Kelly’s Korner – Creating Team Environment (Sales)
The October column addressed the pitfalls that new sales representatives face when they begin work for a dealership. Sometimes new hires can get so lost in the daily routine they will soon become discouraged and leave the business before they can really get started.
Traditional dealerships have a sales tower where the sales managers sit high above the floor and try to keep an eye on floor traffic and opportunities while they desk deals, order inventory, and appraise trade-in vehicles. Imagine a new hire’s anxiety as they approach the sales commander with a question. Often the physical layout is enough to make the new hire run for cover.
During a recent telephone conversation with an automotive dealer in Arizona, we talked about creating a physical environment and management style that can develop new hires into professional sales consultants.
Orientation
Introduce the new hire to each department head. Set a specific time each morning for the new sales representative to observe team players in each dealership department.
. . . To Service
A new sales consultant should spend the first three hours of the first week observing the service writers. The best way to learn not to over promise in the sales process is to witness first hand the challenge this presents to other team members. After a few mornings of listening to customers and service writers, the new hire will learn to make inquiries before committing the service department to unrealistic time frames, discover the importance of “Due Bill” or “We Owe” documentation, and begin to understand that when it comes to promises, only the written word matters.
. . . To Accounting
A morning with the contract person in the accounting office will reveal the importance of accurate odometer readings and current registration documents. The new salesperson will also begin to realize the repercussions of paperwork with misspelled names and faulty insurance information.
. . . To Reception
One morning with the telephone receptionist will emphasize the importance of listening on the telephone and reinforce that the telephone voice is the welcome wagon to the dealership.
Education
When you hire a new sales representative, remember that learning about a new industry requires more than watching VHS tapes or DVDs. Your new hire may be entering a culture that is very different from any previous work environment. For this reason, sales education should be planned, as well as ongoing.
Experienced managers all too often demonstrate impatience and frustration with new personnel. I often wonder if these managers are angry at the new hire, or if they are really angry with themselves for failing to devote time to put a new hire on the path to success.
Teamwork
With a team concept, education does not need to rest solely upon the shoulders of the sales manager. Teams allow manager’s duties to be shared with senior sales associates who are able mentors and coaches, and who often prefer to work less than full time.
I can hear you thinking now, how do I pay these mentors? The commissions will not take any additional percentage; instead, think about a different way of pooling the profits for each team. The teams share in the commissions, which may either be based on contributions to the team’s education and production, or even on a specific skill set. Teams can consist of three members, two members, and yes, some of you will have those who do not wish to be on any team. Those individuals can be on a team of one. Teams should run for at least 90 days, at which time senior management reviews their status, and the team will decide to remain intact, change players, or dissolve. In the meantime, when you hire new sales personnel, think about them as a bank account: You must make a deposit before you make a withdrawal.
“Kelly’s Korner”, OIADA Squeaky Wheel Newsletter, November 2006