You could ask 10 business owners what they want, and the answers will vary. As I have traveled the country, taught hundreds of dealership personnel – maybe thousands now, and viewed the processes on the ground… I have thoughts.
What do Dealers Want?
I believe dealers want the EZ Button. Doesn’t everybody? Look at the fitness industry. How many ads are – take this or that and lose 20 pounds – no workout necessary? I believe a lot of business consulting is like this.
Sell more batteries and gain xyz. Dump five thousand into Facebook ads for ABC return on investment. Will this work… even short term… possibly. But is this what Dealers need?
What do Dealers Need?
Again, I have visited many dealers from a vendor standpoint. I have secret-shopped, taught technicians, trained Service Writers and Managers, and consulted directly with owners. What do they need?
In short, they need a dose of Internal Culture, and Leadership that will allow the infusion of Processes to gain efficiency, productivity and profit.
As I review the course of the Powersport Academy and its growth over the last 3+ years, I come away with both a sense of accomplishment and disappointment. Hey! I am just being honest here.
I made an assumption. I assumed that if I took the best of the training that I developed as Mañana No Mas! and used it with Ducati, Suzuki, BRP, Indian, and others… then tweaked it to be Dealer-focused instead of OEM-focused… heck, I would have to beat dealers off with a stick as we added value to dealer after dealer.
My assumption was wrong.
What Did We Need to Do?
My gut was to ramp it all up after the first eighteen months. Instead of sticking a pin in things out of respect for the North American Powersports Dealer Association and staying in my Fixed Operations lane, I should have ramped up a complete Dealer Certification Program.
Instead, I played it close to the chest and expanded our course offering with a course on Customer Retention. There was a little interest, but then again… nowhere near the impact it should have had.
I began to review the training power-partners I have in the Automotive Field and in the Marine Industry. I have worked directly with MarineMax and Suzuki Marine and when I look at the willingness to participate within their ranks compared to Powersports – the resulting difference is stunning.
It’s almost like the Dealer Network is holding out in Powersports – waiting for the OEM to come in and save them. Hint, hint… they aren’t coming. The OEM is a distributor. They care about selling dealers more widgets… not investing in the sustainability of the dealership at the ground level. The OEM – especially in a Multi-brand environment believes it is the dealer’s responsibility to train their own staff.
I needed to effect change in the Powersport Academy program in a more profound way. So here is what we are working on.
What Are We Doing?
We are still largely committed to the idea that profit opportunity lies greatly within the dealerships’ Fixed Operations divisions. So we are continuing to add resources and focus in that area.
However, we also recognize that many dealers just plain and simple… do not find Fixed Operations sexy.
The Powersport Academy is leveraging its relationships in the industry to add additional elements to its training. Many of these elements are actually “Resources”. We will be tackling issues that affect Sales, F&I, Parts, HR, and of course Service.
Not only that but as promised previously, we are adding a certification to the training we offer. We used to provide the training from a consultative perspective — and we still do. The addition to this format will be knowledge checks and mandatory elements of the program that will lead to certification. Dealers that want certification will need to provide results in the form of answered Leads, Mystery Shopping, and Repair Audits.
We do all of this without requiring your staff to leave the store.
I’ll Just Say It…
Dealers are a mess! When they publish Pied Piper results that credit the industry with raising the response of leads from 40% in 2020 to just over 50% in 2023 — I find little to celebrate.
When I read these stats, I see a dealer spending budget on ads, lead generation, and staff to only take action on half of the opportunities. That is not smart money.
What’s the average time in Service at your store?
How many days does it take your Parts department to Order something?
What do your employees really think about working there?
What processes do you have in place for each customer interaction? Is it written down and trained?
How do You Take the Next Step?
The simplest thing to do is go to the https://powersportacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/47kroprofit.mp4wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8635-1-scaled-1.jpgwp-content/uploads/2024/11/729825_NewCertificate_9_081820.pngwp-content/uploads/2017/03/20160824_141410-scaled-1.jpgwp-content/uploads/2025/10/Get-the-Script.jpgwp-content/uploads/2024/07/DealerHeroPwrsptAcademy.jpgwp-content/uploads/2024/10/1000001386-scaled-1.jpg link and select a program that matches your business.
Until August 25, 2023, we are offering an outstanding offer as a moving sale. We are on a revenue drive to escape the economy of Southern California and move our enterprise to Kansas – where will be able to staff up and expand over time.
As our program develops, Dealers that opt-in now will have their rate frozen and be free from the escalation that will occur with development. Not only that, but we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
If this sounds too good to be true – schedule a call. We’ll chat through your challenges and see how the Powersport Academy would fit your use case.
So What’s In It for You?
- Improved Customer Relations and CSI
- Reduced Employee Turnover
- Improved Processes – Mapped for clarity
- Increased Productivity
- Departmental Harmony
- Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money!
Stop Dreaming of the Easy Button and Let’s do Some Great Work Together!!
