By Mike Whitty on 8/29/2008 7:06 PM

Today, email is not being leveraged to its full potential. At best, it is being used only to respond to customer inquiries, and even that is being implemented marginally.  The biggest attraction of email marketing is the cost. Compared with the traditional channels of advertising and marketing, using the Internet and email to communicate your message with your prospects and customers is extremely cost-effective.

The first step to creating a marketing program via the Internet is to start collecting the email addresses of your customers and prospects. They are your best potential source of future revenue. The number of consumers who have email addresses will pleasantly surprise you. You need to create various methods of collecting email addresses. Once you start to create a database of email addresses you can develop different campaigns to communicate with both your prospects and your customers.

Look into the future. Five years from now you will have the email addresses of virtually every person who...

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By Greg Gerber on 8/28/2008 3:29 PM

I suspected that RV Industry News had been putting out lots of industry news this year. But, even I was surprised to find out how much.

So far, we posted 1,501 stories -- 550 more than our closest competitor. In August alone, we posted 136 percent of the news stories posted by the other two publications combined.  And judging by the comments I hear at trade shows and from people who take the time to call or write, we have stumbled on a winning formula for disseminating information.

Whether they are anonymously reporting shenanigans going on at a particular company, expressing their concerns over a critical issue or challenging the editor over some foolhardy statement he made, this venue will continue to give RV industry professionals the information they need and the microphone they desire.

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By Greg Gerber on 8/27/2008 1:42 PM

The federal government announced today it has discovered yet another untapped lode of taxpayer money and will be making $440,766 available to 270 displaced Winnebago Industries workers in Charles City, Iowa.

According to my calculations, that amounts to $1,632.47 per worker. 

It makes me wonder what these unskilled workers who can't find jobs without $440,000 worth of federal assistance did prior to Winnebago's arrival in the community in the spring of 2004.

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By Mike Whitty on 8/26/2008 3:31 PM

Selling RVs in tough times requires a tough attitude. Half the battle is in your head and the other half is on the streets. Customers will object to price—that’s what they do. First, they test your price; next, they test your resolve. Being prepared to sell in tough times is the mental game of success. Positive thoughts provide the mental fuel you need for your journey. Positive behavior results from these positive thoughts. These tips will help you move in a positive direction in tough times:

Be a positive information source You may be the only positive salesperson the customer meets with this week. Remember, misery loves company. When the economy weakens and things slow down, the “complainers” work overtime. Visualize a room full of negative people, sitting around a conference table regurgitating the latest negative news and feeling worse for the experience. Contrast this to the salesperson that throws the customer a lifeline of hope and optimism. From whom would you rather buy? Tell the customer about...

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By Chuck Marzahn on 8/26/2008 11:24 AM

Where there's smoke...

Too many sources are talking with me about Monaco's entering into an arrangement  to sell product 40 or 50k back of invoice to Camping World/Freedom Roads. 

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By Mike Whitty on 8/25/2008 7:00 AM

A common complaint among sales managers is that they don't get enough cooperation from their employees. You have to realize that you need to give before you can expect to receive. If you want employees who will work with initiative, ingenuity, and enthusiasm, you have to make them feel good about their job and about themselves.

Praise help to focus on the positive The main purpose for getting into the habit of praising your employees is because a sales manager too often overlooks all the things an employee does correctly and only focuses on the employee's occasional mistake. Because bosses expect certain things from their employees, they don't feel the need to compliment or acknowledge routine performance; when in essence, this acknowledgment is exactly what an employee needs to feel worthy.

Create a stimulating work environment A manager's main responsibility is to motivate his/her employees so that they become outstanding workers. The success and welfare of your employees is dependent upon the...

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By Greg Gerber on 8/21/2008 10:45 AM

Several dealers forwarded e-mails to me that they received yesterday from RV Business encouraging them to recommend their top salespeople for special recognition in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

Such is the skeptical state of business today. In reality, dealers have just as much to worry about in having their superstars recruited by competitors down the street as they do in having them recruited by the AGI/FR/CW conglomerate.

RV dealers are justifiably skeptical of similar attempts to recognize their top performers in a venue that would encourage headhunters and competitors to entice their superstars away from the dealership. Retaining eagles is a hard-enough job without inviting competitors into the bidding process.

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By Mike Whitty on 8/20/2008 12:59 PM

Smart RV buyers will always ask for a better price. Unfortunately, too many salespeople automatically think that reducing their price is the most effective way to respond to this request.

However, negotiating is not always about price. Although price is a factor in virtually every sale it is not usually the primary or motivating factor. Everything you say and do from the first contact with a prospect affects the value of your product and service in their mind. That’s why it is important to look at the negotiating process differently in order to achieve better results.

First of all, invest time gathering information about customers, their needs, situation, and buying motives. The more information you have the more prepared you will be to negotiate later in the sales process. Regardless of your experience in RV sales, information will help you negotiate more effectively. Many salespeople think that their customers care only about price, but upon further exploration, other issues usually arise. Uncovering...

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By Mike Whitty on 8/20/2008 12:56 PM

"Do you know a salesperson that you would like to change and improve?

Good! I am all in favor of it. But why not begin on yourself? From a purely selfish standpoint, that is a lot more profitable than trying to improve others – and a lot less dangerous."

Criticizing others rarely does any good because people are not creatures of logic, they are creatures of emotion. Very rarely will you criticize someone and hear them respond with "Why thank you, I see you are correct and I shall improve immediately."

No, criticism is a dangerous spark that usually brings out every unhappy thought in your head the other person has. When we feel attacked (which is what being told you are wrong feels like), we usually respond in one of two ways, 1) with hurtful emotion or 2) defensive anger. Neither of which is productive in the least.

Can you remember a time when someone criticized you? Do you remember how you REACTED? Did their criticism do any good? Did it inspire you to improve? Probably not, it rarely does. How do you feel about that person today?

...

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By Mike Whitty on 8/20/2008 12:49 PM

I recently read an article discussing children being able to use the internet before they even learn to read. One out of four children in nursery school learn to use the internet, a skill that even some adults haven't fully mastered. Children, your RV buyers of the future, are more adventurous and more willing to take risks as they learn.  And they're learning differently than your current clientele.

 

Twenty-three percent of kids age three, four, or five in nursery school have gone online for educational purposes, according to the Department of Education. By kindergarten, 32 percent used the internet for a variety of purposes, typically under adult supervision.  Will you be ready for these present and future consumers, and be able to sell them the way they're learning to buy?

 

Many of us who made much of our living from the internet are able to see the continual growth, the sea of visitors to our websites increases everyday. My training company started in business in 1988, and I began...

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