Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joe Brunner on September 27, 2010 at 2:56pm

Great discussion Craig! Why bring in more customers if your sales staff isn't properly trained to handle them. It would be like asking a win- less team to play three more games each year. The results would still be the same. On the other hand, when the business is slow and the economy is less than spectacular, dealerships NEED TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THE CUSTOMERS THEY HAVE, not find ways to bring in more and treat them the same. That is truly the definition of insanity! Fear and money are motivating tools that are short lived, while helping your staff develop to it's fullest potential through training are traits that make dealerships great and aid in staff retention. Dealers who feel training doesn't work are definitely using the wrong training... Most start with product knowledge and overcoming objections. What a waste. Start with people skills first. Use the DISC training and when people begin to understand others, they avoid objections all together. As for advertising, 24 of 25 papers are in record decline and trash cans are littered with unopened mailers. Advertise on sites on the internet at one third of the cost, and spend the rest on training. Dealers will be glad that they did.

Permalink Reply by Craig Lockerd on September 27, 2010 at 3:06pm

It really is a crazy thing...it's not the managers fault, they most of the time are buried with a million other things....there MUST be a budget for it

Joe Brunner said:

Great discussion Craig! Why bring in more customers if your sales staff isn't properly trained to handle them. It would be like asking a win- less team to play three more games each year. The results would still be the same. On the other hand, when the business is slow and the economy is less than spectacular, dealerships NEED TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THE CUSTOMERS THEY HAVE, not find ways to bring in more and treat them the same. That is truly the definition of insanity! Fear and money are motivating tools that are short lived, while helping your staff develop to it's fullest potential through training are traits that make dealerships great and aid in staff retention. Dealers who feel training doesn't work are definitely using the wrong training... Most start with product knowledge and overcoming objections. What a waste. Start with people skills first. Use the DISC training and when people begin to understand others, they avoid objections all together. As for advertising, 24 of 25 papers are in record decline and trash cans are littered with unopened mailers. Advertise on sites on the internet at one third of the cost, and spend the rest on training. Dealers will be glad that they did.

Permalink Reply by Fred G. Slabine on September 27, 2010 at 3:15pm

David, I agree with you, if a dealer was aggressive and really cared about increasing sales; they would ask for the feedback on their sales person's performance on the customers who DID NOT buy!

Just think for a second on what they could find out, here are some examples:

1. The sales person did not create a trusting relationship.
2. They lacked professionalism in their mannerisms, appearance, and product knowledge
3. I think they were too concerned with their commission.
4. I felt like I was interrupting their day.
5. The salesperson asked me to buy prior to seeing if I wanted the vehicle.

The best way to stop this type of behavior is through monitoring and managing the sales force, but the sales managers usually do not have the time, patience or knowledge in how to DEVELOP their sales force.

This spells O-P-P-O-R-T-U-N-T-Y for us professional sales trainers.


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.

Permalink Reply by Craig Lockerd on September 27, 2010 at 3:25pm

Fred it is a huge opportunity for everyone for sure. The benefit to the dealers can build into a crazy amount of gross dollars and more importantly keep a client for life.

Fred G. Slabine said:

David, I agree with you, if a dealer was aggressive and really cared about increasing sales; they would ask for the feedback on their sales person's performance on the customers who DID NOT buy!

Just think for a second on what they could find out, here are some examples:

1. The sales person did not create a trusting relationship.
2. They lacked professionalism in their mannerisms, appearance, and product knowledge
3. I think they were too concerned with their commission.
4. I felt like I was interrupting their day.
5. The salesperson asked me to buy prior to seeing if I wanted the vehicle.

The best way to stop this type of behavior is through monitoring and managing the sales force, but the sales managers usually do not have the time, patience or knowledge in how to DEVELOP their sales force.

This spells O-P-P-O-R-T-U-N-T-Y for us professional sales trainers.


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.

Permalink Reply by Joe Brunner on September 27, 2010 at 4:04pm

Great comments Nancy!

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?

Permalink Reply by Joe Brunner on September 27, 2010 at 4:06pm

ROI... Love it Craig... MBWA... caring about your people and what you do...

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.

Permalink Reply by Craig Lockerd on September 27, 2010 at 4:16pm

Been doing management by walking around for 25 years.....only real way other than hidden cameras to know what the heck your people need trained on...........

Joe Brunner said:

ROI... Love it Craig... MBWA... caring about your people and what you do...

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.

Permalink Reply by NANCY SIMMONS on September 27, 2010 at 6:54pm

Thanks Joe... A compliment from you and Craig is appreciated and accepted with great honor!

Joe Brunner said:

Great comments Nancy!

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?

Permalink Reply by Bob Gaber on September 28, 2010 at 7:15am

Managing by wandering around. Tom Peters. If you are not directly involved in the sale then you are doing nothing actually produce income for the dealer.

Joe Brunner said:

ROI... Love it Craig... MBWA... caring about your people and what you do...

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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