The easiest and cheapest way to increase sales is to establish positive customer relationships. When customers have a positive experience, they are likely to come back to the dealership for their next vehicle. But what happens when they arrive, eager to relive the positive experience they had with your sales associate, but he/she is no longer an employee.
The automotive industry has a whopping 71% annual turnover rate. This is detrimental to dealerships’ customer relationships, eliminating the ability to create “customers for life”. When previous customers revisit the dealership and are surrounded by sales associates they have never seen before, the previous relationship is deteriorated. Dealers are hurting their business with their outrageously low retention rates. This week on Auto Marketing Now, Brian Pasch and Craig Lockerd, CEO of AutoMax Recruiting and Training, discuss the significance of effective hiring and training.
Dealerships are failing to hire lasting employees, so how can they expect to create lasting customer relationships? Long-term employees are the key to long-term customers. Craig Lockerd uses his expertise in the automotive industry to share his tips to retaining sales associates and ultimately improving your dealership.
Write it Right
Many times, dealerships ineffectively advertise for job positions. They are not posting their ads in the right places, and they are not saying the right things. When potential employees search for a job at a dealership they are not referring to themselves as a “specialist” or using jargon. The tool Google Fights allows dealers to enter words or phrases and see which one works best. In order to hire the right employees, your ads must reach them.
Make Time for Training
Chances are, not many people at your dealership have time to train a new employee, so they are provided minimal training and are still expected to perform well and succeed. Managers and dealers must invest time into training new hires for the sake of their dealership’s overall success. Writing emails, creating social media posts, and customer service are all part of the job, and all reflect poor upon the dealership if not done well. It is in the Manager’s best interest to invest time into their employees’ training to give them the tools to reach their greatest potential.
Give Them Their Why
Everyone employee has a why…or a reason why they want to work there. Increase employee satisfaction by providing them with that why. Help your employees meet their ultimate goal, whether that be helping them pay back their student loans, or by meeting the needs of their schedule. Dealerships must aim to attract millennials, as they are the future of their dealership. Millenials are unlike previous generations, and hiring managers must create appealing perks to receive their loyalty.
Diversify Your Dealership
The truth is, men and women do things differently. They find different tactics, vehicles, and features appealing. The biggest setback in the automotive industry is the failure to hire female sales associates. Innovative dealerships are beginning to catch on – dealerships need women sales associates. The issue is, their job descriptions are written by and for men. Managers must put job descriptions where women will see them, and use phrases and terms that appeal to females. Bringing women into the dealership implements a forward-thinking environment while attracting an entirely new consumer base.
When hiring new employees, a dealership’s first impression is just as important as the future employees. Chances are, that is not their only option, so manager’s must create a desirable work environment. By creating perks, investing in their training, and creating lasting employees dealerships will establish an appealing work place and improve customer relationships.
AutoMax specializes in the automotive industry and works to interview and hire exceptional candidates for dealerships. Craig Lockerd and his highly reputable techniques allow dealerships to streamline their on-boarding process and take their dealerships to new heights.
This week’s Strategy Session on Auto Marketing Now:
The most effective and time-efficient way to train new employees is by creating a training video library. Since the videos will only be used internally, they will be created at a minimal cost and will maximize the time of the other employees.
Video training allows employees to learn KPIs, how to use the CRM, how to write emails, and so on, all on their own time. The responsibility to train new hires will no longer rest on the current staff. Managers can assign new hires videos to watch, and can follow up with a few questions to ensure the retention of the material.
There are many Learning Management Systems (LMS) that allow dealers to assign courses and readings, followed by a few questions. Litmos is a great system because it allows users to access the courses and readings from mobile and desktop devices, and allows managers to inspect their new employee’s progress.
Increasing employee retention ultimately increases customer retention. Making a few of the changes discussed in this week’s session can make drastic improvements in your dealership. The best thing you can do for your dealership is hire the right people, and to tune into Auto Marketing Now with Brian Pasch every week for the latest in the automotive industry.
About the Author
PCG Digital Marketing is an award winning digital agency headquartered in Eatontown, NJ. We help our clients get found online through innovative search, social and online advertising campaigns.