Can you teach an old dog new tricks?

[Aereus]

Let me start off by including myself in the "old dog" category so as not to offend anyone. I am curious to hear what others have experienced when new technology meets an industry veteran with marginal technical skills.

Let's say you have a consistent top producer who either refuses or is slow to adopt to a new CRM, ILM, or whatever technology presents itself. How do you approach that situation? Do you allow that salesperson to stay with what he has been successful with, and work around him? Do you have someone else say do the data entry for a salesperson that is slow on a keyboard?

There is a generational gap in what technical skills were taught to some of our more "seasoned" salespersons, and when adopting a CRM, (or service program etc) and there are real issues with training and adoption. Most of us are well versed in email, no matter the age, but when it comes to doing queries, sorting, and basic data manipulation, I have seen some pretty strong resistance, and/or lack of understanding. I am sure this is a common issue so what steps have you taken to smooth the process? My own experience tells me that if the willingness to learn is there, then eventually you will get positive results, but there are those few that won't or can't get it.

 

[Alex Snyder]

I have certainly been fighting that fight for years Craig. An old dog can be taught new tricks when the trainer has patience and understanding. There is certainly a depth divide, when it comes to technology, between some of the older generation and the newer generations. Every person is unique so there are always exceptions to the rule.

I won't deny that there have been times when we have had to get very brash with someone because they've been unreasonable in their technology adaptations, but we'd do that to anyone who refused to get on board with any program.

This is where I think the technology builders can do a better job. As technology evolves there is absolutely no reason not to have somewhat differing "dashboards" for user levels. I think we can build technology that speaks to users on different levels.

 

[Ryan Thompson]

Very excited to follow this thread.

IMO you can teach an old dog new tricks and I've met some seasoned veterans in the car business adapt to technology very easy. It just bothers me when they play dumb and pass the buck to the green peas that don' t know how to say no.

 

[Aereus]

Ryan, I have found that same phenomenon at times. For me, that's why I love the good salesmen. He's always working something or somebody. I was hoping to get success stories from others who have overcome this hurdle. I appreciate and agree with Alex's comments.

 

[danoneil]

If you are introducing a new CRM, I think it would be valuable to have "must have" information that needs to be completed before a salesperson can move on. Perhaps a color coded system that prompts what is needed.

If your teaching a new system, you have to allow one on one time so that old dogs can ask questions. I would also say that training in groups of 20 or 30 people is not a good idea because no one wants to be the guy that holds everyone else up.


We have salespeople who have been with our store for 15 to 30 years. Average age I would say is 60. These established pro's have grown with the birth of computers in the car business. Most have adapted quite well.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

Having been a trainer on CRM I can tell you that it was very difficult working with an old dog who possessed zero computer skills. So not only did I have to teach them the CRM, but I had to teach them how to use a computer. That included explaining to them what a web browser was.

It's real easy for these salespeople to get frustrated and want to throw in the towel. Dealers should identify these individuals and make plans to get them some basic computer skills training before rolling out any new software tools. THIS INCLUDES MANAGERS who are sometimes the worst. There are plenty of learning centers that offer basic computer skill classes to beginners. In today's world you can only go so far before it's going to catch up to you. Show me a dealership without a CRM tool and I'll show you a management team that is computer illiterate.

As far as those old dogs go, they either need to adapt or they need to find a new job. The only exception I might consider is with a person who sells a lot of cars from an existing database (old school card and file system) and does not take any fresh ups.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Teaching old dog new tricks can no doubt be frustrating and usually ends in giving up on most levels.

Jerry you said "As far as those old dogs go, they either need to adapt or they need to find a new job." - I used to think this was a little harsh but truth is, if you are going to excel in this business you need to step up and be willing to dive into technology.

Efficiency is key to producing and today's technology allows dealers (small businesses) to be more efficient. I know managers that have a 48 response time to emails. 48 hours - guess how long it takes to get things done with a response time like that?

It's not always the Old Dogs either. I know many many sales people in their 30's that have just as a hard time adapting to technology. That always amazes me!

 

[Shereef]

.
Yes, It doesn't matter if it's new technology, or a new improved process. It all boils down to sound business decision making, planning a strategy for successful implementation, and relentlessly doing whatever it takes to make it happen (Training, Training, and more Training). It is all about the team, and the old dogs will cost you money and the respect of your peers in the long run if you turn a blind eye to non compliance.

In today’s car business, you learn and adapt or get left behind. Strong forward thinking leadership and teamwork is what it takes to win.....

If you feel you can't afford to lose a seasoned salesperson that is selling a ton of cars, that will not, or can't comprehend the needed changes, you have two choices. Separate them from the main sales force (Fleet dept, or whatever you want to name it), or cut bait and move on. If you keep them within the regular sales force and let them do their own thing, you will alienate the rest of the team.

 

[JoeBrouillette]

During our recent install of a new CRM we had a bit of this issue. We have those seasoned vets that do kill it every month but were frustrated with the change. I helped them adapt by showing them some of the new features and how it impacted them. I told them how the internet department is setting up some automated campaigns designed to keep our business and their name in front of the customers.

The goal with every interaction I had with the sales team was to show how the system could make them more money. I didn't even try to say this is cool because of this! or do this and this will happen! It was more of, do this and you will have better follow up wth your customers and as a result you will have a large customer base that you can MANAGE and sell to more effectively.

I had to go through the reasons to make sure they got phone numbers and emails. With the old vets it was easier. I asked them how many repeat customers they've had. I also asked them how those customers came back into the store. The answer 95% of the time was that the customer showed up randomly when they decided they needed a new car. I explained to them that our system will track when a customer is about to pay off their vehicle or their lease is about to run out and create a process to call them and get them back. All of the old dogs were very excited about that.

It's the same process as selling a car and overcoming the customer's objections, it can just take a bit more time. It also helps to find the young person who's excited, single them out and have him/her help with the process and provide tips to the other sales people.

As Jeff mentioned earlier, I get frustrated with the sales people who should be able to grasp the tool. They have an xbox at home and "they're awesome at Halo" or whatever game is out and assume they'll master the CRM in minutes and don't take the time to complete the classes and truly learn the product.