Sign Up for Our FREE Dealer Executive Newsletter

Resources and best practices for machinery dealer development

Our blog has a mix of articles written by our founder, Walter McDonald, and by other industry experts, business owners, and equipment dealer team members. Learn about everything from marketing ideas to tips for successful branch operations to how to retain customers—and everything in between!

How to Simplify and Grow Your Dealership:Automated Reports that Work

By Debbie Frakes

Current End-User Customer ExpectationsOur current market research work for machinery dealers clearly indicates that equipment owners of large fleets and small fleets expect parts and service to be provided within 24 to 48 hours. In some cities this expectation is less than 4 hours. They also expect to be informed and kept up to date… Continue reading How to Simplify and Grow Your Dealership:Automated Reports that Work

Read More
Leadership – Building a Customer-Focused, Process Driven Passionate Business

By Chris Holmes, President (ret.) Nortrax, a John Deere Company

Over my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from many great entrepreneurs and leaders. As I write this article, we are in the midst of trying to navigate our way through the COVID-19 virus and the impact it will have on family, friends and business. My hope is that many of… Continue reading Leadership – Building a Customer-Focused, Process Driven Passionate Business

Read More
Accelerated Start-Up: How to Get Your Brand New Sales Rep Productive in Less than 100 days

By Walter J. McDonald

You have just spent quite a lot of time, effort and money recruiting and selecting what you hope will be a highly productive new member of your sales team. Your recruitment process has been developed over the years, including testing, screening, reference checking and multiple interviews. You might have even invited the candidate to complete… Continue reading Accelerated Start-Up: How to Get Your Brand New Sales Rep Productive in Less than 100 days

Read More
16 Tools to Build Your Service Labor Business

By Walter J. McDonald, President, The McDonald Group, Inc.

Industrial Equipment Dealers want and need to know how to improve service labor sales and profitability. To them, until now, nothing seems to work very well. I have just completed four consulting projects for equipment dealers and a series of five dealer workshops for an equipment manufacturer. All of these efforts were focused on improving… Continue reading 16 Tools to Build Your Service Labor Business

Read More
How to Sell Engineered Systems

By Walter J. McDonald, CMC President, The McDonald Group, Inc.

Engineered Systems are custom-designed and fabricated tools to improve productivity. These systems are cost sensitive and require significant economic justification. Their value-added in the production process is to increase efficiency and to safely enhance throughput. There is wide application for engineered systems in the petrochemical, food processing, industrial materials handling and virtually all manufacturing industries.… Continue reading How to Sell Engineered Systems

Read More
New Insights into Technician Recruitment

by Bob Levin, Chairman/Founder Material Handling Supply, Inc.-

The Lift Truck Industry is offering great opportunities to people who possess technical abilities. Not surprisingly, technicians are the backbone of this industry. We see great demand for specialists competent to deal with technical challenges. And, there is always a demand for new talent entering the field. However, during the past 35 years, the focus… Continue reading New Insights into Technician Recruitment

Read More
21 Gorilla Marketing Ideas for Equipment Dealers

by Walter J. McDonald, CMC

It’s a jungle out there and we’re in an economic battle for survival! The equipment and machinery dealer who gets and keeps the most profitable customers survives and prospers. But, how does he win? Fortunately, there is an elusive but highly- effective winning strategy available. There is a far more powerful and effective business development… Continue reading 21 Gorilla Marketing Ideas for Equipment Dealers

Read More
Photo Shoot on the Serengeti

by Walter McDonald

Have you ever considered signing up for a camera safari in Tanzania East Africa? It’s famous for large numbers of big game species at home on the sweeping Serengeti plains! Just think about it. This is the classic tented safari made famous by such adventurers as Ernest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt. Here you are, arriving… Continue reading Photo Shoot on the Serengeti

Read More
Successful Technician Recruiting: 10 Field-Proven Techniques that Work

By Walter J. McDonald, CMC

It wasn’t many years ago that a large percentage of machinery dealers focused primarily on selling new equipment. But, with the advent of competitive pressures from more successful dealers who began adopting best practices, performance metrics and a customer-focused approach, the machinery distribution business changed dramatically. The primary shift was the recognition that strong aftermarket… Continue reading Successful Technician Recruiting: 10 Field-Proven Techniques that Work

Read More