Automotive News - October 16, 2017 - Supplement - S19

OCTOBER 16, 2017 | 19
T I M D A H L E N I S S A N S O U T H T O W N E , S O U T H J O R D A N , U TA H

TITAN-IC IMPRESSION

Unique pickups
make a big impact
on customers, Nissan

Printed in Automotive News March 27, 2017

Jack Walsworth

jwalsworth@crain.com

yler Slade, managing partner at Tim
Dahle Nissan Southtowne in South
Jordan, Utah, has made his store the
place to buy highly customized and
unique Nissan Titan pickups.
"There's emotion that comes with walking
onto a lot and seeing a truck you've never
seen before," he said.
To get that emotion out of potential customers, Slade's store adds lift kits, beefy tires and
aggressive rims, winches
and other parts onto Titans
- before anyone has
bought them.
"Rather than us fighting
other dealers on price,
we're now in our own
world," Slade said. "No one
else has it. We can sell it at a
premium."
Slade: "No one
Slade said his store sells
else has it."
about 15 unique trucks a
month, at profits that are well above usual.
"We're having a hard time keeping them in
stock," Slade said. Typically, there are seven
specially outfitted Titans on the showroom
floor. "We're taking one out [of the showroom]
almost daily."

Dealer video
Slade's success comes as Nissan rolls out
Titan variants to challenge the Detroit 3 for a
small share, about 5 percent, of the full-size
pickup market. That would translate to
80,000 to 150,000 sales a year, a tall task for a
truck that simply doesn't sell at the same level as those from Chevrolet, Ford or Ram. In
2016, Nissan sold 21,880 Titans in the U.S.
Nissan has taken notice of what Slade has
been able to accomplish with his customized
trucks. In fact, the automaker created a video
highlighting what Slade has done to show to
other Nissan dealers.
"My motivation is that this truck is so important to my business that I want to help other
dealers sell this truck," Slade said. "I'll do whatever I can to help other dealers get this going."

Tim Dahle Nissan Southtowne adds features such as beefy tires even before there's a buyer.

It's important to have a variety of Titans
pre-loaded with extra features, Slade said,
because that way the custom trucks are right
there in front of customers to look at.
Even those customers who buy a stock Titan
are likely to return for a fancier one, he said.
"They see the lifted truck, which is a lot
more money, but can now buy the stock
Winning
truck but with the intention of coming back
"There's definitely a halo effect," said Slade
and lifting it," Slade said. "They can see what
of making customized Titans a prominent
a truck can become."
fixture at the dealership, noting that sales of
Slade, who does all the ordering, has
the midsize Frontier pickup are up.
changed his inventory control systems to
In February, Slade's store sold 175 new and
monitor specific truck packages.
250 used vehicles.
"Basically, it's understanding the hot
Slade said the store also is taking in
sellers, the high-demand trims and
more trade-ins and boosting its serordering trucks in advance," he
vice and parts business. Slade
Customized
said.
noted that the dealership offers
trucks wow
One of Slade's Titan projects is
lift and tire alignment checkups
shoppers, boosting
an Incredible Hulk edition. As
for the lifetime of the customsales, profits
the superhero name implies, it's
ized trucks, which brings cusand employee
going to have a green exterior,
tomers back.
satisfaction.
green accents in the interior, a
Customer satisfaction is also
6-inch lift and 37-inch wheels.
high, Slade said, which is important
One of the few downsides is the addbecause those customers show off their
ed care needed when the dealership takes
trucks and tell people where they bought them.
trade-ins for Titans, Slade said. "People are
This leads to referrals and more business.
so proud of their trucks," he said. "You have
Given the higher sticker prices, the customto appraise them right."
ized trucks have rewarded the sales staff with
At the same time, a customer looking to
bigger commissions.
trade in a competitor's truck allows Slade to
"My loyalty is higher, turnover is less and
showcase the custom features of his Titans.
employee satisfaction is up," Slade said.
When one recent customer came in with a
Slade said salespeople from other stores
Toyota Tundra, Slade showed him the size of
take notice and want to come on board.
the brakes, rotors and other features on a
"The whole dealership is winning," Slade
customized Titan. He then did the same with
said.
the customer's Tundra.
Slade estimated that 90 percent of custom
"It opened his eyes," Slade said. a
Titan buyers pick what's available on the lot.
Slade said he got the vision to customize
trucks when he was working at a Dodge dealership about 10 years ago.
"The first time I saw one, I thought, 'If we
can do this well, there's a lot of money to be
made,'" Slade recalled.

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