In uncertain times, one thing is for certain: you need to motivate your team
In my previous column, I highlighted that 2025 will be anything but normal.
With businesses in general, and dealerships in particular, facing so much uncertainty, the only thing that we are in control of is how we perform day in and day out.
We are entering a period where there will be no shortage in contrasting opinions, both public and private. As such, as dealers, we will be required to navigate the noise created, be it fact or fiction. This noise will affect our customers, our brands, our financing sources, and most importantly, our team members.
The importance of having a highly trained, motivated team will be part of the solution. Regular in-depth communication with our teams will be a critical step to ensuring that everyone understands what’s going on and is on the same page. This will not be easy since our team members will be influenced by social media, traditional media and word of mouth. Daily huddles, touching base for a few minutes every day will be important.
Not all brands in all cities will be subject to the same uncertainties. The role of our federal and provincial governments in responding to some of these uncertainties could affect us all differently. I can’t remember a time, however, when the industry needs to act as one since many of the uncertainties will cross brand barriers and affect us all.
I am concerned about many things, but I am most concerned about the impacts of the heightened noise on our customers and, consequently, their behaviour and, most importantly, our team members.
Our customers and our employees might be concerned about their jobs. This will affect their behaviours and their attitudes. When people are concerned about their jobs, they’re not very optimistic and generally do not go out and spend money they might not have. The stress on families and individuals becomes real as they are influenced by much of the heightened noise.
Many things, however, are positive. For instance, declining interest rates that, in theory, will make vehicles more affordable and housing more affordable. In normal times, this should have a positive impact, but in these uncertain times, we can only plan for the worse and react accordingly.
Dealerships all have a different vibe. Some good and some not so good. Employees are often absorbed by their tasks and leave showroom visitors to fend for themselves.
Also, there are often delays before being greeted when bringing vehicles in for service. In the minds of customers, all the little things that happen while they are at your store form the basis of their experience. You wouldn’t ignore visitors to your home for 5 or 10 minutes before you greet them. Why, then, would you allow this at your dealership?
Processes are your secret weapon. They should be customer focused, documented and adhered to. Training for all positions in the store should be customer-focused and occur regularly.
Professional athletes, those at the top of their game, practice constantly. Practice is not something that happens a lot in dealerships. Regular review of documented processes and training is essential for peak performance. Consistency and predictability of the customer experience is what keeps customers coming back again and again. It also provides a framework for employees to work within and increases employee satisfaction.
Our fixed operations businesses are fairly predictable. Processes increase efficiency and minimize errors. All of us have thousands of service customers that we engage with over the course of a year. There is a lot of service competition in our local markets. Our teams must perform in such a way as to make certain that customers want to come back to do business with us again and again.
A team approach is very powerful. Team members learn to depend on each other and cover for each other when there is short-term and longer-term employee absenteeism.
It is critically important to minimize the effects of absenteeism. Absenteeism is a fact of dealership life in today’s environment and that fact should be baked into our manpower plan and process knowledge.
Plan for absences. Practice absences. Each team member needs to understand their role in such circumstances. Why can a professional sports team go on a winning streak when their star players are sidelined? They practice rotating team members around so as not to build complete reliance on star players. Our dealerships are no different.
The energy level and customer engagement should be the same regardless of who is interacting. Remember the Disney philosophy that all employees are cast members. When they come to work, they are playing a role. They are expected to play that role, as trained, consistently for their full shift, each and every shift. They understand where their performance fits within the entire customer experience.
The same holds true for dealers and managers. The team looks up to them and follows their lead. They are the leaders in your organization. Everyone notices and reacts if you walk in a bad mood with a long face. It’s that dealership’s leaders also play their role to be upbeat and energetic in full support of their team. Unfortunately, all too often, dealers defer to their management team to set the tone. They sometimes hide in their offices, emitting negative energy. This negative energy spreads and all team members feel it.
Returning to my sports analogy, coaches behind the bench or on the sidelines are visible and play an important part in keeping the winning attitude moving.
They are constantly working with their players to help them identify how to improve or succeed in specific situations. Our role as dealers is no different. We need to support our team and, if necessary, make choices. Acting collaboratively with our team members to increase the likelihood of success is the goal.
Our industry might undergo significant challenges over the coming months. These challenges will have an impact on how we operate our dealerships. The power of a team will keep us strong, being ready and willing to tackle any obstacles thrown in our way. The current level of noise has most of us preoccupied. Working with the strength of our teams will give us the best chance at success.
