What do you do if your boss's decisions in After-Sales are not aligning with your strategy?

I actually experienced that at my dealership that I previously worked at. We were number one in sales, OnStar, CSI and return rate and we were near the bottom and after sales. I didn’t like that and the owner didn’t seem to question the fact that we weren’t selling any of the products offered by General Motors. So I Connected their plans with having to sell $1500 a month in accessories. In our fourth month, we were #1 in the North central zone and within two months my owner killed the program. He said it didn’t make him any money even though it didn’t cost him anything to have the program and his sales people were learning how to upsell and their skills better, he and controller agreed that it wasn’t worth headaches. That’s a true story

I would first seek to understand their perspective. This involves having open discussions to gain insights into their reasoning and priorities. Next, I would communicate my concerns respectfully, highlighting potential impacts on our goals and customer satisfaction. I'd propose alternative strategies that align better with our objectives, backed by data and customer feedback. If there's still a gap, I'd prioritize professionalism, execute tasks diligently, and look for opportunities to influence positive change over time while maintaining open communication.

Expressing your concerns at an early stage may be necessary in order that the situation does not worsen. Trying to do it yourself to impress or thinking that I can do it myself may be the wrong approach

Data is key! If you have data to back up your ideas, your standpoint becomes strong. Schedule a one-on-one meeting with your boss. Frame the discussion around achieving shared goals. Use data to back your strategy (e.g., "Customer satisfaction scores improved after implementing X"). Acknowledge their concerns and propose a pilot program to test your approach in a limited way. Emphasize gathering data to measure success and iterate based on results. This collaborative approach shows your willingness to compromise while highlighting the potential benefits of your strategy.

After implementing your boss's decisions, track key metrics like customer satisfaction scores, retention rate, and warranty claims. Industry benchmarks can provide context (e.g., Aim for a 90+ NPS score in After-Sales). Analyze the data after a set period. If metrics improve, acknowledge your boss's successful strategy. If they decline, present data and suggest adjustments, focusing on customer needs. This data-driven approach fosters continuous improvement.