Like a Johnny Cash song, “I’ve been everywhere, man.” I’ve been to countless car dealers in hundreds of cities, and I’ve found there to be some universal truths associated with them all. This isn’t so much an educational blog as it is an observational one, but I feel you’ll know these dealership lessons ring true in your dealership as well. I started banging these out on my Twitter account, one dealership lesson after the other but figured it’s easier to combine these dealership observations here.
(Are some of my lessons from the road jaded? For sure. Are they accurate? You be the judge.)
Dealership Lessons I’ve Learned
Dealership Lesson #1:
Did you know it’s a prerequisite to smoke cigarettes at least once an hour if you’re an automotive finance manager?
Dealership Lesson #2:
If a Sales Manager doesn’t like something they’re tasked to do, they’ll tell a salesperson to do it, even if that salesperson SHOULDN’T be the one doing it. This includes everything from getting breakfast to T.O.ing customers.
Dealership Lesson #3:
“The boss is coming. Look busy” is the first skill taught to salespeople and BDC agents.
Dealership Lesson #4:
If you’re a salesperson at a dealership that has been given a nickname, that is how you will be summoned over the PA system.
Dealership Lesson #5:
If you’re at a dealer in the Deep South, at least 25% of employees have a handgun within arms reach of them at all times. (Yes, even today)
Dealership Lesson #6:
On any given day at a dealership, non-automotive YouTube videos are watched more than walk-around videos are made.
Lesson #7:
If a salesperson is tasked to make a phone call to a customer from a CRM that has the ability to text as well, that customer is getting a text.
Lesson #8:
At least 35 times a day, a salesperson will ask a sales manager if a vehicle is available.
Lesson #9:
If you’ve sold vehicles for less than 3 months, you’ve been asked to drive and get a manager his morning coffee at least a half dozen times.
Lesson #10:
If a salesperson has their best month, the first half of their next month will be abysmal.
Lesson #11:
50% of the work you estimate you need an A tech for can be done by a B or C tech.
Lesson #12:
Even though a BDC agent sets more appointments in a week than a salesperson in 2 months, the salesperson believes they are superior to the BDC agent, as if that agent couldn’t sell just as many cars.
Lesson #13:
Every dealership has a new hire orientation that includes taking 16 hours of online OEM courses in their first 4 days, of which they will retain 5%.
Lesson #14:
After a salesperson’s first 6 months in the business, they’ll believe they don’t need to get any better than they are at that exact moment.
Lesson #15:
More time is spent discussing what to get for lunch than training or role-playing daily. Salespeople and managers start these discussions shortly after finishing their breakfast.
Lesson #16:
Once a month, an Internet Director will have to reset the CRM password for a senior salesperson that forgot it.
Lesson #17:
A BDC agent would rather poorly handle 100 inbound sales calls than role-play one time with a manager or trainer.
Lesson #18:
If the note in the CRM says “LM”, know they probably didn’t.
Everyone will always eventually ask themselves, “How do I make my dealership successful?” The first step is understanding the inner-workings and behaviors of the people who work there.
