before the target audiences of the current Go RVing campaign come back into the lifestyle.
So where do we go from here? How do we use the Go RVing campaign to keep a spotlight, however dim, on the great pleasures that our industry provides to millions of people in 2009?
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By Mike Whitty on
11/23/2008 10:51 AM
Every Sales Manager’s dream: The Perfect Salesperson. High personal sales production. Eager to come to work on time. Excited about the department reaching its quotas. Tactful, polite, and well-behaved at Christmas parties.
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By Mike Whitty on
11/23/2008 10:44 AM
Do you spend a lot of time and energy trying to attract new customers to your dealership, hoping to pump up your bottom line? If so, you're probably missing an untapped source of sales that exists right inside your dealership - there's truth in the statement that your customer base is your most valuable asset.
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By Mike Whitty on
11/23/2008 10:16 AM
Are you giving your customers the "personal touch?"
Do you always use pre-programmed autoresponders for your email leads? Why? If a lead is received during your business day and you can respond to it immediately, do it personally. Turn your autoresponders back on when you leave for the evening or if you are delivering an RV.
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