How Harley Davidson Business Principles apply to Sales

Sell like a Harley

Everyone knows Harley-Davidson. You need to wait in line if you want one of their motorcycles. And you’ll pay a premium for your hog because they’re so popular. Maybe you forgot when no one wanted to buy them. In 1981 when AMF tried to sell them, not one company offered to buy them. That’s quite a turn around from no one wanting you, to everyone who wants you standing in line. Their strategy for turning their business around has some powerful seeds of wisdom that can help us grow our businesses.

Know your business. Before they could focus on the customer they had to first focus on themselves. They had a product whose reputation for performance was less than stellar. They later got to poke fun at themselves in an ad. The ad had Malcolm Forbes’ hot air balloon hovering over a massive crowd of people. Forbes’ balloon was in the shape of a Harley bike. The caption said, “Thank G-d they don’t leak oil anymore.” They knew they had manuf...