DEALER principals frequently ask how they can attract the right person to join their sales team; someone who is enthusiastic, wants to learn and gets along with people. But most importantly, someone who can sell!
The challenge is finding a sales person who fits not just one but all these criteria.
Often, salespeople are hired with one or more of these attributes. They achieve the numbers to start off with; but then their other failings surface and the dealer principal realises that they are not a good fit for the business.
For example, a client employed a top salesperson – on paper. The first few weeks there was euphoria; the salesperson was selling a record number of used cars and the bottom line looked good.
But in a couple of months the ‘top salesperson’ had to be let go. He was selling a lot of cars but losing a lot of customers along the way. The dealership had attracted an undesirable salesperson.
Why did this happen?
Let’s look at this from the perspective of what would have attracted a ‘perfect’ salesperson.
A dealer principal, a sales manager or HR manager needs to ask: what would persuade a top performer to work in your business? What would be your business’ attraction factor?
Businesses that have this “attraction” factor have the best people working for them. They seem to enjoy what they do and this leads to many benefits for the business owner.
Key benefits of an “attraction car dealership business” are:
Higher gross per car – higher profitability
Employee loyalty and low turnover of staff
Repeat business/client loyalty
Warranty upgrades
Increase in finance penetration, etc.
An attraction business has a great reputation amongst its clients and partners that is envied by their competition.
So what makes a car dealership attractive and successful?
For the answer to this we need look no further what makes a happy and fulfilled relationship or a happy and fulfilled family environment. A happy environment encourages people to spend time in the relationship and with their family.
Now examine what the opposite of this might be. Think about a relationship that is not working; what do most people want to do? Escape! Conflict and miscommunication are usually the common themes.
So, if a business has a high turnover of staff, low profitability per sale, and, in relative terms, low repeat business with few referrals, it is a business that is ‘unattractive’ to work for. It will have a problem attracting and retaining staff.
Car dealers obviously need to concentrate their attention on the numbers being generated by dealerships but it can be very revealing if they take the trouble to understand what the story is behind those numbers. What are behaviours that reflect those numbers?
A close look at the attitudes of the people who generate those numbers might reveal, for example, the silent sabotage that goes on beneath the surface of the business. Unfortunately, even if they know it is going on, many owners fail to acknowledge that white anting of the business is occurring because denial is less confronting than taking the problem on.
How do you fix this? Or how do you work towards a solution?
To change behaviours and attitudes is not a simple thing and often not accomplished overnight.
The key word is “work” towards it.
To bring about change in the business, the change needs to start with behaviour first.
Changing behaviours that are habitual is the challenge for many people. In psychology it’s called Belief Perseverance. The technical description is: Belief perseverance is the tendency to cling to one’s initial belief even after receiving new information that contradicts or disconfirms the basis of that belief.
For example, a person has several minor car accidents where they were at fault but they still maintain they are a good driver even though the evidence proves otherwise.
Working in my field, I come across this all the time. Senior people in management, as well as those who have just started their career in sales, will defend their existing beliefs even when evidence is provided highlighting the flaws in their thinking.
Is change easy? No. Where does change usually start? At the top.
I refer to a quote from Jack Welch who said “If the rate of change is happening faster outside your business than inside, then the end is near”.
So what is an ‘attraction’ business environment that encourages the top people to work in your business?
An attraction business has:
Positive leadership
Cares about and invests in its people
Respects its people
Focusses on outcomes
To summarise, a successful business attracts successful people. A successful business has a focus on good behaviours – management and staff. To encourage these good ‘attraction’ behaviours, you need to revisit long standing beliefs that can be handicapping your business and embrace the means to initiate change.
Written by: Pancho Mehrotra
Training and development professional Pancho Mehrotra, in his 30+ years’ sales and training experience, has developed and mastered the skills required to effectively communicate with clients at all levels, thereby understanding the psychology to influence people at all levels. www.frontierp.com.au
For further information, please contact: info@frontierp.com.au or (02) 9033 8663
By Pancho Mehroht on 7th April 2016 Comment, Management Workshop Attraction, Management, Pancho
Pancho Mehrohta
DEALER principals frequently ask how they can attract the right person to join their sales team; someone who is enthusiastic, wants to learn and gets along with people. But most importantly, someone who can sell!
The challenge is finding a sales person who fits not just one but all these criteria.
Often, salespeople are hired with one or more of these attributes. They achieve the numbers to start off with; but then their other failings surface and the dealer principal realises that they are not a good fit for the business.
For example, a client employed a top salesperson – on paper. The first few weeks there was euphoria; the salesperson was selling a record number of used cars and the bottom line looked good.
But in a couple of months the ‘top salesperson’ had to be let go. He was selling a lot of cars but losing a lot of customers along the way. The dealership had attracted an undesirable salesperson.
Why did this happen?
Let’s look at this from the perspective of what would have attracted a ‘perfect’ salesperson.
A dealer principal, a sales manager or HR manager needs to ask: what would persuade a top performer to work in your business? What would be your business’ attraction factor?
Businesses that have this “attraction” factor have the best people working for them. They seem to enjoy what they do and this leads to many benefits for the business owner.
Key benefits of an “attraction car dealership business” are:
An attraction business has a great reputation amongst its clients and partners that is envied by their competition.
So what makes a car dealership attractive and successful?
For the answer to this we need look no further what makes a happy and fulfilled relationship or a happy and fulfilled family environment. A happy environment encourages people to spend time in the relationship and with their family.
Now examine what the opposite of this might be. Think about a relationship that is not working; what do most people want to do? Escape! Conflict and miscommunication are usually the common themes.
So, if a business has a high turnover of staff, low profitability per sale, and, in relative terms, low repeat business with few referrals, it is a business that is ‘unattractive’ to work for. It will have a problem attracting and retaining staff.
Car dealers obviously need to concentrate their attention on the numbers being generated by dealerships but it can be very revealing if they take the trouble to understand what the story is behind those numbers. What are behaviours that reflect those numbers?
A close look at the attitudes of the people who generate those numbers might reveal, for example, the silent sabotage that goes on beneath the surface of the business. Unfortunately, even if they know it is going on, many owners fail to acknowledge that white anting of the business is occurring because denial is less confronting than taking the problem on.
How do you fix this? Or how do you work towards a solution?
To change behaviours and attitudes is not a simple thing and often not accomplished overnight.
The key word is “work” towards it.
To bring about change in the business, the change needs to start with behaviour first.
Changing behaviours that are habitual is the challenge for many people. In psychology it’s called Belief Perseverance. The technical description is: Belief perseverance is the tendency to cling to one’s initial belief even after receiving new information that contradicts or disconfirms the basis of that belief.
For example, a person has several minor car accidents where they were at fault but they still maintain they are a good driver even though the evidence proves otherwise.
Working in my field, I come across this all the time. Senior people in management, as well as those who have just started their career in sales, will defend their existing beliefs even when evidence is provided highlighting the flaws in their thinking.
Is change easy? No. Where does change usually start? At the top.
I refer to a quote from Jack Welch who said “If the rate of change is happening faster outside your business than inside, then the end is near”.
So what is an ‘attraction’ business environment that encourages the top people to work in your business?
An attraction business has:
To summarise, a successful business attracts successful people. A successful business has a focus on good behaviours – management and staff. To encourage these good ‘attraction’ behaviours, you need to revisit long standing beliefs that can be handicapping your business and embrace the means to initiate change.
Written by: Pancho Mehrotra
Training and development professional Pancho Mehrotra, in his 30+ years’ sales and training experience, has developed and mastered the skills required to effectively communicate with clients at all levels, thereby understanding the psychology to influence people at all levels. www.frontierp.com.au
For further information, please contact: info@frontierp.com.au or (02) 9033 8663
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