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Let’s Sling Some Mud!

There is nothing more exciting than the first weekend of good Spring weather to conjure thoughts of slinging some mud! Whether taking that ATV/UTV camping, visiting the nearest off-road trail, or simply looking for the nearest country road, getting some dirt on the tires is always a good time. But before your customer backs that vehicle out of the garage or storage unit, make sure they don’t inadvertently cut their fun short. Now is the time to recommend a vehicle check-up or offer a service center special to get that unit ready to ride.

Chances are that weekend toy probably sat idle for a few weeks or even months. Just because it starts doesn’t mean it’s good to go.  From tires and wheels to lights and oil, there are a number of things that can impact a great ride – or cause a ruined weekend. Reach out to your customers and recommend a quick visit to the dealership for the following 5-point checklist:

  • Tires and Wheels
  • Controls
  • Lights and Electrics
  • Oil and Other Fluids
  • Chassis
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Get Some Mud on the ATV

It’s Spring – or almost Spring depending on your location – and what better time to pull that ATV out of the shed and churn some dirt! While you’re at it, now is a good time to generate some revenue as well. According to Mordor Intelligence, the North American ATV and UTV market is  valued at USD 5.96 billion in 2023, with a predicted growth to USD 7.90 billion, registering a CAGR of about 4.8 percent over the next five years. Rebounding from the shut-down pandemic years, ATV and UTV use has expanded from primarily agriculture, patrolling and hunting uses to sports and recreational activities, gardening, and a plethora of other uses.

Top ATV manufacturers including Yamaha, Polaris, Honda, Can-Am, Suzuki, and Kawasaki realized the opportunity for market growth during the pandemic and announced a slew of new products in 2022. Targeting a wide range of markets including sports, all-terrain, adult, youth, and commercial applications, these units are hitting the showroom floor as consumers shake off the winter doldrums. Specifically, the growth in off-road adventure activities and ‘overlanding’ reflects US consumer interest in affordable family-oriented fun.

While gas-powered models will remain the top seller for the next couple of years, advancements in electric ATVs will leverage growth in the automotive EV market. Outdoor charging options for hunting or back-country use may lag but commercial applications including military and civic use could follow the trend of these industries transitioning their fleets to EVs.

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Taking a Holistic Approach

We’ve all heard the phrase, “take the holistic approach.” But, what does that mean from a dealer perspective? From the first point of contact, through the sales process, and throughout the life of the unit, your goal is to build a relationship that supports the whole customer journey. It’s as much a mindset as it is a functional way of running your business.

But what happens if you don’t take a holistic approach? Say for example, your parts and service departments are viewed as cost centers rather than profit centers. While you provide needed functions that are critical to the life of the powersports product, the departments are not viewed as a component of supporting the whole customer journey. Instead, those departments may be managed as an expense that is monitored and managed based on their impact to the dealership – not as a benefit to the customer. Or maybe inventories are kept as low as possible, employee training is written off as too expensive, and service employees are not encouraged to evaluate the entire customer experience with the unit.

What might happen if you changed your approach to one portion of your dealership? Let’s consider a scenario where you adopt a holistic approach to the service department.

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