You've evaluated the numbers.  Met with your managers.  Decided the goals for the rest of the year.  Now the only question is, how and when should you hire additional sales people?  Is there actually a best time to put new people on your floor?  Let's look at the possibilities.

HIRING WHEN THINGS ARE SLOW

When things are slow there are two huge benefits to hiring new people.  First - You cna take your time and make sure they get their feet under them.  Let them learn where everything is.  Mold them into the type of professional you really want on the floor.  Second - The excitement and positive attitude that new people bring to your team is contagious.  More often than not, they add to your sales total rather than taking a few sales from your current team.

Another benefit to hiring when things are not as busy as you'd like, is that it makes things busy.  Activity breeds enthusiasm and enthusiasm breeds success.  SUCCESS MEANS SALES!  No matter how much your current team is taking traffic for granted.

HIRING WHEN THINGS ARE BUSY

Customers are everywhere.  Your team is making money and attitudes are great.  Why on earth would you rock the good ship HAPPY TIMES by hiring more sales people?  BECAUSE YOU ARE LOSING MONEY.  That's right.  If everyone is handling all of the customers they can, you're missing business.  Some customers will not be given the right amount of time because your team is looking for the next deal.

Bringing in new people will make sure that everyone is given the proper amount of time.  It will also tell your current team that the customer in front of them right now is the most important one.  But the real benefit is, your new sales pros will get the chance to perfect their skills quickly and while their attitude is sky high.  You also eliminate the fear of failure because they are on to the next customer before any such fear can take hold.

HIRING TO SHAKE THINGS UP

If your store is like a lot of dlaerships, there are some team members who have been there a long time.  Congratualtions.  You have an environment that breeds loyalty.  The danger of this could be that their production is dropping because they take their job for granted.  Perhaps their desire to be on top or the need to earn has dropped.  But, they have been there and you don't want to blow them out.

Bringing in some new blood is just like a breath of fresh air.  These newly trained people can create a level of competition that had been missing for a long time.  You put yourself in a can't lose situation.  Either the "veterans" step up or step away and make room for new talent.  If they step up, your sales will be rewarded.  If they step away, you can now replace them with new and enthusiastic people who are committed you success.

REALITY

The best time to hire is when you need to change something in the sales performance at your store.  Hiring the right people can go a long way to helping change to the monthy outcome you desire.  But, hiring just for the sake of hiring can do just as much damage as sitting around waiting for the market to come to you.  Proper hiring includes training and mentoring so that the new people have a real opportunity to meet and exceed your expectations.

JOHN FUHRMAN is a Senior National Trainer with Carolina Automotive Resource Services - A unit of THE DEALER RESOURCE GROUP.  Since 1996 he has trained over 15,000 sales professionals, written 10 best-selling books(Over 1.5 million readers) and worked for dealerships across the US.  He is part of a team of trainers who have over 100 years of in dealership experience.  Send any emails to dealerresourcegroup@gmail.com and we'll respond within 24 hours.  Dealers can click on the link and sign up using the "Join Me" button and receive a FREE weekly e-zine with tips and training discounts.  (c) 2012 John Fuhrman - Permission is hereby granted to reprint and reproduce this article in its entire content including the contact information here.