Another superb addition to the Service Dealer Conference line-up has been announced by the organising team today.
The straight-talking Heather Wildman of Saviour Associates - a company who specialise in advice to the agribusiness community - will be speaking to our dealer delegates on the ever-tricky subject of succession.
We know this is one of those topics that worries many of our readers. It's one of those awkward areas that can get pushed to one side and ignored for far too long - until it becomes more of a problem than it needs to be. And it's completely understandable that that can be the case. It's a discussion that more often than not encompasses difficult ground - like family ties, money and death!
Ugh! Just writing those words gives me the heebie-jeebies! But I know they shouldn't. They are areas best addressed matter-of-factly, out in the open and, frankly, sooner rather than later. Or else we're looking at that snowball effect of a problem growing larger than it should.
We raised the subject with you, our dealer readers, earlier this year to gauge your thoughts. The feedback we received was both fascinating and to be honest, rather concerning,
One reader spoke to us about how they have been warning their suppliers about dealers without succession plans disappearing off the network map for several years now. "It’s plain for all to see," they said, "and what’s more, it puts huge pressure on those of us that are left."
They went on to explain how not only are dealers closing but they are not releasing any staff. "So, the work finds us but we can’t find people to do the work." A lose-lose scenario for the industry.
Another dealer told us how they had realised one particular Saturday morning, that the three staff they had working had a combined age of 203 - whilst on the following Saturday the four staff working had a combined age of 265! This they felt, was likely to be repeated in dealerships around the country. They were very much of the opinion that giving thought to succession plans is something that's put off in favour of coping with everyday pressures. They told us, "Dealers have all kinds of things to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Time flies by and we all put off this important matter, mainly to get the customers’ machinery renewed or repaired."
They went on to ask, "What are the manufacturers' plans to support their products if all us older guys and girls have not got a succession plan?" Which is clearly a question with a difficult answer.
It's invaluable feedback from our readers such as this, that makes it abundantly clear that this is an area that dealers would appreciate some guidance and advice on - hence the TAP team making sure they had a no-nonsense presenter such as Heather signed up for this year's Conference.
We'd still like to hear from any readers who would like to share their experiences or worries regarding succession in their business. Any and all real-world feedback from the network that we can pass on to Heather in advance of her addressing delegates at the Oxford Belfry, will help to give her a clearer picture of the specific concerns our sector holds.
Please leave a comment below with your thoughts on the subject, or if you'd prefer to remain anonymous please feel free to drop me line at steve@servicedealer.co.uk in complete confidence.
As ever, hearing directly from our dealer readers allows us to shape the Conference so it can precisely address the pressing concerns of the UK dealer network.
