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All freestanding Sears, Target, Wal-Mart and, Costco stores look pretty much like others with the same brand name. The architects have one or two basic plans and only modify them based on the location and slope of the lot and the access roads or the square footage of the store. The same can be said of most franchised fast-food restaurants. There’s no mistaking a McDonalds or a Subway for a locally owned and operated independent restaurant.
There’s an advantage to having look-alike stores when your prime customer knows exactly what he/she is looking for and the transactions don’t involve relationship marketing. In the fast-food restaurants, nothing is left to chance including the intentionally uncomfortable seats and unpleasant color combinations. (Eat. Don’t get too comfortable. Get out.)
Most automobile dealers have similar structures and are most often distinguished only by a large sign which includes the dealer’s name and brand of cars offered for sale. Again, most potential customers know what to expect, albeit many find buying a car distasteful.
So what about a powersports dealership? Is there a value in looking like other powersports stores? To put it as simply as I can, the answer is a resounding “NO!” There’s an advantage in looking like others if you sell products people need to buy. With few exceptions, no one needs to buy what we have to sell.
The average city of more than say 200,000 people has perhaps a half dozen powersports stores. Some are large, and some are small. Some are well located, and others are not particularly accessible. If they are in a strip mall they have fewer options about how they can look from the outside.
The “Dealernews Top 100” contest shows the great variety of exteriors and interiors of the award winning stores. The vast majority of these stores are very impressive. They show creativity and imagination. The owners understand leading the eye and impressing the customer. But it’s more than just cosmetics. To truly differentiate one store from all the others in a particular market, that store needs to have its own theme and face.
The OEMs try to help by suggesting displays based on the niche their particular models occupy. These displays, however, can only be seen once inside the store. So what should a dealer who wants to show he’s really different do? The simple answer is to bring the store outside. Confused? Hang in there. I’ll attempt to tell you what I mean and why it’s important.
Parking lot events, organized sporting goods shows, and the like are perfect venues for meeting new prospects. Then there’s the “virtual store.” That’s the one you create on the internet. Your web site can attract prospects from anywhere! Being different in cyberspace takes a great deal of creativity and imagination, as well as the technical skill to create a dynamic and ever changing site.
First, understand that the initial contact with the brand you sell may have happened long before the customer came into your store. It may relate to a friend who has that brand, seeing the bike on TV, or at an off-premise event. Once exposed, the customer may then opt to do some research using the Internet. Next, accept the fact that the customer may feel intimidated by their lack of knowledge when confronted by a salesperson.
Then, ask yourself what your store’s specialty is. If you don’t have one … create one. What do you want to be known for? I know of stores that are off-road focused and others who focus on long distance road-riding. Some cater to racers, others to entire families. Their interior displays let the customer know about their specialty. All I’m really saying here is that you should find something that really makes you different from all the other stores in your market. What makes you stand out?
You will be judged by the buying public. If you look like and act like all the other stores in your market, your store will have nothing to set it apart; nothing to make it memorable. No “Wow” factor.
I remember visiting a lawn and garden store while doing some work for Simplicity. This store was between a Lowe’s, and a Home Depot. Both these mega-stores carried a full range of lawn mowers. This small dealer had an idea that showed imagination and creativity. He covered his ceiling with Astroturf. He then fastened a lawn mower to the ceiling, set up a family of mannequins, a lawn chair and a sun shade. They were arranged to show an upside down yard view.
When you came in the store and looked up you saw the world upside down. The owner told me that kids came into his store regularly to see the display. They often came back with their fathers who, once inside the store were educated by the store’s owner. The result? This is a very successful store selling brands not carried by the big boxes on either side.
My point? Be different. Be memorable. Be creative. Think outside the box. Once you accept this paradigm, you’ll find other areas of your business that can be more exciting too.
Feel free to contact me via e-mail (jwconsulting@comcast.net). I respond to all my e-mail messages, even from those I don’t really like. |
