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Marketing and Sales

Yahoo Message Number: 4482
First, by way of disclaimer let me say that I am not in Marketing or Sales, never have been and will likely never will be. But I am a past customer and possible future customer so please take my comments with that in mind if you happen to be a Country Coach employee lurking on this forum.
I think there are three important things to remember, 1. Your best customer is the one you already have, 2. The best salesperson you have is the customer you already have, and 3. It is not building the best motor coach in the world that counts it is SELLING the best motor coach in the world.

Pretty strong statements. Let me explain.
At Las Vegas there were four new floor plans, two released earlier this year and two just released. In each case there was no detailed information available. The base price and price as built with options was displayed inside the coaches but no explanation of the individual options included and their cost.
No technical detail was available in written form and some of the salespeople were clearly at a big disadvantage as they were not conversant with the new triple slide Allure and triple slide Magna.
IMHO there should have been hand outs for each coach showing floor plan and specifications. These do not have to be expensive glossy brochures. Even regular Xerox type copies would have worked. The objective is to get existing customers well informed and excited about the product so that they project this enthusiasm to people along the way that might be thinking of a purchasing a new coach. Each attendee at the rally should have been given handouts.
The Country Coach web site has been improved dramatically but still lags new product announcements. Try finding the new forty foot Allure floor plan for example. Maybe CC is worried about unsold inventory of older/new coaches. If so, I think this thinking is flawed.
I think the sales people in attendance should have been better informed about the products on display (they should have had the technical data in their hands) before the show started, especially the local folks from Wheeler's Las Vegas who were at a clear disadvantage compared to the people form Thompson's, Guaranty and Holland.
I don't understand why the new forty foot Allure actually measures forty feet, nine inches (This was a verbal quote). Bob Lee says he has spent many hours working with the people in Sacramento concerning the California length issue yet now produces a unit that technically does not fit well with the California law. Under present law my understanding is that units over forty feet are limited to traveling on major highways and cannot go more than three miles off that highway to arrive at a park or home storage. Someone said "what are the chances of actually being stopped by the CHP." This is rather like saying "If you cheat on your taxes, what is the chance of being audited"? My forty foot unit that measures 39ft 11inches can go anywhere in California if the road is suitable.
For many, financing is a big issue. Yet in spite of the lower rates now available there was no information from lenders readily available. IMHO a handout showing recent rates and payment schedules would have been a useful addition to the technical data.

Maybe CC should seek a partnership with a lending institution.
I would also suggest that when introducing new floor plans at a rally CC should attempt to have a company representative inside the coach to solicit opinions and make notes. The important part is not only what people like but what people don't like. For example, on the new floor plans the absence of towel rails in the bathroom area was an obvious deficiency and the bedroom telephone jack clearly in the wrong place. (Have the designers ever used a motor home?)
The new digital dash is available in the Lexa. IMHO this should be available as an option in the Intrigue/Allure NOW. CC needs to increase the volume of digital dash sales by a factor of four and reduce the option cost by 60%. An Allure/Intrigue with a digital dash may swing a lot of sales away from competing manufacturers at a similar price point.
My comments might appear rather strong but my motives are clear. I want CC to succeed and continue building the best motor coach in the world and if that means I have to be a little blunt in my comments so be it.

David & Karen

2000 Intrigue 11062

Marketing and Sales

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4483
First, by way of disclaimer let me say that I am not in Marketing or Sales, never have been and will likely never will be. But I am a past customer and possible future customer so please take my comments with that in mind if you happen to be a Country Coach employee lurking on this forum.
I think there are three important things to remember, 1. Your best customer is the one you already have, 2. The best salesperson you have is the customer you already have, and 3. It is not building the best motor coach in the world that counts it is SELLING the best motor coach in the world.

Pretty strong statements. Let me explain.
At Las Vegas there were four new floor plans, two released earlier this year and two just released. In each case there was no detailed information available. The base price and price as built with options was displayed inside the coaches but no explanation of the individual options included and their cost.
No technical detail was available in written form and some of the salespeople were clearly at a big disadvantage as they were not conversant with the new triple slide Allure and triple slide Magna.
IMHO there should have been hand outs for each coach showing floor plan and specifications. These do not have to be expensive glossy brochures. Even regular Xerox type copies would have worked. The objective is to get existing customers well informed and excited about the product so that they project this enthusiasm to people along the way that might be thinking of a purchasing a new coach. Each attendee at the rally should have been given handouts.
The Country Coach web site has been improved dramatically but still lags new product announcements. Try finding the new forty foot Allure floor plan for example. Maybe CC is worried about unsold inventory of older/new coaches. If so, I think this thinking is flawed.
I think the sales people in attendance should have been better informed about the products on display (they should have had the technical data in their hands) before the show started, especially the local folks from Wheeler's Las Vegas who were at a clear disadvantage compared to the people form Thompson's, Guaranty and Holland.
I don't understand why the new forty foot Allure actually measures forty feet, nine inches (This was a verbal quote). Bob Lee says he has spent many hours working with the people in Sacramento concerning the California length issue yet now produces a unit that technically does not fit well with the California law. Under present law my understanding is that units over forty feet are limited to traveling on major highways and cannot go more than three miles off that highway to arrive at a park or home storage. Someone said "what are the chances of actually being stopped by the CHP." This is rather like saying "If you cheat on your taxes, what is the chance of being audited"? My forty foot unit that measures 39ft 11inches can go anywhere in California if the road is suitable.
For many, financing is a big issue. Yet in spite of the lower rates now available there was no information from lenders readily available. IMHO a handout showing recent rates and payment schedules would have been a useful addition to the technical data.

Maybe CC should seek a partnership with a lending institution.
I would also suggest that when introducing new floor plans at a rally CC should attempt to have a company representative inside the coach to solicit opinions and make notes. The important part is not only what people like but what people don't like. For example, on the new floor plans the absence of towel rails in the bathroom area was an obvious deficiency and the bedroom telephone jack clearly in the wrong place. (Have the designers ever used a motor home?)
The new digital dash is available in the Lexa. IMHO this should be available as an option in the Intrigue/Allure NOW. CC needs to increase the volume of digital dash sales by a factor of four and reduce the option cost by 60%. An Allure/Intrigue with a digital dash may swing a lot of sales away from competing manufacturers at a similar price point.
My comments might appear rather strong but my motives are clear. I want CC to succeed and continue building the best motor coach in the world and if that means I have to be a little blunt in my comments so be it.

David & Karen

2000 Intrigue 11062

Re: Marketing and Sales

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4484
Excellent observations and suggestions David. I didn't attend the rally, but was in Philadelphia at the Fort Washington RV Show, a few weeks back. (I'm from Atlanta, but that's another story :-) CC's Eastern representative was there and I spent over an hour with him between his answering questions and he educated me on many of CC's issues, challenges and spent time explaining several of the systems in the 2 coaches on display. His expertise and candid responses to my questions elevated CC to one of the 3 manufactures that I am considering.
I'm surprised the company did not have a number of support personnel available to assist the dealer sales personnel in LV

Steve Bloom

00 Ultimate Advantage

Re: Marketing and Sales

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4485
Dave and Karen,

Your astute observations are right on. I hope there is someone from CC spying though. Maybe then someone will actually listen to us. I made comments to sales people about the phone jacks in many models over 9 months ago. Still no change.

Re: Marketing and Sales

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 4503
RIGHT ON! I hope you copy your comments to "hard paper" and send them via snail mail to Bob Lee...important observations from you that he should take to heart. I always hate knowing more about a product than the salesperson who is trying to sell me a product. There should be a test of all the people "on the floor" wherever they market their rigs!

Well said about having a rep asking what folks like and don't like about a rig while they are looking it over. That's where you find out the differences among the products folks are considering.
If you don't have the Wow Factor immediately upon entry, you haven't a chance of giving the people more info...doesn't matter how well built it is! (Well said about the dash which was also seen at the Eugene rally and which we inquired about but with the same answer you got.)

Agreed also about lack of technical info available...MUST HAVE.

I've heard salespeople tell people that Allures and Magnas are the same chassis. Why then would someone think that they needed to spend more $$s? At least some handouts could counter the "misinfo" that salespersons have!

Keep on hammering...we've got the best product for the price, I'm convinced...but getting the message out there is difficult when you're stymied by the company's poor marketing in my opinion.

Jan McNeill, Fulltimer
2001 Intrigue 11320