Cloning Mediocrity

So now you’re a Sales Manager, or a General Manager. You’ve finally earned the right to be the boss but there’s one question you have to answer: will you blaze a new trail or become a clone of your former boss’ good and bad habits?

With all the technology and training available in our industry it still amazes me…and it amazes consumers…that the experience hasn’t evolved very much in our industry.
I’m not talking about the consumer experience, I’m talking about the experience of the sales person, and the sales manager. The way a sales person is treated by the management team in many stores is nearly the same as it was in 1993 but without the cigarette smoke in the showroom. The sales person is paid on commission only yet they are expected to broom the snow off of the cars in sub zero weather, move the entire lot around on a 95 degree day while sweating to death in their nice dress shirt and slacks, and many of them are receiving no training to help groom them into successful leaders. Unfortunately the lack of training and coaching for growth means that the cycle is going to continue to be passed on because they’re only learning by watching the way their managers in the store are conducting themselves.

Isn’t it time we evolved?

The cycle above is taking place across the country and all it is doing is cloning mediocrity. We want to hold our sales people accountable for results but we’re wasting their time on $10/hour jobs that are keeping them from doing the activities required of a true sales professional.

If you want your sales people to be sales rock stars you must decide to give up your “free labor” mentality and stop filling their time with things that you should be paying a porter to do. Start teaching your people the best ways to follow up, prospect, and close. Role play with them daily, coach them, and treat them like the professionals you hired them to be. Once you do that, you’ve earned the right hold them accountable for their results, and they’ll appreciate you for it because they’ll be living better than they ever have before. That’s this month’s 60 Seconds to Success. Come back every month for new ways to drive more sales and profit for your dealership with common sense strategies.

Bio:

Mat Koenig is an Automotive Industry Veteran, prolific speaker and the author of multiple books on sales and personal growth. He is the CEO of KonigCo & Buscador de Auto helping connect Dealers with Buyers in English and Spanish. For more information on Mat Koenig and his companies visit www.konig.co/mat