A dealership’s CRM, the center of the sales operations. This sales tool has the capacity to work in tandem with the sales team to efficiently and successfully sell more cars. However, as is the case with so many dealerships, the staff and management are either misusing its functions or not understanding its capabilities. The largest discrepancy with a dealership CRM is neither of these though, but instead a hatred for it entirely. Recently, we polled 50 random dealership staff across the country, from 50 different dealerships. This included 40 sales personnel and 10 managers. A simple question was asked; are you satisfied with the CRM tool your dealership uses? The answers were alarmingly negative, with 37 out of the 40 sales personnel, and 8 out of 10 managers, dissatisfied with their current tool. The negative results were not surprising, but they do provide a glimpse into the negativity dealership personnel carry for their CRM tool.

Looking at what’s wrong with your CRM, and more importantly what needs to be working properly, is the only method to providing the dealerships staff with a tool they can get along with. This is necessary because the old way of thinking, where management throws a tool at the staff and says “work with it”, will not work. Having a positive experience day in and day out with your CRM, will help the longevity of not only your personnel and their abilities, but also the dealership's bottom line. Both sales staff and managers should work well with the CRM, and there’s a few items to look out for to make sure the CRM is working properly for the entire dealership.

The sales staff should be experiencing an ease of use when utilizing the CRM, every day, every deal. The CRM should work as an assistant for the sales representative, provide he/she with most promising leads to call each and every day. The sales staff should also be able to utilize all the functions of the CRM on a mobile device, because not every deal takes place at the desk. One of the greatest and most enjoyable pieces of a CRM that is a available in some systems, which was requested by most that were polled, and one that helps to keep sales staff working more efficiently, is customization. All staff are not the same, and their CRM “view” should also be different to their specifications. Some sales representatives like to have the most opportunistic leads centerstage, while some prefer their personal numbers front and center. The point is, custom CRM dashboards provide a little personal preference in a dealership otherwise similar in many ways. If sales staff work well and are generally happy with their system, they’re more likely to spend the required time inside the tool, closing more deals.

                                                        (Truly Customizable CRM Dashboard)

Management’s use of the CRM should be all-seeing, an entire overview of dealership operations. Almost all of the managers polled had one major complaint; complete oversight was difficult with their current system. The manager’s job is to oversee and to have an overview of their specific operation. If this isn’t easily accessible for managers to keep accountability alive, they may as well go home. This ability not only keeps the sales staff accountable in the eyes of management, but it actually helps to keep managerial accountability as well. The turnover ratio in the automotive industry is disturbing, and with top to bottom accountability available with the right CRM, why not look at alternatives. There’s a simple equation to simplify your dealership though. Look at your CRM, then look at your staff. If they’re not getting along a change must be made. You’ll thank yourself in the end.