SEE MORE COVERAGE OF CADA SUMMIT 2015
The cream of the crop from Canada’s dealership community took the stage at the 2015 CADA Summit to share their insights with fellow dealers.
“This is a very, very exclusive club,” says moderator Niel Hiscox, outlining the rigorous screening and third-party judging process from the Richard Ivey School of Business that selects three winning dealers per year from across Canada’s 3,200 plus dealer body.
The CADA Laureates were invited on stage one at a time for a one-on-one interview before joining a broader panel discussion.
Taylor Newbigging won the CADA Laureate award for retail operations
First up was Taylor (Ty) Newbigging, from Sherwood Nissan, in Sherwood Park, Alta., who won the CADA Laureate award for retail operations.
When asked about the secret to his success, Newbigging says it’s constantly evaluating and revising his dealership’s processes — and supporting their people.
“You think you are good,” says Newbigging. “But there are still things I’m not happy with.”
Every year his team sits down and examines every process from sales, service and finance, and they challenge themselves to come up with a better one. “Reinventing the process consistently has helped us out,” says Newbigging. “We are rediscovering ways to do that all the time.”
Once the group comes up with a consensus on a new and improved process, there is shared accountability to make it come to fruition. “They have process but then they have accountability and that helps,” he says.
They also ensure they measure everything from sales and service targets, which is a driver of change and accountability.
One area Newbigging says still needs improvement is measuring the lost opportunities in service. “One thing we have never been good at is the service department. I can’t tell you if I’ve lost a service customer today,” he says.
Patrick O’Regan was chosen in the ambassadorship category
Next up was Patrick O’Regan, from O’Regan’s Automotive Group in Dartmouth, N.S., who was chosen in the ambassadorship category.
He says it’s crucial for dealers to support and reach out to their communities. It’s also always been part of the DNA and culture of his family’s dealership operations. “We were almost programed to believe that you make a living in the community and you have an obligation to participate in it,” says O’Regan.
Apart from the social good, a stronger community also benefits the business. Part of the dealership’s support is to help support educational initiatives in the community.
In terms of dealership operations, O’Regan says his business has changed significantly, and in particular, in the area of sales. “I think we have been changing for a long time,” says O’Regan. “The skills needed when I started in sales 25 years ago have changed.”
The third 2014 CADA Laureate winner Jonathan Hickman, from Hickman Automotive Group, was not able to attend the event. Instead, Steve Chipman, CADA Chairman and a CADA Laureate, joined the panelists.
Steve Chipman, CADA Chairman and a CADA Laureate
Chipman was asked how his company is able to continue the pace of innovation needed to thrive. “It’s difficult, it’s not easy,” says Chipman. “We work hard at it. It’s constant.”
A few years ago, Chipman says he went outside his organization and got a personal coach to help him with his business. This expert asked for his five-year plan. “I didn’t have one. I was just trying to sell cars 30 days from now,” says Chipman.
Now, every store and every department has a plan, and constantly reviews and adapts it. This approach was transformative for the Birchwood Automotive Group that he leads.
To succeed at innovation, you also must accept some ideas just won’t work. How does Chipman manage that with his dealerships?
“The trick is to fail fast,” says Chipman. “You have to take risks. You have to act quickly. You have to make quick decisions.”
“If you made a mistake, I’m not going to shoot you — you have to give them the opportunity to fail and chalk it up as quick learning,” says Chipman.
Chipman says he looks to sports and their teams to provide inspiration for his team.
Delegates then took part in an informal Q&A session where they offered their tips on working successfully with their OEMs, motivating their teams, and building a winning culture.
The CADA Laureate program is supported by an exclusive sponsorship with Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. (SAL) a leading provider of financial, consulting and training services for new car and truck dealers in Canada.
The 2015 CADA Summit is organized by the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association, and is supported by an exclusive sponsorship from TD Auto Finance.
