News from RVDA News Highlights
Newsletter
• 2020-2021 NTP-Stag
Canada RV Industry Personnel Bursary Programs
• How to Create
Your 30-60-90 Day, Recruitment Marketing Plan
• Save the Date—2021
RV Dealers International Convention/ Expo
Inside this issue: How to Create Your 6-9 30-60-90 Day, Recruitment Marketing Plan 2020-2021 NTPStag Canada RV Industry Personnel
10-11
Save The Date— RV Dealers International Convention / Expo
12
Is it Time to Concentrate on Sales Productivity? By Dave Kahle
14-15
Top Protection 16-17 Practices for a Safe and Healthy RVDA Season—by PURIFYD Mike Molino RV Learning Center (RVLC) Online Learning and Workshops
18-19
Newsletter
April 2021
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Dear Members, We recently released our 2020 Annual Economic Review. Hopefully you have had a chance to read through this document which is intended to give you a comprehensive look at the economic indicators affecting the RV industry in Canada. As reported, the Canadian economy is still reeling from the severe economic and social impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic. After a strong recovery going into the end of the year, the rapid resurgence of cases and new restrictions across the country have significantly dampened economic activity in the first few months of 2021. Unfortunately, growth in the first quarter of 2021 is now forecasted to be negative. The good news is, as the vaccine rollout is already underway, economic activity is expected to strongly rebound in the second half of the year. Recovery may be choppy and uneven across sectors but the low-interest rates, strong consumption, increased domestic demand, especially in the RV market, should make for a solid year for our industry. We are now gearing up for our virtual Parliament Hill Week which will take place from April 19th to April 23rd. We will be holding meetings with MPs, Senators and key staffers throughout the week. Since the Federal Budget will be released on April 19th, we will have an excellent opportunity to speak with key parliamentarians about the measures recently released. We will close the week with a press conference on April 23rd. Our key messages include: • Continuous support for businesses and workers throughout this crisis to ensure long-term business continuity • Support for skilled workers in the RV industry – the shortage of skilled workers at RV dealerships is a serious concern for the RV sector • Investment in RV and camping infrastructure – As RVing is a large component of tourism, both internally and externally, investment in camping and RVing infrastructure will play a crucial role in the overall contributions of the tourism industry to future economic development and prosperity. Upgrades in infrastructure are essential to the future of this industry and make it more accessible to all Canadians.
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Other Tourism Support • To support the CCRVC by amending the Income Tax Act to clearly define that income earned by private campgrounds who employ fewer than five full-time employees year round be • considered as "active business income" for the purpose of determining their eligibility for the small business deduction. • Increased federal investment and attention to supporting rural community jobs and economic growth through outdoor recreation. If anyone is interested in participating in our virtual Parliament Hill Week, please reach out to our office.
With camping season just around the corner, the Canadian Camping & RV Council (CCRVC) is planning its 6th annual "Canadian RV and Camping Week" for the week of May 25th29th. This week serves as the official kickoff to the summer camping season in Canada when campground members of the CCRVC and their customers gear up for a full season of exciting camping experiences! Participating campgrounds be celebrating the return of their campers in different manners during Canadian RV and Camping Week which may include special events, discounted overnight fees and/or specific activities to commemorate the occasion. Many campgrounds have also committed to supporting Care Camps, a charity which supports children with cancer having a network of over 100 specialized summer camps throughout Canada and the United States for children battling this dreaded disease. Visit here for more details. https://ccrvc.ca/event/2021-canadian-camping-and-rving-week/. Stay safe,
Gord Bragg, Chairman of the Board RVDA of Canada
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Canadian retail sales statistics are now available for both motorized and towable recreational vehicles. These statistics will allow dealers to better manage the inventory on their lot by knowing which units are selling in their area, which price points are attracting buyers as well as knowing the local trends affecting their marketplace. The RV retail sales statistics compiled by Statistical Surveys Inc. are the result of matching manufacturer VIN numbers with RV registrations. The RVDA of Canada endorsement agreement includes free access for national monthly figures only, for members only. Going forward, these figures will be published in the RVDA of Canada bimonthly newsletter and archived at the “RV Statistics / National RV Sales” link on the member side of www.rvda.ca. This information is copyrighted to Statistical Surveys Inc. and for your use only, not for distribution. In order to protect your endorsement benefit, please honour that confidentiality. To purchase more detailed statistics – by province, region or city – please contact Scott Stropkai of Statistical Surveys Inc. at 616-281-9898 ext 128 or sstropkai@statisticalsurveys.com. To learn more about Statistical Surveys Inc., visit www.statisticalsurveys.com.
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Elite Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Aviva Canada Inc., one of the leading Property and Casualty insurance groups in Canada which provides insurance protection to more than 3 million Canadians. Aviva Canada is on a mission to change insurance. "At Aviva, we listen to our customers' views and opinions because by listening and acting on your feedback, we become better at what we do. We want Aviva customers to feel they are being treated as people, not as a number. We want our customers to be confident and comfortable that they have the right insurance to cover their needs. And we want our customers to have a positive experience at Aviva. We've already started the change by introducing our claims service satisfaction guarantee which you can learn more by visiting www.ClaimsGuarantee.com Elite Insurance Company is Canada's largest insurer of specialty personal insurance products since 1954, covering recreational vehicles, mobile homes, antique & custom cars and pleasure crafts. To learn more about Aviva Elite and their mission to change insurance visit their website: www.avivacanada.com Aviva Elite
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The Annual Economic Review is intended to deliver a comprehensive look at the economic indicators affecting the RV Industry in Canada. These products are intended to provide members with current economic information, which can assist them in gaining insights into the changing economic dimensions of the RV industry and the economy at large. Download this report on RVDA of Canada member site under Member services / Industry Relations tabs (login required)
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Edited by Anita Lien, RVDA of Canada
T
he reality of the coronavirus pandemic has completely switched the job market from a job searcher’s market to an employer’s market. With the situation continuing to evolve, many businesses are constantly adjusting their recruitment marketing strategies and goals to keep up. Recruitment efforts are visibly ramping up in anticipation of another busy RV and camping season. Similar to your sales and brand marketing promotions, your recruitment marketing efforts should also be a continued process. It’s necessary to connect with prospective employees and provide crucial updates on how your company is actively operating within health and safety guidelines while keeping the health and safety of employees and customers top of mind.
As the Work From Home trend continues, this may result in changes in expectations for potential employees. Job searchers are now seeking companies with work from home policies or those with clearly defined on-site social distancing policies and safety protocols. They are also paying attention to company values and how they’ve been responding (or not responding) to social justice issues. With much to consider and pivot around, it’s important to create an updated recruitment plan – even if it will likely change. Having a plan written out as well as a contingency plan can help you get your business back on track and set you up for recruitment success.
In this short guide packed with tips, we’ll go over: • • •
Creating your 30/60/90-day plan What each plan needs to include A helpful template to help you get started
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30-day plan: Triage What’s Happening The first 30 days of your plan is crucial. Unemployment has been hovering at near-record highs, and aside from focusing on recruiting top talent, businesses have been paying attention to how to respond to not only the virus but social justice issues as well.
Your 30-day plan should include: • • • •
Communication about how you’re keeping employees safe right now Ways to get in front of job searchers while they search for opportunities online Updates about how your business is responding to issues of social justice and how you’re supporting your employees and the community How you’ll continue interviewing, hiring, and onboarding while maintaining social distancing or workfrom home policies
In the next 30 days, job searchers will likely continue to dedicate a lot of time online, so that’s where you should be focusing your marketing efforts. Your business’ web presence, including your website, brand reputation, and social media sites should be a priority, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing are places to focus your time and budget so you can get in front of job searchers on search engines and bolster your presence for the future. Learn more about: • SEO & Local Citations: How Google My Business Helps You Get Found • 3 Marketing Habits to Break in the New Year • Get More Leads & Grow Awareness: 3 Digital Marketing Tactics to Try
60-day plan: Prepare for a Potential Re-Opening
Many cities have implemented gradual return to work plans and business owners are keeping a close eye on the situation to see if their employees could potentially return to work in the near future. It’s important to consider this return to work as you develop the next stage of your plan. Your 60-day plan should include: • Ways to communicate how your business is returning to offices through social media advertising • Communications about how you’ll continue to keep employees and potential employees safe as we navigate returning to work • A training plan for your team with new precautions so they can work together safely • A way to continue growing awareness for open positions with your business online through targeted display
As you outline your 60-day plan, it’s also important to put some contingencies in place for interviewing, hiring, and onboarding if you’re not returning to the office yet. If that’s the case, your 60-day plan might look similar to your 30-day plan with a few changes.
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How to grow awareness for open positions: • Click This: Fuel Your Social Media Engagement with These Tips • 3 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Presence By Tomorrow • Geofencing & the Auto Industry: What You Need to Know • 3 Key Reasons Content Marketing is Important for Local Businesses
90-day plan: Look for Ways to Grow As you enter the 90-day mark, you may be in an area that returns to work, and you may see an increase in hiring – aka competition – in your area for top talent.
Your 90-day plan should include: • • •
Application generation marketing tactics to attract more applicants Continued communications about how you’re keeping employees safe Preparation for a similar future event
We’re not alarmists, but we are realists. Experts say that we may experience a similar shutdown again in the winter months this year. So, your plan needs to include a way to attract top talent while you’re hiring now plus a way to transition your recruitment process once again if we experience this situation in the future. These are some strategies you can implement to improve your search advertising: • • • •
Google Local Services Ads for Real Estate: 5 Reasons You Need Them Now 3 Tips to Step Up Your Social Media Game 4 Steps to a Successful PPC Campaign Measuring Your Marketing: Our Recipe for Success
Build your Recruitment Marketing Plan RVDA of Canada is proud to have ReachLocal as an endorsement partner. ReachLocal, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, helps businesses acquire, manage, and retain customers with online digital marketing and best-in-class service. Talk to an expert at ReachLocal to build a custom solution for your business. Frank Kendic frank.kendic@reachlocal.com 647-969-7077
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Deadline: August 31, 2020
Frank Kendic frank.kendic@reachlocal.com 647-969-7077
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Thinking About Applying for the 2020-2021 NTP-Stag Canada RV Industry Personnel Bursary Programs NTP-Stag Canada has been a strong supporter of and a staunch proponent of continuing education in the Canadian RV industry. With their gracious support, RVDA of Canada is able to offer two bursary programs in 2021 to RV Service Technicians and RV Fixed Operations Personnel. “The Canadian RV industry continues to grow by attracting many new, first time families looking to experience the RV lifestyle. Our industry needs to keep up with this growing demand by hiring and retaining more qualified RV service technicians. The RV service technician plays a very important role in keeping the families happy and safe by ensuring their RVs are road-ready. Although the bursary program is a sizeable investment for us, the decision to continue our support is a relatively easy one to make. There is a genuine sense of excitement for us to see the reach of this program and the impact it has made on the recipients,” says Rob Edwards, Director of Sales, NTP-Stag Canada.
A total of $12,500 will be awarded to eligible technicians and fixed operations personnel such as service writers, service advisors, and parts and accessories sales staff. RVDA of Canada’s national Education and HR Committee is very pleased to be able to continue to offer these bursary programs to encourage continuing education and professionalization in the RV industry. RV Service Technicians and Fixed Operations Personnel that have successfully completed training between August 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 are eligible to apply for the bursaries. For the RV service technician, seven bursaries valued at $1,000 and one bursary valued at $1,500 are available. For the RV fixed operations personnel, eight bursaries valued at $500 are available. Application deadline is June 1, 2021. Learn more about the bursary programs
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Apply for the RV Service Technician Bursary
Apply for the RV Fixed Operations Personnel Bursary
Are you currently enrolled in an RV training program?
Are you currently enrolled in a Parts or Service Writing training program?
RVDA of Canada will award one top bursary of $1,500and seven additional bursaries valued at $1,000 each to eligible RV technicians in all Canadian Provinces and Territories, who have successfully completed an RV apprenticeship or related educational programs.
RVDA of Canada will award eight bursaries valued at $500 to eligible RV fixed operations personnel in all Canadian Provinces and Territories, who have successfully completed an RV industry designated fixed operations educational program.
CRITERIA All training courses must be completed between August 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 to be considered for a bursary. All personnel employed at an RVDA of Canada member location are eligible to apply. Bursaries will be awarded to the RV dealership technician and personnel working in a fixed operations capacity such as parts sales and management, and service writer/advisor with a serious interest and desire to succeed in the RV industry as demonstrated by successful program completion*. *See application form for more details
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Marks: Discounts (in-store) on select workwear As a member in the RVDA, you and your staff are eligible for a 10% discount on the numerous items listed on the member program card. To receive a 10% discount on select items that are available exclusively to RVDA members, please show your card at the checkout counter. This offer is only available for in-store purchases..
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Is it Time to Concentrate on Sales Productivity? By Dave Kahle Sales productivity may be a new concept for many sales executives. “Sales” is easy to understand, and “productivity” is pretty clear, but when those two words are combined the combination becomes a bit vague. What exactly is sales productivity, and why should you be concerned about it? Let’s start by examining productivity. We understand that the notion refers to the amount of labor it takes to accomplish some task or process. Take your warehouse, for example. It may take one hour of labor to pick, pack and ship a 50-item pick ticket. The ratio of one man-hour per 50-item pick ticket is a measurement of productivity. If your warehouse is going to get more productive, you must find some way to pick that 50-item order in less than an hour. Your business may grow, and your warehouse may pick an ever-increasing number of orders. But, if your warehouse doesn’t figure out a way to pick that order in less than one man-hour, you’re just getting bigger, not better. The lack of improvement in productivity would be a cause for concern. The same is true of sales. It may cost you $30.00 in sales costs to acquire $100.00 in gross profit (which, by the way, is a very real possibility). Over time, your salesperson may acquire more and more orders and bring in an ever-growing quantity of gross profit dollars. But if he always costs you $30.00 for every $100.00 of gross margin, he’s not becoming any more productive. You’re getting bigger, but no better, at least with respect to your sales systems. Why you should care? “OK”, you’re thinking to yourself. “Why should I care?” If your market is growing rapidly, and if you’re achieving a comfortable and stable average gross margin, and if you don’t have pressures from any competitive sources, then, hey, don’t worry. You can stop reading this article and move on to perusing other interesting stuff. But, if your market is flat, or if you’re concerned about shrinking margins, or if you’re looking over your shoulder at the competition, or, if you just want to be really good at sales, then “sales productivity” is a concept you need to bring into your business. In addition to fending off some of the more frightening threats to your prosperity, there are some real benefits to improving your sales productivity. Take profits for example. Suppose your sales force currently costs you 25% of your gross profit dollars. And suppose that you could cut that by 1%, to 24%. What would happen to the money represented by that 1%? It could drop directly to the bottom line, which would not make you unhappy.
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But you could use it in other ways. You could afford to take some strategically important business at lower margins, for example. Or, you could use it to fund some new technology improvements in other aspects of your business or purchase a beginning inventory for some new product line. The opportunities are endless. The point is, improving sales productivity will free up cash that can be used in several critical places. In an effort to respond to decreasing margins and competitive pressures, you’ve probably worked on some of the other aspects of your business. You may, for example, have invested significantly in computers. Most progressive companies are on their third or fourth-generation computer systems to help manage their internal functions. Why did you buy those computers? Bottom line -- to become more productive. The competition would have put you out of business by now if you hadn’t.
You may have streamlined your customer service function, tightened up your purchasing and inventory controls, even figured out how to turn your receivables more quickly. All in the cause of becoming more productive – of trying to stay profitable in the face of competitive pressures and shrinking margins. But, if you’re like many companies, you haven’t done much to improve your sales productivity. And this in spite of the fact that sales force costs are generally the single largest cost (after cost of goods sold) that your company has. You know that if you’re going to survive in an era of shrinking margins, your business must become more productive. Having worked on improving productivity in other parts of your business, it's now time to look at that portion that holds the greatest potential for improvements, the largest single cost to our company, the sales force. Here’s a simple test to ascertain whether that’s the case in your business. Ask your controller to revise your P & L statement – just this one time. Instead of lumping all your wages together, have him pull out your sales force wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, etc, and state those separately. Then have him identify expenses you reimburse for the sales force, costs of car allowances, fringes such as 401K, health insurance for the sales force, etc. There are a number of other associated costs, but these should be enough to prove my point. Add up all those costs listed above and compare them with every other item on your P&L statement. That single category, “sales force costs” is almost always far and away the largest single cost to your company. At about this time, a question should be bubbling up through your brain cells, just about to pop into consciousness. The question is, “OK, Kahle, so how do I improve the productivity of my sales force?”
The answer to that question is bigger than this article can handle. It encompasses a number of potential initiatives, including reengineering your sales system, fine-tuning your sales compensation plan, building in alternative methods of selling, training and equipping your sales force, recruiting more effective salespeople, and instilling processes of continuous improvement. (Check out our resources for helping you do these things at www.davekahle.com) Originally Posted: https://www.davekahle.com/sales-productivity/ Dave Kahle is one of the world's leading sales authorities. He's written twelve books, presented in 47 states and eleven countries, and has helped enrich tens of thousands of sales people and transform hundreds of sales organizations. Sign up for his free weekly Ezine. His book, How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime, has been recognized by three international entities as "one of the five best English language business books.” Check out his latest book, The Good Book on Business
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ONLINE DAMAGE REPAIR ESTIMATOR
The easy-to-navigate online system will help an RV service department to prepare consistent, data-supported, claim estimates for insurance companies and RV owners. Users will be able to create an accurate, itemized estimate using the software, while having the option to save all photos and supporting documents with the estimate using the ‘upload file’ feature. Dealers can sign-up for a free, no-obligation, 30‐day trial of The Damage Repair Estimator On-Line by calling (440) 336-0703 or by sending an email to wrcamp1@aol.com. After the trial, a monthly subscription fee recurs automatically until cancelled.
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The Mike Molino RV Learning Center (RVLC) is an affiliation of the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of America. RVLC offers technical publications, certification programs, online learning, and workshops, all designed exclusively for dealership staff.
The RV Learning Center partnered with The Ohio State University’s Center for Education and Training for Employment have developed Certifications, Competency Profiles, and instructional materials in the following areas:
Service Manager
Service Writer/Advisor
Warranty Administrator
Parts Manager
Parts Specialist
RVDA of Canada # 145-11331 Coppersmith Way, Richmond, BC V7A 5J9 Phone (604) 718-6325 Fax (604) 204-0154
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The new 12th edition of the RV Learning Center’s “Service Management Guide” (a flat rate manual) has been completely updated with morep roduct and model times, plus management guidance that can helps ervice departments improve their daily operations. The guide offers more than 100 pages of average work unit times for the functions that RV technicians perform most often, along with check sheets that serve as references for service managers Deadline: August 31, 2020 and technicians.
The SMG provides reasonable guidance on the time required for competent technicians to complete assigned tasks. It’s an important part of the service management system but isn’t intended to be the sole determinant of prices or rates charged.
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on hotel Access to Choice Hotels program discounts of 15-20% at over 325 hotels in Canada & 6,300 hotels worldwide, & some complimentary services at select hotels. Aeroplan or Choice Privileges points can be earned. Book travel be online, on your mobile device or via a toll-free number.
on select Exclusive discounts up to 35% off select FedEx services when shipping within Canada, to the US, or internationally. If you have a FedEx account, simply enroll in this program through the dedicated FedEx webpage that can be found at the member link If not, see the member benefit page for a link to do so. View FedEx services at www.fedex.ca.
Discounts and offers for top attractions,shows and other entertainment! Exclusive discounts and offers for all your stay at Home and work from home needs including, Disney+ subscription, Showtime subscription, black Friday pricing for Acer, Dell, HP and lenovo, Beachbody on demand, audiobooks and much more! Access the program now through the RVDA of Canada member site .
Marks: Discounts (in-store) on select workwear As a member in the RVDA, you and your staff are eligible for a 10% discount on the numerous items listed on the member program card. To receive a 10% discount on select items that are available exclusively to RVDA members, please show your card at the check-out counter. This offer is only available for in-store purchases.
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News from RVDA RVDA of Canada Mission Statement: Newsletter Editorial Staff
The RVDA of Canada is a national federation which exists to protect and promote the interests and welfare of RV Dealers across Canada in order to enable the industry to maximize its potential.
The RVDA of Canada Member Newsletter is produced and distributed through the national association office : RVDA of Canada, Richmond BC For Inquiries please contact us at: #145 – Coppersmith Way Richmond, BC V7A 5J9 Ph: (604) 718-6325 Fax: (604) 204-0154 www.rvda.ca powered by rvhotlinecanada.com Emails : Eleonore Hamm, eleonore_hamm@rvda.ca Anita Lien, anital@rvda.ca Amee Inocencio, ainocencio@rvda.ca
Post your Positions at
www.RVCareers.ca
To post a job, simply go to the employers tab and log in using your RVDA of Canada user name and password.
Board of Directors Executive Committee Chairman, Gord Bragg, Hub City RV, Lantzville, BC Vice-Chairman, Josée Bédard Roulottes Chaudière Lévis, Quebec Treasurer, Dale Hopkins RV City Morinville, AB Past Chairman, Herb Cowen, Pike Lake Golf Centre, Pike Lake, ON
Contact RVDA of Canada at 604-718-6325 or e-mail if you do not have this information.
Directors Jim Gorrie GNR Camping World
Ken Dobson Leisure Time Sales
WWW.BUYLOCALRV.CA
John Krohnert Platinum RV Sales
Kyle Kehoe Kehoe RV
Jonathan Stone Stone’s RV Center
Dean Goerzen Go RV
Marc Rémillard Centre du Camping Rémillard
Greg Nikkel NR Motors Ltd.
RVDA of Canada’s “BUY LOCAL” campaign promotes “Buy your RV close to home. It’s better in the long haul, to consumers. We encourage you to download a copy of brochure available at the member’s website.