Can outsourcing be patriotic? Let me answer my own question… God Bless America it can!

When outsourcing a specific product or service saves one red-blooded Americans job/career simultaneously creating another employment/career opportunity for another red-blooded American!

The topic at hand… Training?!
Is there such a thing as too much training or more importantly not enough training?

Here I go again answering my own question… I suppose an Olympic Gold Medalist stops training…
Nope… They train even harder as to not lose their place at the top…

Yes the top that place where others train all their life to get to even though they may never…
Yet amazingly enough no matter what the skill level or athletic ability… they continue to train!

Harder and harder! Are there many in this industry that could stand to take a lesson from this?
Most… where it counts the most and yet the least sense of urgency!

As a young man starting my career, I wanted to learn as much as I possibly could…
So much so that at times I could have been accused of being overly nosy…

Forgive my eagerness Mr. Customer/ Mr. Manager would be the start of many of my sentences…
And to both I would say… There is a fine line between being a pest and good sales professional… I hope I haven’t crossed that line!
Needless to say, I wanted to understand, docs, statements, bottom line, etc.
You know the taboo stuff a “salesman” wasn’t supposed to know… “Need to know basis”
K.I.S.S. Oh yeah that’s right!

But I couldn’t help to wonder… who is this “AR” fellow and if I could only get a taste of what he has coming… just a fraction… I would be SET!
Only to find out later what “AR” really stood for… Mr. Receivables is doing quite well for himself these days or any other day for that matter…
Just to turn the key on the start of the month… WOW!
Now I had more of a clear cut understanding of the value of a dollar or lack of one…

At least with this new found understanding, I would respect the diligence and accountability of a manager’s responsibility to ensure every opportunity is not squandered…

So much so that when I finally became a manager… I understood training is the one thing that couldn’t be negotiated… It is a requirement!

For all… no matter the title, skill level, experience or lack of athletic ability!
So how does outsourcing play into all this?
If I were to take a poll on the importance of training… Is it necessary?

What are the chances of getting 100% in agreement? Pretty good right?
Getting back to Mr. Receivables… I know the question has been posed before by someone other than myself is what a dealership spends on average on just landscaping alone and how much that is really contributing to the bottom line…

Sure right… The place has to be presentable! Another question posed by someone other than myself…
The average bump on a trade in? $500 seems reasonable? About how often a month?
Starts to add up right? How about the money you lose that you can’t count!
Pretty sure you don’t want to know that figure… Flat out disgusting!!

The cost to clean the windows on the showroom on a weekly basis?
Answer: More than what the average dealer is willing to spend on training.

Wrap your mind around that one for a second…
The sales consultant who is usually the primary and in most cases sole contact(due to the fact of not having proper training) of your customers walking through the door…

Customers that collectively manufacturers and dealerships are spending a staggering $21.5 Billion annually to ensure they walk through the showroom door for your trained or not properly trained sales staff to wait on… Scary? Damn right?

Define properly trained… Another topic right? Like religion… many interpretations!

Not to say there are not great sales professionals out there… But how many would agree there are more bad ones?
The real question… Are they failing or have they been failed?

Who is “Joe Average” the sales consultant you can do without and the sales consultant you need…
Let us examine this because “Joe Average” comes in two forms…

The one that just doesn’t care… Content, Complacent… There for the “3 D’s”… You know!
OR the other… Reliable, dependable, punctual… will do what their told.
How about when they are not… who are they learning from the wrong “Joe Averages”

They could be so much greater so much better.. yet they are average because of the lack of training!
How many employees are kept employed by what happens between a sales professional and customer?
ALL OF THEM!!!!! Porter to President!

So what type of training takes place behind your closed doors? And is it honestly enough?
Could there be more? Perhaps on a weekly basis, quarterly basis?

Not looking for the chest pounding answer… we have sales meetings everyday!
Great! How fired up are they when they come out of these sales meetings?

How is it that I can walk into most… not every… majority of dealerships dressed professionally with eye contact everywhere and not so much as get a greeting and have to greet what appears to be a manager?

Oh that’s right… It looks like I’m here to sell something… I’m dressed like a salesman!
Is training an expense? Or an investment? Some may answer well depends on who is doing it!
Pretty sure those are the ones who are not properly training their staff…
The excuses for why they don’t need training or even additional sales help would be eerily reminiscent of the very sales staff excuses when they bring a deal to the desk…

Sure it is easy for an outsider to point the finger on what could be better…
But what if that outsider was not trying to point a finger but rather extend a handshake to help correct a problem that clearly will not go away…

Outsource training…. Yes the patriotic thing to do!
Let qualified trainers with a competent track record and dealer references help!
Help take the brain damage out of it… So you can shift your focus on making money!!!!
Therefore making more money…. It is so simple it’s elementary! Let us not complicate things!

Training is not a one hit wonder… It should be multi-platinum! Because I guarantee those guys continue to train and practice! And spend money to do so!
Let’s get on the same sheet of music…

Is outsourcing training a good idea? And can a dealer afford to do it all on their own?
Please respond… I respect every ones opinion…
There are a lot of dealers who have no clue what dealerElite even is because they don’t take the time to!
But not after I visit them…

 So I am thankful for this platform and those responsible for creating and maintaining as well as those that contribute…

Feedback Greatly Appreciated!

Jason “Jmac” McIntosh