ORLANDO, Fla. – While the RV Aftermarket Conference, taking place this week at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, focuses on aftermarket products, the theme of yesterday’s events included a reexamination of the sales funnel by keynote speaker Andrew Davis.
Hosted by the RV Industry Association (RVIA), the conference features suppliers and distributors meeting in one-on-one “appointment sessions” to pitch new products while taking advantage of key networking opportunities. In addition, attendees also will hear from thought-leaders on the state of the RV industry – including Davis.
In addressing the sales funnel, a concept developed in 1898 by St. Elmo Lewis, Davis pointed out that the consumer journey has changed quite a bit in the 126 years since. He also advocated for something he calls The Loyalty Loop, saying, “The sales process has changed, so change the way you think about how you sell.”
The key, he said, is to bring consumers into The Loyalty Loop, which is a series of “micro-encounters” that make you feel something, either bad or good. Of course, you want those encounters to be positive and personal, he added. You want potential customers to feel that they’re special and not just another cog in the sales machine.
Davis used Domino’s Pizza Tracker as an example of effectively bringing people into the loop by creating enthusiasm about the next step in the process. “What is your Pizza Tracker?” he asked. Moreover, it’s important to re-inspire what brought them to you in the first place, answer the question that triggered them to look into the product, remove any friction in the process (such as lengthy forms to fill out), and personalize the experience by introducing them to your team, for instance.
Ultimately, as Davis put it, “We don’t sell a product; we sell an experience and those micro-encounters along the way define their experience.”
Davis’ concepts were echoed in many of the subsequent product meetings held with industry manufacturers and distributors. Lippert’s Matt Clauss says that the consumer’s experience is enhanced by the effective display and explanation of products at retail.
“Consumers are walking in to investigate with something in their mind. What else can you sell them? Dealers need to be ready to have a wider conversation around more products and lean on the manufacturer experts who know how to talk about them with enthusiasm and excitement,” Clauss says. “The more their staff knows and understands what they have, the better they are able to talk at retail about those items.”
The conference continues through Thursday, with the 2024 Aftermarket Awards being announced on Wednesday. Check Thursday’s RVBusiness Daily News Feed for the winners and stay tuned for new product announcements from many of the conference participants over the coming weeks and months.
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