Structure or Chaos
As in any business, including being an auto dealer, the buck starts and stops with your employees
As an auto dealer, so much goes into an employees training and to ensure they understand how things work. Your dealership did not spring up overnight, it took discipline and sacrifice.
In your business, employees need to know what they are doing
With all the:
- forms
- rules
- regulations
- large amounts of money
being transacted in the auto dealer business, knowing what to do, and how to do it, is the difference between a sale, or no sale, compliance, or non-compliance. Non-compliance can be worse than losing a sale.
There are many reasons why a customer may come to your dealership.
Having an employee understand customer behavior will help them connect better to that customer. Having an employee well trained in how to subtly ask the right questions will help them better connect as a salesperson. It always feels more comfortable speaking to someone who seems to be knowledgeable and thoughtful.
So employee knowledge on cars, trucks, hybrids, vans, suv’s cross over vehicles, and sporty cars is very important.
When an employee/car salesperson has product information and process understanding, you are putting the pieces of the puzzle together
Whether you are an independent auto dealer, motorcycle, plane, boat, RV or SUV dealer, having a solid system in place will help your employees reach their maximum potential.
So, let’s put all those processes, systems, preferences and what is expected from the employee in black and white. Having a solid structure like this in place can only help increase your level of success. Here are just some things to consider:
- Map out your customers journey (what is each step in your sales process, what are your rules for how to handle a customer)
- Define each part of the journey
- For each process you have, create a document that shows it step-by-step
- Train using these documents
- Conduct regular meetings, not just the normal sales huddle, but a time to reinforce all the above
- This will build trust with your employee as well as build them up
Their success is your success
With structure comes less questions, less questions mean less time spent on things other than selling.
Less time spent on things other than selling means that time now has more value and can be used productively. Productive time equals more sales, and more sales equals more revenue.
Having this structure in place will provide you the opportunity for added accountability. This is especially true if you are also using a CRM connected to your DMS and Dealer Website.
All of this doesn’t have to happen overnight
Not everyone is Mark Twain, and you don’t have to have unreasonable expectations of what you may or may not need/be able to do. However, take some notes, create bullet points, do some drawings, speak and have someone take notes, whatever, just don’t dismiss the value of having process and structure in place.
Once you have something concrete, don’t be afraid to give it to the employees, even if it is not perfect.
You can always keep improving it.
When an employee has structure and knows where to go if there is doubt, then that employee will have more confidence.
In sales, especially car sales, confidence is everything.
