</font><font color="blue" class="small">( First, I would not pay as much for a Kioti as I paid for a Kubota because the Kubota is a much better known brand (at least in East Texas) and I expect the resale value to be higher.
"Price is never a valid objection" was what Mr. Koch taught me when I took the Dale Carnegie Sales Course in 1974. He is right.
If price was a valid objection tell me why people are still buying Mercedes automobiles? After all, the cheapest Toyota or Chevy made will go everywhere a Mercedes will go. It must be that they perceive the Mercedes to be worth the $$$ paid for some reason.
As a salesman when I heard a customer say "The price is too high" I realized that what he was really saying was "I am not convinced that your product is worth the price you are asking. Tell me why your product is worth the price you are asking?".
I did not compare prices to other brands since I didn't consider other brands but you should be able to compare list price to list price by doing some research. But be sure you are comparing truly comparable models as far as features, HP, etc.
I supect you may have to undercut the big 3's prices for a while until Kioti becomes a better known brand. Whether you can do that and stay in business is a question only you can answer.
You need to maintain enough of a margin so that you can provide service after the sale. Reading this forum it is obvious to me that a large number of members consider the dealer to be more important than the brand. Obviously, service after the sale costs you money for labor, parts that you might provide that warranty does not cover, and anything else that will make folks see that you are willing to go above and beyond what other dealers in the area will do.
I want my dealer to make a reasonable profit so he will be in business next year in case I have a warranty issue and in 5 years so I can get parts and service.
An example of the kind of treatment I get from my Kubota dealer: I went in about 4 days after I bought the tractor to pick up a spinner knob. They were in a box on the counter and cost $6.95. I laid it up on the parts counter and the parts man (who is part owner of the dealership) pushed it back across the counter and said "Here, take it as our way of saying thanks for buying a tratctor from us". That $6.95 bought him a lot of loyalty from me. He'll sell me a lot more in the future than that knob cost him. In fact, I bought a $750 rotary cutter from them a couple of weeks later.
Never forget what an old friend of mine taught me when I was in the used car business: "You can shear a sheep once a year, but if you ever skin him it is all over". I don't mind being sheared I just don't want to be skinned.
Bill Tolle )</font>
I quoted this response because I think it needs to be reread. Makes A LOT of sense to me.
THE ONLY THING that I disagree with is the issue of resale. I NEVER THINK ABOUT IT. That's just me.
Both BILL and BOB have given excellent responses and I agree with the both of them in their view on this matter as mine is the same. G
"Price is never a valid objection" was what Mr. Koch taught me when I took the Dale Carnegie Sales Course in 1974. He is right.
If price was a valid objection tell me why people are still buying Mercedes automobiles? After all, the cheapest Toyota or Chevy made will go everywhere a Mercedes will go. It must be that they perceive the Mercedes to be worth the $$$ paid for some reason.
As a salesman when I heard a customer say "The price is too high" I realized that what he was really saying was "I am not convinced that your product is worth the price you are asking. Tell me why your product is worth the price you are asking?".
I did not compare prices to other brands since I didn't consider other brands but you should be able to compare list price to list price by doing some research. But be sure you are comparing truly comparable models as far as features, HP, etc.
I supect you may have to undercut the big 3's prices for a while until Kioti becomes a better known brand. Whether you can do that and stay in business is a question only you can answer.
You need to maintain enough of a margin so that you can provide service after the sale. Reading this forum it is obvious to me that a large number of members consider the dealer to be more important than the brand. Obviously, service after the sale costs you money for labor, parts that you might provide that warranty does not cover, and anything else that will make folks see that you are willing to go above and beyond what other dealers in the area will do.
I want my dealer to make a reasonable profit so he will be in business next year in case I have a warranty issue and in 5 years so I can get parts and service.
An example of the kind of treatment I get from my Kubota dealer: I went in about 4 days after I bought the tractor to pick up a spinner knob. They were in a box on the counter and cost $6.95. I laid it up on the parts counter and the parts man (who is part owner of the dealership) pushed it back across the counter and said "Here, take it as our way of saying thanks for buying a tratctor from us". That $6.95 bought him a lot of loyalty from me. He'll sell me a lot more in the future than that knob cost him. In fact, I bought a $750 rotary cutter from them a couple of weeks later.
Never forget what an old friend of mine taught me when I was in the used car business: "You can shear a sheep once a year, but if you ever skin him it is all over". I don't mind being sheared I just don't want to be skinned.
Bill Tolle )</font>
I quoted this response because I think it needs to be reread. Makes A LOT of sense to me.
THE ONLY THING that I disagree with is the issue of resale. I NEVER THINK ABOUT IT. That's just me.
Both BILL and BOB have given excellent responses and I agree with the both of them in their view on this matter as mine is the same. G
