What’s it Like Selling Harley-Davidsons?
Is selling motorcycles a dream job? One dealer weighs in.
It’s been said before that if you make your passion your livelihood, you’ll ruin your enjoyment of your hobby. However, it’s also been said that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. Given that we get paid to write about motorcycles, it’s pretty obvious that we put more stock in the latter.
While browsing motorcycle videos on YouTube, we found this cool video from Black Jack Harley-Davidson in Florence, South Carolina. In the video, the dealer’s sale manager, Eddie Lane, explains what it’s like to sell Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
As you can imagine, selling Harleys is a lot different than selling Chevrolets or Toyotas. As Lane says, “We get to wake up every day and make customer’s dreams come true.” It’s clear that Lane is trying to find folks to sell motorcycles at the dealership, but some of what he says will resonate.
Lane says that a benefit of selling Harley-Davidsons is that the brand is immediately recognizable, and needs little introduction to potential customers. “When someone sees the bar and shield of Harley-Davidson, they don’t have to ask, ‘Well, what’s the product that you offer?’ It’s Harley-Davidson.”
He then introduces us to three salespeople at the dealership. One of them, Jeremy, says that his favorite part of selling Harleys is “helping somebody get the bike of their dreams. You can see it in their face that their excitement is through the roof, and being able to be a part of that…that’s the best feeling in the world.” Another salesperson, Joe Stubbs, points out that “A lot of people dream about owning their first Harley-Davidson…or even their third! I just get the enjoyment out of satisfying somebody and making them happy about buying their next Harley-Davidson motorcycle.”
That certainly sounds like a dream job to us. I’m sure there are good and bad days, as with any job, but we’re willing to bet that Harley-Davidson salespeople have more fun at work than most folks.
Next, Lane explains what a day in the life of a Harley-Davidson salesperson looks like. The average day is split between talking with customers in the showroom, and following up on the phone with people who visited before. You might be accompanying riders on demo rides, as well as showing customers around the different models.
In addition, Harley salespeople are expected to help dust and clean the motorcycles, keeping them looking shiny and new. As a Harley salesperson, you’ll also have plenty of opportunities to participate in fun dealer events like rock concerts and cookouts. That beats an average day in the office any way you look at it.
Of course, there are some things to consider. Lane reminds us that “sometimes the noise level inside the dealership can get a little loud, so be prepared for that.” It’s also likely that you’ll be working Saturdays, since that’s a busy day for most dealerships.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to make your passion your career, consider selling Harley-Davidsons or writing for us here at HDForums. If you do land a gig selling bikes, be sure to let us know — we’ll come a-knockin’ when we’re ready for something new.
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