Triumphrat

NeonBlueS3 · 06-29-2006

Quote:

Since this dealer sells over 500 bikes a year, and only 10% of them are Triumph bikes, the question is whether Triumph wants to create so many dis-incentives to a dealer that the dealer drops the Triumph line altogether.

This piece of info speaks volumes. Maybe this dealer isn't doing enough to push the Triumph brand, so maybe they aren't a good fit? I don't see $3000 as a lot of merchandise, honestly. I easily spent $1000 buying accessories and merchandise when I bought my bike, although that is with mark-up.

Why would you purchase a bike from a dealer that doesn't have some of those items on hand, given the demographics of the brand?

Shawn · 06-29-2006

Scrambler900, I understand your thoughts. It isn't an oversimplification of the issue - and even though you won't agree with me, it's not "blackmail".

A Dealer must invest in his business. Which means training employees, keeping bikes on the floor, stocking apparel/accessories, and several other critical steps in order to maintain their relationship with their respective Triumph Distributor.

Although many of us would share your feelings about how it looks, if you step back and look at the big picture these are the things that a dealer must do to be successful. It is completely normal to feel anxiety, but this is the reality of being a successful Triumph Dealer.

It is also normal that only a very small percentage of business owners could effectively work & manage in this enviroment and under these terms. The majority cannot, and that is why Triumph Ltd and Triumph Distributors hire talented people to go out and find potential business owners that thrive in this situation.

This doesn't mean that you are "inferior" in any way for how you perceive this situation, it's just business.

Tre900 · 07-07-2006

:gpst:

It's just business, it takes Money (a whole lot of it from a consumer perspective) to make money.

(Or a rich dead Grand father)

:razz:

[ This message was edited by: Tre900 on 2006-07-07 11:20 ]

triumphite · 08-02-2006

I would like to open a dealership. I think I could take all of Clinton Cycles business in the DC area. How do I do it?

Molinoman · 11-12-2006

This is for CS, the comment about Triumph not having a holdback is total BS. Whether you call it a "Dealer Reserve" or holdback it makes no difference. You have the MSRP, you have the invoice price, you have the price they pay for the bike, and then you have the "holdback" and for those who do not know how it paid, it is not an immediate benefit for the dealer he has to wait usually either quarterly or semi annually for it to be paid back to him. It is called that for a reason The dealer can maneuver as best he can to try and maintain as much profit as he can get away with, however if you have a knowledgeable customer who knows approximately what the dealer has in a particular model to deal with he can usually get a good deal. Dealers usually do not like to have the holdback money touched as if somebody gets a "rock bottom" deal, this may be the only profit he gets for the bike unless he sells a heck of a lot of accessories. Now some dealers will go into the holdback on some occasions if they deal in a large volume of sales, they can usually make it up somewhere...usually accessories. Don't forget the dealer has to pay overhead, salaries, commissions, order new merchandise, and pay somebody to do all that warranty work till he gets reimbursed, he can't do that if he doesn't make any profit at all. I suppose you think the salespeople, paper work people and mechanics work there for free just because they're happy they are not outdoors in the rain...get real.
Sorry if I came off pretty heavy handed. But if somebody paid your salary like you go out and buy a motorcycle you would probably look for another job.
And I am not saying the dealer should always sell at MSRP, that is a risk he is taking, he may get some that don't know any different and sell it at that price. These type of sales are the ones that make up for the loss of profit sales that he may have to do to move cycles off the floor so he can order new ones.
As an example suppose you are good at what you do and you charge $15 an hour (can be $25.00 an hour) for your time. And you get someone who tells you I don't think you are worth $15 an hour, I'll give you $12...what are you going to do, walk out or suck it in and do it for $12 as you have got bills to do. You may do it, but you sure aren't going to like it.
Dennis

[ This message was edited by: Molinoman on 2006-11-12 02:56 ]

Shawn · 11-12-2006

How did this topic get revived?

Sales can be a difficult job. As this topic shows, not everyone is suited for it.

Molinoman · 11-13-2006

I am the guilty one, sorry. Was going thru posts yesterday, this one caught my eye, the comment from CJ and a few others were, to put it bluntly, so far off the mark I had to respond. Not trying to stick up for dealers or the one that was actually mentioned at the beginning, but there are two sides to every story and got fed up with a few that, as far as I could tell, do not know or care to know how money is circulated thru a dealership or not circulated depending on customers, lack of customers, etc. We seem to have gotten into a habit of if we need something, our local dealer ought to have it in stock or have exactly the price I want to pay for it without thinking that the dealership doesn't exist just because customers want it there, it exists because someone is in business to make money/profit, hopefully having something to offer...product or service. Granted there are those who try to make too much profit with not enough value offered as in service or "deals". But it needs to be fair to both in order for the good ones to survive.
Dennis