Running the Business
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Features
Plan, Protect, Scale: How Independent RV Dealers Compete Amid Consolidation
Every consolidation cycle produces the same anxious math. A dealer sees a regional group acquire three more stores and assumes…
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4 Strategies for Managing Long Sales Cycles
Have you ever run a marathon? Most people haven’t. But many salespeople run them every day — the long sales…
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The Magic of a Great Meet & Greet
Have you ever heard the saying, “You had me at hello”? Maybe in a movie that you have seen, but…
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Back End or Backbone? RV Parts Inventory Counts
Many coaches are manufactured with a rear-looking camera. Some of these cameras cannot be used except when the transmission is…
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Tougher Markets Don’t Create Operational Problems — They Expose Them
The RV market feels different right now. Consumers are more selective. Interest rates continue influencing affordability. Fuel prices remain part…
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The Whys & Hows of Lighting
We can’t fight our evolutionary instincts when it comes to lighting. We are in essence animals, and as animals, we…
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Why Calculating Gross Turns Are Key to Inventory Management
The subject of this article — gross turns — relates to phrases from a song by The Byrds: “To everything…
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Situational Salesmanship
RV salespeople deal with varying personalities and customer types every day, and if they are not thoroughly prepared in advance,…
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Upscale Your Dealership’s Merchandising
“Less is more” is the mantra of upscale retail businesses that attract and sell to customers in the higher income…
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Most Dealerships Don’t Have a People Problem — They Have a Process Problem
For decades, one of the most common frustrations heard across the RV industry has been simple and familiar: “We just…
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The State of the RV Dealer in 2026: Why the Basics Are Beating the Budget
Every few years, the RV market resets the definition of what a good month looks like. We are in one…
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Why a Quality Sales Onboarding Program Isn’t Optional
What does “onboarding” mean? If you said that “onboarding a salesperson” consists of doing the HR paperwork, giving a facility…
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How Many Inventory Veterans Do You Have?
As a long-time RV industry professional, I appreciate RV PRO’s recognition of RV industry veterans. In preparing my column for…
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The New Front Door of Risk
When news of a data breach surfaces, the industry reacts quickly. Systems are reviewed. Vendors are questioned. Controls are reassessed.…
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Where Dealership Performance Is Really Decided
In many RV dealerships, leadership discussions tend to revolve around sales performance, inventory levels or market conditions. Those areas are…
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The Deliberate Manager: 7 Steps to Scheduling Yourself for Success
Most of us become managers because we excelled at our previous jobs, not because we had a grand vision for…
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On the Level — For Now
Most of your RV customers require some type of leveling system to ensure that their unit is level and secure…
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The Buyer Who Never Existed: Synthetic Fraud in RV Sales
How often do you enter personal information online without a second thought? It’s routine when opening a new account, applying…
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The Importance of Making a Strong Connection With Customers
Most RV dealerships today use a “selling system” for their sales staff to use with customers, offering a step-by-step approach…
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Giving Your Storage Space Breathing Room
In more than 50 years of working with inventories of goods, I have discovered that one item has almost always…
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Creating a Memorable Visual Identity
When someone is shopping for a new or used RV, they either go to the place they’ve passed while on…
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Where Will AI Have the Biggest Impact for RV Dealerships?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a future concept for RV dealerships. It’s already shaping how many dealers sell, service,…
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Where RV Dealers Are Losing Sales
If there’s a single word dealers used to describe 2025, it would likely be uncertainty. Tariff reversals, inflation, affordability concerns…
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Selling RVs in a Down Economy
During the initial surge of COVID-19, RV dealerships experienced record sales, profits and commissions as a high number of customers…
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Optimize Your RV Dealership During Peak Season
Peak season is here, and your dealership may follow the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy. But what…
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Why Fixed Operations Training Isn’t the Problem — Execution Is
In most RV service departments I work inside, the breakdown starts quietly, and it starts long before anyone sees it…
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Achieving Inventory Accuracy, Part 2
This column is the second of a two-part series (click here for Part 1, which originally appeared in the March…
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Why Paid Media Feels Harder Right Now & What Dealers Can Do About It
You open your Google Ads report, and it doesn’t square with what you’re seeing on the lot. Cost-per-click (CPC) rose…
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Achieving Inventory Accuracy, Part 1
The new year has begun, and you might have recently completed a physical counting of the parts and accessories inventories…
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4 Hidden Costs of Hiring the Wrong Person
Businesses are currently facing one of the most severe employee engagement crises in history. Burnout, dissatisfaction, transactional mindsets and a…
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How RV Dealers Can Boost Sales Through Relationships
One of the ongoing questions RV salespeople face today is determining what the most successful approach to selling really is.…
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How To Humanize Your RV Dealership & Build Customer Loyalty
Have you ever walked into a store and seen a pet brag board? It’s usually filled up with fun photos…
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Increase RV Parts Sales With Point-of-Purchase Displays
As you are reading this issue of RV PRO, think back to your personal plans that you had to welcome…
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How AI Is Quietly Rewriting the RV Buyer’s Journey
For years, your first real chance to win an RV buyer started on the lot. Now it starts on a…
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What RV Dealers Can Learn From the Heavy-Duty Truck Parts Industry
RV dealers across the country are facing logistical challenges, namely changing tastes, a shift in product interest and strength in…
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Stay on Course: 8 Leadership Steps for Uncertain Times
The storm isn’t coming. It’s already here. And many leaders are realizing they’re sailing without instruments. The current business climate…
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Parts Department Storage Best Practices To Boost Productivity & Sales
The December issue of RV PRO for 2025 focuses on the interiors of RVs. This caused me to think about…
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Proven Tips To Market Your Winterization Products
Summer flew by in a blast of heat here in sunny Oregon, and while a few leaves are starting to…
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8 Steps To Prevent Customer Objections at Your Dealership
Objections are often an integral part of the sales process, which can arise from the moment the customer walks in…
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Calculate Your Ideal RV Parts Inventory Levels To Boost Profit
You may have noticed that November’s issue of RV PRO provides information related to jacks and levelers for your customers’…
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4 Fantasy Football-Inspired PR Tips To Grow Your Business
Recent statistics show that more than 29 million people play in some form of a fantasy football league. ESPN reports…
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See Your RV Dealership Through Your Customers’ Eyes
A positive customer experience depends on what they encounter as a they drive up, park, walk up to, into and…
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Does Your Dealer Management System Represent Your Inventory?
The title and contents of this article are intended to correct some possible misconceptions about what a dealer management system…
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How RV Salespeople Can Make a Great First Impression
There are many things RV salespeople need to master to increase their chances of closing deals. The salesperson of today…
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How Dealerships Can Avoid Data Breaches & FTC Fines
Nothing happens at a dealership until something is sold. That’s what pays the bills. It’s easy to see how this…
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How Salespeople Can Understand Customers Better
The human engagement between customers and salespeople is an interesting phenomenon to observe, especially during the first few minutes of…
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Preparing for Winter in Your Parts & Services Department
Depending on the location of your RV business, winterizing might have a different meaning to you and your customers. …
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How Top Businesses Stay Strong: The Power of Guiding Principles
As a leader, you understand that building an enterprise isn’t just about navigating market trends or chasing the next big…
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8 Ways To Rewire Your Brain for Success
The human brain is incredibly adaptable. It holds the potential to change, learn and grow throughout our lives. However, many…
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Attracting Qualified Candidates to RV Parts & Accessories Jobs
The theme of the May issue of RV PRO was women in the RV industry, and this month my column…
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How RV Dealers Can Avoid FTC Compliance Issues
Having a trackable risk and compliance program is like having a third eye because it protects you and gives you…
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How To Achieve an Accurate Inventory Count Without a Yearly Count
It is July and still a few months before your parts department will be processing the annual counting of the…
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Trust First, Sale Second: The RV Sales Strategy That Actually Works
There are so many things that could cause stress for the average RV customer today. Interest rates are still quite…
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Pets Create an Experiential Retail Experience for Customers
Experiential retail is the current buzzword for creating sales and repeat business through positive and unforgettable in-store experiences. I have…
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How RV Dealerships Can Meet Modern Buyer Expectations
Shopping for an RV can be exciting and fun, but also stressful to customers, as they weigh the plusses and…
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How Suppliers, Customers & Staff Can Shape Your RV Parts Strategy
For this month’s column, I believe it is worth looking at your parts and accessories operations from the standpoint of…
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How Managers Can Solve Conflict Between Employees
“Sort it out on your own” is no longer an option for businesses when employees are in conflict. Management goals…
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Cultivating a Growth Mindset: Strategies To Drive Workplace Performance
In today’s rapidly changing business environment, fostering a culture of innovation is a must. Creating such an environment requires attention…
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Avoid Issues by Paying Attention to the Natural Order
There’s a natural order to the universe. For example, we don’t float off the earth because of gravity. There will…
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How To Increase RV Retail Sales With Smart Product Displays
Every day you have likely experienced newbie RVers coming into your dealership. Some people know what they want and need,…
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Sustainability of Parts & Accessories Inventories
Sustainability is the special theme for March’s issue of RV PRO, so I have dedicated my column to assist you…
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Best Practices for Preventing Internal Fraud
“My employee would never steal from me! He/She has been a loyal employee for 10 years and is like part…
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Navigating the Road of RV Insurance: Protecting Your Customers’ Home on Wheels
Large-scale weather events around the country are a stark reminder of the power of nature, as well as protecting what…
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Be Prepared With This Data Breach Response Plan
As a business owner/dealer, you have an obligation to protect customers’ personal information. This is called personally identifiable information (PII)…
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RV PRO Roundup: Employee Appreciation & Boosting Company Culture
Employee Appreciation Day, established in 1995, is celebrated annually on the first Friday in March (in 2025, it fell on…
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Creating a Successful RV Show Brand Presence
RV shows offer a unique opportunity to connect intimately with future buyers and customers who are ready to purchase. While…
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How To Go From CRM to DMS
In today’s RV world, managing just customer relationships isn’t enough; your dealership needs a system that brings everything together, making…
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Win Over the Customer First
There is one scenario at RV dealerships that might be at the heart of losing more deals than any I…
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The 5 Steps of Finances
This month’s column focuses on the financial aspects of managing your parts and accessories operations. So that we are on…
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Grab These Cycle Count Bargains
This month’s special theme is centered on the two-for-one concept, so I have decided to piggyback on that theme for…
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Clarity at Work: A Simple Habit That Transforms Teams
Imagine a team starting a project with energy and optimism. Ideas are flying, everyone’s ready to contribute and the excitement…
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Effectively Managing Downtime in Sales
Unfortunately, there are many things a salesperson cannot control when they go to work each day. They have no control…
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POPs That POP!
What do people remember when they think of your dealership? Service is always No. 1, whether it’s exceptionally good or,…
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Costs of Doing Business in 2025
The state of the industry is the primary theme of this month’s issue of RV PRO. Like most other industries,…
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The Habit Hack: Rewire Your Brain for Better Customer Service
Companies invest millions of dollars in training each year. Yet even after extensive education and successful performance in a classroom…
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Keeping Tabs on Fast-Moving Inventory Items
The primary theme of last month’s issue of RV PRO was the recognition of RV industry professionals who qualify as…
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Using Listening To Increase Presence & Evolve Your Leadership
Being present in today’s world is more difficult than it has ever been before. Everyone is constantly bombarded by emails,…
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Reading Your Customers’ Body Language Cues
In these slow economic times for the RV business, salespeople are under constant pressure to find a competitive edge against…
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Leveraging Social Media Marketing To Connect With Your Ideal Customer
Are you looking for new ideas to connect with your ideal customer and grow an audience of brand fans? Social…
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It’s Not Too Late To Fa La La
I got my start in visual merchandising working for large department stores. We would start planning for the holiday season…
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What Are Your New Year Plans?
In a few weeks, we will bid adieu to 2024 and greet the new year of 2025. As in the…
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How Emotional Connection Can Make You a Better Leader
Navigating leadership brings a unique set of challenges and opportunities. A young executive, Sarah, faced complaints from her team who…
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A Step-by-Step Guide to Navigating Difficult Conversations
“I don’t like confrontation, but I’m tired of his abuse. He signed me up for another committee without asking.” “I…
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Workplace Violence: Reducing the Risk
A disgruntled employee opened fire at a small Philadelphia-area business earlier this year, killing two fellow workers and injuring three…
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Understanding the Preapproval Process
Purchasing an RV involves significant financial commitments and detailed decision-making. Streamlining this process is essential for an efficient transaction for…
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Leveraging AIAs for Dealership Success
As shoppers spend more time online, the success of RV dealerships increasingly hinges on their ability to connect with potential…
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Your Personnel Need Your Personal Attention
In many of my columns since 2005, I have presented the importance of turning your parts and accessories inventories with…
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Battling ‘Outsider Syndrome’ in the Family Business
Productive employees make profitable companies. Every employer would like to cultivate an effective team that goes the extra mile to…
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Baby, It’s Cold Outside!
As I’m writing this, the temperature in Portland, Oregon, is nearing 103 degrees. For all of you that think it’s…
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RECTifying Your Operations, Part 3
Editor’s note: This is the third part of a series highlighting repair event cycle time (RECT). Part 1 appeared in…
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Being Present: A Key to Effective Leadership & an Emergent Culture
The world is transforming faster than ever. Many employees and leaders are feeling overwhelmed by rapidly evolving markets, a new…
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The Importance of Follow-Through in Sales
There are many steps that need to happen correctly for salespeople to close a deal with customers when the weather…
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RECTifying Your Operations, Part 2
Editor’s note: This is the second part of a series highlighting repair event cycle time (RECT). Part 1 appeared in…
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How a ‘Chief People Officer’ Can Help Your RV Company
If there is anything we have learned from the chaos of the past few years, it is this: Every business…
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How To Create a Culture That People Don’t Want To Leave
Do you have a Negative Nancy (NN) or Toxic Tim (TT) that you’re keeping longer than you should? Would you…
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Wake Up Before They Go Go …
You can thank or curse me later for the earworm, but for now, please read on for some ideas on…
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RECTifying Your Operations, Part 1
Repair event cycle time (RECT) is a popular topic of interest within the RV industry. Recent articles in RV PRO…
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Employee Pay-for-Performance Plans That Get Results
Skilled workers are hard to find — and keep. Little wonder employers are taking a fresh look at so-called “pay-for-performance”…
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Turn Sold Customers Into Repeat Fans of Your Brand With CRM Automation
A lot of people can go through your dealership on any given day, both online and at your brick-and-mortar. When…
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Converting Cash Deals by Overcoming Cash Buyers’ Financing Objections
In RV dealerships, the finance department guides customers through purchasing and offers various financing options to suit their needs. However,…
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