Happy Weekend!
A little later than usual for our blog post but better late than never right?
Today I wanted to speak to you about forgetting what’s important.
I find that when business is slow we often forget our process, we forget our people that have helped us in the busy times, we forget about our customers (we are trying to make the deal above all else) and last but not least we forget ourselves. In a commission world we are only as good as the last month we had, then the month ends and it starts all over again. Usually those strong in commission positions are often harder on themselves than from management. What these strong salespeople need most is support during the slower months. When the business slows down the stress shows on those who can produce the most, this is when strength and support will go a long way to keep those motivated.
During the slow season is when money should be spent on advertising, in-house promotions as a team, surprise gift or lunch. Motivating employees does not take much; it is more the fact that when you have happy employees your customer feels the positivity. Your sales team need to feel like THEY matter and that it is not always about the deal or the sale. The most money I have every made was when we were busy and everyone was happy. When you are not feeling like it’s a great month everyone loses. This is when the coach needs to kick in and support the team in a positive way and approach. Positive sales meetings showing appreciation and recognizing the team goes along way.
I remember working at a store and when times were tough our GSM went around the table to ask each person “What are you going to do today to make a sale and how can I help you do this?”. We would see a significant increase in sales when we went down and all the staff was smiling. I have been at other meetings and the message was totally different “Who should we fire today?” where none of us felt positive after that.
Next time you walk thru the store where you work take a moment to look around. Does it feel positive? Are people happy? Are they smiling and acknowledging the customer? Is this where you would purchase your next vehicle?
Every Dealer out there sells vehicles so take a moment and think, “Why should a customer purchase from you?”
Have a great weekend and as always if you have any questions feel free to ask!
Until next time,
Denise