I Know I "Should" Train My Salespeople,But.........
I'm sure many of us have said or thought this when we owned or ran a dealership.Why is it the "should" never turned into a "MUST?" Why is it we always looked at increasing our ad budgets as a "must" but not our ongoing training bugets? The increased ad budget works,we find our sales staff closing % in the teens with a floor full of undeveloped salespeople.
WE should do this, we should do that and pretty soon we find ourselves standing in a big pile of should!.............Training IS a MUST!
Love to hear why everyone thinks from a retail level ,training salespeople initially and ongoing development seems like an after thought so often?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bob Gaber on
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Ignorance, pride and stinkin thinkin. One, the dealer thinks that their managers, (good people) have the ability to train. (Some may actually have) but, THIS IS A BIG BUT. What does it cost the dealer to pull that manager off the floor to properly train their salesforce? If they lose one sale, is it worth it. How many times are they going to be interupted by something? Two, F.E.A.R.: False evidence appearing real. They think that the training provided is not part of the "real world". Gee, there is nothing better than PUSHING someone into a sale and never seeing then again. Do the dealers realize how much a client is worth to them in the client's buying lifetime?? I guess ignorance is bliss. Three: I can't afford the training and we are doing just fine. ARE U?? If we can train your staff just to pick up one or two more sales per month, is it worth it?? An extra 150 to 250 THOUSAND DOLLARS extra a year, gee I guess it isn't worth it. Remember this, you can make Money or you can make Excuses. You cannot do both! Please argue against me, would love to hear your thoughts.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Johnson on
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You hit the nail on the head Bob. What I'm seeing is mgrs that don't do anything but pencil deals and haven't been trained themselves.
Bob Gaber said:Ignorance, pride and stinkin thinkin. One, the dealer thinks that their managers, (good people) have the ability to train. (Some may actually have) but, THIS IS A BIG BUT. What does it cost the dealer to pull that manager off the floor to properly train their salesforce? If they lose one sale, is it worth it. How many times are they going to be interupted by something? Two, F.E.A.R.: False evidence appearing real. They think that the training provided is not part of the "real world". Gee, there is nothing better than PUSHING someone into a sale and never seeing then again. Do the dealers realize how much a client is worth to them in the client's buying lifetime?? I guess ignorance is bliss. Three: I can't afford the training and we are doing just fine. ARE U?? If we can train your staff just to pick up one or two more sales per month, is it worth it?? An extra 150 to 250 THOUSAND DOLLARS extra a year, gee I guess it isn't worth it. Remember this, you can make Money or you can make Excuses. You cannot do both! Please argue against me, would love to hear your thoughts. -
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Permalink Reply by Craig Lockerd on
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R.O.I = Return on Investment...and also like my friend Joe Brunner says...R.O.I. = Return on Involvement!
Jeff Johnson said:You hit the nail on the head Bob. What I'm seeing is mgrs that don't do anything but pencil deals and haven't been trained themselves.
Bob Gaber said:Ignorance, pride and stinkin thinkin. One, the dealer thinks that their managers, (good people) have the ability to train. (Some may actually have) but, THIS IS A BIG BUT. What does it cost the dealer to pull that manager off the floor to properly train their salesforce? If they lose one sale, is it worth it. How many times are they going to be interupted by something? Two, F.E.A.R.: False evidence appearing real. They think that the training provided is not part of the "real world". Gee, there is nothing better than PUSHING someone into a sale and never seeing then again. Do the dealers realize how much a client is worth to them in the client's buying lifetime?? I guess ignorance is bliss. Three: I can't afford the training and we are doing just fine. ARE U?? If we can train your staff just to pick up one or two more sales per month, is it worth it?? An extra 150 to 250 THOUSAND DOLLARS extra a year, gee I guess it isn't worth it. Remember this, you can make Money or you can make Excuses. You cannot do both! Please argue against me, would love to hear your thoughts. -
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Thanks Jeff. How do sales managers become sales managers? The dealers take their most aggressive salespeople and make them managers! The dealer believes, in my opinion, that this will rub off on the rest of the staff. It doesn't. Just let the professionals do their jobs. Most people think that companies, such as Automax, just recruit and do some training. WRONG! Automax, and I know this first hand, can train not only the sales staff but EVERYONE in the dealership! The American Auto Dealer is kind of like the person that designed the Titanic.
Big Beautiful Ship, with a tiny propeller and rudder to steer and move the ship foward. -
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Exactly.
Craig Lockerd said:R.O.I = Return on Investment...and also like my friend Joe Brunner says...R.O.I. = Return on Involvement!
Jeff Johnson said:You hit the nail on the head Bob. What I'm seeing is mgrs that don't do anything but pencil deals and haven't been trained themselves.
Bob Gaber said:Ignorance, pride and stinkin thinkin. One, the dealer thinks that their managers, (good people) have the ability to train. (Some may actually have) but, THIS IS A BIG BUT. What does it cost the dealer to pull that manager off the floor to properly train their salesforce? If they lose one sale, is it worth it. How many times are they going to be interupted by something? Two, F.E.A.R.: False evidence appearing real. They think that the training provided is not part of the "real world". Gee, there is nothing better than PUSHING someone into a sale and never seeing then again. Do the dealers realize how much a client is worth to them in the client's buying lifetime?? I guess ignorance is bliss. Three: I can't afford the training and we are doing just fine. ARE U?? If we can train your staff just to pick up one or two more sales per month, is it worth it?? An extra 150 to 250 THOUSAND DOLLARS extra a year, gee I guess it isn't worth it. Remember this, you can make Money or you can make Excuses. You cannot do both! Please argue against me, would love to hear your thoughts. -
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Permalink Reply by NANCY SIMMONS on
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SHOULD (def.) —used in auxiliary function to express obligation, propriety, or to express futurity from a point of view in the past , or used in auxiliary function to express what is probable or expected….
MUST(def.) --- To be commanded or requested, to be urged to, ought by all means or to be compelled by physical necessity to , or to be required by immediate or future need or purpose to, be obliged to, be compelled by social considerations to, be required by law, custom, or moral conscience to, be unreasonably or perversely compelled to, to be logically inferred or supposed to , to be compelled by fate or by natural law to, was or were presumably certain to, was or were bound to …
After reading the definitions of both words, the word "Should" has such a flimsy connotation attached to it... I think of the term...should've, could've, would've...There are many things in life we know we should do, and ignore them or completely intentionally disregard the signals... As in "I should exercise more...I really should read that book... I should stop smoking...." Also, gives you the feeling of the future...down the road...certainly not today!
While the definition of "must" has strong words defining it... "command, required, immediate or future, compelled, certain to, bound to"...and also a much greater link to the current, the NOW instead of the future.
Now think of the dealers who choose not to train their employees. They probably run many aspects of their operation with an "I should" mentality always reacting to a crisis, instead of anticpating and acting in a pro-active manner. While the "Must" dealers do not see training as an option, but the only way they can maximize the opportunities to be successful in their business.
Your people are the face and voice of your organization! How can you rest your head on your pillow, Mr. Dealer, not knowing how they are representing your good name and lost business falling through the cracks in missed opportunities caused from lack of education? -
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Permalink Reply by David L Hoier on
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Dealers think that they "spend" money on advertising, but who truly spends that money is the sales staff. The most successful add campaign is worhtless if the dealer can't take advantage of the increased traffic because his staff lacks the tools. A dealer's greatest asset is not the building or the inventory, it's the sales staff. These are the "front" line troops, in essence the "face" of the dealership. Customers don't see all of the support and technical expertise that the dealership has, all they see is the salesperson, and their opinions about the dealership are based strictly upon that experience. How many times have we heard people say that they would never return to a certain dealership because of the way the salesperson treated them? Not investing in the continued training of the sales staff is like closing the barn door after the horse has left--- too little, too late.
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Permalink Reply by Brad Alexander on
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As someone who firmly believes in continuous training I know the frustration of "we should train more". The truth is, there's always a "good" reason NOT to train: got a deal on the desk, heat case on the showroom floor, deals need to get bought, ads need to be built, inventory updated and on and on. And just when you think you've created a training time that nobody can interrupt, here comes the GM to tell you he has to go to lunch early soooo... you need to get back on the desk. Dealerships should have a designated trainer and training @ the beginning of every shift. I've worked at stores that do this and the difference is phenomenal. The challenge becomes when times get tough and lean, the first thing to go is the training budget. HELLO! When things are slow is when you need training most. But since that department shows as a debit on the financial statement, it's the first to go.
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Permalink Reply by Craig Lockerd on
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That is so good Nancy...thank you
NANCY SIMMONS said:SHOULD (def.) —used in auxiliary function to express obligation, propriety, or to express futurity from a point of view in the past , or used in auxiliary function to express what is probable or expected….
MUST(def.) --- To be commanded or requested, to be urged to, ought by all means or to be compelled by physical necessity to , or to be required by immediate or future need or purpose to, be obliged to, be compelled by social considerations to, be required by law, custom, or moral conscience to, be unreasonably or perversely compelled to, to be logically inferred or supposed to , to be compelled by fate or by natural law to, was or were presumably certain to, was or were bound to …
After reading the definitions of both words, the word "Should" has such a flimsy connotation attached to it... I think of the term...should've, could've, would've...There are many things in life we know we should do, and ignore them or completely intentionally disregard the signals... As in "I should exercise more...I really should read that book... I should stop smoking...." Also, gives you the feeling of the future...down the road...certainly not today!
While the definition of "must" has strong words defining it... "command, required, immediate or future, compelled, certain to, bound to"...and also a much greater link to the current, the NOW instead of the future.
Now think of the dealers who choose not to train their employees. They probably run many aspects of their operation with an "I should" mentality always reacting to a crisis, instead of anticpating and acting in a pro-active manner. While the "Must" dealers do not see training as an option, but the only way they can maximize the opportunities to be successful in their business.
Your people are the face and voice of your organization! How can you rest your head on your pillow, Mr. Dealer, not knowing how they are representing your good name and lost business falling through the cracks in missed opportunities caused from lack of education? -
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Permalink Reply by Craig Lockerd on
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True David...if the dealership is closing 2 out of 10 and we doble the advt and double the traffic to 20 now closing 4 all we have really done is spend more money and alienate double the amount of people....lets increase closing ratios and then talk about increasing traffic
David L Hoier said:Dealers think that they "spend" money on advertising, but who truly spends that money is the sales staff. The most successful add campaign is worhtless if the dealer can't take advantage of the increased traffic because his staff lacks the tools. A dealer's greatest asset is not the building or the inventory, it's the sales staff. These are the "front" line troops, in essence the "face" of the dealership. Customers don't see all of the support and technical expertise that the dealership has, all they see is the salesperson, and their opinions about the dealership are based strictly upon that experience. How many times have we heard people say that they would never return to a certain dealership because of the way the salesperson treated them? Not investing in the continued training of the sales staff is like closing the barn door after the horse has left--- too little, too late. -
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Permalink Reply by Craig Lockerd on
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Well right you are Brad...teams and shifts and daily training are key but as you said that is the very first thing to go....take 40% out of that ad budget put it to outside training and everything will change for the better.
Brad Alexander said:As someone who firmly believes in continuous training I know the frustration of "we should train more". The truth is, there's always a "good" reason NOT to train: got a deal on the desk, heat case on the showroom floor, deals need to get bought, ads need to be built, inventory updated and on and on. And just when you think you've created a training time that nobody can interrupt, here comes the GM to tell you he has to go to lunch early soooo... you need to get back on the desk. Dealerships should have a designated trainer and training @ the beginning of every shift. I've worked at stores that do this and the difference is phenomenal. The challenge becomes when times get tough and lean, the first thing to go is the training budget. HELLO! When things are slow is when you need training most. But since that department shows as a debit on the financial statement, it's the first to go. -
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Permalink Reply by Craig Lockerd on
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That's right Taffy the clients will tell a dealership if they should train more with legit SCI scores
Taffy Smith said:Look at the customer reviews listed on the internet for your dealership. Customers rate their experience with you and give you "stars". If you get 1 star, the complaint usually revolves around bad service, bad treatment, or terrible information. If you get 5 stars, it's because of the way the sales people and service department gave the customer professional assistance. Those "stars" are the same as CSI's in the internet world. Other customers look at those reviews and if they are bad, will not do business with you. Pay attention to your ratings, and you will see why ongoing training makes a difference. -
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