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henever there is a helicopter event in a location that will have a potential impact on our market, my best friend and I like to attend the event together. My wife is quite an accomplished helicopter pilot, having placed second in the Open Helicopter division of the 1995 AMA Nationals, but ever increasing responsibilities of managing her store now prevent competitive flying. However, helicopter sales are a large part of my favorite hobby shop, so she will use these opportunities to fly a little and, more importantly, to stay current with her customers’ demands.
Recently we made plans to attend one such helicopter fun-fly. The morning of the event I rose early to pack everything necessary. When I walked downstairs I looked around and a simple oversight struck me immediately. Not one piece of equipment had been placed on charge. Using every available battery charger I quickly began charging the necessary batteries. Finally, little by little, the batteries were charged and we were ready to leave.
It is quite obvious that this was not the first event we had attended. The situation involving the batteries happened, in fact, because this was such a common occurrence. I had become complacent, failing to take care of the basics. Fortunately the tools were at hand and, other than a late start, nothing was lost.
Although this scenario involved a modeling event, the same philosophy can just as easily be applied to your business. With today’s ever changing market, falling into the common trap of “this is how we have always done it” without focusing on current, constantly changing consumer demands can lead to complacency. And that can lead to lost sales.
Other than indoor micro-helicopters, sales of radio control helicopters have been soft the past couple of years. The question we have naturally been asking is why? The answer to this question was easy to ascertain.
The helicopter event was well attended with a variety of pilots and machines from a wide range of demographics including Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Iowa. Although it is extremely important for store owners to inventory for their local market, knowing what consumers are purchasing elsewhere can be every bit as valuable. In this case, by observing what the pilots had brought to fly, we could quickly see that inventory adjustments had to be made. One particular brand of helicopter has always been popular in the Chicago market, but our observations at the event showed that this was no longer the case. During the ride home, we compared notes and by the end of the day we both agreed that helicopter sales were soft for two reasons. The primary reason was that the inventory and product placement were not matching current demand. The second reason sales were most likely soft is that customers are continuing to fly older, but upgraded, machines. Although the first problem is simple to fix, the second will involve some adjustment to long-standing sales techniques.
This was extremely valuable information. It was easily gathered, but the opportunity to study the situation was almost lost due to my complacency. Having attended so many events, I had failed to cover the basics, and wound up rushing the equipment charging needed for the day. As dealers, you need to stay on top of your market and do your best to avoid similar mistakes that have the potential for costing you sales. HM
Until next month,
Dennis McFarlane
Editor-in-Chief
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