| Author | Message | ||
     Cowboy |
As I pulled into my drive way this morning after going for coffee as I do each morning(and taking a short ride on my Buell) I see a car pull in behind me. It is my postlady she gets out of her car and hands me my mail. then she said the damdest thing. quote I went to the dealership to check on a new XB and the saleman told me Idid not want a buell as it would not keep up with my husband on his V-Rod. ll I set her stright and let her sit on my Buell she is a tall girl 5-10and she fit it perfect. can you figer this out | ||
| Dongalonga |
Yes I can the V-Rod get him twice the comission. | ||
| Bigeasy |
Maybe she was looking at a Blast? If not I think you have just hit on the biggest problem for BMC. It seems most of the HD dealers selling Buell dont even take the time to learn about the bikes they are selling. Or they dont care. We all know a Buell will stay with the vrod. With her riding it and I am assuming she weighs alot less then her boyfriend, she would smoke him. | ||
| Cowboy |
Well I hope I got her some help she is a long time rider and just love sport bikes. she started riding on her dads V max. she told me she did not want a Harley | ||
| Essthreetee |
Bet he was thinking that cuz she's a girl she could only be interested in a Blast  . Hell, my tuber kept up just fine with the 2 V-rods (one of which was a Screaming Eagle) I rode with. Is it just me, or are the dealers pushing V-Rods pretty hard??? | ||
| Cowboy |
Hell I have a V-Rod to and I like it fine in is place it is good for 2 up (wife and I) but as we live in aplace with a lot of twisty roads beleave me the V-Rod wilnot go off and hide from a uell | ||
| Metalstorm |
Yes I can the V-Rod get him twice the comission *Ding* *Ding* *Ding* We have a winner!  I really wish the sales people were required to ride every model they sell. | ||
| Tank_bueller |
I really wish the sales people were required to ride every model they sell That could be a little hazardous to the salesfolks health. | ||
| Diablobrian |
Most of them obviously have never looked at the HP figures on the bikes they sell, or they wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the Buells as a lesser bike. | ||
| Bake |
And what happens to the Vrod at the first corner? | ||
| Jon |
It's about profit per unit. That's why Bob Dron dropped Buell. They made more per unit on the Big Dog, Boss Hoss, Harley, etc than Buell. I read an article in Thunder Press when the departure was announced and Bob said it was due to the bikes not paying their way. The sales manager later told me that it was the profit per unit reason. I guess Bob's comments can fit in with the sales manger's comments. | ||
| Jon |
It's pathetic that we continue to hear these stories about Harley people. How do they find these guys? | ||
| Cowboy |
It is a shame that this has to happen all this guy did was to make a sale for yamaha so sad | ||
| Kdan |
Ok, here's a stupid Harley salesguy story. The girlfriend and I vacationed in Vegas & Grand Canyon a couple months back and when driving back to Vegas near the end of the trip we passed a HD/Buell dealer and stopped in to see what they had and to use the can. S'anyway, after walking around the store and seeing no Buells, we get the obligatory sales assault and I ask where the Buells are. He says that "they don't make them anymore. Harley bought them out you know." I stood there for like 8 seconds staring at him formulating all kinds of responses. Finally, I just tell him,"No Sh!t?" and turn around and walk out of the store. My girl said she was so proud of me. The guy looked just like he sold Nissan's for his last job. It was in Kingman Az. and the dealership was called Mother Road HD. They are however an authorized dealer for Oakley Sunglasses. (Message edited by kdan on July 29, 2006) | ||
| Court |
I sent a copy of this post to Mother Road. I'll be interested to see their response. | ||
| Brucelee |
Hey, if I was selling at an HD dealership, you can bet my commission on the VROD would be higher than the Buell. Given that, I would try to sell the VROD. So would you guys, if you want to eat well, that is. | ||
| Essthreetee |
Hey, if I was selling at an HD dealership, you can bet my commission on the VROD would be higher than the Buell. Given that, I would try to sell the VROD. So would you guys, if you want to eat well, that is. But at the same time, if someone is inquiring about a different bike, one that is not in the same catagory, why wouldn't you try to get the SALE, instead of trying to push them on a bike, lose the sale, and make no money????? It is my opinion that a GOOD salesman should know as much about ALL of the product they sell, should actually study it and know it. For example, I have purchased a couple of cars from the same guy, I go back because he is a walking encyclopedia on the lines that he sells. he doesn't have to check the catalog, he has them memorized. He is not pushy, just well informed. I will continue to go back to him. Why can't HD/Buell salesman know the facts about all of the bikes they sell?!?! | ||
| Court |
>>>Why can't HD/Buell salesman know the facts about all of the bikes they sell?!?! They are, generally speaking, very poorly trained. There are several quite salient differences between SELLING (ignore the hard product for the moment) a Harley-Davidson and a Buell. Harley-Davidson has, in the past, hired some ridiculously ineffective sales consultants to teach "Buell Schools". I've attended some and they eloquently professed what, in my PERSONAL OPINION, was ineffectual information with regard to how to sell and support Buell products. Little has changed since the days John Wykoff started this. Little will change until someone study what a psychologist would term "negative transfer of knowledge", that concept that knowing one thing confers knowledge of another, seemingly similar thing. I'll give you one example.....based on hundreds of dealerships I've walked into without revealing my affinity for Buells. Item 4 from "9 ways to sell a Buell": Buell owners tend to know more about the technical aspects of the product than you are likely to. Remember the prospective buy has been waiting, feverishly, for months, talking on the internet, comparing notes, getting lists of this years features ready to compare with the new bikes. When the 1997 S-1 had frame from 2 sources, I could, as an avid owner, quickly look at the tab that attached the oil drain line and tell you if it was frame "A" or "B". A dealer will try to go with what they've been trained. They'll either start trying to "know more" by making up bogus shit or draw you onto a field ("have you looked at a Sportster?") that they are more comfortable with. Folks are naturally uncomfortable when they feel on the backside of the knowledge power curve. In order to leverage the customer’s sometime superior product knowledge, the Buell dealer should concentrate on ASKING, rather than ANSWERING questions. Start creating scenarios "can you imagine this baby on a curvy road?" where the prospective buy can "PICTURE HIM/HERSELF on the bike". Ask the question and let the potential owner answer them. Tow things will happen:
Tell me I am wrong. | ||
| New12r |
Kdan, We are all proud of you for not ripping him a new one!  Court, I would be interested in hearing the response as well, will you PM it too me? It is of my opinion after selling HiFi for a few years you dont have to know the product to sell it, you have to know the people there in your store and figure them out. Asking the customer questions will give you all the needed info to make a sale. | ||
| Diablobrian |
Hey Court you should write up a syllabus for the "Buell school" they send the H-D sales men to. A traveling Seminar would be even better because there is a better chance of more salesmen attending. | ||
| Iamike |
I've had several HD/Buell salesmen tell me "I don't know s**t about Buells". It's no wonder they don't sell many with that attitude. We have a Vrod rider in our club that does quite well in the corners. Granted they aren't super tight twisties but still tight enough that some guys slow down for, he doesn't. | ||
| 1313 |
When the 1997 S-1 had frame from 2 sources, I could, as an avid owner, quickly look at the tab that attached the oil drain line and tell you if it was frame "A" or "B". Boy, does that bring back memories... 1313 | ||
| Dongalonga |
Court you really need to be in charge or at least have a major part in the training of the Salespeople for Buell, because you get what we are all about. | ||
| Tramp |
cowboy- it's obvious she wants you. next time, invite her in for some mint juleps and tea biscuits | ||
| Buellistic |
"AND" the people at the OCEAN CENTER are H-D employees, not BUELL !!! SO WHOM IS NOT TRAINED IN "BUELL" PRODUCTS ??? | ||
| Steve_mackay |
I really wish the sales people were required to ride every model they sell Hals HD sales people will shortly be REQUIRED to do a track day on a Buell. There is also a problem with sales material, and aids at HDU. IIRC there is only 2 sections on Buell for the sales people. | ||
| Kdan |
There is also a problem with sales material, and aids at HDU. IIRC there is only 2 sections on Buell for the sales people. I dunno about that. The Buell website is pretty darn informative. As is Cycle World, which probably has a more sports overall motorcycle format. Why don't Harley shops have a few copies of that lying around in addition to Easy Rider and other Fat Bastard Biker mags? | ||
| Rocketman |
Tell me I am wrong. Only when you are, and if it's worth it  Rocket | ||
| Cowboy |
Tramp I guess after her husband beat hell out of me I could always save face and say that I crashed the buell.he he he | ||
| Eboos |
Achieve Global teaches to probe. Ask what, what, then why. Once you get a clear understanding of what your customer is looking for, the need behind the need, and why it is important, you then begin to explain the features and benefits of your product. Check for exceptance, and prepare to handle any concerns. That is the basic jist of any sales process. I have found that this works when you are dealing with competitive products, not so much in a price war with other dealers selling the same product. Buell dealerships (and pretty much all bike dealerships) do not vary the prices much, so your product is the bikes and the service. If a customer is shopping different makes and models, find out how they intend on using the bike, and let them see how your bike will best fit their needs. If they are set on one bike, show them how you and your dealership will best support them through service and customer satisfaction. It has been a couple of years since I was in sales. I didn't do it for very long, and I only sold cars for 4 months (really couldn't overcome the price wars in a way that I could insure the income that I needed). I had formal training in sales, but this stuff is pretty basic. Enthusiasum helps make sales. I was very successful as a recruiter in the Marine Corps because I loved being a Marine. I think that more dealerships should look for a salesman who works solely with Buells that has a passion for them. | ||
| Skyguy |
Damm, just got a visual of Tramp serving up julips and tea biscuts. They told me there were going to be flashbacks someday. It took a minute to compose myself long enough to type this.  Still laughing. | ||
| Tramp |
Dude! I'm totally refined!  | ||
| Bomber |
Court's observations pertain not only to selling Buells, but anything -- they also have some applicability to other parts of life, i'm thinkin most of the HD sales personnel I've met aren't -- they are order takers -- this is fine and dandy so long as the order giver knows their part int he passion play -- the moment the order giver wanders off the page, though, the wheels fall off the bus a dealership of my acquintance has attampted to address this issue by having their sales guys pain on a non-commission basis -- they still tried to steer folks to high-margin items for the health of the store, and sorta kinda lost their edge -- they wound up selling less of everything -- said dealership has since reversed their field quote from a guy much smarter then me --- "you get what you reward" |
