SEPTEMBER 2013 OF SCOTTSDALE GEAR 2014 • GO AZ MOTORCYCLES / HARLEY-DAVIDSON VOL. 49. NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 2013 DEALERNEWS.COM SPECIAL REPORT: GEAR 2014 • TURNING INVENTORY • DISPLAYS ON A DIME (ALMOST) • THE ‘SOFT SELL’ OF SAFETY • HELMET HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT • ...AND MORE! DAVE KOSHOLLEK THOSE IRRITATING TEENAGERS ARE YOUR FUTURE CUSTOMERS • SHOEI VS. SCHUBERTH BEING LIKE BOB BUSINESS SAVVY HELPS, BUT IT’S HIS CONTAGIOUS SPIRIT THAT SHINES www.dealernews.com For more information visit www.Dealernews.com/readerservice MORE BOOT LESS LOOT ALL NEW 2014 BLITZ MX BOOT. EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY & VALUE. THORMX.com/BlitzBoot VOL. 49. NO. 9 September 2013 CONTENTS from page 39 You can succeed in anything if you do this one thing: Give the people what they want.” — Bob Parsons SALES SERVICE 36 FUEL FOR THOUGHT: DAVE KOSHOLLEK Are we nurturing or nagging the next generation of riders? IN EVERY ISSUE SPECIAL SECTION: GEAR 2014 14 MARKETING 6 EDITOR’S NOTE GEAR UP! New jackets, jerseys, 32 8 SPEED READ helmets and more SHOWROOM OF DREAMS 55 AD INDEX By Beth Dolgner Maximize your displays without 56 TIE-DYED TALES — 20 emptying your budget RICK FAIRLESS By Beth Dolgner TURNING INVENTORY Take A letter to his younger self the guesswork out of ordering reveals the one thing By Beth Dolgner he wished he had done. 24 THE SOFT SELL OF SAFETY How it can sell more gear MANAGEMENT By Beth Dolgner 26 38 COVER STORY: HELMET HEAVYWEIGHTSAVYWEIGHTS BOB PARSONS’ Shoei vs. Schuberthuberth By Bruce Steeverever CONTAGIOUS SPIRIT It’s hard NOT to get excited when listening to the Go Daddy founder talk about his two Top 100 dealerships. By Genevieve Schmitt 46 DEALER LAB: Follow us on Twitter: JUNE EARNINGS UP Check out 69 PERCENT www.twitter.com/ All departments gaining, except for accessories. dealernews By Joe Delmont for industry news and updates. On the cover Become a fan of “I’ve always been a fan of Bob Parsons the businessman,” says our Dealernews on cover story author Genevieve Schmitt. “I’ve followed him since he Facebook @ started Go Daddy. It was an honor to interview him and to be in the www.facebook.com/ presence of someone who has accomplished so much and doing it all now for the greater good. He inspired me on a personal level.” dealernewsfan Photography by Scooter Grubb 2 DEALERNEWS.COM SEPTEMBER 2013 BRINGING YOU THE BEST SERVICE, PRODUCT, AND DELIVERY! 1-800-999-3388 For more information visit www.Dealernews.com/readerservice www.dealernews.com EDITORIAL Contact the editors at: [email protected] Group Content Director MARY SLEPICKA Associate Editor CYNTHIA FUREY Senior Editor-Parts and Accessories BRUCE STEEVER Senior Editor-Business Services, Finance, OEM ARLO REDWINE Senior Editor-Retail News, Legal/Regulatory HOLLY J. WAGNER Senior Editor-Gear, Helments and Apparel BETH DOLGNER Contributing Editor/Editor-Dealer LAB JOE DELMONT Columnist/Contributing Editor MIKE VAUGHAN Columnists ERIC ANDERSON, RICK FAIRLESS, TORY HORNSBY, DAVE KOSHOLLEK, ROD STUCKEY Special Correspondent TRACY MARTIN Group Creative Director BETH DEMONT Photographers JEFF BARGER, JOE BONNELLO, JED CONKLIN, BRETT FLASHNICK, SCOOTER GRUBB, EDWARD LINSMIER, GARY ROHMAN Audience Development Manager KRISTINA BILDEAUX On Twitter: @dealernews.com On Facebookeboebebooookk: DealernewsFan On LinkedIn: Dealernews Talk ADVERTISING Contact Sales at [email protected] National Sales Manager ANGELA GIBBS • 815-772-7871 • [email protected] Sales Representative TIM DEBTH • [email protected] Sales Coordinator CHRISTINA ANDERS • [email protected] Advertising Production Manager JESSE SINGER • www.adsatadvanstar.com Senior Production Manager KAREN LENZEN For information on subscriptions, permissions, reprints, list rentals and submitting press materials, see page 55 DEALER EXPO www.dealerexpo.com PROGRESSIVE INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SHOWS www.motorcycleshows.com Senior Vice President TRACY HARRIS Business Development Director MIKE AUSEC Sales Director JIM MOORE Engagement Marketing Director TIGRA TSUJIKAWA Digital Marketing Manager OLIVER TUMSUDEN Advanstar Communications Inc. 2501 Colorado Blvd., Suite 280 • Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-857-7500 • 949-315-3759 fax • www.advanstar.com Chief Executive Offi cer: Joe Loggia • Chief Executive Offi cer-Fashion Group, Executive Vice President: Tom Florio • Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Offi cer, Chief Financial Offi cer: Tom Ehardt • Executive Vice President: Georgiann DeCenzo • Executive Vice President: Chris DeMoulin • Executive Vice President: Ron Wall • Executive Vice President-Business Systems: Rebecca Evangelou • Senior Vice President: Tracy Harris • Vice President- Media Operations: Francis Heid • Vice President-Legal: Michael Bernstein • Vice President-Electronic Information Technology: J Vaughn 4 DEALERNEWS.COM SEPTEMBER 2013 For more information visit www.Dealernews.com/readerservice FROM THE EDITOR Mary Slepicka W OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING IT’S TIME FOR SOME shameless self-promotion — which you actu- also electronic ads, logos and other digital assets that you can use on ally may fi nd interesting. your websites, social sites and in your emails to let customers know The Progressive International Motorcycle Show tour will kick off that you support the tour and that you have discount coupons avail- in late October and crisscross the country (a couple of times) before able for tickets. concluding in February. The “IMS” tour, as we call it, is the largest All you have to do is sign up — no fees, nothing. Just contact Ryan series of consumer events in our industry, giving the vehicle manu- Adams or Daniela Juarez (see box) and let them know that you’d like facturers the chance to showcase their 2014 models in front of a to participate. half-million people … who actually pay for admission. There are additional ways to boost your market presence through If an IMS show is coming within 200 miles of your store this fall and/ an IMS show. You can work the factory displays for your OEM — your or winter, it’s a chance to put your marketing plans into overdrive. staff has the local knowledge and insight consumers seek, and work- The IMS tour is a sister property to Dealernews. Every year, we ing the exhibit is a great way to generate leads for your dealership. cross the IMS attendee data with sales numbers from R.L. Polk. We You can even buy a booth and sell PG&A during the weekend, but know from the 2012-13 report that a tour attendee is 33 times more that’s up to you. (Ryan and Daniela are not salespeople.) likely to purchase a new motorcycle and 20 times more likely to buy My recommendation is that if you’re within 200 miles of an IMS a used unit than the general public within six months after attending show this season, sign up for the dealer program. It costs nothing but a an IMS show. little time, and the benefi ts could truly outweigh your initial effort. How’s that for a qualifi ed audience? OK, here’s where it gets … easy. The IMS team has developed FREE Mary Slepicka, [email protected] promotional items you can display in your store to spread the word about a show coming to your area — posters, counter cards, even DEALER PROGRAM CONTACTS Ryan Adams – [email protected] discount coupons. Dealers who participate in this program will receive tel. 310-857-7577 four complimentary tickets to the show, and their stores will be listed Daniela Juarez – [email protected] on a special Dealer Locator on www.motorcycleshows.com. There are tel. 310-857-7570 For more information visit www.Dealernews.com/readerservice 6 DEALERNEWS.COM SEPTEMBER 2013 THE FIRST NAME IN HELMETS FX-90 DANGER NEW DANGER GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR PARTS UNLIMITED REP TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HELMETS FROM AFX. afxhelmets.com parts-unlimited.com SPEED READ Speed Read gets you caught up on the top stories in powersports as reported on Dealernews.com. Sign up to receive the DealerNEWS ALERT e-newsletters for news delivered right to your inbox. GOT DISTRIBUTORS? We’ve got the coverage – from the Tucker Rocky Dealer Show, WPS National Sales Meeting and the Parts/Drag National Vendor Pre- sentation. Visit www.dealernews. com/dealernews/distshows2013 AUCTION WARNING BBB TIES TWO MORE COMPANIES TO AUCTION HOUSE UNDER SCRUTINY The Better Business Bureau of St. Louis has linked two new auction names, Equipment Plus Auctions and Recreational Complete, to two auction houses that drew multiple complaints and lawsuits from dealers who said they lost money due to unethical sales tactics. The BBB has merged its fi les on Equip- GEAR 2014: ENTER KABUTO ment Plus and Recreational Complete with its HELMET BRAND (NEE OGK) FORMERLY AVAILABLE ONLY IN JAPAN fi les on Midwest Public Auction and Extreme ENTERS U.S. MARKET WITH DISTRIBUTION DEAL THROUGH WPS Auction Services, which got a grade of “F” in September 2012 after the BBB investigated KABUTO HELMETS are now available in Kabuto lid would have to order a (non-DOT) complaints. That advisory now applies to the the U.S. market thanks to a distribution model directly from Japan. The new U.S. line two new names as well. deal secured with Western Power Sports/ features four new western headforms, all of Auctions have continued monthly at the WPS. Four new helmet models made by the which meet and/or exceed DOT and Snell, same Poplar Bluff, Mo., address under the Japanese company formerly known as OGK Richards noted. two new business names. That, along with made their debut in front of WPS sales reps The four offerings are the FF-5V Aerody- the companies having several employees in in August. namic Racing Helmet ($429.95 - $479.95), common and the ongoing presence of Mid- WPS intends to position Kabuto USA west Public Auction owner Donnie M. Smoth- See more Gear, Helmets and Apparel (www.kabutousa.com) as a higher-end erman, prompted the BBB to merge the fi les, starting on page 14 helmet line, competing with the Arais and treating all the names as one business.