September 9, 2025
Hitting the road: “Going back to basics.”
The last 18 months have been interesting, predictable and unique all at the same time. Let me take a few minutes and express what I mean. Recently, I went on the road to showcase a trailer that we recently built, although the reasons were multifold.
The last 18 months, the RV and specialty vehicle manufacturing industries have experienced a downturn. Now, it shouldn’t be surprising to the industry as we experience ebbs and flows every 10 to 12 years. Some ebbs are deeper and last a little longer than others. And sometimes these ebbs and flows occur a little sooner, or later than the average 10 to 12. At some point we rebound with new ideas, new innovations, and sometimes new manufacturers. These ebbs are painful and yet they challenge us how to do things better, differently, more efficiently. It provides opportunities to find new ways to stay economically relevant.
In my humble opinion, I believe we have also been victims to what some would say “COVID hangover”, allowing prices to stay over inflated and justified. Consequently, some businesses have been shuttered, others downsized, while others found other ways to stay relevant. One thing is for sure: people must get back to basics of relationship building which includes abandoning (or significantly reducing) reliance on email and waiting for “the ol’ phone to ring” and going on the road to meet with their customers.
This time in our lives reminds me of the “old” United Airlines commercial where one of the owners of a business said to his team “we’re all going out to meet and talk to our customers, reminding of them of why we’re doing business together….” CLICK ON THIS LINK IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THIS OLD AND YET POIGNANT MESSAGE https://youtu.be/mU2rpcAABbA
It’s back to basics: meeting with customers face to face, shaking hands, talking to them for more than 30 seconds on the phone, or 30 keystrokes.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve gone back to the basics. I’ve recorded thousands of miles traversing our great country talking to current and prospective customers, discussing what they need, what they’re envisioning to make their business successful and understanding ways to make their value propositions unique. Over this time, I’ve met many wonderful people who are brutally honest about how they feel about the economy, politics, and what has happened to customer loyalty.
Technology is a good thing and yet it can be the “death of a salesman.” Businesses that are internet aggregators have severely affected some businesses. Artificial intelligence has helped businesses become nimble, while choking others who have supplied their end users for decades, sometime generations. To reiterate, technology is a good thing and should be embraced. And it will force all of us to develop better relationships. Otherwise, some business will be bending the knee to the technology leaders and hoping they aren’t watching their businesses slowly bleed out. Technology can lead to efficiencies. And it can also lead to sterility to customer relationships.
These road trips have provided a playground for us to listen to people on ways they really like what we’ve done with our products, how we can be better, and how we can help their businesses stay relevant. What I discovered would not have been unearthed by just keystrokes on my computer. Sure, that would be the fastest, and most efficient way. However, continuing down this road may lead to no valued relationships other than being a vendor and not a collaborative partner.
So, get back to basics. Go on the road. Pick up the phone. Talk to people. Look at them. Actively listen to them. Shake hands with your current and prospective customers. Connect with them. If nothing else, you’ll gain valuable knowledge about your business, ways to stay economically relevant, and perhaps develop new/stronger relationships.
From your friends at RBD
