The topic of working together as a single dealership is often beaten to death, covered more often than the blundering Trump administration. It’s great and all to act as a cohesive unit; a well-oiled machine, if you will. But in any complex machine, as in a dealership, there are different parts that perform very different roles. It’s important to recognize and value each part on its own while appreciating the function of the whole machine together.

Let me go out on a limb here, and feel free to disagree with me. Your service department and sales department should operate uniquely.

That’s NOT saying that they should be run independently. Not at all. It’s a recognition that what works for one department doesn’t necessarily work for the other. Here’s what I mean.

1. The team should look different

Walking through the dealership, there should be no question if an employee is working the sales floor or the service drive. A salesperson or product advisor is able to dress more formally without affecting their job performance. A shirt and tie is still functional work attire, although sometimes dressier than the brand requires. A service advisor should be recognizable by their appearance. Khakis and a logo’d golf shirt or even sharp-looking jeans gives the right impression for a service employee.

Allow service and sales staff to wear different colors for distinction. I’ve been a part of a team where service employees wore ties, and I believe it gives the customer a conflicting impression.

2. Advertise separately

I’m a proponent for the service department getting more ad spend, and it should be used on its own – not tied in with a sales ad. It’s both a focused approach and more authoritative. When the service department is simply an afterthought of a quick mention in an advertisement or commercial, it implies the company values the service department very little. It also devalues the original message, whether you’re building your sales brand or promoting a new product.

3. Set Custom-Tailored Goals

‘Ebb and flow’ is a great way to approach financial goals, but it’s critical to view the sales and service departments as separate entities. You can expect consistent and steady growth from the service department – it’s much mess affected by financial pressures than the sales floor.

On the sales floor, though, there’s higher peaks and deeper valleys. Have you ever projected a decline in sales? I mean, realistically, there’s a reason to do so when the economy is tanking.  Your team knows it, and it’s a good thing to show you’re aware of outside influences.

Dealer principals, you might have a habit of expecting growth from your store that isn’t in line with the economy. Keep that in check and allow your management to be optimistic yet realistic with the targets they set before you.

The machine needs to function precisely as the different parts perform their duties. If all the parts look the same, it’s easy to confuse what each one is supposed to be doing. If one part is given more attention than the other – well-oiled versus run dry – you’ll see breakdowns that could be avoided. And being realistic about what each part of the machine is able to produce is going to reduce frustration and anxiety for both you and the parts of the machine that aren’t meeting their goals.