Having a Product on the Shelf Is Not the Same as Having a Sales Strategy In Topic #1 of this series, I discussed product development and why I believe great aftermarket companies should focus on solving real customer problems instead of simply improving someone else's gadget. In Topic #2, I moved into Pricing & Channel Pricing, and understanding your brand value, building enough margin into the product, and making sure everyone involved in selling it has a reason to participa

I've spent most of my career in the automotive aftermarket, and if I were handed the keys to an aftermarket company tomorrow, I wouldn't start by changing the sales team, cutting expenses, hiring a new marketing agency, or immediately launching ten new products. I would start with one question: What problems in our industry are customers still dealing with that nobody has solved correctly? Because somewhere along the way, I think too much product development became product co

For the past year, I've been watching, learning, researching, and documenting where the Jeep, Bronco, truck, and off-road aftermarket is headed. I've stayed quiet... but I haven't stopped thinking. Now it's time to get back to doing what I love. I'm once again free to work with any manufacturer, distributor, retailer, startup, or private equity group looking to build stronger brands, develop winning products, and create profitable growth. For more than 27 years, I've lived th

This might be a little overboard, but it gets the point across. For years, lean manufacturing has been held up as the gold standard for operational excellence. Build less. Carry less inventory. Reduce waste. Improve efficiency. Increase cash flow. On paper, it sounds like the perfect business model. But here's the reality: Lean manufacturing is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. It's a tool. Like any tool, its effectiveness depends entirely on how and where you use it. I've w