Don’t Worry, Be Happy
Customers Just Want to Have Fun
I feel that in the motorcycle business we sell happiness. So what happens when we run out of happiness?
Is this the kind of greeting your customers get when they walk into your shop?
I eventually bought the shop I did because when I first walked through the door I knew it was in trouble: There was no joy. I could see a mechanic reading a magazine, and a fellow holding down the counter with his coffee mug. There was no greeting. No one asked, “What brings you in today?”
I have tried to remember that experience as I have traversed the rocky retailer road.
In my experience, if a customer is happier when he leaves your store than when he came in, he will also leave money with you from time to time. Happiness is best when it is a shared thing, and people just don’t seem to want to visit—or spend their money—when I am not happy.
Sell Pleasure, not Technology
I suspect that people don’t really want to know how things are going when they ask. I feel that they are only opening the door to talk about enjoyable things. I learned a lot about this by watching John, one of my employees.
John is a retired fireman who loves to ride his motor-cycle. He doesn’t know all that much about bikes, other than that he loves them. I hired John because he was a pleasure to be around, and he loves people. I do not always share this quality.
I remember one day when a customer asked how Harley’s Softail suspension worked. He was not a Softail enthusiast, so I was prepared to explain about the hidden shocks and the hardtail look, when John began to tell a story about riding over the Sierras with seven other riders on Harleys.
He talked about the curves and the fresh air and the vistas. He spoke at length about camping and friendship. After a lot of talking and gesticulation, he concluded by saying, “Three of them were Softails, and the suspension worked fine!”
It reminded me that we are selling pleasure and not technology.
John was also the guy who would run ice cream rides at night, even when it wasn’t really ice cream weather. People would show up because they wanted to share happiness.
In addition, he edited our newsletter to let people know when they could join him in the merriment of these rides. People like to read about themselves being happy and having fun.
Life is Good
I have a bit of a head start in this area because I am basically a happy person. Sometimes, though, unhappy experiences happen even to me (a divorce comes to mind). That is when I really have to work at being happy.
During one of my dark times, I was walking to work one day and I started thinking about all the things I had to be grateful for. By the time I had walked the half hour to the shop, I was singing, and I was ready to take on the customer experience that awaited me. I have made this a morning ritual, and it works to this day.
I live the American dream. I have my own business. People work for me. I am making a living, and most of what I do is pleasant. I have access to motor-cycles, and I am recognized on the street. My life is good.
Working in the motorcycle business is not like working in a hardware store, where the customers are often tackling some home repair project that is an annoyance.
When someone walks into a motorcycle shop, he is pursuing something he loves. Even if a biker’s personal relationships may be troubled, he still loves his motorcycle. If I remember to allow it, that joy and enthusiasm are contagious.
Getting through Troubled Times
Your sign says it, but do your customers feel welcome?
Sometimes our relationships with our motorcycle stores can get a little troubled. Sometimes they don’t provide as much time or money as we feel we need. It takes work to avoid this negative spiral.
I cannot imagine how my days would be if I were in some other industry. Sure, I have given up a lot to stay in the motorcycle business. But I love being around people who love their motorcycles, and I love helping them make that relationship better.
This is why the Internet will never replace the motorcycle dealer. I’m cheap, so I can understand the allure of the Internet. But I also know what is missing: there doesn’t appear to be a lot of happiness on the Internet.
I sometimes have trouble remembering to charge enough to put me in a good mood. If I don’t charge enough, I won’t be able to provide my customer with what he wants, and even I find it hard to be happy when I am broke. Money is not that important until it runs out.
Lessons from Cincinnati
There were two main camps at this year’s V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati. There were those who knew that the economy was in trouble, so they were cutting back on their orders. In the weeks since, they probably have been proven right, because their sales are down.
I am glad the other camp was at the show also. For them, business is growing, because they are selling fun.
They know they are providing their customers with a reason to ride. Their business is growing as the people who forgot that motorcycles are about fun go out of business. Their stores are fun places to visit. They love being in the motorcycle business. They remember to be happy. I find pleasure in this attitude.
Let Your Customers Make You Happy
I watch that show on TV with the abusive father who has a motorcycle shop. I feel that if I treated the people who work for me the way he treats his employees, they would have a hard time being in a good mood. I know I don’t like it when someone makes unreasonable demands on me and then yells at me when I am not able to fulfill those demands. It is interesting to me that people who aren’t even into motorcycles love that show.
Sometimes, people who work for me forget how much fun working is, and I have to remind them they are having fun. I have found this to be difficult, but always worth the effort.
And on those days when I don’t have any fun to share, I will ask a customer to tell a story about his most recent adventure on his motorcycle. If I ask the right person, I find these stories remind me why I am in this business. I don’t have to be the source for all good humor.
Every morning when I open up, I take a moment to soak in the reality of the experience. Most people would love to be in my shoes. And I am grateful for the people who will help to make the day full of joy.
Tags: Business Basics, Counterman Pro, develop the right attitude, inventory control, marketing, motorcycle inventory software, Point of Sale Software, PowerSports Dealer