Keeping good salespeople is harder than finding them
Hiring a great salesperson is one thing. Keeping him or her on the team is another. Often the manager or boss is too busy scrutinizing and measuring the salesperson’s performance, and ignoring their own part of the partnership. The part necessary to support, build and keep a great team. What are you doing to keep your salespeople? Here’s a list of 24.5 elements to build and grow a stellar sales team: Structure a fair compensation...
Departmentalization leads to Compartmentalization
It always amazes me how as dealers, we all tend to organize ourselves the same way. I suppose I really shouldn’t be amazed. In any industry, there are methods and processes that are proven to be efficient. These methods become “best practices” in the industry, and the effectiveness of the process should naturally draw most of the participants to mimic the most productive model. Financially the “best practices” in our industry call for...
Do you have Meatloaf Syndrome?
You’ve likely heard of Meatloaf – the American singer and actor known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical performances. In 1993, he released one of his most popular songs, “I’d do anything for love (but I won’t do that)”. While there’s a bit of ongoing discussion about what Meatloaf won’t do for love, the song title actually has applications in the ways we think about and...
If you’re Presiding, You’re not Leading
Your CEO announces its strategic planning season. Every department head is asked to develop and deliver their strategic plan and budget for the coming year. Because they all have proprietary subject matter expertise, each one brings their vision to the table. The presentations are reviewed, some superficial tweaks are made (often in the area of budget) and approved. Then the year continues on, with the CEO checking in periodically to...
Sales success with cookies–How sweet it is
All her life Debbie Fields wanted to be in the cookie business. She loved to bake ’em, and everyone who tasted one said it was the best they’d ever eaten. But as any entrepreneur knows, wanting to go into business, and going into business, are two different things. Debbie lacked the one ingredient to open her cookie shop: money. She went around to banks with a business plan and a plate of cookies until she found someone who believed...
Unifying your dealership data: By ERP or SOP?
Last month we were discussing the finer points of the Service CX (customer experience). As I pointed out in the June issue, managing the CX in the service department is fraught with difficulty. This is primarily because many times the service department interfaces with customers at the point of their greatest need. There is a truck at the dock door waiting to unload, and another truck arriving in 30 minutes. Now the forklift won’t...
What is next on the list and how to get it done
Every time I attend a Board Meeting or Management Meeting the participants always wind up asking “what is next on the list” and how the heck we can get it done, who is going to be responsible, how to measure progress and when to call it quits if the results are NOT what we are looking for. I expect you to go through the same process. After thinking about this I noticed that the way to manage a “Get it Done” process could parallel or...
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