In this industry we often do things simply because they have been done before. Why not throw out the rulebook and do things because we SHOULD or WANT to? You don’t need anyone’s permission to pave the way for your dealership. It all starts with an idea that becomes a plan to present to those who need to buy in. You need to be that voice. I know it seems far fetched that anyone would take your crazy idea seriously, but as someone who started as an assistant and pushed until the owner let me try some creative ideas… I know that just one person CAN make a difference. So, throw out the darn rulebook! Everyone tells you to think outside the box, but no one ever tells you how to. Well here are a few ideas that I’ve used in my dealerships to get those ideas flowing for your dealership!

Salesperson draft

Every quarter or biannually we would shake things up. My team was not only responsible for their internet leads and follow up, they were also responsible for the salespeople on their “teams”. The Internet Team was responsible for making sure the salespeople on their teams were following up correctly, learning how to be digital with their consumers, spot checking emails and texts in the CRM, etc. The team with the best growth and /or closing percentage at the end of the quarter won a trophy and a monetary prize. This allowed them to forge relationships with the salesteams and the teams started relying on the Internet Team, alleviate any “us vs them” concerns,

Creative scheduling

I didn’t have the budget for as many employees as I wanted and truly felt I needed, so I went with 2 part time employees and eventually my owner bought in from our results and gave me 4! My team of four college students handled everything from answering and following up with leads, transcribing phone calls, customer service calls, showroom follow-up, inventory pictures, walkaround videos, inventory descriptions, website management, etc. We were our own little agency. Each of them had different skills in photoshop, video editing, being in front of the camera, and creative writing. We maximized their skills by allowing them to continue learning in the areas they were interested in.

Music theme days

I learned that my team loved music. So, they were allowed to listen to it while working. We would use the Turntable site and create a private room with just our team. Each person would be a DJ and pick a song within our theme to keep the day moving at a fun and efficient pace.

Break up your monotony.

Internet Lead handlers often have the most monotonous days. Answer leads the same way every time, handle phone calls the same way every time… I found that when I gave them a bit of fun, they all produced at a faster rate and performed better… and with a smile on their face! When they smile, the customer hears it and smiles along with them!

Brain time

I would find strengths in each team member that I could use for the department. Some were graphically skilled, others loved to be in front of the camera, one was musically gifted, while another was looking for a career in social media. Use their strengths and develop them. Allow them to use their brain so they feel they are growing. We are often so afraid that if we give our people too much, they will outgrow the role and ask for more money or move on. I had a much different experience. The more I gave them, the more they gave me. I allowed my team 30 minutes a week to work on their “skill”. The only caviat was that it had to be assigned or approved and MUST be a benefit for the dealership. So a walkaround video, a musical funny video for youtube, graphical marketing materials, or social media posts seems like they would cost the dealership money wouldn’t it? Why not use the resources in front of you and give their brains some relief?

In this industry we often do things simply because they have been done before. Why not throw out the rulebook and do things because we SHOULD or WANT to? You don’t need anyone’s permission to pave the way for your dealership. It all starts with an idea that becomes a plan to present to those who need to buy in. You need to be that voice. I know it seems far fetched that anyone would take your crazy idea seriously, but as someone who started as an assistant and pushed until the owner let me try some creative ideas… I know that just one person CAN make a difference. So, throw out the darn rulebook! Everyone tells you to think outside the box, but no one ever tells you how to. Well here are a few ideas that I’ve used in my dealerships to get those ideas flowing for your dealership!

Salesperson draft

Every quarter or biannually we would shake things up. My team was not only responsible for their internet leads and follow up, they were also responsible for the salespeople on their “teams”. The Internet Team was responsible for making sure the salespeople on their teams were following up correctly, learning how to be digital with their consumers, spot checking emails and texts in the CRM, etc. The team with the best growth and /or closing percentage at the end of the quarter won a trophy and a monetary prize. This allowed them to forge relationships with the salesteams and the teams started relying on the Internet Team, alleviate any “us vs them” concerns,

Creative scheduling

I didn’t have the budget for as many employees as I wanted and truly felt I needed, so I went with 2 part time employees and eventually my owner bought in from our results and gave me 4! My team of four college students handled everything from answering and following up with leads, transcribing phone calls, customer service calls, showroom follow-up, inventory pictures, walkaround videos, inventory descriptions, website management, etc. We were our own little agency. Each of them had different skills in photoshop, video editing, being in front of the camera, and creative writing. We maximized their skills by allowing them to continue learning in the areas they were interested in.

Music theme days

I learned that my team loved music. So, they were allowed to listen to it while working. We would use the Turntable site and create a private room with just our team. Each person would be a DJ and pick a song within our theme to keep the day moving at a fun and efficient pace.

Break up your monotony.

Internet Lead handlers often have the most monotonous days. Answer leads the same way every time, handle phone calls the same way every time… I found that when I gave them a bit of fun, they all produced at a faster rate and performed better… and with a smile on their face! When they smile, the customer hears it and smiles along with them!

Brain time

I would find strengths in each team member that I could use for the department. Some were graphically skilled, others loved to be in front of the camera, one was musically gifted, while another was looking for a career in social media. Use their strengths and develop them. Allow them to use their brain so they feel they are growing. We are often so afraid that if we give our people too much, they will outgrow the role and ask for more money or move on. I had a much different experience. The more I gave them, the more they gave me. I allowed my team 30 minutes a week to work on their “skill”. The only caviat was that it had to be assigned or approved and MUST be a benefit for the dealership. So a walkaround video, a musical funny video for youtube, graphical marketing materials, or social media posts seems like they would cost the dealership money wouldn’t it? Why not use the resources in front of you and give their brains some relief?

The perfect dealership culture is a delicate formula because it has to:

1. Be authentic

and

2. Resonate throughout the dealership and community.

To achieve a great company culture isn’t as simple as a creative marketing message or rules handed down from top management. Culture issues generally exist because there are roadblocks in more than one place. To truly get to a company culture that sticks and resonates, you have to find your roadblocks, address them, and continue to identify if roadblocks reemerge.

Many people think that roadblocks stop and start with the sales department. Others point fingers at all other departments. The reality is that a single customer looking to do business with us touches every single department in an effort to drive away in a new car. Thinking that way will lead us to evaluate all departments and bridge those departments together.

Starting with the sales team is the easiest place to start (as long as it isn’t where you end). Sales teams are the faces of your culture. If they feel unappreciated or aren’t given the right tools, it will filter into every conversation had with customers. Sales teams require written rules and processes, expectations, and training. Those three components can drastically change the dynamics of your showroom for the better. Just be sure to follow through with ____ if any individuals don’t adhere to the written policies and culture rules.

Sales Managers are more important to address in my opinion than anyone else. These people set the tone of what both customers and employees experience. Poor management (led by fear or berating) will quickly destroy your efforts. Hold them to higher standards and stick to the same disciplinary actions if they become toxic to your culture.

Finance. Ah, Finance. Make sure they play nice, educate, and work with the sales team and the back office. There is no need to create hierarchies where none are needed. The processes of handing off paperwork and/or customers should be seamless. The communication should flow back and forth between any departments that need to work together to get that customer closed, financed, and posted to your DMS.

I’m not sure why we give such little attention to the Back Office. They generally keep our operations running smoothly and make sure we get paid! These people shouldn’t be given the run around. They should be given what they require to keep things running smoothly shouldn’t they?

Internet teams and/or BDC teams should really be extensions of the sales team, not the red-headed step children. Managers of both teams should be given authority and respect. Sales Teams and Internet/BDC teams need to work hand in hand. The handoff of a customer to any department needs to be smooth, consistent, and timely. The experience needs to match. Far too many dealers have great initial experiences when contacting from the Internet but in-person doesn’t match and customers are lost (and armed with perfect bad review content).

Ownership can often times be the roadblock. Giving certain 30 car-a-month guys free passes when they break the rules, hiring people they shouldn’t be, keeping people they shouldn’t be. not understanding current marketing needs, or not having the vision for that culture you feel is important to set you apart as a dealership. We may feel that there is little we can do here. My advice is to speak in terms they understand. Move the needle where they need to see it move and get their buy-in. I’ve done the impossible in making ownership see the value in these things, so I know one person can make a difference!

Everyone else. Every single person in your dealership that deals with a customer (or maybe even doesn’t) should be armed with your voice, mission, culture, or whatever you want to call it. Receptionists talk to your customers and often times give them the very first (and sometimes last) impression. Sales teams are the ones who give your customer the first impression, the last impression, and all the ones in between. Finance talks to customers when they feel most vulnerable and excited. Get ready makes sure the vehicles look like the customer is expecting. The back office answers their questions and handles their issues with trade-ins after the sale. Service keeps in touch with them and takes care of them until they’re ready to be sold again. Make sure that the words they use, the manner in which they speak to your customers, the processes they put their customers through, and their follow-up practices match what you want your company’s message to be. Do they present themselves the way you want? Do they do the little things you want your dealership to be remembered for?

Sometimes it is the owners that are the problem and sometimes it is the get ready team or finance. It doesn’t mean you have to have the perfect team, but you have to make sure you have the right process. Any break can cause a culture to fail.

The perfect dealership culture is a delicate formula because it has to:

1. Be authentic

and

2. Resonate throughout the dealership and community.

To achieve a great company culture isn’t as simple as a creative marketing message or rules handed down from top management. Culture issues generally exist because there are roadblocks in more than one place. To truly get to a company culture that sticks and resonates, you have to find your roadblocks, address them, and continue to identify if roadblocks reemerge.

Many people think that roadblocks stop and start with the sales department. Others point fingers at all other departments. The reality is that a single customer looking to do business with us touches every single department in an effort to drive away in a new car. Thinking that way will lead us to evaluate all departments and bridge those departments together.

Starting with the sales team is the easiest place to start (as long as it isn’t where you end). Sales teams are the faces of your culture. If they feel unappreciated or aren’t given the right tools, it will filter into every conversation had with customers. Sales teams require written rules and processes, expectations, and training. Those three components can drastically change the dynamics of your showroom for the better. Just be sure to follow through with ____ if any individuals don’t adhere to the written policies and culture rules.

Sales Managers are more important to address in my opinion than anyone else. These people set the tone of what both customers and employees experience. Poor management (led by fear or berating) will quickly destroy your efforts. Hold them to higher standards and stick to the same disciplinary actions if they become toxic to your culture.

Finance. Ah, Finance. Make sure they play nice, educate, and work with the sales team and the back office. There is no need to create hierarchies where none are needed. The processes of handing off paperwork and/or customers should be seamless. The communication should flow back and forth between any departments that need to work together to get that customer closed, financed, and posted to your DMS.

I’m not sure why we give such little attention to the Back Office. They generally keep our operations running smoothly and make sure we get paid! These people shouldn’t be given the run around. They should be given what they require to keep things running smoothly shouldn’t they?

Internet teams and/or BDC teams should really be extensions of the sales team, not the red-headed step children. Managers of both teams should be given authority and respect. Sales Teams and Internet/BDC teams need to work hand in hand. The handoff of a customer to any department needs to be smooth, consistent, and timely. The experience needs to match. Far too many dealers have great initial experiences when contacting from the Internet but in-person doesn’t match and customers are lost (and armed with perfect bad review content).

Ownership can often times be the roadblock. Giving certain 30 car-a-month guys free passes when they break the rules, hiring people they shouldn’t be, keeping people they shouldn’t be. not understanding current marketing needs, or not having the vision for that culture you feel is important to set you apart as a dealership. We may feel that there is little we can do here. My advice is to speak in terms they understand. Move the needle where they need to see it move and get their buy-in. I’ve done the impossible in making ownership see the value in these things, so I know one person can make a difference!

Everyone else. Every single person in your dealership that deals with a customer (or maybe even doesn’t) should be armed with your voice, mission, culture, or whatever you want to call it. Receptionists talk to your customers and often times give them the very first (and sometimes last) impression. Sales teams are the ones who give your customer the first impression, the last impression, and all the ones in between. Finance talks to customers when they feel most vulnerable and excited. Get ready makes sure the vehicles look like the customer is expecting. The back office answers their questions and handles their issues with trade-ins after the sale. Service keeps in touch with them and takes care of them until they’re ready to be sold again. Make sure that the words they use, the manner in which they speak to your customers, the processes they put their customers through, and their follow-up practices match what you want your company’s message to be. Do they present themselves the way you want? Do they do the little things you want your dealership to be remembered for?

Sometimes it is the owners that are the problem and sometimes it is the get ready team or finance. It doesn’t mean you have to have the perfect team, but you have to make sure you have the right process. Any break can cause a culture to fail.

We were interviewing someone last week who currently works at a dealership that wanted to come work with us when the solution to many problems in the automotive industry came to me suddenly. It started with a simple question, "Why do you want to work with us?"

The first response was about how "awesome" our company and products seemed to be, so that was instant bonus points added to the resume. When we asked him for other reasons, he described how things were at this and nearly every dealership he's worked at in the last two decades. When sales are good, the atmosphere is wonderful. When sales are down, people get fired.

"I don't like working in fear if we have a bad month or two," he admitted.

This response tied into some of the things we've been hearing during product presentations. With SEO being one of the primary components of our product, dealers always want to know how long it will take for them to see results. They aren't interested in how traffic will be in two or three months. They want to know what sort of instant SEO impact we can make. Some of them readily admit that they're much more worried about the cars they can sell today rather than the cars they can sell tomorrow.

It's part of the reason that the industry has survived in tough times and flourished in good times. We are an industry of the present. We are driven by what's happening right now and that's a good thing. However, marketing strategy decisions should not be based solely on the instant impact. For a proper, holistic marketing plan to work, dealers must start building for today while looking towards tomorrow.

As a friend once told me, automotive digital marketing is like driving a car. You can drive faster and with better overall results when you're keeping your eyes looking much further ahead than the immediate road ahead of you. If you're looking one car length ahead, it's harder to get up to speed. You look down the road while staying cognizant of the immediate future.

Unfortunately, many dealerships focus only on what's going to help them sell more cars today. As a result, they're constantly chasing that boost in immediate sales rather than building proper marketing campaigns and aligning advertising strategies that will help sell cars today as well as tomorrow. If, as an industry, we focus on the future with the present still in view, we'll be able to make much better marketing decisions.

I've seen dealers spending tens of thousands of dollars every month on PPC. Then, you look at their SEO and realize that it's abysmal. How can this be? Had they invested a fraction of their PPC budget towards SEO last year or earlier, they wouldn't have to spend as much on PPC today. Instead, they're in the mode of constantly buying more traffic when they could have much more for less money had they invested properly before.

Dealers shouldn't make marketing decisions based solely on today. It's possible to have your cake and eat it too with the right strategies. When a dealership is stuck in the mentality of today-only marketing, they're never going to get ahead. They'll never be able to build something that expands upon itself. It's time to stop the fear marketing and focus on the real marketing.

We were interviewing someone last week who currently works at a dealership that wanted to come work with us when the solution to many problems in the automotive industry came to me suddenly. It started with a simple question, "Why do you want to work with us?"

The first response was about how "awesome" our company and products seemed to be, so that was instant bonus points added to the resume. When we asked him for other reasons, he described how things were at this and nearly every dealership he's worked at in the last two decades. When sales are good, the atmosphere is wonderful. When sales are down, people get fired.

"I don't like working in fear if we have a bad month or two," he admitted.

This response tied into some of the things we've been hearing during product presentations. With SEO being one of the primary components of our product, dealers always want to know how long it will take for them to see results. They aren't interested in how traffic will be in two or three months. They want to know what sort of instant SEO impact we can make. Some of them readily admit that they're much more worried about the cars they can sell today rather than the cars they can sell tomorrow.

It's part of the reason that the industry has survived in tough times and flourished in good times. We are an industry of the present. We are driven by what's happening right now and that's a good thing. However, marketing strategy decisions should not be based solely on the instant impact. For a proper, holistic marketing plan to work, dealers must start building for today while looking towards tomorrow.

As a friend once told me, automotive digital marketing is like driving a car. You can drive faster and with better overall results when you're keeping your eyes looking much further ahead than the immediate road ahead of you. If you're looking one car length ahead, it's harder to get up to speed. You look down the road while staying cognizant of the immediate future.

Unfortunately, many dealerships focus only on what's going to help them sell more cars today. As a result, they're constantly chasing that boost in immediate sales rather than building proper marketing campaigns and aligning advertising strategies that will help sell cars today as well as tomorrow. If, as an industry, we focus on the future with the present still in view, we'll be able to make much better marketing decisions.

I've seen dealers spending tens of thousands of dollars every month on PPC. Then, you look at their SEO and realize that it's abysmal. How can this be? Had they invested a fraction of their PPC budget towards SEO last year or earlier, they wouldn't have to spend as much on PPC today. Instead, they're in the mode of constantly buying more traffic when they could have much more for less money had they invested properly before.

Dealers shouldn't make marketing decisions based solely on today. It's possible to have your cake and eat it too with the right strategies. When a dealership is stuck in the mentality of today-only marketing, they're never going to get ahead. They'll never be able to build something that expands upon itself. It's time to stop the fear marketing and focus on the real marketing.

We all have our favorite idioms about leadership and managing. The image attached to this story works along the theme that establishes most forms of the debate. A leader can help his or her company have greater success than a "boss".

This is all great and I totally feel like this is an important concept that needs to be followed in the automotive industry, but today I want to discuss the trenches. Company culture doesn't always flow from top to bottom. In fact, the car business is one where the personality of the people who perform the day-to-day duties at the dealership or at the vendor's office can have a humongous impact on how the company performs and how the customers perceive them.

After all, it's the sales team, the service advisers, and the customer service representatives who are actually hands-on with customers and clients. They're also the ones who are interacting with each other more often than when the company "leaders" are on the floor barking orders, lifting morale, checking quality, or establishing directives.

In other words, the real leaders in the car business are, well, everyone. Unlike the hierarchy that permeates through most industries, ours is one that is much more controlled by individuals at every level of the business. It's for this reason that company culture must be strong across the board.

The keys to establishing a proper customer culture can be broken down into multiple categories, but there are three primary points of success (or failure) that we all must remember:

• Hiring - As anyone reading this already knows, hiring the right people is a ProTip that can be said in all industries. As anyone reading this also knows, ours is an industry where finding the right people can be challenging. We have a client who doesn't like posting a staff page on their website because it's an invitation to competitors to try to poach talent. We've had members of our own team approached by bigger vendors who want to take our people. It's for this reason that the path to success always starts with hiring the right car people.
• Training - The number one reason for failure within any company is a lack of proper training. This person might know exactly what to do, but if that person is not properly trained to do it, they will never reach their proper level of success (and neither will the company). Thankfully, if you're reading this, you already understand the value of training that companies like Driving Sales offers, even if only in the form of best practices and great conferences.
• Accountability - If you hold people accountable, you must be held accountable yourself. That's a creed amongst leaders that we hold near and dear at our company and it's something that we strongly recommend to both dealers and vendors. If a customer walks onto the lot and doesn't buy, there was no individual who "lost the sale" for the dealership. The managers, sales people, service people, and everyone else who had an opportunity to touch that potential customer participated in missing the sale in some form or fashion. The same holds true on the vendor side. If one person drops the ball, we all have a responsibility to jump on it. A fumble is a fumble and it always hurts, but if you can recover quickly and hop on the ball, at least you didn't lose possession. I know it's not football season but you get the picture.

The car business is not about best practices. It's not about processes or procedures. It's not even about the cars, really. At the end of the day, the car business is driven by people. Take care of yours and do what you can to empower everyone around you regardless of your position.

Company culture does not just flow down from the top. It flows up, down, sideways, diagonal, and can improve or not based upon the actions of every individual Choose wisely.

We all have our favorite idioms about leadership and managing. The image attached to this story works along the theme that establishes most forms of the debate. A leader can help his or her company have greater success than a "boss".

This is all great and I totally feel like this is an important concept that needs to be followed in the automotive industry, but today I want to discuss the trenches. Company culture doesn't always flow from top to bottom. In fact, the car business is one where the personality of the people who perform the day-to-day duties at the dealership or at the vendor's office can have a humongous impact on how the company performs and how the customers perceive them.

After all, it's the sales team, the service advisers, and the customer service representatives who are actually hands-on with customers and clients. They're also the ones who are interacting with each other more often than when the company "leaders" are on the floor barking orders, lifting morale, checking quality, or establishing directives.

In other words, the real leaders in the car business are, well, everyone. Unlike the hierarchy that permeates through most industries, ours is one that is much more controlled by individuals at every level of the business. It's for this reason that company culture must be strong across the board.

The keys to establishing a proper customer culture can be broken down into multiple categories, but there are three primary points of success (or failure) that we all must remember:

• Hiring - As anyone reading this already knows, hiring the right people is a ProTip that can be said in all industries. As anyone reading this also knows, ours is an industry where finding the right people can be challenging. We have a client who doesn't like posting a staff page on their website because it's an invitation to competitors to try to poach talent. We've had members of our own team approached by bigger vendors who want to take our people. It's for this reason that the path to success always starts with hiring the right car people.
• Training - The number one reason for failure within any company is a lack of proper training. This person might know exactly what to do, but if that person is not properly trained to do it, they will never reach their proper level of success (and neither will the company). Thankfully, if you're reading this, you already understand the value of training that companies like Driving Sales offers, even if only in the form of best practices and great conferences.
• Accountability - If you hold people accountable, you must be held accountable yourself. That's a creed amongst leaders that we hold near and dear at our company and it's something that we strongly recommend to both dealers and vendors. If a customer walks onto the lot and doesn't buy, there was no individual who "lost the sale" for the dealership. The managers, sales people, service people, and everyone else who had an opportunity to touch that potential customer participated in missing the sale in some form or fashion. The same holds true on the vendor side. If one person drops the ball, we all have a responsibility to jump on it. A fumble is a fumble and it always hurts, but if you can recover quickly and hop on the ball, at least you didn't lose possession. I know it's not football season but you get the picture.

The car business is not about best practices. It's not about processes or procedures. It's not even about the cars, really. At the end of the day, the car business is driven by people. Take care of yours and do what you can to empower everyone around you regardless of your position.

Company culture does not just flow down from the top. It flows up, down, sideways, diagonal, and can improve or not based upon the actions of every individual Choose wisely.

We work to make money. That’s the point. While many of us find fulfillment through our work, it still normally comes down to money as the driving force that gets us up in the morning, puts us in our cars, and heads us down the road to our job. While money might be the motivating factor for having a job, it’s not the most important motivator for keeping employees happy.

In this infographic we created for Salesforce, we explored many of the factors that keep employees happy and working at their peak levels of performance. While 56% of senior managers thought their company was above average at delivering appropriate appreciation, only 23% of their employees agreed.

Take a long look at this graphic. If you’re not the boss, maybe you should send this link to them as a not-so-subtle hint of information they could use to make them better at their own jobs.

We work to make money. That’s the point. While many of us find fulfillment through our work, it still normally comes down to money as the driving force that gets us up in the morning, puts us in our cars, and heads us down the road to our job. While money might be the motivating factor for having a job, it’s not the most important motivator for keeping employees happy.

In this infographic we created for Salesforce, we explored many of the factors that keep employees happy and working at their peak levels of performance. While 56% of senior managers thought their company was above average at delivering appropriate appreciation, only 23% of their employees agreed.

Take a long look at this graphic. If you’re not the boss, maybe you should send this link to them as a not-so-subtle hint of information they could use to make them better at their own jobs.