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Eley Duke

Eley Duke

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Nov 30, 2009
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Eley
#1
Training - I have come to think that training is looked at 2 ways, you either got a great training program and you’re moving the needle with it daily, or you’re wondering what the hell everyone else is doing and what you could do to move the needle in your store with the right training!

I know there is no one perfect solution, but I am interested in a solution that will help with the structure of our BDC/Internet sales, training and processes for our BDC or someone to say “the hell with the BDC, this the way you need to do things”. I am also looking for that solution to help train our sales staff right on up to our sales managers. And maybe even service advisor training! An all in one training solution so that our dealership is working together and we are all on the same page from the minute a lead hits our CRM (which I am looking to switch that too; I need a bigger bottle of Advil, or Jack Daniels) to all the years after following up!

We have used Verde, but I feel we need much more and a solution more with the times! Looking for your thoughts, who you have worked with and liked, and any suggestions you can offer up. We are a smaller store doing about 60-70 total units a month with 8 sales people (and an older sales force – anyone know where the young people are today) and one person in our BDC. My goal is to get back to 100 units a month and then move that needle even more.

Let me hear your thoughts, thanks,
 
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#2
Have you heard of Joe Webb? He's a consultant that seems like would be right up your alley. He has retail experience and has built internet departments and bdc's. He's a great guy and very knowledgeable. DealerKnows Consulting - Joe Webb - Automotive eCommerce Consultant - Virtual Dealer Training | DealerKnows or you can e-mail him at [email protected]

I'll let him know you're looking and maybe he can give you a more concrete idea of what he does. I've seen him in action and he does great work and is highly recommended.
 
#3
Hello Eley,

Rather than making this any kind of a sales pitch, I think it is best if I ask what specifically you feel is missing from your current process?

You are correct that a progressive CRM is the first step to improve the quality of customer contact you deliver from your BDC. I believe you may want to first determine what technology/solution is best for your store and then find a consultant who will help you both maximize your technologies as well as your current internet opportunities. There are a few strong CRM providers in the automotive space and I'll gladly give you my recommendations offline (so as not to start a war on this thread).

Feel free to reach out to me personally at 847-456-5130.

Thanks,
Joe Webb
DealerKnows Consulting
 
#4
Eley Duke said:
Training - I have come to think that training is looked at 2 ways, you either got a great training program and you’re moving the needle with it daily, or you’re wondering what the hell everyone else is doing and what you could do to move the needle in your store with the right training!

I know there is no one perfect solution, but I am interested in a solution that will help with the structure of our BDC/Internet sales, training and processes for our BDC or someone to say “the hell with the BDC, this the way you need to do thingsâ€. I am also looking for that solution to help train our sales staff right on up to our sales managers. And maybe even service advisor training! An all in one training solution so that our dealership is working together and we are all on the same page from the minute a lead hits our CRM (which I am looking to switch that too; I need a bigger bottle of Advil, or Jack Daniels) to all the years after following up!

We have used Verde, but I feel we need much more and a solution more with the times! Looking for your thoughts, who you have worked with and liked, and any suggestions you can offer up. We are a smaller store doing about 60-70 total units a month with 8 sales people (and an older sales force – anyone know where the young people are today) and one person in our BDC. My goal is to get back to 100 units a month and then move that needle even more.

Let me hear your thoughts, thanks,
Click to expand...


Woa Eley... If I were you , I'd break it down before you blow it up! If you want a 25% lift in sales, you'll be touching on everything

Sales Management,
Recruitment
Sales Training
CRM & CRM Training
Inventory
Marketing


Before you re-do it all, Your "choke point" is your sales staff. If you don't fix them first, you can pour on all the gas on the fire you want and but your sales team will always cap your growth.


Just how good/bad are they? Measure Everything First.
How does your sales staff compare to other stores? Phone Up vs Appts vs Closes? Are they hungry tigers looking for more traffic, or, are they stuck in a low performance rut crying "why me? poor me!"?


IMO, the best info I found is when I had Jerry T (the Phone Ninja guy) mystery shop us AND 12 of my competitors.

Compared to others, How is you email closing ratio, phone closing ratio and walkin closing ratio?

Your team has time to work the phones, how many hours a day do you have them dedicated to just phone work? If they work the phones 2 hours a day, they need a reason to call (aka a Hook from the boss!). If you commit to 1-2 hours a day of phone prospecting, find a way to TRACK THEIR CALLS. Phone prospecting sucks, if you don't measure them and call them out, then they will drift away on you.

If you have a bunch of tired ol' dogs that are comfortable with 8,9 cars a month and can live on that, there is NO sales trainer that can fix that.

Break down your team into
TOP 20%
Middle of the Pack
BOTTOM 20%

Next, it's time to show preference to winners!
HUG your TOP 20%
TRAIN your Middle of the Pack
TURNOVER your BOTTOM 20% (after you waste $ on them to train them)

Nothing invigorates a placid sales floor like missing bodies. While that is going on, make pretend your a Division One Football coach and build yourself a new team RECRUIT, RECRUIT, RECRUIT. Always always be on the recruiting trail.


CRM Will Drive you nuts..
Don't forget, CRM is only as good the info that goes in it. Buying a new CRM could improve things a lil' bit, but in all likelihood, it'll solve some problems but it'll dish you out a basket full of new problems. Either way, there is NO CRM that isn't a total pain in the ass. You'll need someone, to man-up and own it. IMO, the asst. manager is a favorite pick of mine. Send that manager to a training class or get him a guru he can call on.


CRM RULE>>>
If your CRM sucks and you want a better one, if you don't give your current CRM system your BEST effort, you end up buying another P.O.S. I'll say it another way, Jeff and Alex will agree. You need a CRM leader and you need to ram it down everyones throat again and again and again.


How sharp is your inventory?
New and Used. You have your game on or do you have a lot of excuses? (that was NOT a personal reference, I'm talking about inventory that everyone is hoping and waiting for the perfect ass to arrive ;-)


To BDC or not to BDC...
Sales processes are the life line to the dealership. It's far easier to train and monitor one BDC rep than 8 reps. But, adding a BDC rep brings in new problems (and costs). Phone skills are totally under-rated and ALL OF US SUCK.
 
#5
Damn Joe - :)

Break down your team into
TOP 20%
Middle of the Pack
BOTTOM 20%

-- my favorite is when the sales managers try to be "fair" and "equal". I say screw that, weed out the weak and build the ultimate sales team.

What Joe is saying here - look for the low hanging fruit. We all SUCK on the phone so get your people the phone skills they need to obtain more appointments and opportunities to sell more cars.

Speaking from experience here and a fresh experience at that, make the phone training your #1 Primary Focus. And the people that don't see it, don't adapt to become better - remove their phone privileges until they are on par.

Keep your phone training on the front line at all times. Review recorded phone ups with the individual or get hardcore and review with everyone. The good get rewards and the bad either get better - or you know what.

I too had Jerry mystery shop the competition - he even did it in person during a 2 day live phone training with my dealers. It's amazing how bad dealers/people are on the phone and with a little training/coaching, while WANTING to get better, the difference can go a long way.

Getting your people better on the phone can be step 1 in Internet Sales Training.

As for the Younger people? HA - no one from that Gen wants to work 60+ plus hours a week, get drilled everyday, no tools to effectively do their job - just to name a few.
 
#7
JoePistell said:
CRM RULE>>>
If your CRM sucks and you want a better one, if you don't give your current CRM system your BEST effort, you end up buying another P.O.S. I'll say it another way, Jeff and Alex will agree. You need a CRM leader and you need to ram it down everyones throat again and again and again.
Click to expand...

Yep, you know I agree with that statement. Here are two reads on CRM that focus on these things:
Dealership Internet Department vs. Sales Floor Staff | DealerRefresh
Why has our dealership CRM not sold us more cars? | DealerRefresh

CRM is the technology heart of today's modern dealerships. Unfortunately most of the current offerings do not understand how to put themselves there, so most dealers have not seen what CRM should be.

What is the biggest needle-mover inside a dealership? The phone. Forget everything else and start concentrating on your staff's phone skills right now. facebook, microsites, A/B tests, and other fairy dust items bring marginal results whereas a strong phone staff puts the gas pedal to the floor. Like Joe and Jeff I too have been through Jerry Thibeau's phone training and highly recommend it :thumbup: .....in fact, I think I voluntarily sat through 3 days of it, and if you know how A.D.D. I am that's saying something.

So, make sure your process, payplans, and CRM system are all geared towards getting your staff to pick up the phone.

P.S. A BDC is a quick fix for a broken phone staff. You just have to make sure you fully commit to the resources it requires. With the size of your staff Eley, it might be too soon to jump into a BDC. Hire a phone trainer first.
 
#8
Eley,
I think Uncle Joe just cost Joe Webb a deal......tons of great info there as always.

"Strategies,people and process" to quote Dale Pollak are the key ingredients, not technology. Sure you need to have the right tech, but you need to have the right people understanding why they need the tech.

Age of salespeople or current skill level are just excuses. We have taken advantage of the age and experience in our sales staff and brought them up to speed on technology. Yes it takes time, work,meetings,emails, training, commitment etc.. to make this happen but what kind of commitment do dealers have if they are not willing to invest those resources in their people?

Get creative in helping your salespeople understand why they need technology, create contests that have some kind of tech as a prize etc... Technology is so user friendly now that you can go from having your "internet manager" send emails for you, to being nationally recognized as leading a technology forward dealership in 5 years (just like this high school graduate, old school used car kid;)). Or by the end of 2011 you can have a nice foundation in eCommerce by sharing info, teaching salespeople and proactively getting involved in all things CRM to start.
 
#10
Eley,

I have the perfect person for you. His name is Todd Hudak & he has done quite a bit of consulting with my dealership. His company is Hudak Consulting & they specialize in BDC, Internet & Phone training. I will have him contact you with information on his processes.
 
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