The well known American dealer-development specialist, Bob Clements spoke at the Service Dealer Conference last November. He touched on many topics but one of the things he mentioned that stuck in my mind was the importance of dealers as part of the community. He went on to explain that if a dealer in a small town or rural area was to go out of business it affects the whole community. The more I thought about it the more it made sense.

Dealers within a community are like the local vet. If an animal gets sick, the first thing the farmer or owner does is call the vet. They are concerned for their animal’s welfare so the vet will have the expertise to try and make it well again. But the function of the vet is not just to make the animal better. He or she is there to reassure the owner that everything will be all right or to console them if the animal’s prospects are not too good. The dealer is no different. When a machine breaks down, particularly on a farm during harvest, when it is a race against time and weather to get the crop harvested, or if there is an important tournament coming up at a sportsground, the last thing that is needed is a breakdown. When it does happen the local dealer, just like the vet, will be called upon, no matter what the hour is. The dealer’s premises may be closed but he or she can usually be contacted out of office hours. 

This is one of the very important roles that the dealer provides. To be there to help the farmer or groundsman get his/her machine back working again or to provide an alternative machine to get them out of the situation and to reassure them that everything will be alright.

You will find in many rural dealerships that the customers who come to their premises for spare parts usually know each other and it can provide a meeting point and opportunity to catch up on how they are doing, and get the latest news or gossip. 

Many dealers around the country get involved in supporting a local charity or charities in their area. Your business will stand to benefit from this support to these charities. It could be something like sponsoring a local football or sports club or making a donation to a local charity group. If done well, a charity campaign can bring the bonuses of strengthened customer trust, expanding your brand, and bringing about long-term customer loyalty and respect.

Dealers can be much more than a channel to customers. They can play an important role in providing customers in their community with advice and information on a wide range of services before and after a sale. Those services include advice on the selection and application of a product, financing, insurance, operator training, maintenance and repair, and help in deciding when it makes economic sense to replace a machine.

The local dealer can also give feedback from his or her customers to the distributor or manufacturer on any issues relating to the machines they sell.

So you can imagine the stress that would be caused if the local dealer were to shut down or go out of business. Local dealers who are long-established members of their communities can get closer to customers than a global company can on its own.

Don’t underestimate the important role you play in the community. You are not there just to sell and repair machines. You should see yourselves as advisors and being supportive to the customers in your community.