Dealer need to train their salesmen if they want to survive.

Replies to This ADM Discussion

Permalink Reply by Clarence U Romero on August 8, 2009 at 11:48am

Ruben, the sad reality is that this is all over the country. I blame dealer principals, and managers. They are so into hiring cheap talent, that this is what they get.

If they took more time and paid better for top talent, or really train what they have, not just read a couple of books, and watch a video and now your trained. This is the product of old dealer mentality. This is why nobody respects this profession, cause they put the wrong person to do the wrong job.

Example, A dealer that I use to call on when I was a road rep always complained that she could not get her internet dept up and running. She seemed like a nice enough person, as I called on her store for several years. I would get calls from her employees saying that she was crazy and that they were going to quit, and can I find them a job. A while back I took some time off, and she called me and almost begged me for help, that she needed to get this dept off the ground, after 5 years trying. I said ok, I built several successful BDC dept's across the country, how hard can this be.

I quickly realized that this dept would have never grown. It had one working computer out of eight! They used the current BDC dept as a storage room and a BDC. I had all the computers fixed with internet access, hired all the people and quickly went from 0 to 31 units first month. She then asked me for help in service, cause the GM rep said they were going to get involved cause she had the worst CSI in the region. I took a look, and she had a service manager, one full time writer, and a part time writer, and 15 mechanics! What’s wrong with this picture? As I was trying to fix the service dept she destroyed my BDC. She took the girls out of the BDC without asking and had them answering phones at the front desk, and helping clean up the dealership? She later took out some of the computers from the BDC and gave them to sales people that looked at MySpace all day.

So I blame the dealer principals and senior management for lack of qualified and educated staff. Hire the right people for the right job, and pay the price it takes to get those people. I don't mean pay anybody anything, just the right people the right money, and all will go well.

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Permalink Reply by Stan Sher on August 18, 2009 at 12:37am

Wow...she really did that? That is amazing. Hey, a lot of people do not think and are backwards. Clarence, you and I are in the northeast and we know the dealerships out here are way behind when it comes to moving forward simply because everyone thinks they know everything. I am at the point where you know I do not want to work in a store anymore because I am fed up with stupidity and lack of common sense of dealer principles and GMs.

When you hire people for cheap money, you will get what you pay for. You hire people that work hard and produce, they should make a good living. When morale is up production is up. Get people in and train them, keep training them. Keep the pay plans aggressive and let people make money. The more they make, the more the store makes. Clarence, you and I know a few mutual people that unfortunately do not think like that.

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Permalink Reply by Ruben K on August 18, 2009 at 9:15am

3 years ago prior to branching out and working on my own software I use to work for a Automotive CRM company.We had about 800 to 900 dealers and we supported and trained their BDC department. I could tell just by speaking over the phone if their department would be successful and time after time I would see a successful dealerships with a strong BDC department would start closing stores after new management would come in and look for ways to save money and the 1st thing they do is take apart BDC departments hire a kid part time after school cut the department from 10 to 3 then sure enough cancel useful tools like CRM software and not keep computer update. End result to save a dollar they lost ten.

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Permalink Reply by Clarence U Romero on August 18, 2009 at 9:31am

Hey Ruben,

The trick here is the involvement of the ownership. The training relationship as to go deeper than the BDC. The owner and GM's have to be involved. It's hard to fire your friend, or a product that seem to be working. If they don't see it's working than it's not. Same thing is for any dept in a store. Finance dept one bank gets a huge amount of deals, I can bet you that the finance director likes talking to the buyer or has a great relationship with the rep. He's gone, that bank suffers.

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Permalink Reply by Ruben K on August 10, 2009 at 11:41am

Exactly I agree 100% Romero the problem is lack of training, equipment and talented team, that old concept of the salesmen standing out side and telling a walk-in how can I get you to drive out of here with a new car is gone.

My team and I are getting near to completing a Automotive CRM and our biggest fear is the lack of talent and equipment. Cause the problem is not just creating a lead it's closing the deal and keeping them happy #1 and #2 having them become a return customer and referrer friends and family.

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Permalink Reply by Clarence U Romero on August 18, 2009 at 9:24am

Hey Ruben, sorry for the late response. Whatever you do, whatever the product, training is the key. If you want to offer a product, you must be able to support it, and train the customer on it.

I know a great company that wasn't so great. I am not going to say who it was, but they were in the market for several years, and the growth was like watching paint dry in the extreme heat. They would sell the customer and then month or two later bye bye.

They got some money, took some very good advice and hired an entire support training team. A team that become of great need to the dealership cause they brought value in a consultive manner to the dealer. Not a person coming in to share reports, a person who came in and say I found a another way for you to make money, and it's not going to cost you anything. Bingo, this company currentley and still dominate the space, and will for a long time. They have made some real bad decisions, but still continue dominate because of support and a consultive support that dealers need.

Ruben If I can help you in any way, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Clarence

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Permalink Reply by Stan Sher on August 10, 2009 at 6:36pm

wow...

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Permalink Reply by Michael Tanna on September 3, 2009 at 9:02am

I agree with Clarence and Stan, I have been working for the dealer for 18 plus years and have been a In all positions and have always gone back to the desk because of my deep desire to motivate and train young adults in the dealerships to show them the amazing possibilities of our industry, I have recruited from the mall, restraunts and bathroom attendants .The problem is from the top. Cheap labor too much pack and the, I do not care attitude about turnover.
If that is what you want then Jack in the Box is what you get. You must train and you must be involved I have personally bought close shoes and other items to mold my sales reps, and in return I get loyalty and hard work. You have to train and the first thing you train is discipline Yes Sir No Sir, You must welcome everyone with a handshake and a smile. And then an immediate introduction to the manager that will be involved.
Liner closer stores make more money sell more cars and get better CSI results. That is just my opinion even if that is just your sixty day training center .I have gotten a lot of flack because of my relationship with the sales reps .Your too involved you stand up for them to much .Maybe but without the front line and someone staying on top of these young men and woman you lose them.
You must shorten the hours to get the best out of people. Young adults have other priorities and need to be given the chance to spread their wings as long as it is clear you do not put up with drug use and lying to the customer. You have a period of time that a person is wound up going a hundred miles an hour that is what you must harness. If you show a genuine respect with discipline and are willing to come to the floor and close the deal along side of your reps you will get a fine product for the dealer. You must acknowledge a job well done each time and that is important every time a car is sold. Stop beating the salespeople up. I have been traveling this country the past six months and have talked and listened to a lot of sales reps and managers and the things that are said to these young people is shameful when they do not sell a car it Is the fault of the manager penciling the deal because the Velcro on their ass kept them from moving to the deal not the sales rep.
If the deal goes sideways show the salesmen what he may have done differently rather than embarrassing him with words of ignorance. Be a mentor not a pinhead .Keep the GM upstairs and the GSM as the leader the happy guy passing out spiffs buying lunch shaking hands and just the head coach.
Your Integrity and ethics if used properly will enhance sales increase CSI and the loyalty of your salespeople. Now the GM’s of this industry must hire the talent that is sitting on the sidelines or recruit the talent that is working with their competitor and flush the I don’t care about turnover attitude it is costing you the money that you could put out for great talent.

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Permalink Reply by Ruben K on September 3, 2009 at 1:44pm

Well said Michael keep up the good work. If all dealers would do the same there would be no problem.

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Permalink Reply by Clarence U Romero on September 3, 2009 at 2:01pm

Well said Michael,

I could not have said it better myself.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Tanna on September 3, 2009 at 3:35pm

Wanted to make sure this came to you also I am new to this and want to make sure you are kept in the loop. Thank you for your response and as soon as I find work I will go Wright back to it. As I said the dealer and or GM’s are looking for young cheap labor not a Veteran that knows what it takes to make profit keep profit and maintain a quality sales floor. So while I sit and wait for that one dealer that is tired of the same old results and calls me I will stay involved in trying to express my thoughts in a positive yet assertive voice .Thank you so much.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Tanna on September 3, 2009 at 3:32pm

Thank you for your response and as soon as I find work I will go Wright back to it. As I said the dealer and or GM’s are looking for young cheap labor not a Veteran that knows what it takes to make profit keep profit and maintain a quality sales floor. So while I sit and wait for that one dealer that is tired of the same old results and calls me I will stay involved in trying to express my thoughts in a positive yet assertive voice .Thank you so much.

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