Today's car dealership is changing rapidly.  

The new technology in the vehicles, the more and more complicated manufacturer incentives, the new marketing world and the consumer has and is changing.  These changes are effecting everyone and has brought on a bigger need for leadership than ever, specifically from the sales managers.

• The new technology in the vehicles brings a need for constantly adapting and understanding connectivity and how these new features benefit the consumer.  This requires a desire for learning and training by the sales consultants that has never existed in the car dealership.  The only way that this changes is with leadership from the sales managers.  They dig in daily and learn the technology, teach what they have learned to the consultants and then lead by doing 2 things. 
  1. Be consistent with the learning and teaching.  It can not be a typical dealership idea that gets barely started and then stops because we get back to same old, I work your deals attitude from the sales manager and the non existent learning and teaching culture. 
  2. Get up and out and lead the way by making presentations of the product for customers while the consultant watches and learns.
• The more complicated manufacturer incentives makes it harder daily for the sales consultants to battle the pricing and value issue with the consumer.  Many customers want to discuss the amount of rebates that they can qualify for. It is hard to understand for us and we work with it everyday, so it can be an exasperating experience for the consumer.  This is all while the sales manager is telling the consultant to get them off of price.  Build value in the vehicle.  Here is a great time for the sales managers to dig in and learn the incentives and then teach the sales consultants how these can best benefit the consumer.  When the incentives are explained with confidence and enthusiasm, it inspires trust and ultimately opens the door to continue to create value in the product and not a focus on the price and incentives.  Then the sales managers must lead in this area by being consistent with their teaching and then lead by getting out there with the consumer and explaining the incentives to the consumer with the consultant listening and learning how to inspire trust from the consumer by being effective with their knowledge and ability to explain the benefits of the incentives.
• The consumer has and is changing with the knowledge they have and the experience they expect from the consultant and the dealership.  In the past the consumer relied on the dealership for information, research information etc.  Today this same consumer is researching 16 hours on 5 websites prior to coming into the dealership.  What challenges does this present today's consultants?  Can you believe that in many dealerships sales consultants are being trained to do the same things they were taught 10-15 years ago?  That is because of lazy and unprofessional sales managers.  That is just a fact.  They are sending the consultants out there with the consumer untrained but also the training they have received is absolutely ineffective.  I see a lot of people talking about the importance of hiring the right people, however the right person will not tolerate this inadequate training and non existent leadership.  They will be gone so quick and the sales manager will say what happened?? I can't believe I wasted my time on them.

Sales managers must study the new consumer expectations and behaviors. They have to learn the best strategies and processes for creating the best purchasing experience possible.  They then have to consistently and regularly teach what they have learned.  They must master the skills necessary to be successful today.  They then by showing the sales consultant how it is done, by being involved through the entire process and coach them on the most effective engagement and communication with the consumer.

We don't need our sales managers spending their time today learning SEO and SEM, we need them to learn and master the leadership skills required to be successful at leading a team of people in this changing world we live in daily. Whether our consultants are engaging the customer face to face, on the phone, over the internet, by email, text message or social media - they don't need to be alone.  They need a leader that insures they have the very best chance of succeeding by leading the way.

Learn - Teach - Lead       Expect to Win!