Salesmanship

Kid's rule -- RV's are Cool

A few things were very clear as we covered the Louisville show this year. The RV industry is well aware of the lifestyle generation. Just what is the lifestyle generation? Well, it will probably evolve as different things for different companies. In its simplest form, it is the recognition that there are several groups of people out there that are now going to be courted for their discretionary income by many companies in the RV industry.

Kids should be one of those groups.

Kids can't buy RVs -- but their parents can.

Kids have discovered RVs through music videos, television shows, and interviews with high-profile television personalities as clearly highlighted in the wrap-up video at the Outlook 2001 breakfast meeting in Louisville.

RVs are cool! They are the in things with the lifestyle generation of kids who want it all and want it now.

Why would you ever want to try to sell to kids who are not even old enough to drive cars, let alone RVs?

For the same reason that companies try to influence this impressionable generation with cigarette, alcohol, toys, music and computer-related advertisements in print media, radio and television.

While we may not agree with the intent of companies advertising unfairly to such a vulnerable group (i.e., cigarettes and alcohol), we certainly can learn from their methodology.

Not only can we learn from it, we can turn it into an incredible advantage for the new lifestyle generation of kids that want to spend more time on fun things. We can sell a lifestyle generation of parents that want to slow down and smell the roses -- not the ones on their graves -- the ones in open fields on bright sunny days, with the whole family together and actually enjoying themselves.

Kids are not decision-makers as we identify them in a selling situation. However, kids are a decision-influencer and can actually bring the decision-makers into your dealership.

The second thing that was very clear at Louisville was the awareness of many RV manufacturers to this phenomenon with multi-use specialty RVs and concept vehicles for a different type of RV buyer.

The lifestyle generation likes toys. The RV industry has shown them how to take them along when enjoying their outdoor activities, touring, or enjoying a family vacation.

We now have multi-use travel trailers, fifth-wheels, and motorhomes -- something for everybody.

We now have multi-use RVs for small toys like skis and golf clubs, medium size toys like bicycles and motorcycles, large size toys such as ATVs, snow mobiles and boats, and even super size toys like cars and golf carts. They can all now fit inside an RV, along with their family and friends.

So the premise is that we now have kids who want to have everything, expect to have everything, and want to enjoy it all the time. And we have a lifestyle generation of parents that want to give it to them. That same generation also wants to reduce the stress and increase the amount of time they spend in leisure activities and get back to a cohesive family environment.

They want to enjoy each other again!

They want to discover each other again!

For years we have witnessed the erosion of family ties and a distancing between parents and kids. Due to the pressures of building careers, peer pressures at all levels of society, and the emergence of a computer and audio-visual-sensory revolution in print, television, movie screens and the Internet, we lost touch with each other as kids and parents.

For years now the kids have gone in one direction and the parents have gone in another. For a while it looked like that was in two straight lines away from each other.

We now see that it was actually in half-circles that are now heading back toward each other and have the potential to join each other again.

The glue to bring them together is right before our eyes -- it's the RV.

Kids love RVs. RVs are now the coolest thing in town.

Adults love RVs. RVs are their life preserver in a sea of guilty feelings and complex lives.

All we have to do is bring the two groups together. Both are different segments of the lifestyle generation. Bring them together and sell them together.

Let's look at the opportunities and explore some ideas that will help you get a head start on the competitor down the street and get these prospects on your lot and into an RV.

Kids Day at the Dealership

Did you ever think the day would come when you would have a lot promotion that was dedicated to non-buyers? Guess what, that day has come.

Don't forget, they may not be able to buy, but they have proven time and again that they can influence those who can buy.

All you have to do is look at the shoes they walk in, the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, and the places they go on vacation to realize that parents listen to their kids. They may not always agree with them, but they are listening again.

Schedule a kid's day at the dealership and invite them in to see just what the RV lifestyle can do for the lifestyle generation. They've seen RVs on TV, now let them see and feel what they like in person.

Work with your local high school guidance office and police to set up the program. You may want to form a committee to work on this project. I would suggest a guidance counselor, a popular high school teacher, a favorite local police officer, a few of the local kids who know what's going on in town, and a few veteran RVing parents.

Discuss your ideas to have a kid's day at the dealership and outline your objectives to introduce the visitors to the RV lifestyle and also showcase the many careers that are available in the RV industry.

You will want to have a rock band on the lot -- this is where the kids can help out immensely. The adults won't know what is popular, but the kids will. They will also let you know what local bands are kid favorites.

You may want to talk to a local vending machine company and see if you can rent a few video games for the day.

Clowns, popcorn machines, and people making animal characters are not allowed at this event!

Set up a display of various RVs that show everything from entry-level pop-ups to luxury diesel pushers.

Do not -- I repeat -- do not put sales reps in these display models. Find local RVing families from your customer ranks and ask them if their kids would like to participate in this event by hosting other kids, and parents, in the display models.

Let the kids sell the lifestyle.

Let the kids sell the benefits of RVing as a family.

Let the kids tell the RV story.

Save the sales reps to close the business after they have had an opportunity to explore the lifestyle.

Don't forget to invite the camping clubs affiliated with the manufacturers you represent and ask for entire families to be represented at his event.

You should also invite your manufacturer's reps to be in attendance at this festive event.

The theme for your kid's day has already been established by the industry -- it's the Go RVing campaign. Hang the banners, show the video, put up posters all around the dealership and make sure you have an abundant supply of the Go Rving press releases, the Go RVing ­ Life's a Trip booklet titled "Everything you need to know to get started", and the Touchdown Tailgate Guide.

Set up a tailgate party on the lot and provide food and refreshments in a "real world" environment that they may enjoy if they owned an RV.

You will also want to have several TVs set up that will be playing the Go RVing video.

Make it a fun day for the dealership, the families in attendance, and especially the kids.

Advertise to the kids.

Stop preaching to the choir. Spend some of your advertising dollars in publications read by the kids. It may seem strange at first to advertise in local newspapers read by the kids, but it will get their attention.

Spend some of your advertising dollars by using the Go RVing commercials on your local cable TV channels that are geared toward the kids.

If the kids are seeing RVs in their rock videos and favorite television programs, then why not tell them where they can see them up close and in person in the neighborhood?

Develop a contest to giveaway an RV.

Work with a local professional sports team, high profile college sports team, or local attraction to develop some type of contest that will result in the giveaway of a family-oriented RV. It may be a pop-up trailer or it may be a motorhome -- that will have to depend on how sophisticated and complex you make this project.

Work with local businesses that cater to the kids and involve them in the contest with entry blanks clearly positioned in their stores, movie theaters, coffee shops and restaurants.

You'll want to involve a local public relations or marketing company to help you with a project of this size, but it can reap tremendous rewards if done properly.

The lifestyle generation is ready for the RV industry.

Is the RV industry ready for them?

Don't forget, we do have competition for this market and how they spend their discretionary income.

How we react to these market conditions will determine if we can maximize this opportunity to the benefit of everyone in the RV industry.

Good luck and good selling.

RVN