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Many dealers hold spring open houses. They are a great way to strengthen relationships with customers and kick-start sales. Working with your distributor to make sure people come, the event runs smoothly and you turn those open house attendees into lifetime customers is key to making sure you get the most out of your annual event.

The whole premise of hosting a dealer open house is to try and get customers through the dealership door. It is often a chance to show appreciation to the customers that have done business with you in the past and to offer them a nice lunch while they check out what’s new for the year. To host a successful open house, dealers need to promote it well and offer customers high value at a low cost to the business.

It is only necessary to host an open house once a year. Any more than that is redundant and the business will likely not benefit. Most dealers know the best time to host an open house is in the spring before the season breaks. It should be before the buying decisions have been made by the commercial customers who plan to reload on equipment for the year.

PROMOTION & FOLLOW-UP

The best way to promote an open house to commercial customers is with a direct mailer sent out two weeks ahead of the event so they have time to schedule for it. The mailing can be sent to all of your commercial accounts or to your area’s zip code. To even further guarantee commercial customers attend the open house, dealers should follow up the mailing with a call as reminder of the upcoming event.

One of the biggest mistakes dealers make is not taking the time to follow up. Reminding them is especially necessary when the season starts early and they are already busy. Additionally, that personal touch will make the difference. Contractors may feel more inclined to attend if they were contacted personally.