Leader or Manager?
The auto industry has changed dramatically over the years and long gone are the so called "desk managers" of yesterday. Back in the 80's there was no internet and so the customer had to physically go from showroom to showroom to find out more about the products. Business was brisk and the showroom became an infested tank full of sharks, barracudas and piranhas. The salesman were taught to "always be closing' and all a manager had to do for the most part was keep the salespeople in line and essentially approve the deals. Gross and volume and putting cars over the curb "right now" was at the forefront of the auto industries mind set.
Today the customer is sitting with a cup of tea in the confines of their own home and with a few clicks of a mouse a screen will give out as much information as needed. Often enough the information gathering process is already done before they walk in the door. As a result the traffic is down and there is no need for customers to walk into as many dealerships as before. The Desk manager is slowly becoming obsolete and a new leadership role in management should be the focus of any dealership when hiring. Leaders today need to lead by example and be face to face with customers earlier than later. Their involvement to support the sales staff and be available on as many transactions as possible is pertinent to the long term success and growth of the franchise.
The emphasis today is to move towards the reality that coaching, training and developing your own people is the key. Just like a number one sports draft choice give the new recruit time to hone their skills. A manager may still use the "sink or swim" approach whereas a Leader will understand that investment is essential to allow growth and development. A leader is a visionary whereas a manager is a goal setter. A manager sets expectations whereas a leader has the capacity to deal with the issues if the expectations fall short. A leader will be the first one to take responsibility and adapt to make changes. He will be "proactive" as opposed to "reactive" . Hiring out of "fear: will often result in a hasty judgment call and hence the well known epidemic of the revolving door on the sales floor begins. What does it really cost a dealership to have constant turnover in staff? What dent does it make to long term customer retention?
A leader needs to inspire and motivate the troops on a regular basis and have ongoing training sessions. After all they are the horses that pull the wagon through the tunnels of success.Communication and team building is vital for the store to be heading in the same direction. 1 on 1 sessions with team members daily are crucial to keep all targets on track. A simple 15 minute "huddle " before each shift maintains the focus and paints a clear picture of the task ahead. Just like a "pre game skate" ritual before a hockey game it pumps the team up and gets them ready for the big game ahead. Motivate and Inspire and be a leader by your positive actions. Leadership is not about a title. It is about how you can be an influence to
others.
Support the team and the team will inevitably support you.
"Leader and Innovator: With over 30 Years of Experience Developing Life-Changing Products for Personal and Business Excellence, then sharing those products with the World" Best Lessons, learnt what not to do!
9 年Well written Paul. Today more than ever we need sales leaders not task managers, Are they a leader? Or a manager? This is the difference? A leader energizes and motivates a sales force to achieve seemingly impossible goals. A manager makes sure the sales process works. A leader has a powerful sense of mission and purpose. A manager makes sure all reports are in on time. Leaders innovate. Managers…well, they manage. You old school task managers probably think too much exhaust fumes, know this: in the twenty-first century, understanding the difference between leading and managing is understanding the difference between winning and losing in the cutthroat automotive industry.
Automotive Professional - Team Building - Improve Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Values Increased Sales ,,
9 年Excellent article Paul , though there are some emerging Dealer Groups that have returned to the OLD TESTAMENT and narrow minded way of dealing w sales people and clientele. Of course these groups are continually hiring people that have little or no experience - that is a testament to the quality of management and training they fail to achieve. I was fortunate to start in the Auto trade w two import companies . I was truly lucky that I was able to experience the difference from the domestic way of selling in the beginning. I later managed a couple of domestic stores and employed a people first approach w sales people and clientele - How about that - TEAM W O R K S !!