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DEALER TAKEAWAYS


• Stocking a quality post hole digger prevents problems for the customer.


• Stock a variety of post hole dig- gers, light, medium and heavy duty augers, and a variety of bit sizes to capture more sales.


• Renting post hole diggers or packaging them with trac- tor purchases is a gateway to increasing sales.


• Watch for seasonal sales oppor- tunities for fencing, landscap- ing and remodeling projects.


customers of the service they get by purchasing a digger from a deal- ership, it’s also essential simply to remind customers that the dealership carries them. Keeping a few augers on tractors offers a visual reminder, Farrens suggests.


Farm Implement keeps one set up outside on a rack or skid steer. “People want to see it,” Gilliland says. They also want to see literature that lists sizes and other detailed information, so he makes sure to keep brochures in the showroom.


For Sale or Rent


to Farrens. Even if their prices aren’t the lowest, they can still get the sale by offering more.


“We sell service: delivery, setup, repair,” he says. Not only is it important to remind


For some dealers, rental is a liabil- ity that leads to problems. For others, rental is a good introduction to a sale. Often, small farmers or rural life- stylers rent augers because they think they’ll need it only once. They can rent for a day or a weekend; they can even keep it for a week.


“If they use it once or twice,


they usually end up wanting to buy,” Coleman says.


In the majority of cases, a custom-


er will discover many uses for a dig- ger, from fence posts to footings to holes for trees. “People find they need them more than expected,” Gilliland says. Located in “tornado alley” in Kansas, Farm Implement sees many custom-


“Keeping post hole diggers in stock results in sales …”


ers with fences in need of repair after trees fall on them. “We sell more augers for fi xing old fences than for putting in new fences.”


“They’re going to find more stuff to do than they anticipated,” Hardie insists. He says it’s smart business to sell to customers interested in rent- ing. His question to rental customers is, “Why keep renting?” Instead, he suggests building equity by purchas- ing an auger. Having a digger on site also saves valuable time.


“People want to get things done


effi ciently. They have other things to do,” Hardie says.


After a few rentals, many cus- tomers realize they should buy their own digger. If they don’t, Coleman Equipment staff calls customers with a long-term rental to suggest a pur- chase. “If they have it a month, we call. Clearly, they have a big need for an auger and should consider buying,” Coleman says.


Visit RuralLifestyleDealer.com/RS and indicate No. 127 56 RURAL LIFESTYLE DEALER  SPRING 2013


That’s where a dealer’s fl exibility comes in. By keeping a lot of diggers in its rental fl eet, Coleman Equipment can cover rentals and sales. “We sell out of our rental fleet. Converting a rental to a purchase saves the customer money,” he says. Turning a rental into a sale is an affordable option for customers and a profi table one for dealers. Some custom- ers ask for slightly used equipment at a


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