As I am traveling the country, the same question keeps coming up at every Dealer I visit, “How do I retain Sales Consultants?”.
There is one overwhelming answer, GIVE THEM CLIENTS!
The best example came during my past week on a recruiting and training gig, down in Philly. I have started to spend much of my time, outside the training room, communicating with previous students. Messaging through Social Media, and talking on the phone with new Sales Consultants trying to make their way in new surroundings in a new career. This week there were three prior students that decided to leave the Auto Industry behind, and wanted to talk to me before they did it.
Each conversation went the same way, “I am trying my hardest, but I just don’t have anyone to talk to.”. One by one they explained how walk-in clients are hard to come by, and they just couldn’t survive on what they are earning. I have worked in the Auto Biz for over 20 years, and have seen a lot of Sales Consultants try and fail to get a start in this business. Based on my experience I just wrote it off to this just not being for the folks.
During my training this past week I had an experience that completely changed my thought process. I send my recruits out to mystery shop the competition each week, and they usually stop by a Dealer around 9, prior to the start of class. I had 5 out of the group of 15 this week have the exact same experience. None of them were helped, even though they were clearly seen by the Sales Staff.
This is not meant as an arrow shot at the Stores they visited, but the reason why they were not helped really opened my eyes. The recruits said they were lost in a sea of clients in service. It was like they joined a giant herd. I FOUND MY CLIENTS!
I am now writing out a daily business plan for each of my graduates, that includes starting your day as a service ambassador adopting, “Orphan Owners”. All those clients that either bought cars elsewhere and service with their new Store, and the folks that are no longer attached to a Sales Consultant that works in the building. Starting when Service opens these new consultants are going to act as a concierge to each of these clients.
With this source of business, there are literally hundreds of available people that can become a income generating client base. This is the type of income generating glue that keeps Sales Consultants coming to work at your Store every day.