How Dealerships Can Survive During A Crisis

The latest COVID-19 crisis has placed dealerships in a place of adjustments and uncertain times that will change the way business will be done moving forward. These are now the time to step and get stronger by using this time wisely.

Four Things Dealerships Must Do During A Crisis.

1 Do Not Panic!

These times are tough and I get that but the worst thing that you and your dealership staff can do is panic. As a leader within your dealership the worst thing you can do is to allow anxiety, negativity, or worry set in among your leadership team. Maybe you had to make some tough decisions to let go of some people, managers and sales staff or even shutdown your sales department. As a leader it is your job to keep your team’s head in the game and do not allow them to operate in fear!

2 Streamline Your Business

Now is a perfect time to make some adjustments to get your business stronger by streamlining your process. I suggest getting together with your Leadership Team on Zoom, Go To Meeting, Skype or whatever is a great way for you to communicate with your team virtually. Begin to take a look at all your dealerships processes and procedures and begin to evaluate them, make them stronger. Look at your expense structure and go line by line to take a look at advertising expenses too, evaluate if some of these expenses are necessary. However, you decide to streamline your business so when this is over you come out stronger than before.

3 Connect More Deeply With Your Customers

I truly believe that this is a great time for dealerships to take deep dive and really begin to connect deeper with their customer base. Now more than ever your will need to make a stronger effort to connect with your customers. Right now is the time for Owners to get out and make more appearance on Social Media to speak with their customers. Begin by making more announcements with your customers letting them know your are behind our essential workers. Send out video emails to reach out to your customers and let them know that you care about them as to letting them know what your are doing to ensure safety. Of course keep your home test drives and deliveries going and discover ways to make the buying experience more convenient for your customers.

4 Adopt Modern Technology That Fits The Buyers

Whether you agree or not technology is not going away and will continue to get better with time. Which will require you to get better with time, in fact it has already inspired some dealerships to get a head of time. In recent poll of 2200 people conducted by Autotrader, stated that 48 percent of adults say scheduling a test drive during their next purchase would be very appealing. Autotrader also discovered that among middle-income class adults, those making between $50K and $100K-are most likely to say test drives are important. I am quite sure you know this already but I want to remind you of the importance of a test drive. Wouldn’t this be even better if your customers could go your website to schedule a test drive or make a service appointment without having to call in? I believe this is where you need to be because there are dealerships out there already on top of this matter. Now is the time to get modern technology in your dealerships to improve your buyers experience.

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Ways Dealers Can Approach COVID-19

As of March 17th, Coronavirus , according to the CDC has been reported in all 50 states and the National death toll is now at 100. https://apple.news/AMWdwIdgRrmjujUTUe1vQQ. There will have to be more efficiency in serving customers with the latest pandemic spreading through out the country. This has placed a new challenge on all dealerships as to the way business has been previously done.

Amid the Coronavirus crisis, challenged dealerships will have to get creative with Sales and Service.

Several Ways TO Address COVID-19 Pandemic To Keep Dealerships Moving

Now is the time to for all dealerships to assemble with their Leadership Teams on a daily basis and use the phrase “guys what if?” Each day you and your team need to have some “what” if moments to think things through as to “what if” we have no customers in the showroom amid the Coronavirus crisis which has affected a great deal of businesses across the country. You need these sessions daily simply because each day is unknown and the period of time for this Pandemic to end is unknown. Besides you have a sales staff who may have some concerns seeing as how floor, phone and internet traffic have all changed. Perhaps your BDC/Internet Departments and Service Departments have seen a big influx in their traffic. Now is the time to make some adjustments, perhaps maybe taking a few guys from the floor and having them to help with the higher demands of customer needs since more will communicate on line or phone versus coming to the showroom. Your Service Department if it hasn’t already will certainly see an increase in their call volume and internet leads that will have more customer demands for the servicing of their vehicle. Service Customers will have more needs. So each day I recommend you have those short meetings to kick around the “what if’s” to discover new ways to serve your customer during this crisis.

Train Your Sales Teams

The time is now to strengthen your Sales People, Sales Managers, Service Managers, BDC Managers all will have time to train their teams. This is the time for Dealer Principals and General Managers or even Operations Directors to sit down to place accountability on their Sales Managers like never before to train. Training in the sense that veteran Sales People will not be exempt from participating in these sessions. Here’s why no one should be exempt because we have entered a time where the way of doing business has changed and you will need to have a different skill set today going forward. I suggest you get with your Sales Managers and Service Managers and devise and plan of attack as how you can approach the Pandemic that has literally change the day to operation of a dealership as we have know it. The training should focus, ways to communicate with customer, text messaging, video training on how to do a virtual walk around, home test drives and health in the work environment as well as the use of Social Media. Each dealership will have its own agenda as to how they adapt to selling cars and servicing customers but no matter what training will be the king of it all.

Social Media…Take Advantage!

With over 80 percent of the American workforce being home quarantined the usage of Social Media viewing time will drastically increase. At one point in a recent study in Forbes Magazine, roughly 45% of the World’s Population uses Social Media during their down time. Well now for Americans who will be home for as long as couple of weeks to a couple months until the Pandemic ends, Their Social Media usage will increase from the average person spending nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes per day to probably 3 to 4 hours per day. There lies and opportunity for dealership across the country to get stronger in their digital marketing and advertising. I suggest if you have not already place on your dealership’s website, Social Media pages that you are open for business online and that you can purchase a car all online. Going live on Social Media outlets is another great way to connect with your customers or potential customers that you are keeping your dealership clean as well as talking about your adjusted business hours. This also a great time to get your ads on to Social Media and maybe even offering “A Store to Driveway Service” of their new car. Basically you will have to really be more Customer Service Oriented in the sense of your buyers will all be communication with you differently now. This is good because the new challenge that is in front you, is in an experience that will make your dealerships so much better because of the adjustments you will have made. So take full advantage of this current situation and become dominant in the lane of digital market and selling through Social Media.

Other Ideas To Sell Cars During COVID-19

Each day will bring a new challenge simply because our world as we normally know it has been turn upside down by this current New Normal. However, there are so many opportunities out there that just need to be brought to life. Your ideas will come from meeting, talks with other dealers like yourself, Automotive News and Car Biz Television. Wherever they may come from they will have been thought out and well designed. You have the opportunity to become one of those dealers who can possibly set a new trend when comes to selling cars during the coronvirus crisis. I want to leave you with some other ideas to help you get your creative juices flowing to make your dealership better.

1.) Make Customer Safety a Big Deal: Create a video for the customer who has agreed to purchase a car showing them the clean process of the exact car they are buying to ensure their safety. People are afraid and we must create a new level of trust with our customers.

2.) Create A Cleaning Process: Post on your website, place video on your service department televisions in your waiting areas that show and talk about you cleaning the service area multiple times a day. Also, create one that will letting them know how you will clean their car after service is completed.

3.) Offer Valet and Drop Off Service: Now more than ever people are going to want service and will need service to their vehicles now that they are home. Which means you may want to consider them dropping the car off and perhaps having the dropped by at home or work depending on their situation to ensure their safety as well provide them with simple easy in an out service.

4.) Online Service Appointment Setting and E-Pay Service Billing: If you do not have appointment setting and electronic billing system in your Service Department, well you had better get with the time. People are looking for convenience and emailing or texting your customer their bill would certainly be great or to go a step a further email the itemized bill with a breakdown of their bill. Also, provide them with them the options to call their Service Advisor who can go over any issues or concerns on the bill. Just know that you must get creative and think what would make the customer experience a good visit right now.

5.) Utilize Customer Mining Tools: Whether you use Auto Alert, Automotive Mastermind or whatever your customer mining tool of choice is now is the time to take a deep dive into it. Everyone should have a system in place and a Sales Manager that oversees this as another entire department. Equity Mining can truly enhance your dealerships numbers as well as your dealerships gross profits. Since customers will have more time on their hands at home, what a perfect opportunity for you to reach out to them and talk to them about taking advantage of their vehicles equity. Equity that may ever keep their payments the same or perhaps lower their payment. Just know this right now there are customers who lease will be ending during this Pandemic, there will be customers who’s loan is almost completely paid off and there are some nice older cars that you can use on your Used Car Lot. We must utilize everything we have and make deals continue to happen.

Now is the time that all dealerships must adapt and adjust how the sell cars, take care of their customers in Service and how well each one of you utilize your customer base when using your mining tool. The times have change and you all must keep moving forward.

*Lastly, tweak and make the adjustments necessary to your new ways of selling and servicing customers until you perfect it!

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Must Be Used To Improve Sales Performance

Dealerships biggest falls when happen Sales Management fails to Utilize KPI’s.

I was recently working with dealership back in 2019 that had a revolving door when it came to Sales People and Sales Management. The store was in great location and had all the tools necessary to be successful but there was a problem. I came in to the showroom, stood at the sales tower and the first thing I did was observe the processes as well the procedures. I immediately noticed the CRM they had and asked the management team how were they using it?

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They answered only for certain things. “I said come again!” They explained to me that the CRM tool slowed them down and cost the money. I then asked how do you all keep track sales performances? And please show me your sales process; I looked at their process in sheer shock. They were working everything by hand and with green markers, this made absolutely no since to me. They had no way of keeping up with sale performance and had no indication of true sales performances of their Sales People except only by sold units. There was no way to track phone calls, closing percentages and other Key Perfomance Indicators. You must have consistent usage of a CRM tool in Dealerships or any business for that matter when comes to KPI‘s. This latest video will tell you my thoughts of why Dealerships fail to succeed.

https://youtu.be/RTzQ7teLIFw

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Changing of The Guards_How to Make a Smooth Transition in Your Dealership During Change

Changing leadership within your dealership will always create a great deal of questions and concerns from your staff. How do you handle the different levels of uncertainty from within? How do you keep your people focus? Most of all how do you maintain sales as well increase your sales and profits?

Not that you don’t know these things about leadership changes, here are a few areas of concern that you must pay close attention to during your changes. Change can bring about a huge attitude shift in your dealership’s work environment. You must remember that we become emotionally attached to the people we work for or emotionally detached. So we must get involved and prepare your people on How deal with their emotions to move forward. The following are things you must address to make a Smooth transition.

Shutdown The Rumors

No matter what changes you may have within your dealership, the rumor-mill will always run wild. Your sales staff will have an attitude of bitterness and resentment towards the changes that are about occur. This is where all the rumors are manufactured and begin to spread through your dealership’s staff, totally causing a disruption in your business. No matter what Industry we may work in, changes will occur and we must prepare our people for the as best we can in most cases for changes. I have and everyone has been through the changing of the guard before. However, in your dealership it is crucial that you get involved and be proactive in making your changes smooth as possible to keep business going. The worst thing you can do is ignore your staff’s issues and concerns. Here is how you shutdown the rumors: 1.) Get in front of it with a formal announcement or address it with staff as soon as it happens. 2.) Reassurance is always a must in these situations. People are always concerned about their future when changes occur. So reassuring them can prevent rumors and distractions.

Make An Announcement

No better way to keep your people in the know than by announcing changes to them as group.

When you put people in the know it eases the tension in your dealership and helps the flow of work and the process continues without major distractions. You can slow down the negative rumors and all the distractions of people looking to abandon ship due the changes ahead. It wound be great if you announced who will be replacing the General Manager or whatever positions of leadership are left vacant. Also, if you foresee any other changes coming you can the announce those too. Sometimes you just cannot predict changes but if you handled the process well then you can keep the nucleus of your staff together and focused on business. Nothing is more important than to have continuity throughout your staff and dealership during changes.

In some instances changes will occur unexpectedly and a lot of times it will leave your people in shock.

People as we all know do not deal with changes very well, especially if it is sudden. I can remember experiencing this with the first General Manager I ever worked for who died suddenly and it left our dealership in total shock. Our store at the time had 150 employees and we were a high volume store that was that the flagship of our automotive group. Our owner of the dealer group immediately showed up and had a meeting with as many of us as he could at one time without totally disrupting business. In that meeting it gave us all reassurance that we would have temporary leader in place and he would keep us informed of the selection process of the replacement General Manager. What a difference it made? Putting everyone at ease was good to know that it would be someone that was within our automotive group, which meant they would be able to adjust quickly due the familiarity own the policies and processes within the organization. Basically, you must get I’m front your people and show compassion for there concerns and you will have favor as well focus from your staff during shocking changes.

The Old Way Vs The New Way

* When the changing of the guard occurs in your dealership there will always be the old way of doing things versus the new way of doing things.

As human beings, we are all wired differently and we perform at different levels, different speeds of course with different philosophies. Which means that no matter who take the lead in your dealership during changes you can expect a different way of things being done. Even if they are from the same automotive group umbrella, there will always be a old way of doing things versus the new way of doing things. As the owner or director of operations of a dealer group it’s important that you monitor how well your entire staff and work environment is during the first 90 days of change. I really don’t have to tell you this, if your employees in that dealership are not responding to changes very well, then you had better be prepared to evaluate your replacements or possibly make another change. If you are constantly losing staff at an alarming rate more than expected, then you could have a problem with the new way of doing things. If your new leader is making changes and you aren’t in the loop to monitor things then you could be in for disaster striking within your business. We all seen it when a new leader has been chosen and they began to tweak some things and they aren’t going over well with your staff, then you must evaluate the new changes that have occurred. I believe it can be a easy thing to do when you evaluate the old way vs the new way. You should meet often with your new replacement leader and stay abreast as to what is going on in terms of changes or simply have them to gain clearance from you when making changes. The worst thing most dealerships do is wait until it far too late to address the old way vs the new way. Change can destroy the energy and attitude of your dealership. Which why I suggest ownership keep in themselves in the loop of what is going on in a dealership that has just installed a new leader. However, if you don’t keep an eye of watching the progress of your dealership during times transition, you are bound to fail and start the “Changing of The Guard” in your dealership all over again.

You have heard the horror stories that have occurred in dealerships across the country when changes occur in leadership.

How To Avoid Disaster From Striking During Change

We have to understand that if you want to have a smooth transition during time of changes then you must be prepared and proactive with a action plan for your new leader to succeed.

* Be Positive with everyone

* Allow No Negativity

* Set new goals and objectives

* Be a mentor or have mentoring team in place

* Assemble a great management team

* Encourage and Motivate your people

* Set up a meeting with zone representatives

*Review the financial statement with the new leader

* Most of show some compassion and gain the trust of your tribe.

Most of all put in Extra, Extra effort so that everyone will read all about your record breaking months when you and tribe increase the bottom line in profits. Besides, your leadership selection can be great if precautionary measures are taken and a great action plan is in place.

Roger Love is a Championship Attitude Expert who help struggling organizations to build Winning Cultures where everyone feels good about coming to work everyday. Roger has nearly two decades as a Sales Expert and over 26 years over leadership in building Winning Cultures in organizations.

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How To Display A Championship Attitude

LeBron James, starred right into the face of a racial hate crime committed against him on the eve of the NBA finals last week showing why he is a true imitator of a person with a Championship Attitude. During a recent press conference, LeBron clearly displayed the essence of  Championship Attitude while answering questions from the press while being under pressure to make a quest to win another NBA championship. 

You have to commend LeBron James’s response to a distraction that occurred during one of the world’s biggest Professional sporting events. 

Despite making his seventh consecutive NBA Finals, superstar athlete LeBron James was faced with questions that seem to point to his property being vandalized with a racial slur being spray painted on the gate of his Los Angeles home. You would think that most athletes in the NBA Finals would usually be set be addressed the media with questions surrounding the Championship series opening game one. However, in LeBron’s case that was different in the way that he was faced with questions surrounding social injustice in the line of racism in America. 

Handled it like a Champion 

LeBron James fielded questions from the media with class and dignity although he was the victim of a hate crime on Wednesday May 31, 2017. When asked how he felt about the vandalism that was done his to home, he simply replied “it’s tough being black in America.” He also referred to the fact the we still have a long way to go with racial equality. Not to mention he referred back in history by referencing to the death of young Emmit Till, a young Chicago Black teen murdered in Mississippi many years ago that left a lasting stain on racism in America. He also mentioned how Emmit Till’s mother wanted the world to see the sickening things that racism did to her child by choosing to have an open casket at her son’s funeral. LeBron’s no historian but he showed “World Class Athelete Status” in keeping his composure under the circumstances surrounding his personal challenges. LeBron’s attitude also revealed the true character of a person with a true Championship Attitude. Attitude + Energy

Through it all LeBron James was cool confident and focused on becoming a NBA Champion for the fourth time. This is  so important for him and his legacy which has already been scrutinized by many as an athlete who many critics feel that he isn’t deserving of being mentioned in the likes of so many NBA greats before him. So no social injustice has seemed to have distracted him from locking in and performing the way his team and fans alike expect him to perform. Right now LeBron James is faced with many challenges both on and off the court. I only expect him to do what winners do and that’s to display a Championship Attitude no matter what win or lose, controversy or not, LeBron James will remain focused on attempting to win his fourth ring.

How does LeBron James continue to display himself as professional with a Championship Attitude during challenging circumstances?

1. Courage: All champions always display courage during trying situations or in LeBron’s case handling all the distractions that occur despite being in the NBA Finals. Showing up to a press conferences whether his team wins or not. 
2. Composure: Championship Attitude is totally about focusing on your feelings, thoughts, actions and emotions. Most of all learning to channel your attitude into one focused positive attitude. Basically, LeBron displayed that his composure was great as well under control during the recent press conference and he was not going to be affected by the actions of  others(negativity). Why? because he has learned how control his feelings, thoughts, action and emotions with a Championship Attitude. 
3. Positive Attitude: LeBron has for the most part of his career has always kept his feelings, thoughts, actions and emotions under control, especially during trying circumstances. This has to be tough for high profile athlete such as LeBron James, who has to deal with tough criticism from so many people. Through it all he has consistently displayed a positive attitude, one which we all can learn from him. 
4. Confidence: If you want see the tell-tell sign of someone who displays a Championship Attitude, just look no further than their self confidence. LeBron James has for most part shown a great display of confidence in himself despite facing so many challenges over his career. If you want to display a Championship Attitude start with self confidence. One must believe in themselves before they can ever move forward toward their success. Confidence is simply arrogance under control as was once told by my mentor Walter Bond, a top ten speaker in the motivational speaking world. So never be sorry for your confidence as long as it is not absurd and you still display humility just LeBron James does during his appearances in the public eye.

* You got to give respect to LeBron James for his continued display of how to have a Championship Attitude despite all the negative people and circumstances attempting to bring his attitude down.

We can learn a lot from others observing someone’s feelings, listening to their thoughts and viewing the actions during challenging times. 

LeBron James may not be liked by many but many we all can learn to do what he did this past week each time he has been challenged by negativity, is to rise above the noise!

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Be Strong and Courageous in 2017

There is no time for fear if you are planning on achieving the goals you have set  for yourself this year to become a reality. 

The Year 2016 has left a lasting impression of fear and doubt in the minds of many people throughout the world. We just completed a Presidential Election that left the United States of America in division and turmoil. People are living there lives in fear and worry, searching for answers to their concerns. I haven’t observed in years the the level rudeness people are dishing out to one another; verbally and physically abusing one another to the point where good deeds have gone almost unnoticed. Where’s the Love, where’s the respect and most of all where’s the courage? The courage for people to be free and live out their hopes, their dreams. People are so fearful to point of mental paralysis; their minds are stuck on all the reasons they cannot be successful in 2017. This of course is a time for taking action this Year and most people have set out reach new heights with new goals. The question is how will most people ever reach their new heights this year?  Start by being Strong and Courageous in all their efforts.

This past week was special in the United States of America for a couple of reasons. The first is we celebrated the birthday of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., which is observed as a National Holiday in the United States of America. The second was the inauguration of a new President of the United States of  America. What does the two events have to to do with one another? The answer is simple, they both involve people who were as well must be strong and courageous individuals to do the or have done the unthinkable jobs of leadership. 

Be Strong and Courageous 

In order to make your visions and dreams come true, you are going to need to be Strong and Courageous.

*Principles to consider if you desire success and progress in your life goals.

1. Place written action plans in effect. No longer can you afford to sit idle waiting for the right time or opportunity.
2. Become a “Risker Taker.” You cannot afford to live out  your goals and dreams living in fear of failure or facing rejection. “Risker Takers” are use hearing no but will not take no for a final answer to determine the fate of their goals and dreams. 
3. Assume responsibility for all your results. You gotta accept the good with the bad if you are strong and courageous enough to accept responsibility for your success and setbacks. This will empower you in ways you couldn’t imagine. You see, when can accept your action in both good and bad, your building strength as well courage into your aspirations(character).
4. “Massive Action,” will rule of all your despondencies. No longer will you be living or acting in fear if you have enough action required to reach your goals and dreams. For example, if you’re making twenty-five sales phone calls per day, sooner later you are destined to have to success. Even if it is just an opportunity to close a deal in the future. Your activity will grant growth and opportunity every time.
5. Use fear as a indicator of growth. Last week I stated “do something that scares the hell out of you!” You see, discomfort can and should become an indicator that you are on the brink of greatness. It’s essential that you develop a sense of being aware that you are about to have a breakthrough. 
6.   Be consistent, day in and day out work your plan. Don’t slack off on your early morning wake up. Don’t slack off on your daily activities. Show up everyday, even when you do feel like it; this will help you to develop strength and courage. 

Lastly, you cannot be successful in anything you do with having the will to sacrifice and the will to be relentless until you win! 

Be Strong and Courageous in 2017

Roger Love

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