...Manheim Daytona Beach Specialty Manager Rod Thompson
Q: You've had a variety of work experiences before joining the Specialty auction business. How did your past jobs prepare you for this?
A: I've spent the last 20 years in either the retail or wholesale side of the PowerSports business, which really helps me relate to the dealer network and understand how the retail environment works. I also-resized-600.JPG)
understand wholesale inventory management and have a working knowledge of all the specific segments of the PowerSports business, whether ATV, UTV, Cruiser, Sport Bike, PWC etc. My work experience and dealer relationships help me make the sale more dealer friendly and a more convenient environment for all our customers.
Q: What are the biggest ‘hot-button' issues you hear from dealers?
A: Retail financing is the number one "hot button" today, followed closely by the ability for dealers to receive or maintain floor plan for pre-owned inventory. A lot of dealers would really like to participate in our sales, and they just need an inventory financing tool to help get started. Fortunately we've been able to direct many of them to MAFS for floor planning assistance.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: When the dealers come in for pre-view day and say, "WOW!! What great looking product." That is a result of all the hard work our team puts in from detail to line up, and we want to give the dealers a product they can do as little work to as possible as to retail it quickly. Another great reward is a heartfelt "Thank You" from the dealers. A 
recent example is that in February we went to a two-block sale instead of one-block, and it was great to see that the dealers recognized we were doing the right things for them. We made that decision based on dealer feedback, so I enjoyed seeing us all work together to improve the sale for our customers.
Q: How does Manheim Daytona Beach prepare for and serve dealers during Bike Week?
A: Bike Week is a big opportunity for us, with 150,000 bikers in town. There are a lot of dealers here, and we market to them heavily leading up to Bike Week to have them participate in our sale. We also provide traditional Bike Week t-shirts and additional incentives to make it a special sale for everyone.
Q: What do you do with your free time?
A: I am a big fan of our product, and I ride a lot both on the street and in the dirt. I have six bikes in the garage and an old Hot Rod car so we do some car cruises. Also living in Florida my son and I are avid scuba divers. I enjoy staying in shape so I work out every day and participate in triathlons generally one a year and sometimes two depending on time.
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
Conversations with dealers these days don't last long before the
topic of financing comes up. Across all Manheim Specialty categories we hear dealers talking about challenges matching Black Book, NADA and other book pricing to retail and in finding banks to finance consumer purchases. Some dealers report some loosening for consumers and their own businesses, but certainly not enough to support as quick a recovery as we'd all like.
We came across a free F&I webinar on PowerSportsBusiness.com on March 24. And to support the wholesale business, Manheim has a floor plan arm, MAFS, that offers floor planning to a variety of Specialty customers, including RVs and motorcycles. Manheim sales can help dealers connect with GE Capital for boat financing as well.
We want to hear what's going on in your world - how are you getting customers financed these days? Are you seeing a bigger percentage of credit unions and small banks doing the financing? Do you anticipate the bigger banks getting back to (or even close to) previous financing levels? Has your dealership found other ways to get customers into new and used product? We look forward to hearing from you.
Samantha Greene is Inside Sales Representative - RVs - for Manheim Specialty Auctions
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing