You knew retail was changing, right?  Who is ahead of the game at retail today are those staying ahead of Consumer Changing Habits.  “The next five years will bring more change to retail than the last 100 years” says Cyiac Roeding, CEO of Shoptick.  “Within 10 years, retail as we know it will be unrecognizable”, says Kevin Stemeckert, a Gartner analyst who follows retail technology.

The majority of dealerships today are playing in this digital world of business, and as you can expect, at varying levels of experience.  The question you must answer is: Is our digital world walled-in where the chosen few control "CPR" (Communication, Process and Relationship) with customers, or is an open-floor approach for all Doer's to participate in gaining,maintaining and retaining customers?  Do you allow sole custody of "CPR" from the walled-in department to have too much control of the life-blood of your business?   

A "Bottom-Up Pulls-Up" Business movement for faster-than-ever Consumer Changing Habits

Business Doers will assume their rightful role leading the way in this movement or become lagers and lose in this movement.  Doers working together within a team will accomplish far more than all the individual efforts combined can dream of achieving here.  Doers will be differentiating themselves, branding themselves at a team even to meet the faster-than-ever Consumer Changing Habits that are here and are certainly ahead of us.  

This "Old-Timer" example needs front and center attention today

He NEVER took an UP!  He only sold new Chevrolet cars; no trucks, no used, no fleet, no wholesale.  He sold 13,001 new Chevy cars in a 15 year career and was listed in the Guinness book of world records as the #1 salesperson in the world 12 consecutive years (the last few during the inflation period and gas lines of the early/mid 70's).  Joe Girard averaged 6 new Chevy sales every day of his career -------- without an UP -------- ever!  And, in his own words, he "never worked hard", just smart!  

What is the point?  We are primarily in the "UP" business!  Consumers do not like being an "UP", and as technology advances and Consumer Changing Habits advance, the "UP" business we rely on so much will fade away into never-never land!  What we know for certain within Consumer Changing Habits is consumers prefer relationships, real human relationships from actual human beings that actually stay in constant communication together!  They actually prefer the kinds of relationships Joe gave them back in the 60's and 70's.  

Headline:  "Joe Girard's Records Broken"

The Doer's of business as we'll experience over these next few years will convert!  They will do so, not to singularly go after something so huge that no one has accomplished since, but in Team Synergy winning the hearts of more and more consumers and keeping them under their umbrella of never-ending gratitude as a "We Are One" team.  This "Bottom-Up Pulls-Up" team synergy movement will be the single greatest asset going forward in doubling, tripling or more Customer Retention in our franchised dealership industry world.  Is an "UP" my most valuable customer or are the "Bank" full of customers retained by us our most valuable customers to love and serve?  In my book I go out on that limb and predict during these next 5 years or so, Joe's records will finally be broken, but not as a singular human effort, but within team synergy efforts, bringing many to the top.  I can't wait!  I assure you customers can't wait either!  No matter the tumultuous times that may lie ahead, "Doers of Business" will rule the Customer Retention world, not some walled-in department -- in my view.  

Adapt or Die

In all my years I have witnessed dealerships fail that I never imagined would fail; I've witnessed dealerships survive I never imagined would succeed.  The future belongs to "Business Doers" that will prove to lift up and keep up businesses in the future.  Our top-down structure will be changing to a "Bottom-Up Pulls-Up" model that will prove to be the cornerstone of dealerships leading the way through these next number of years.  I do not call upon dealerships to Adapt or Die so much as I call upon the "Business Doers" to rise up and take your rightful place in leading this consumer movement and be the "we" you must become to achieve far more together than you can even dream of alone today.  

I strongly encourage you Doers not to waste your time and wait for others to be first.  Step up!  Be bold, be authentic, be original, be ethical, be of the highest character with the utmost integrity.  I, for one, within many this superior DealerElite and Automotive Digital Marketing community, give you my utmost best to coach you and your team to the excellence customers want and deserve, you want and deserve and your business wants and deserves.  The fact is no one has enough money to buy this type of loyalty.  This can only be attained and retained through human team synergy solutions.  

Stacked Ranking of Employees Is a Dying Practice

Great news, or what?  Stacked ranking of employees is a dying practice that must be put to death in our industry.  “According to surveys of ‘high-performing’ companies by the institute for Corporate Productivity, only 14 percent (of businesses) use forced ranking, down from 49 percent two years ago” states Michael Kanell, Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  We are about the last of a dying breed.  If we do not take employee retention as seriously as we are attempting to take customer retention the future retail landscape will challenge us greatly.  

Who Is In Charge Here?

The consumer is in charge.  They want and need the best "CPR" from Doer’s to build their faith and trust in the business.    Yes, we must change to meet consumer wants and needs, and they want and need Doer’s that stick and stay to keep them sticking and staying. Doers, it is time to act.  Prepare for excellent practice.  Prepare to Retention-Proof your business, your team synergy business, your dealership business!

Never underestimate a bit of common sense mixed in with a tad of wisdom producing uncommon remarkable results!  Get ready to get energized to get synergized!  Let's get to it Doers!  

Get your: "Double Your Customer Count in 7 Months" free book at www.1TeamSynergy.com