Heavy Equipment Manufacturers Sell Through Independent Dealers – Most heavy equipment manufacturers sell their products through independent dealers who may also sell competitive brands or other product lines. The manufacturer must vie for the attention, time, effort and enthusiasm of the dealer employees. Just like in the marketplace for their products, these manufacturers must compete for the representation of their products through an independent dealer channel.
End-User Customers are Large and Sophisticated – Most buyers of heavy equipment are large, knowledgeable and sophisticated. Purchases of equipment by these companies (and state and local municipalities) are an important and significant part of their business, and are usually made year after year. Loyalty from these customers requires on-going contact and knowledgeable representation at the dealer level.
Products are Complex – Today’s heavy equipment products are complex. Unless properly trained, dealership employees may know less about their product than the individuals purchasing them. It is incumbent for the manufacturer to provide the training and other resources to dealers so they can represent their complex products to sophisticated customers.
New Dealer Employees Need Training – Employee turnover at dealerships is constant. Dealers need a way to train new sales, parts, service and finance employees quickly and efficiently. They rely on their heavy equipment manufacturer to provide the bulk of this training. To be most effective, it must be easy to access, engaging, and available on demand. Perhaps most important, the enterprise needs a method for efficiently tracking the on-going training via Certifications. Tracking these certifications is critically important--the manufacturer needs to know which dealers are ready to sell and service their products.
Individuals want Community and Engagement - Individuals at dealerships want to feel they are a part of a larger community. When they do, they work more enthusiastically for that organization. Manufacturers must offer a way to engage these individuals and make them feel a part of the manufacturer’s global community. In short, satisfied employees will perform better than those who aren’t. It’s a PROVEN fact!