Unusual Display of Children’s Bikes Prompts Conversations that Lead to Sales with Families

When it comes to serving families and selling kids’ bikes, Independent Bicycle Dealers have what seems to be an impossible battle with the big box stores.  The retail giants have rows of training wheel-equipped 12” to 20” bikes at unbelievably low prices.  However, this seemingly impressive display is PRECISELY the IBDs opportunity!

First, as an industry of experts on what it means to ride (balance, lean, and steer on two wheels), IBDs know that training wheels do nothing to help a child learn the fundamental skill of riding.  Experts agree that propelling the bike by pedaling needs to come secondary to balancing the bike.  Why then, as the experts in this industry, are IBDs displaying bikes with training wheels on their showroom floors?  Training wheels either represent a bike that is too large for a rider (I can’t touch the ground; I need training wheels) or represent a bypass of the fundamental skill (I can’t balance; I need training wheels).  Both of these are paths promoted by someone who is NOT an expert in the field; these are paths promoted by the box stores.  By changing how IBDs display children’s bikes, they can differentiate themselves from the box stores.

The IBD argument that they must stock training wheel bikes because parents walk into the store wanting to buy them is erroneous.  Parents walk into the store wanting their child to ride a two-wheel bike.  They mistakenly believe that training wheels are a step along that path.  The fastest way to the parent’s ultimate goal is through ‘balance first, pedal second’.  The IBD has an opportunity to explain this process, be the expert, and make the parent a hero by helping their child through to the end goal much faster and safer than their expectation.  When the expectation is exceeded, the IBD now has a customer for life.

The IBD argument that the parent may walk out of the store if they don’t see any training wheel bikes on the floor can easily be addressed.  Instead of the dreaded, “I’m just looking” response when a salesperson asks them if they need help, image a parent looking at a cute little bike with training wheels and pedals both zip-tied to the handlebars and a little sign on the bars that says, ‘We teach kids to ride!  Ask us how!”

This creative, yet odd, display of the little bike and the training wheels and the promise of what the parent REALLY wants… their child to ride… will prompt the dialog with the salesperson… that leads to the relationship… that sells the bike… that creates the new customer… that keeps them coming back for years.  That dialog goes something like this…

Customer- “Hi, we have a 5 year old daughter and we’d like to get her started on a bike.  She’s never ridden before and will probably need training wheels.  Why are these on the handlebars?  Will you install them?  And, I see your sign here… do you do classes for kids to learn to ride or how does that work.”

Salesman- “Ok, first, that’s awesome that your little girl wants to ride!  We specialize in teaching kids to ride.  We have a very simple, safe, and effective method that will have them riding in no time.  You’ll notice the training wheels and pedals are on the handlebars.  Riding a bike is actually quite easy if you approach it in the correct sequence.  Traditionally, people have tried to learn to pedal first, with training wheels, then later learn to balance.  This complicates the whole process.  The new way to do this is to reverse the process… it cuts the process down from a year or two to a day or two!  Really!!  First, we take the training wheels… and we throw them in the trash… they won’t help your child at all and can become a crutch that complicates the transition to two wheels.  Next, we leave the pedals off and set the seat so she can sit on the bike with both feet on the ground so she isn’t afraid.  Now we simply focus on balance as your child just walks the bike around, getting used to the feel of the seat and handlebars and learning to keep the bike centered under her.  In a very short time, she will be able to walk, run, and glide the bike… and feel safe the whole time, since her feet are on the ground.  Once she is proficiently gliding, we install the pedals; she goes from striding to pedaling and she’s got it!  The pedaling really is the easy part once she has the balance down.  At 5 years old, she can literally be riding around on two wheels, no training wheels, next week… imagine what that will do for her confidence!  Would you like to get a helmet and a water bottle with that as well?”

This parent is going to become a Raving Fan for this expert IBD.  This parent is a loyal IBD Customer, not the big box store’s customer, for everything bike related now and into the future.  This simple transaction can win the IBD $1,000s in future business with this family and all it costs to implement is a few zip-ties!