Why Don’t the Training Results Last? - by Ted Ings

Picture it now: the service manager, service advisors, and the rest of the front-end service team have just completed an intense training session.?

The difference is palpable. There’s a fire in their eyes, a passion stirring, and they remember why they do what they do. Service training has just finished, and everyone is back to work with guns blazing.?

But like clockwork, that spark in their souls slowly dwindles. It’s a week – maybe two – and their intensity has slipped back to the place where the need for a change was recognized. The training ‘investment’ hasn’t paid off yet, and the team is back to their old ways.?

Does It Strike Home?

That’s because it’s so incredibly common. Nearly every manufacturer, auto finance team, sales department, and service drive have lived this tale in real life.?

There’s a need for coaching and training. Every professional, automotive or otherwise, knows that self-improvement, team-building, and training are fundamental to growth in their position.

Unfortunately, there are ‘trainers’ out there that just say what you, the client, want to hear. Their coaching methods are steeped in the things that got you into trouble in the first place.?

Why Selfish Training Doesn’t Fly

Almost all the ‘trainers’ out there teach a singular focus, and that’s to earn more income. It’s the best way to sell service, the most effective technique for closing a sale, and the answers to overcome an objection. The focus is all about the money – making more deals to pad pockets.?

However, the automotive industry is made of customers, top to bottom. When the focus is on self, not the customer, the vigor that came from training is like sand, slipping through fingers. It doesn’t take long until it has all slipped away.?

Customer Centric Training

Yet, when the training is on how best to serve, everything changes. It isn’t about money, earnings, or sales targets. It isn’t singularly about closing deals (although it’s still important). It’s about doing the best thing for every customer that you contact, each and every time.?

Customer-centered training is a mindset change. It puts the focus on the person for whom you work – the customer. And we all know what happens to the financial sheet when customers are happy…

Look, training isn’t glamorous, but we all know it’s necessary from time to time. If you want training that lasts, get your staff trained on the most important part of the automotive business, and that’s serving the customer well. That’s precisely what you get with CPI.

Ted Ings is the Executive Director at the Fixed Ops Roundtable and the Center for Performance Improvement. He is a 5-time NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) Convention speaker and is one of their highest-rated presenters.

He has successfully implemented dozens of initiatives for OEM’s and Total Quality Management processes at thousands of dealerships in North America and around the world, revolutionizing the way vehicles are sold. This makes him an invaluable asset to his clients and they get both the benefit of his vision and his experience.