Continued Program Success
It was a big year for Continental Tire the Americas’ Gold Dealer program, with a record number of tire dealers qualifying for its 10th annual incentive trip. This year, 304 dealers, including 31 new Elite dealers, sold more than 2,000 units each in 2014 to qualify for a cruise through the Caribbean between March 23-29.
Marketing is Everywhere
Marketing is less a position or function than it is a philosophy. The core of that philosophy is your vision for your company – and no one else’s. Every decision you make relating to your company image represents your Marketing Department. If you are pressed for time today, here is a very short version of
4 Common Sales Errors
1. Fearing the customer’s reaction. When salespeople are afraid of what a customer might say, they end up losing sales opportunities because they don’t find out what the customer really wants. For example, what if the customer says, “Your price is too high.” It’s a knee-jerk reaction to offer a lower price. Instead, be proactive
Reduce Those Utility Bills
A careful examination of your tire dealership’s energy-consumption practices will reveal numerous opportunities to reduce overall utility costs. Save a few bucks by: Installing programmable thermostats Closing off unused areas Placing lighting appropriately throughout the building and turning it on only when needed Sharing printers and copiers Buying cost-efficient equipment Checking vents and ducts for
Next Generation Blizzak
A popular skiing destination, Steamboat Springs, Colo., is known for its ideal wintry weather. In fact, the city has a registered trademark for the phrase “Ski Town, U.S.A.” But wintry was not in the weather forecast for Bridgestone’s Blizzak DM-V2 launch, which would’ve occurred at Bridgestone’s Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs had the unseasonably
OTR Conference: Celebrating the Past, Looking Forward
The Tire Industry Association’s 60th annual Off-the-Road Tire Conference allowed attendees to reflect on the OTR industry’s past while understanding its present and looking to where it’s headed in the future. The OTR Tire Conference hosted more than 500 attendees from around the world in Tucson on Feb. 18-21. Attendees heard presentations from industry professionals
Change Will Have to Come
It will take some time before the dust fully settles, before all of the final decisions are made and all of the appeals exhausted. And only then will we be able to fully understand all of the direct ramifications of the absurd countervailing and anti-dumping duties heaped on imported China-produced consumer tires. Trade protection is
Winter Cold Wreaks Havoc on TPMS Sensors
Winter has finally ended for most of the country, but the arctic temperatures and massive snowfall brought an influx of illuminated TPMS lights and future lessons for both tire dealers and drivers. As it was, many of those lights were false alarms. The reason? Look no further than the thermometer. Before we put the snow
Hoffman Tire Pros is Evolving and Growing
Rich Hoffman started Hoffman Tire Pros after a successful career with Uniroyal Tire. “I’d been telling everybody for the previous 13 years how to go into the tire business, and how to make money in the tire business, so I decided to try it myself,” he says. In January 1976, Hoffman opened his shop in
Electric Power Steering: From Fieros to the Driverless Car
Electric power steering is fast becoming a standard feature on new vehicles, but it’s not an emerging technology. It’s been in the field for the better part of two decades. One of the first domestic applications that almost made it to broad production was on the Pontiac Fiero. The 1989 model was going to have
Retread Industry Under Constant Pressure
Even as consolidation continues within the North American retread industry, statistics show growth for those retreaders that are investing dollars every year into new processes, equipment and technology that benefit trucking fleets. According to Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau estimates, the number of retread facilities in the U.S. has decreased by half since 1990.
Go Toe-to-Toe to Knock Down Car Dealer Competition
Car Dealers want your tire business, but do they have a glass jaw? Sometimes the biggest threat can come from behind – and in very subtle ways. Though you may not have considered car dealers as legitimate competition in the past, it’s high time you did. Back to the early 2000s, General Motors, working with
