Yokohama will raise prices on its light and medium commercial truck tires

Yokohama Tire Corp. has announced that effective January 1st, 2011, it will be raising prices on its complete lineup of light and medium commercial truck tires. In addition to a 6% hike on commercial tire prices and a 5% increase on bias and radial OTR tires, Yokohama also plans to announce additional in-line price adjustments at a future date.

Gary Nash, Yokohama VP of the OTR division, explains, “It’s a very difficult decision, especially in light of these tough economic times. However, by incorporating operational efficiencies with our environmental procedures and the latest technology, Yokohama remains committed to bringing the best products to the market at competitive prices.”

John Cooney, Yokohama director of commercial sales, adds, “As always, we continue to do our best to contain costs. We have avoided increasing prices but unfortunately, find it necessary to have the continued rise in the costs of raw materials, manufacturing and transportation reflected in our product pricing.”

Yokohama’s price hike is part of a growing industry trend among top tire manufacturers. Pirelli, Michelin, BFGoodrich, Bridgestone, Toyo, Falken, Kumho, Hankook, and Cooper have all planned similar increases.

For dealers looking to extend profit margins, now is the time to stock up on wholesale tires and wholesale truck tires at current prices. Once manufacturers adjust their price tags, consumers will be forced to shell out the extra cash.

Filed under: Tire Business Tips, Tire News, Truck/Commercial Tires, Yokohama Tires

New tire industry link directory

Check out this brand new automotive link directory dedicated exclusively to the tire industry, TiresAllKinds.com. The site features up to date news syndicated from popular industry publications, as well as the chance to get your business more exposure by creating a company listing. Listings include information like your business name, Web site, address with map, phone number, and a brief description of your services. Businesses are classified by state in the following categories: Auto Service & Repair, Tire Brokers, Importers/Exporters, Retail Tire Stores, Tire Wholesalers & Distributors, and Miscellaneous.

This new directory is a great chance to get some extra exposure for your company if it falls into any one of these categories. Or, if you’re looking to do business in your area, you can search by zip code to find a company that provides the services you need in the area where you live or work. Want more info about companies? There’s also a basic review and rating system that allows consumers to share their opinions of the company.

Not much action on it right now, but as the site is brand new, we expect traffic to increase nicely in the coming months. Get in while you still can!

Filed under: Tire Business Tips, Tire News, auto directory, automotive directory, link directory, tire directory

Tire Business Tip #2: Take your business online

Just about every type of business can benefit from a Web site.

The tire industry as a whole seems to be lagging a few years behind others when it comes to taking advantage of technology. Most of the businesses you work with on a day to day basis probably use fax instead of e-mail, and less than 25% of them have considered the benefits of creating an online presence for their business. It doesn’t matter if you sell tires & wheels and want to expand your reach, or if you’re simply looking for a way to find new customers. Creating a Web site for your business is a very cost-effective marketing (and selling) tool that can bring your business to the next level.

How do you currently market to and recruit new customers? Word-of-mouth and some measly phonebook ads aren’t going to cut it in 2009, especially with the current state of the economy. Creating and promoting a fully-featured Web site can be accomplished for $1,000 or less, which is very little compared to the fact that the very first customers that find you through your website will repay the investment. Not sure what to put on your new site? Here are some ideas:

• Include some background and history about your company. Customers will feel more confident working with your business if they know a bit more about who you are.
• Add a detailed list of the services you offer. Many businesses don’t like to include prices on their websites because it encourages customers to stop by instead of window shop. Remember to sell the visit.
• Post some pictures of your facility, your staff, and your work area to get customers more familiar with your business. Show off your best equipment and let clients know what they are getting.
• Include a “quick contact e-mail form” that allows customers to get in touch with you very quickly. The form will allow website visitors to send you an e-mail, which may be more convenient than a phone call if they are busy or at work. Respond to all e-mails in a timely fashion. You can also collect e-mail addresses and send them special offers every month.
• Any other type of information that will encourage website visitors to stop by in person!

Filed under: Tire Business Tips

Tire Business Tip #1: Sell The Visit

Welcome to a new series of posts we call “Tire Business Tips.” The goal of these posts is to provide quick tips and ideas for retailers, wholesale tire distributors, and commercial tire dealers they can use to improve their business. The economy is hitting the tire industry especially hard, and it’s more important than ever to be proactive and invest in your business. The first installment of Tire Business Tips is a great strategy that automotive businesses can use to get more customers in the door and increase the odds of a sale.

Sell the Visit!

Get customers in the door first!

When many managers and business owners think about ways to increase their profits, they concentrate on selling more product. While this works to an extent, its often a much a better idea to concentrate your efforts on selling the visit – that is, use your resources to get as many people in the door as possible. With a high amount of traffic, the sales will follow automatically. It’s easy to shift your efforts in this regard. For example, the next time somebody calls your shop for prices on a set of tires, don’t simply give them the price in order to get off the phone as quickly as possible. Instead, explain that their is a broad range of prices for their tires depending on their needs, ranging from X to Y. Let the customer know that the best way to make an informed purchase is to come in and talk with a customer service rep about their needs and their budget. If you can get prospects to walk in the door, you have a much higher chance of converting them into paying customers.

Do this: Examine the way you handle customer interactions such as requests for information over the phone. Tweak your approach wherever possible to stress selling the visit, not the product!

Filed under: Tire Business Tips, Tire Tips, Tire Business Tips