Who is in charge at your dealership?

[Daniel J. Mondello]

Our Dealer Principal

 

[Jlewis74]

I talked to a good Internet Director that wanted to have a phone process in place in the dealership, and he keeps getting shot down by the GM.
They don't want to give him any control of the salespeople.

Many times that comes down to an Ego problem with the GM/GSM.

 

[Jewanski]

I have three salespeople in a lead round robin at my store. Have said multiple times that if the performance isn't there, the leads should turn off. IE, the contact rate, appointment rate, etc has to be consistent with clearly explained and understood reasonable benchmarks. Something as simple as diverting leads out of a round robin is something I can't get control of. Totally an ego thing.

 

[Carluminati]

Sales Managers are over-rated, and we have too many of them.

What really happens: Customer shows, you demo, prepare the write up.... You go to the desk, they give you numbers, you try sell the deal. Customer not biting? You get new numbers from Sales Manager, you try again. Not there yet? You go back, get more numbers and finally sell the car. Yipee! You get a flat, and Manager get monster checks, drives the Demo, gets all the credit! We can build a simple software program that does what a Sales Manager does. It's called a Sales Manager Kiosk. I build all my deals, and do not need a Sales Manager.

 

[Jlewis74]

That is not all sales managers should be doing. That is not a sales manager! Sales manager would have helped you hold gross, started talking with the customer at first offer, etc.

 

[Carluminati]

That is not all sales managers should be doing. That is not a sales manager! Sales manager would have helped you hold gross, started talking with the customer at first offer, etc.

I've been at a few dealerships and my experience is different I must confess. I worked at the #1 volume used car store (150 used per month with $3K front/back average) for a year in my town and the Sales Managers saw no reason to talk to the customer - rarely. I left and was rehired with my current import ISM position. My experience is that most Sales Managers do not ever talk with the customer. Maybe at a final attempt to keep the deal, and keep them sitting.

 

[Tallcool1]

It all starts at the top - develop a CULTURE of positivity and training (in this instance) and the sales people will have no other choice but to fall in line.

If they don't want to fall in line - I take a line from Bruce Kimbrell's DSES Keynote last year (he's a head honcho at Disney) & "Encourage them to find happiness [employment] elsewhere."

You don't need unwarranted negativity in

I agree with this philosophy and always will.

I understand the pay plan argument, but there is something to be said for being part of a team. Being part of a bigger cause. Stepping out of the self centered mentality that made this industry the nightmare that it is today.

Bad customer experiences are often times the result of a pay plan that does not necessarily share the same vision that the business owner shares.

My biggest problem with the pay plan argument is that it quickly becomes a situation in which we are have to bonus a guy to do the job that he was hired to do to begin with! Rearranging the lot is just part of being a car salesperson. It makes the business a better place. It makes us more money. No I will not pay you extra to rearrange the lot. Scooping snow is also part of being a salesperson. It makes the business a better place. It makes us more money. No I will not pay you extra to scoop snow. Using the Phone Ninja process is part of being a salesperson. It makes the business a better place. It makes us more money. I will not pay you extra to use the Phone Ninja process.