When a dealer considers adding Doonan to their existing line of quality trailers, it is important for the dealer to understand the “Doonan Difference”. Most trailer manufacturers focus on building standard trailers to improve their efficiencies and lower their costs. Because there are no custom features on these trailers, the dealer is forced to compete only on price. In order to get the lowest price from the manufacturer, the dealer has to commit to purchasing large volumes which leads to higher inventory and higher costs for the dealer. Worse yet, end customers are often enticed by these low upfront prices and purchase a trailer that does not meet their needs resulting in higher operating costs, missed loads, downtime, and repairs. All of which leads to unhappy end customers and a reduced chance of future sales for the dealer.
At Doonan, we believe it is important to build the trailer the customer needs rather than convincing the customer to buy what the manufacturer is willing to build. Not only does this philosophy help the end customer purchase the correct trailer for their application, but it also allows the dealer to change the conversation from price to “value” which ultimately reduces the dealer’s competition and improves the dealer’s margins. Since Doonan understands that each end customer’s needs are unique it does not require its dealers to stock significant inventory. While it is important to have some level of inventory for the end customer to inspect, most end customers are willing to wait a reasonable period of time to get the trailer that best fits their needs. Successful Doonan dealers always keep a modest number of stock orders in backlog. Then as their end customer’s needs are realized, the dealer places a change order to convert their existing stock orders into sold orders which shortens the lead time for the end customer. In the event the dealer cannot generate a sold order and does not wish to keep the stock unit, the dealer is allowed to cancel the stock order assuming the dealer provides the proper notice.
This approach requires a commitment on the part of the dealer to listen to their customer and truly understand their needs. Then on their own, or with the assistance of a Doonan Sales Representative, the dealer can identify the options and features that are important to the end customer. Utilizing Doonan’s Excel-based quote system, which incorporates over 1,500 standard options, a trained dealer can quickly provide a custom quote to their end customer without contacting the factory. In the unusual event that the end customer’s needs cannot be met with one of the standard options, Doonan’s dedicated sales and engineering staff is more than happy to design a custom solution. Doonan believes that no dealer should ever miss out on a sale simply because it reduces the manufacturer’s efficiency. We encourage you to learn more about the Doonan Difference and find out how it can help your dealership.
To find out more about becoming a Doonan dealer, please contact Kelly Zecha (kzecha@doonan.com) or Kraig Miller (kmiller@doonan.com). You can also complete and submit an application online through the Doonan website. Dealer Appicaltion
