RVDA Chair: Reach ’24 Goals Via Key Performance Issues – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following column, published in the June issue of RV Executive Today magazine, was written by RV Dealers Association (RVDA) Chairman Ryan Horsey of Parkview RV Center in Smyrna, Del. It is reprinted here with permission.
It’s difficult to believe we are almost to the halfway mark of 2024. It is evident after countless shows, various industry events, and hearing from industry partners and stakeholders – people love the outdoors and the lifestyle of adventuring with RVs. The passion of outdoor recreation is contagious. Whether it is through hiking, trail riding, kayaking, fishing, hunting, scuba diving, or just exploring. More times than not, these activities are combined with RVing and it leads to the renewal of many facets of our livelihood.
Whether it’s with new technologies or old, planning a trip to any destination for RVing sparks the fun of the adventure that transcends into memories on the way to the destination, during the stay, and on the way back home. Have you ever just gotten up and left while trying to see the coastline, but have no sense of where you are going? It can absolutely be a blast to live on a whim. More times than not, with the average age of RVers being in the lower 30’s, the average RVer has a family and working job which means time is even more of a commodity and vacation time is precious.
The same thing can be said for a business, or in our case, an RV dealership. Our unit sales are predicated on seasonal trends. Whether it’s in the sales, parts, service, or rental aspects of our dealerships, time is a commodity and as we navigate the seasons we need to be prepared through training, inventory, and time management. What connects these elements is the beginning budget, performance tracking, and the desire to accomplish the tasks towards effectiveness.
Each year we assess the outcome of our previous performance, and we rework ways to improve. But the dilemma we contemplate is: What is the result we are looking for during the following year? Choosing the best enabler that suits a business’s processes is key, but that is one small element. The key enabler is our desire to excel in our behavior while striving to reach goals we have established. We are on the cusp of determining how we are going to finish for 2024 and it’s time to evaluate our performance by assessing key performance indicators. Knowing these indicators will allow us to maintain or improve the current path we are on for the year. As well, it allows transparency the direction we are heading, or in some cases, which direction to pivot towards.
One of the greatest lessons in performance improvement is in tracking. The actions we strive to accomplish must be measurable. This is the time when we dig into measuring our desired results. Regardless, if you’re dealing with the performances of business, sports, lifestyle, etc., the analytics of tracking performance enables us to align key performance areas by applying enablers to grasp desired results.
While tracking performance, it indicates the avenue for the next progression of focus, or in some cases, training. Utilizing process training pinpoints, the need to do more individual one on one training, departmental training, or if we need outside assistance by bringing a consultant for evaluation of our business path. Winston Churchill said it best: “To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.” Performance results are based on behavioral action and the desire to track current progress.
As we look forward to summer’s official arrival, embrace the opportunity to evaluate our dealerships current performance reports and utilize RVDA’s resources that can guide the direction of our industry. RVDA has the most up to date resources available that can aid in an effective 2024. Prayers and well wishes for the month of
June.
