The Saturday Morning Sales Meeting

It's your Big Day. You waited all week for it.

And you're about to kick it off in the best way possible.

With a great big, one hour meeting that will inevitably run over until you hear "Hey boss, I've got people coming in" and with 15% of your team standing in the back, 20% half asleep (they were there until 11 last night) 3 guys missing, "has anyone seen Bill???" and that one guy that's always running a little late. Ready?! Let's do this!

We have a LOT to cover this morning, so let's get started. Are you fired UP?!!! (someone please hit that motivational music track you love)

Sales Training

We'll have to get back to this later, unfortunately. See the manager over there behind the desk? He forgot it was his turn. He's either: A) Going to feverishly put something together, after of course, he finds the topic he was supposed to be talking on... OR

B) He's going to WING IT! Yes, Mike, "Big Mike" says he forgot, but no worries. He has been in the biz for 38 years and is going to wing it. There are 47 people in a crowded room that can't wait to hear how long he goes on this time!!!

Now it's time for...

Incentives!!!

This is the math of our business. The difference maker for our customers. The factory just released some incredible programs...let's listen in...

New Car Manager pulls multi-folded, multi-page papers out of pocket.

NCM: "So it looks like we just got another $1500 plus 1.9% on the ______ (inaudible) . No wait, that's Or, not Plus. But we do have another 500 on the LT version. But for the 36 months. The 84 month is something %. Not with the current incentives though. The lease is better. It's 299 for 39 months with 5000 down, if they are a returning lessee and if they qualify for the retired teachers incentive. Everyone got that?"

Confused?! Don't worry- your entire team is, so they will rush the tower repeatedly today to clarify. Odds are someone will yell at them for not remembering.

Sales Targets

We need a BIG DAY! When we went around the room on the 5th, you all told us you would each sell 25 units. Well, it's the 25th and you are averaging 7.2. So we need a BIG DAY! We can turn this thing around RIGHT NOW.

First person to sell 3 gets to leave early, or get 500, or write their own schedule for the week.

We need everyone on their 'A GAME' today. We've got great incentives, good weather and lots of Appointments on the board...which takes us to...

Appointments

This one is special. You have 47 appointments on the board. But 1/2 of them are real, maybe, only some were 'confirmed' which meant a manager hurriedly called them to check the box and said they were here to help. No discovery. And some of those appointments were set on Tuesday for today. Again, don't worry. They won't be clogging up your showroom, because right now they are driving their new car past your dealership on their way to the beach/the big game/Lowe's today.

We won't need to start worrying about these appointments until about 4pm when we haven't sold very many vehicles. And we certainly won't want to have a better process for this next week. We'll just keep telling people that "If you don't have appointments, you're not in business!!!" Which may be true, but, there is a little bit of opportunity to vastly improve this message.

Housekeeping

Here we go, this is one of the crowd's favorites. If there were only emojis for the faces you are about to see:

"Who parked the ______ in front of the _____?) Bill, didn't you have a customer on that late last night?"

"We're still missing the key for the____"

"Who left personal info for their customer in the____ room?"

"Don't smoke within ____ feet of the ___ unless you are a manager."

"We are going to rearrange the lot this morning for our BIG DAY! Everyone needs to get grab keys and help out." Please note, a minor miracle is about to take place. 65% of your team suddenly has a CUSTOMER in the Showroom or that 'will be here any minute and I have to get ready for them'... It's going to be a great day!

Rewards

It's time to...Spin that wheel!

Did you know, you have people on your teams whose financial life for the week is literally hanging on a good spin or surprise incentive

If they don't get the $300 spin, the light bill goes unpaid. And they will spend half of today looking online for another job with a predictable, even if lower, income.

They are tired of the ups and downs...and no ability to work a second job due to the hours.

I thought you might want to know. They will never tell you this. But now, it's time for them to strengthen their knowledge base, get focused, because here comes their...

SALES TRAINING!!!

Every Associate and Manager is taking notes. On lunch. Where should we order from today? But wait, first we have to handle breakfast. "I'll buy if you fly" ( I had plenty of free meals based on this BTW, Thank you very much. )

The topic meanders, the audience wanders, the receptionist is paging overheard that there are customers in the Showroom. No one will remember/apply/benefit from this. We just spent 78 people hours on this part alone. And the people who needed it, didn't get it.

Now it's time for everyone's favorite...

LET'S GO AROUND THE ROOM!!!

You will now get an opportunity to hear from the Managers who say, "I think Steve said it all...I really don't have anything to add."

Finance telling everyone to "get in all of your paperwork because we are too busy making 3-5x all of you to do this ourselves." (Fact, check the latest reports from NADA)

That one guy who was waiting all week for this opportunity to vent...and never fails to deliver. ( I always wonder what his life is like at home, don't you?)

Closing

(Crowd is starting to stand as GM or Dealer steps up)

"We want you all to know how much we appreciate you and the fact that your family and friends are all doing something exceptionally meaningful today without you. Your time is valuable to us and we are going to have a BIG DAY. Of course, if we don't, you can still stay until after closing to finally get your one sale through F&I."

Is There A Better Way?

While this may sound like an exaggeration or amusing to you, does it to your Sales Team? I was right there...in all of those roles. Sometimes on the 'oops I could have done more' end. But that was a long time ago. I have spent years improving the lives of all dealership personnel and care about each of you - your goals, your career, your effectiveness. You put in the hours, let's make them count even more.

We can help you create structure, purpose and results in your meetings. But you have to start planning now. Once you get the rhythm and use the new templates we create, your job will get easier, your team will actually LOOK FORWARD to these meetings and most important your effectiveness with your team and your results will greatly improve.

Take an inside out look and ask yourself if it's time to do more. Your competition might be. With record low unemployment, talent is hard to find and costly to lose. Meetings like this can erode or strengthen their performance. We care about all of you. And we can help.

Now go out there, motivate your teams, and I'll take care of motivating you.

Contact us today- or after your busy Saturday is in the books.

Click here to set up a confidential conversation and we'll get you on a path to success!

https://meetings.hubspot.com/laurie19

www.fosterstrategiesgroup.com

269.217.0414