I have worked with a lot of talented people in this business, many of whom went on to be key leaders within their organizations. Recent conversations with some of those individuals and the completion of an important project inspired me to write this month’s column. You may not like what I have to say, but, hopefully, it will act as a catalyst 
for change. See, in today’s marketplace, “little by little” isn’t the answer. Neither is “moving at a glacial pace.” Reaching a dominant position requires massive action. The following are the first four of nine ideas that, if successfully implemented, will create the momentum you need to do just that:

Life inside the dealership is an experience only those who have been there can appreciate. Whether you are in sales or service, each department carries its own unique challenges. Let’s face it, the job is monotonous. And, after every successful month, you get the pleasure of starting from zero once again. So, what can you do to be successful? Most would agree that the answer lies in your people skills, technique and ability to adopt a mindset that stops you from falling into a “move ’em in, move ’em out” mentality. In our heart of hearts, we know the greatest rewards come as a result of staying fresh, nimble and creative. But there is one item I’d like to add to that list: presentation. Whether you’re online, on the phone or interacting with a customer face-to-face, presentation is the key to convincing them to take that next step. Let’s look at some ways you can improve your presentation in those three areas: 1. Online: The name ...

  Let’s explore a simple 3-step approach that will help improve any dealership department. 1. What am I doing now? Do you clearly understand the road to revenue or process flow from origination to transacting business? For example, are customers handled the same way every time by every salesperson? How detailed is that instruction? Is every phone call answered the same way? Are the sales techniques the same for everyone interacting with customers? (Note, I’m not talking about what should be done, instead what is actually being done) Is there a clear understanding of the value proposition that your dealership should be presenting to customers? Why should I buy a car from your dealership? (Note, exclude price, location, family ownership, being number one, having a large inventory, and winning the president’s award) In the service drive, are writers just taking the 8 a.m. oil change drop offs and sending the paperwork through to dispatch or is your ...

  Now, we’re all familiar with the line, “There’s no business like show business.” Well, I wouldn’t personally know if that’s true or not, but I can say from firsthand experience that there is no business like the car business — not just for the controversy and characters, but for the triumphs as well. In the car business, you have a group of people that range from the dealer principal to the lot attendant, who earns a living and gets some satisfaction from a job well done. On the sales side, you have an environment where guys and gals from all backgrounds spend a lot of time trying to sell one more car, make a few more dollars, hit the next bonus level and, in some cases, produce enough for a particular month to have the opportunity to do it all over again. I recently read an article about pay plans for sales professionals. It detailed changes some dealers are making to their plans to help retain talent and, ultimately, make it wo...

I want to take a look at a myth that has been a mainstream statement for years – the idea that knowledge is power. I find as I visit stores and conduct workshops across the country, I meet a lot of “know it all” salespeople or worse yet, negative salespeople who want the customer to take all of the responsibility for not buying a car. I also want to reach out to the people that sit in training nodding their head in agreement or taking a ton of notes, only to leave behind the concepts they learned as soon as they leave the session. Here’s the real deal. Unless you can convert knowledge into results, you’ve got nothing! Let’s take a look at three reasons why people don’t convert knowledge into action:  1. Information overload: This is a common trap people fall into because it's easy to acquire knowledge, but not as much fun or easy to apply that information.  2. Negative filtering: Thoughts that hold people back so...

  The coaching and development of sales staff always sounds like the right thing to do, but very rarely is it done consistently and, more importantly, properly. Many times, we assume the best person for the job is the one with a manager’s title. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Take a recent conversation I had with a sales manager. He remarked to me that one of his salespeople was on thin ice because he wasn’t closing his customers. I asked about his store’s training program. “We don’t have a formal training program,” he responded, adding that he personally shadows his salespeople and that his experience in the real-estate business served as the only reference his team needed. Apparently, poorly performing salespeople are supposed to miraculously get better at their jobs. I asked the manager if he could coach his salespeople. “I don’t have time,” he said, which I took to mean he d...