Improving the Relationships Your Business Relies On

Keeping business relationships healthy heavily impacts the success of your business.

Anyone will tell you, business is all about relationships. The most important relationships a dealer has are with suppliers, customers and staff. Keeping those relationships inside and outside of the dealership healthy heavily impacts the success of your business.

The health of each of these individual relationships all depends on the health of the others. You need to get support in some areas (suppliers) in order to show support in others (customers and staff).

In the Supplier Spotlight on page 16, Chinese-owned Worldlawn shares their newly introduced business strategy for the Encore and Worldlawn brands that they say shows their commitment to their brands, the future and their dealers. They have plans to invest in new product line options while bringing the Worldlawn line’s production to the U.S. from China. 

Your relationships with customers should be about you offering them guidance, support and solutions. Both consumers and commercial cutters are looking for someone who can make their lives easier with the products they offer and the service that backs them up.

In his column on page 12, Bob Clements urges dealers to make the buying process a simple one for their customers. Offer them packaged solutions that include all the dealership has to offer and makes the buying decision an easy one.

Beyond those relationships with suppliers and customers, it is important that you nurture your relationships with your dealership staff. The way you treat your staff directly affects how they in turn treat your customers.

In The Right Tools for the Job article on page 26, you can learn how giving your technicians the tools they need to do the job right can increase their output and overall job satisfaction. By investing in your staff, you are investing in the health of that relationship—and in the end, better customer service. 

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