Let's Scale This Thing... 3

Ok, we now have the right people in the right positions. We have the right people getting paid the right money. It is now time to start ADVERTISING right!!

Nope, not even close. Don’t shake your head at me, why would we start advertising now? Yes we have the right people in the right places. Yes we have new motivation because people see positive changes are happening. But, no we don’t advertise yet. I know, I know, I hear you, let me explain why…

Alright so your store is starting to shape up. Things are starting to look good, people are starting to say hi to you in the morning, you are gaining headway and respect everyday. This is a good thing. Your killer instinct says it’s time to start flooding the floor so you can start making this store (and let’s be honest, yourself) some money!! But you're wrong. Your TEAM (although better than it was) is not ready. The atmosphere has changed, the mood has changed, attitudes have changed, people are excited and motivated, but somethings are still exactly the same. Like, experience, knowledge, bad processes, poor customer followup, and you and I both know a lot more things. But let’s just start here.

As a GM it is your responsibility to make sure your TEAM is successful. It is your job to make sure they are following the processes that you put you in place to ensure success. If you haven’t put any in place how can you expect things to be any different than before? Trust me, it won’t be.

What can I say, I am a slave to the process.

Your job when you take over a store is to fix it. It’s to build a productive, successful, PROFITABLE store. That said let’s look at it this way…

Imagine you are rebuilding a classic car. You went out and bought a junker with good bones. It was rusty, worn tires, blowing a little smoke, decent interior, but needs work for sure. Now, you drive her home and park in the driveway. You are pumped because you can see the potential in this shiny new toy. So what do you do first???

You have to take her apart first right? You have to check the carburetor, see why it’s smoking. You have to check the breaks, remember no-one has been watching these things for a long time. Change the oil, change the tires, change the transmission fluid, change the filters, change the lines, change the fuel filters, change the…. You get the point right?

What would happen if you just took it down to the body shop, had it painted and took off for a cross country drive in your fancy “looking” classic? You would eventually break down. You would eventually get a flat. You would eventually end up towing it home and doing all of the things you should have done from the start. And guess what, you will most likely have to repaint her eventually too. Because as you remove all the panels, change parts, and do the things you should have done from the start it will end up getting scratched, bumped, and dented. So, did you really save any time? Was the car really ready for the road? Nope. But, don’t feel bad, we all want to drive the new toy. The only difference is you are supposed to be the leader. You are the guy with the answers. "The Master Mechanic" Not the fool who takes short cuts. Act like it.

Your new dealership is going to take the same attention to detail that old classic took. The same care and time. You will see the potential, glory, and profitability in it from the beginning, but don’t jump the gun. Instead, lets change the oil first…