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Permalink Reply by Fred G. Slabine on January 4, 2011 at 12:28pm

I jsut posted a post to the discussion on Dealerelite about " What Do Dealers Need the Most" Thought my answer may assist you in your determination of whom to hire for your sales training company.

 

I believe the dealers need a company they can trust to help them develop their # 1 source of income-- their sales staff. In my view, that doesn’t mean hiring ten new recruits, hoping 2-3 work out.  It means taking the time to conduct intensive and thought-provoking interviews, not just going by first impressions.  It requires knowing what you are really looking for in an ideal candidate and then making sure that the candidate has those qualities by asking thought-provoking questions and identifying any gaps in the candidates resume.  Some candidates have mastered the interview process, but don’t really know how to sell vehicles. Checking references is essential to make sure that the image the candidate projects during the interview is the same person who can close a customer.

Once hired, dealers can’t just put sales professionals out on the floor without some initial training and development. That’s like sending someone out in a canoe without a paddle.  Moreover, that training can’t simply be on product knowledge or on the key steps to a sale. For sales professionals to succeed, they need to have the right mindset—high expectations, strong motivation, and a healthy dose of self-confidence.  These qualities are not just innate, they can be developed.  If you don’t till the soil first, it’s unlikely that the seeds of training will take.

In addition, sales professionals need ongoing training, monitoring, and support. They need lots of encouragement, constructive feedback, and mentoring to go from good to great. They also need to take charge of their own learning and make a commitment to continuous improvement. Finally, they’re most likely to succeed in a positive, family-like work environment where people all work together to achieve the dealership’s ultimate goals—increased sales, profits, and customer loyalty. 

To ensure a great sales team, dealerships also need great managers who understand that people respond far better to praise and encouragement than to fear and anger. They know that a strong body of research supports the use of collaboration versus competition to promote productivity. Most dealerships have made a strong financial commitment to their senior managers, but they don’t always recognize that they need ongoing training and development as well. After all, many managers have been promoted based on their success on the sales floor, but few have received formal training in human resource management.  All too often, they simply utilize the same traditional, but unproductive management techniques they’ve learned from their own poorly trained supervisors.

Most of all, dealerships need to partner with effective sales training organizations that understand that quick sales training is not enough to improve the performance of their sales professionals or their managers. With the proper ongoing training and development, dealerships can help all the people in their sales team go from good to great.  We believe that Automotive Training & Development has what it takes to bring about significant improvement in sales and profits, by creating and retaining a great sales force.  Please read the article Maximize Your Sales Training Dollars and please check out our website at www.automotivetraining.us to learn more.

 

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Permalink Reply by Bob Gaber on January 6, 2011 at 8:41am

Joe, The issue is if you pull a manager off the floor to train the staff, who replaces the manager? How much actual time will be devoted to training? Who is listening? I don't want this to sound self-serving, but there are good companies that train and allow your business to keep on keeping on. (making money and happy clients)  Too many car dealers don't get it. It is far less expensive to train and keep good staff than to not train and lose them. My name is Bob Gaber, and while I haven't heard of Dave's program, I hope it isn't only tapes or discs. You need participation and interaction and then seen results. (hands on) Just a thought. If you want, call me (305) 283-9848. (I won't self promote on the site. It's not fair) Hope to talk with you soon to see what you are trying to accomplish.

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