Triumphrat

Shades · 08-15-2005, 12:14 PM

I just got back from 9 days at the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota where I had a brief encounter with the factory reps. If the people I dealt with from Triumph America are indicative of the rest of the company, we're in trouble. Saturday afternoon I went in search of the Triumph display, as I was in need of some technical information. Luckily I found the Factory Reps were set up right across the street from where I was working. I walked into the display area and saw 3 or 4 Rockets, a Thruxton and a T100. One of the reps was sitting at a table reading while the other three were sitting in the door of the trailer talking among themselves. I made a close inspection of the Rockets as well as the T100, spending about 15 minutes looking over the bikes. While I was there, several other potential customers came by to check out the bikes. In all this time not one of the factory reps stopped what they were doing to speak to any of us. I finally called one of them over to ask my technical question and the response was "I couldn't tell you but here's a free T Shirt" and he went back to his conversation with his two buddies. After witnessing this firsthand I think I now understand some of the Dealers attitudes when we walk into their showrooms. Bad form, Triumph.

lanwanman · 08-15-2005, 06:06 PM

Factory "reps" of most every stripe are NOT technical people by and large but marketing weenies. Asking technical questions of most sales/marketing types is almost as productive as asking your family dog or cat. Still you would think that they would have at least made an effort to engage you and the other visitors. Maybe they were hung over...

I once got an emergency request from Sales and Marketing for a large, technical company I worked for to fill in for one of their marketing types at a regional sales conference that was featuring the router product I worked with. I spent my allotted 45 minutes giving a talk on some of the technical aspects and advantages of our product and was rewarded with not a single question and a lot of glassy stares and empty chairs from all the sales and marketing types who drifted out to keep from being contaminated with actual technical knowledge. On the plus side they did have some good nosh and a first rate bar and my at the time wife and I got a nice 4 day "vacation" in Chicago courtesy of the company.

:-D

Shawn · 08-16-2005, 10:55 PM

You must have some very "challenged" salespeople in your organization. In my world, it's the other way around. Finding a technical resource who can really identify and configure a QOS/COS profile (that works) takes real effort on some days.

At times, a sales strategy may not emphasize technical knowledge - or even that something is sold.

While I don't know, the goal of the reps at Sturgis may have been as simple as making sure that every TShirt was given to one person that would possibly wear it - nothing more.

In a way, that could be seen as more productive than a group of factory reps trying to convince folks to go back to a dealer and buy a Triumph.

Like I said, I'm not sure - just providing a possible explanation.

lanwanman · 08-17-2005, 12:33 AM

The folks who man the booths at trade shows, the "factory reps" of which we speak are typically not going to be mechanical engineers working on the latest model of motorcycle for the company...and as you say they were likely there to pass out t-shirts to all who might wander in to the booth. Marketing zombies. That's not to say that ALL trade show reps are simple marketing zombies and I've known some of the folks in the booths who actually came up from the trenches and into marketing (Brrraaaaains!) and were very technically competent. Others simply had very deep cleavage.

And yes, the sales people for the company I currently work for are very challenged. The company I spoke of was a very large telecom/network equipment manufacturer and no, the sales people were by and large NOT particularly technical and that is why they (along with most large vendors in the enterprise space) worked in a team with a dedicated technical person, a sales engineer, to keep the sale grounded in reality and technical capability. The sales person may have been conversant with the technology but they were not deeply technical by any definition.

I wish the company I work for now would do the same.

Some people's idea of QoS/CoS is making sure the CEO can download his streaming porn videos without a stutter...

:-D

tigertales · 08-17-2005, 01:09 AM

I work with a couple car lines ... English ... that have some remarkable staff.

One rep is part of a 5 member Team that acts as technical support for the United States...5 people for the country! The difference is that they communicate with their collegues across the globe and each understand the need of another. Answers for complex questions are often responded to within an hour. They got a plan.

Another line is moving away from their reps being technically knowledgeable because the car has become so sophisticated it is no longer practical for them to understand. Their development now emphasizes access to those technical folk who know. They got a plan.

In Triumph (America's) case, they picked the boneheads to represent them and clearly did'nt make such a hot choice or got the guys who were at the bottom of the totem pole. It clearly did not feel good to Shades. Bad plan.

Compared to even an average car line, bikes are not nearly as complex. It takes an enthusiast who rides, and has the ability to soak up the technology then 'talk the talk'. It can be fun.

Triumph, we are letting you know ... get people like the ones who read this forum to show us and represent your stuff.

Triumph America ...we expect you to plan ahead, if you're not..you're planning to fail.

Diego · 08-17-2005, 02:19 AM

Good grief. Sounds like the only way Triumph can head off this sort of carping is to go back to the old days--and simply not send the demo truck there at all.

No point bad-mouthing those folks. They're bike wranglers and promotional staff, not techies, and they make no pretense otherwise. You do understand that they don't have 'factory reps' in the conventional sense out touring the country? It'd be nice if they did, but all this sort of promotional thing is just icing on the cake. They got where they are without it, and they can continue to grow at this same rate if they choose.

It is hyperbole and low melodrama to portray a token presence at Sturgis as some omen of doom.

Shades · 08-17-2005, 06:13 PM

Diego, maybe Triumph doesn't employ "Factory Reps" but most motorcycle manufacturers certainly do. One of my oldest friends is a "Factory Rep" for American Honda and having worked in the industry for the past 6 years I've come to know lot's of "Factory Reps" in the motorcycle business. My job at Sturgis was as a Factory Rep for Panoptx Eyewear. I know my product and I do my best to answer any questions a potential customer may have about it. I also resolve any problems, within my capacity, a customer may have with my product. All of the Vendors I worked with during the week, which include reps from Custom Chrome, Kuryakyn, Drag Specialties, etc know enough about the product they sell to answer a simple question. These people who were working the Triumph booth weren't doing anything but taking up space. I don't mind that they didn't have an answer to my technical question. I DO mind that they were supposedly representing a company that I care about with all the enthusiasm of a Pine stump.

Shawn · 08-17-2005, 07:11 PM

Lanwanman - I've never heard of it that way, you da man! :razz:

lanwanman · 08-17-2005, 08:57 PM

True story and that's all I can say about it.

[ This message was edited by: lanwanman on 2005-08-17 18:59 ]

Hinckley · 08-17-2005, 09:54 PM

When the Triumph Demo Truck is sent out to a show location, I thought it was manned by the local dealers.........Not factory reps.....

Am I wrong here?