One area in your dealership that is often forgotten and yet holds massive potential has many names. Some call it the ship store. Others the pro shop, the tackle shop or the convenience store.

No matter what you call it, sometimes it feels like the store at your dealership is just an extra burden. You are faced with issues like inventory management concerns, merchandising, training someone to sell for the store, and even finding opportunities to sell. The store becomes an overlooked necessity rather than a way to set your dealership apart and drive revenue during economic uncertainty.

That’s why Luke Yehlen’s session is so timely. You can take your store from a stale, often forgotten corner of your showroom and make it what sets your business apart, creating sales, strengthening customer relationships and stabilizing the dealership when other areas may be struggling.

During this session, you will gain effective ways to manage inventory, tactics for tackling obsolescence, metrics to know how much to stock, pricing strategies and more. You will also find ways to build enthusiasm for selling with staff and discover how to use the store to grow customer interactions and loyalty. 

By the end, you’ll have actionable tactics your team can implement to make the most of every customer interaction in the store and the tools to maximize store sales throughout the year.

• Learn how to handle inventory management of store parts & accessories, including obsolescence, turn cycles and discount schedules

• Understand how to use sales training to build enthusiasm with staff and deepen their relationships with customers

• And discover opportunities to improve store sales and customer experience.

Luke Yehlen is the manager of Dealer Services for Garage Composites.

After being raised in Virginia, Luke decided to head to the great Midwest, where he graduated from the University of Minnesota. Upon graduation, he joined Teach for America, becoming a math teacher, where he spent eight years in the classroom in both public and private schools in Philadelphia and Wisconsin. 

He is new to the marine industry, but is extremely excited to begin working with a group of passionate people. Luke is very happy he can continue working with numbers in his new role, and is thrilled to dig into them to help dealers reach their highest potential. 

When not working, Luke can be found at home in Milwaukee cooking, reading, working out, and exploring local restaurants. Otherwise, Luke likes to be on the road camping, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors in any way he can, or attempting to watch the St. Louis Cardinals in ballparks across the country.