Nextup
What We Can Learn From American Pharaoh
How many hours per week do trainers work with a horse like American Pharaoh to prepare him to compete in and win the Kentucky Derby? It’s probably easier to measure in years, as thoroughbreds begin early training when they are too young to ride. Eventually, when they are two or three years old they actually move to the racetrack to live full-time and train there. Every day. For a race that will last no longer than two minutes! Then, if they are lucky and healthy and fast enough, they will take a day or two off before they begin training again for the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. And remember that only eleven horses have EVER won all three races – The Triple Crown. Eleven horses since 1919 and the most recent one was in 1978.
My point? Many of us may have it backwards. We hire our salespeople, of whom many have never been “on the track,” and expect them to win. We make them run their race every day and stop to train them only occasionally. When they are no longer suited for the track, we promote them and expect them to train the young thoroughbreds and the cycle continues.
We do not have the luxury of time to train Monday through Friday for 8 hours, and then kill it every Saturday. But if we can imagine that every interaction with a customer is our Kentucky Derby, every opportunity to set an appointment is our Preakness, and every chance to close a deal is our Belmont Stakes, then wouldn’t we want to be the best we can be?
Having a dealership full of employees who want to learn starts with having a dealership full of managers who want to teach. There is no shortage of topics on which to train, and certainly no shortage of industry experts who will gladly come into your store and help you get it done. If you are a salesperson and feel like you aren’t getting the training you need to be successful, let someone know! If it doesn’t change anything, consider finding a dealership with a training culture. There are plenty of them out there. Chances are they are a more successful business anyway. If nothing else, try searching YouTube for “Automotive Sales Training.” I just did it myself.
- Overcoming Objections
- Internet Tips
- How to Run a BDC
- Meet and Greet Strategies
- The Walk-around
- Prospecting
- The Demo Drive
- Phone Skills
The list goes on and on. Make the most of your slower times by learning everything you can from the resources available to you. Managers, be that resource for your sales staff. If you began your career in a store without a training culture, you might need help if you want to break that cycle. Ask for it!
Respect the Training. Honor the Commitment. Cherish the Results.
Nextup
What We Can Learn From American Pharaoh
How many hours per week do trainers work with a horse like American Pharaoh to prepare him to compete in and win the Kentucky Derby? It’s probably easier to measure in years, as thoroughbreds begin early training when they are too young to ride. Eventually, when they are two or three years old they actually move to the racetrack to live full-time and train there. Every day. For a race that will last no longer than two minutes! Then, if they are lucky and healthy and fast enough, they will take a day or two off before they begin training again for the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. And remember that only eleven horses have EVER won all three races – The Triple Crown. Eleven horses since 1919 and the most recent one was in 1978.
My point? Many of us may have it backwards. We hire our salespeople, of whom many have never been “on the track,” and expect them to win. We make them run their race every day and stop to train them only occasionally. When they are no longer suited for the track, we promote them and expect them to train the young thoroughbreds and the cycle continues.
We do not have the luxury of time to train Monday through Friday for 8 hours, and then kill it every Saturday. But if we can imagine that every interaction with a customer is our Kentucky Derby, every opportunity to set an appointment is our Preakness, and every chance to close a deal is our Belmont Stakes, then wouldn’t we want to be the best we can be?
Having a dealership full of employees who want to learn starts with having a dealership full of managers who want to teach. There is no shortage of topics on which to train, and certainly no shortage of industry experts who will gladly come into your store and help you get it done. If you are a salesperson and feel like you aren’t getting the training you need to be successful, let someone know! If it doesn’t change anything, consider finding a dealership with a training culture. There are plenty of them out there. Chances are they are a more successful business anyway. If nothing else, try searching YouTube for “Automotive Sales Training.” I just did it myself.
- Overcoming Objections
- Internet Tips
- How to Run a BDC
- Meet and Greet Strategies
- The Walk-around
- Prospecting
- The Demo Drive
- Phone Skills
The list goes on and on. Make the most of your slower times by learning everything you can from the resources available to you. Managers, be that resource for your sales staff. If you began your career in a store without a training culture, you might need help if you want to break that cycle. Ask for it!
Respect the Training. Honor the Commitment. Cherish the Results.
7 Comments
3E Business Consulting
Great sales people don't happen by accident! Even more important than training is the regular coaching and positive feedback to reinforce what the person learned.
MOTORTREND Certified
Thank you Julie, your article is well written and spot on. Most retail automotive managers "manage deals", not people. Few train. However, it's not normally their fault. It's the industry's 40 year-old (maybe longer) "sink or swim" culture. Dealer's spend little money training their managers to train. When the sales people do get "outside" training, managers seldom spend time going through the same training their sales people do because the store "can't afford to spare the managers". This makes reinforcement and coaching by the managers impossible, rendering most sales training irrelevant. Most managers will hire an "experienced failure" as opposed to someone with "inexperienced potential" because the former "needs no training"? Insane. But the industry sells the most popular product in the history of mankind so we get away with it. Thank you again for sharing your insightful thoughts.
Nextup
I loved this comment! Thank you for your input! JJ Most managers will hire an "experienced failure" as opposed to someone with "inexperienced potential" because the former "needs no training"? Insane.
Clock Tower Auto Mall LLC
@Steve Richards I agree with your comment regarding the 40 year old, sink or swim culture of the industry. Very good explanation! I would like to add to your remark about an "experienced failure". In my mind, this person has to be given a fair chance during the hiring process. Many times the failure of this person is nothing more than the environment in which they failed. I have experienced many sales people that struggled in the store I was in, and went on to be very successful in a different store. I have also experienced salespeople that failed somewhere else and prospered in the store I was in. I realize this was not the purpose of your post, but it was noteworthy to me.
Mercedes Benz of Taunton
Hi Julie, Interesting piece, totally agree with the idea that we need to develop our people for success. To use your equestrian analogy, we need to stop using the whip as a means to get the horse to run harder!! When I worked with BMW, we used Mini as a AAA farm system for our BMW sales guys. Within Mercedes I am looking for smart to cultivate a new breed of sales person. Those who have exposure to the premium brand environment, but have not been undone through lack of training. We definitely need to rethink our people development strategies but for a fundamental shift to occur, it needs to be incentivised from manufacturer and owner level for it to be a long term success. J
7 Comments
Keith Shetterly
TurnUPtheSales.com
Awesome blog!! :) Love it.
Julie Jamison Lozano
Nextup
Thank you, Keith!
R. J. James
3E Business Consulting
Great sales people don't happen by accident! Even more important than training is the regular coaching and positive feedback to reinforce what the person learned.
Steve Richards
MOTORTREND Certified
Thank you Julie, your article is well written and spot on. Most retail automotive managers "manage deals", not people. Few train. However, it's not normally their fault. It's the industry's 40 year-old (maybe longer) "sink or swim" culture. Dealer's spend little money training their managers to train. When the sales people do get "outside" training, managers seldom spend time going through the same training their sales people do because the store "can't afford to spare the managers". This makes reinforcement and coaching by the managers impossible, rendering most sales training irrelevant. Most managers will hire an "experienced failure" as opposed to someone with "inexperienced potential" because the former "needs no training"? Insane. But the industry sells the most popular product in the history of mankind so we get away with it. Thank you again for sharing your insightful thoughts.
Julie Jamison Lozano
Nextup
I loved this comment! Thank you for your input! JJ Most managers will hire an "experienced failure" as opposed to someone with "inexperienced potential" because the former "needs no training"? Insane.
Clint Jones
Clock Tower Auto Mall LLC
@Steve Richards I agree with your comment regarding the 40 year old, sink or swim culture of the industry. Very good explanation! I would like to add to your remark about an "experienced failure". In my mind, this person has to be given a fair chance during the hiring process. Many times the failure of this person is nothing more than the environment in which they failed. I have experienced many sales people that struggled in the store I was in, and went on to be very successful in a different store. I have also experienced salespeople that failed somewhere else and prospered in the store I was in. I realize this was not the purpose of your post, but it was noteworthy to me.
James Litton
Mercedes Benz of Taunton
Hi Julie, Interesting piece, totally agree with the idea that we need to develop our people for success. To use your equestrian analogy, we need to stop using the whip as a means to get the horse to run harder!! When I worked with BMW, we used Mini as a AAA farm system for our BMW sales guys. Within Mercedes I am looking for smart to cultivate a new breed of sales person. Those who have exposure to the premium brand environment, but have not been undone through lack of training. We definitely need to rethink our people development strategies but for a fundamental shift to occur, it needs to be incentivised from manufacturer and owner level for it to be a long term success. J