Your Team Drives Your Dealership’s Success—Are You in the Driver’s Seat??

Employees Are the Most Important Asset in Any Company—Are You Investing in Yours?

Every business is built on its employees. The success or failure of any organization—especially in the automotive industry—hinges on the strength of its team. The best processes, marketing strategies, or inventory selection mean nothing if you don't have the right people executing them.

I attended the NADA conference last week, and to be honest, I was a little disappointed. Not in NADA, the conference itself, or the venue, just because, in my opinion, there were far too many tech companies promoting their products and not nearly enough companies focusing on the most critical asset we have—our people. There were a few, but not enough. There were more car wash exhibitors than training and development exhibitors. To me, that's a huge miss. Of course, we need the latest technology and processes to stay competitive, but if you genuinely want to increase your Sales, F&I performance, and Service and Parts numbers, you cannot afford to neglect your empoyees. Yes, I understand that the underlying support after you invest in a specific product comes with training; however, after a company installs its product in our dealership and leaves, it's then up to us to execute.

Nothing kills morale faster than tolerating negative employees. Yet, too many leaders fail to recognize that their greatest competitive advantage is their workforce. The real question is: Are you leading in a way that nurtures and retains top talent, or are you driving them out the door?

Turnover Isn’t a Coincidence—It’s a Reflection of Leadership

The Leadership Mirror: A Hard Truth

If your dealership struggles with high turnover, low morale, or a lack of promotable talent, it’s time to take a hard look in the mirror. Strong leadership isn’t about managing people—it’s about developing them.

• A good leader has followers—engaged, motivated employees who strive to grow.
• A bad leader has defectors—employees who leave, disengage or underperform.

The question isn’t “Why do my people keep leaving?”

The real question is “What kind of leadership culture have I created?”

I learned this lesson early in my career when I was first promoted to F&I. I was young (26), making great money, and thought I was the sh*t. I got promoted from the sales floor but had zero leadership training. I started acting like I was “above” my colleagues—even the experienced sales professionals on our team.

I’ll never forget my first mentor, Art Bell. He noticed this behavior immediately and pulled me into his office. He didn’t reprimand me—he coached me. He told me something that has stuck with me to this day:

"Matt, never, ever forget where you came from. No matter how high you rise in this business, remember—mid-July in South Florida, it’s over 100 degrees with a million percent humidity out on that blacktop. It’s the same for everyone. And if you don’t treat people with respect, you could find yourself back on that blacktop, quicker then you got promoted."

Then he said something even more powerful:

“A good leader helps others get what they want, and in turn, you’ll get what you want.”

That one-minute meeting changed my life. I committed myself to leadership development—reading books, learning from mentors, and helping others grow. And I never forgot where I came from. To this day, I remind myself everyday that we all started on the blacktop, stay humble.

Set Expectations Early, Inspect What You Expect

Good leadership, coaching, and mentorship start at the interview—but they don’t stop there. Leadership is a continuous process of setting expectations, training, coaching, and holding people accountable.

? Set Clear Expectations Early – Employees need to know exactly what’s expected from day one. Ambiguity leads to disengagement.

? Inspect What You Expect – Setting expectations is useless if you don’t follow up. Great leaders inspect, coach, and refine. What gets measured gets improved.

? Praise When It’s Deserved – Recognition fuels motivation. Acknowledge great performance—both publicly and privately.

? Coach and Mentor, Don’t Just Discipline – If an employee isn’t meeting expectations, don’t discard them—develop them. Employees don’t leave bad jobs; they leave bad leaders.

Building a Deep Bench: The Secret to a Strong Organization

Great teams don’t rely on a few star players. The best professional sports teams have deep benches—so when one player goes down, another steps in seamlessly.

?? Does your dealership have a strong bench?

• If your F&I Manager leaves tomorrow, do you have someone ready to step up?
• If your Sales Manager moves on, can you promote from within?

If the answer is no, that’s not a staffing issue—it’s a leadership issue.

How to Keep Your Bench Full

? Identify Future Leaders Early – Spot high-potential employees and start mentoring them long before you need them.

? Cross-Train Your Team – Every employee should have a pathway to growth, whether from Sales to Finance, Finance to Sales Management, Service Writer to Service Manager, or another role.

? Promote from Within – Nothing kills morale faster than hiring externally for leadership roles when your own people could have filled them with the right training.

? Make Leadership Development a Priority – If you’re not actively coaching, mentoring, and developing your employees, don’t expect them to be ready when opportunity knocks.

Your Culture Determines Your Turnover

A high-turnover dealership doesn’t have a hiring problem—it has a leadership problem.

The best companies don’t just fill positions—they build careers. Employees stay where they feel valued.

?? Do you invest in continuous training and mentorship?

?? Do you recognize and reward great performance?

?? Do your employees see a future for themselves in your organization?

When you treat people like your most valuable asset, you create a culture of loyalty, commitment, and winning.

Final Thought: Leadership Is About Serving Others

A true leader puts their team first. It’s about serving, not ruling.

If you lack a strong bench, a culture of development, or a team that wants to stay and grow with you, the solution is simple:

?? Look in the mirror and lead differently.

Because at the end of the day, your people are your business—invest in them, and they’ll invest in you.

?? What are you doing to build a deep bench in your organization? Drop a comment and share your insights!

Ready to Build a Stronger, More Successful Team? Let’s Talk!

If you’re serious about investing in your people and creating a dealership culture that drives success, I’d love to help. Whether it’s leadership development, training strategies, F&I strategies, or building a deep bench of future leaders, let’s connect and make it happen.

?? Message me directly or comment below to start the conversation!

Matt Wahnon - 954.295.3797

Senior Vice President

Tricor 360 - Dealer Powered, Growth Driven