I remember clearly one of the first things I was told when I started working for this journal (20 years ago this year!) was just how friendly an industry this is to be part of.
Much has changed throughout those two decades, not to mention during the past 15 months - but that fact has remained constant. It's something that as a sector we can be proud of and should use as a selling point to encourage new recruits.
The willingness to be open and to help peers with advice and support is illustrated when dealers get together on manufacturer organised events, or at days like the Service Dealer Conference - or at least they were in the Before Times! Recently of course it can be illustrated in online discussion forums, resources like the Dealer Digital Toolkit and frequently, Zoom chats.
I was party to such a call this week, which illustrated clearly the nature of independent dealers, who if they are able, are more than willing to offer their help, expertise and experience to a fellow dealer who is looking for some advice.
Best practice in action
I'm sure all readers were incredibly sympathetic to Anthony Deacon of MKM Agri recently, who could only look on as the fire service battled to save his burning workshop back in April. I know Anthony has received many messages of support from across the network since then, for which he is most grateful.
He is now in the position of planning his rebuild and is looking for feedback from some fellow dealers, who can offer suggestions on what they consider to be helpful design ideas when starting a dealership building from scratch. Duncan Murray-Clarke, owner of Service Dealer, enlisted Pete McArthur of Strathbogie Forest & Garden and James Hayes of Hayes Machinery to have a chat with Anthony on Wednesday this week, to share their thoughts on best practice when it comes layout and design.
With any redesign, space is always going to be an issue - both inside and out - although Anthony would admit he is in a reasonably fortunate position in that regard, seeing how his dealership is located on a family farm, with a decent sized area, that he has a degree of flexibility with.
It was said that one of the very first elements to consider in a new build is the appeal from the outside of the premises. The attractive visualisation of the building from the road or yard will go an awful long way to encourage customer interest - perhaps, with the right stylish look, even picking up people who might not ordinarily enter a machinery dealership. If a building doesn't look welcoming and well kept, why should anybody make that effort to enter? If it looks like the owner doesn't care about the business, why should anyone else?!
Also potentially having some sort of striking display out the front of the building - maybe a dramatic hill or rock formation with an ATV on show - could add to this striking first impression.
Aiding this visual appeal were also thoughts on lots of natural light inside the building. Plenty of windows shows off the space and machinery in an attractive way. However, it was felt this is a difficult balance to strike when considering dealership layout. More glass means less wall space for hanging items - which is often one of the central dilemmas when arranging a showroom.
The key question is which of increased value, floor space or wall space? A tricky one, but it was perhaps felt that wall space is of a premium - a lot of money-making, smaller items need to be hung. Too many windows and this can become an issue.
Sustainability considerations
Starting with a blank sheet of paper in the times we're living in can, or indeed should, allow for matters of sustainability to be factored into dealership design. It ties in with the whole message of caring for the environment which is inherent in the equipment dealers sell and is, you know, the right thing to do. Concepts such as the fitting of solar panels and biomass boilers which could run off of dealership's own waste were discussed - along with the fact that there are grants available to help fund these sorts of measures.
Practical thoughts such as showroom flow, whether to have different zones for the various types of machines or brands on display and just to really think about how a customer sees your store upon entering, were all talked through. Ideas such as getting as much unnecessary content as possible off of the shop floor and up onto a mezzanine level was thought of as a positive move.
Consideration was also given to those busy times when a customer might not be able to be seen by a staff member immediately. Should there be some interactive displays, screens, coffee machines etc to keep people occupied before they can be dealt with?
Less showy but important practical elements such as heating methods, security measures and car parking were also given thought. On the latter, whilst on a normal day perhaps just 6-8 spaces might be considered adequate it was always worth factoring in what if farming customers turn up in tractors or with large trailers? What about open days? If there's space, it's sensible to maybe err on the side of more.
Finally, a forward-looking, confident piece of advice stood out to me. However Anthony, or any dealer ,chooses to build or restructure a dealership, if possible allow for the ability further expansion down the line. Future-proof the business.
Get it right at the planning stage
Hopefully Anthony would agree that having some fellow dealers' experienced eyes look over plans and talk through options was a helpful experience. Suggestions and opinions will ultimately be just that of course, as only a business owner will know what's best for their circumstances. But there should now be some fresh ideas to throw in the mix at least.
The overriding belief which I felt came out of the discussion, was when tasked with designing a showroom from scratch, or redesigning an existing one, it either needs to be done properly or not at all. It's worth putting the time, effort and expense in at the planning stage to get it right. 3D modelling software which is readily available, and according to James easy to use, can be a great help in getting a visual of what the finished article will look like - hopefully making clear any congestion points for example, or flaws in the plan.
It was felt by the guys on the call that dealers can risk failure by not reinvesting sufficiently in their businesses. Progressive dealerships who are doing well, know this.
Customers want a pleasurable experience when spending their money. Business owners must evolve and work smarter to offer a true alternative to the online-only, price-led retailers.
I felt that a friendly, productive discussion like the one I witnessed this week illustrated clearly that there are amazing, forward-thinking business people in the UK dealer network. Great dealers can be found all around the country and are willing to share their experiences and knowledge of best practice to help out colleagues.
And that's something all who work in this sector should be proud of.
