Overall, 2017 has been a success in the sales and fixed operations departments. We’ve seen a broader recognition of the service department’s importance, solid sales, and a surge in EV sales and developments. The new year, 2018, promises to offer incredible opportunities for success going forward.

Professionally, you might find yourself at a high point in your career. Things could be going really well – your staffing situation is perfect, you have customers flowing into your store, and you love what you do. Or, it could feel like it’s all unraveling. In-fighting or high turnover can be beyond stressful, you aren’t getting the leads or traffic you expected, and it’s a grind going to work every day.

Moving Forward Isn’t Always Easy

Whether you’re coming from a high point or you’re struggling with what to do next in your career, it’s important to keep taking strides. Staying still is the best way to grenade your career. You know how it works:

• If you’re doing well and are happy with the way both you and your department are doing, it won’t last. Your higher-ups expect growth – personal growth and sales increases. Without a growth strategy going forward, you’ll be at risk of being replaced with someone more driven than you.
• If you’re struggling and want to give up, don’t. Whether you get through the rough waters and into smooth sailing or you seek a change in your career, demonstrating a ‘never-say-die’ attitude will help you in the future.

With both trains of thought, there’s a sure-fire way to ignite your passion for what you do and to discover new or better ways of doing things.

Get Out from Behind Your Desk

If there is one thing you should do in the new year, it’s to get out from behind your desk. Your office is holding you back. It makes you inaccessible and unapproachable. It blocks you from seeing what’s going on around you in your department. It turns your eyes downward to the reports you’re reading or the screen you’re scrolling.

If You’re a Sales Manager…

You need to be present with your sales team. There are slow times when you can get your reports completed, and you’ll need to set time aside to watch the auctions and replenish stock. But your greatest impact is when you’re walking the showroom floor.

Customers appreciate when the sales manager is approachable. It feels like they care about the customer, not just about making the numbers work and closing a deal. Your salespeople will learn more from you and feel like they can trust you better when you talk with them in their space, not yours. Spend as little time as you can at the podium or in your office chair.

If You’re a Service Manager…

I’d encourage you to abandon your office. Use it only when you need a closed-door meeting with a customer or staff member, or for a short time each day when you complete the required documents. Instead, spend as much time as you can in the service drive and the shop.

You’ll see an immediate improvement in your staff morale – you’re showing that you care about what they’re doing. You’re helping when you can, you spend face time with the customers, and you’re seeing the problems and bottlenecks in real time, which means you can get them addressed sooner. A service manager out of their office can be much more effective.

If You’re a Dealer Principal or GSM…

The business side of a dealership gets in the way. Get back to what you love – the customer satisfaction business. When you spend less time at your desk, you’ll develop stronger relationships with your managers and employees, which improves staff loyalty and morale. Customers who see the owners, DPs, and GSMs enjoying time with customers and staff in their store feel like it’s a place they want to do business. And being outside of the office will certainly help top management to understand necessary changes and discover what their customers want.

Less time at your desk will absolutely have a positive impact on you, your department, and your store as a whole. If there’s just one change you can make for the new year, this should be it.