It’s time to roll out that seasonal “back to school” post, getting back to class, back to the drawing board, back to routines. These are good things, they provide us the ability to learn, evolve and be more accountable.
For the sake of this blog post let’s focus on routines. There is a delicate balance between those routines that provide great value to the organization and those that, time and time again, are a source of frustration. Old school processes easily fall into both categories. The timeless gesture of stopping what you’re doing to open a door for a customer entering the dealership will never fall out of favor. Listening to a customer, really listening, GOLD, and about as old school as you can get. Standing out in front of the dealership killing time between “ups” or avoiding learning new technology are also routines but these affect your dealership’s bottom-line and customer experience dramatically.
You can teach a car guy new tricks but if you’re also taking an old-school management approach to learning new things and evolving the dealership I’m sorry to tell you that nothing changes if nothing changes. The right attitude and approach can slowly break down the routines that affect your store’s CX and profitability.
Below are several reasons why adopting a culture of learning is not only good for you as an individual but will foster the right culture at the dealership and help your staff apply the same principles to their time on shift (in front of and not in front of customers).
Exercise Your Grey Matter – This isn’t new news but keeping your brain engaged by learning new tasks and skills is one of the best ways to keeping both memory and mind sharp. Studies show that learning keeps your brain functioning at a higher level – you absorb and adapt faster. When you’re regularly learning new things you also are more acceptable to change, meaning you can easily take any changes in the dealership and pass them on others if needed.
Learning Boosts Confidence – When you take the initiative to learn new things it quickly translates into your confidence levels. Your attitude towards continuing to expand your knowledge base will quickly show itself on the sales floor as well. People will always be drawn to engaging, knowledgeable people that pass that knowledge onto them during their visit.
Learning, The Brain Multivitamin– Studies have shown that people who focus on learning and personal growth have lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone), improved immune systems, and sleep better. Some experts also say keeping your mind active also helps fight diseases like dementia. Finally, learning new skills produces a rush of dopamine (the feel-good hormone), imagine a staff getting these daily benefits! It translates directly to your customer’s experience and the overall performance of the dealership.
Use the “back to school” season to help everyone in your organization learn new skills. Collaborate with your teams so that your staff is supporting change and growth across the entire store. Your employees will be better for it and your customers will benefit from it every time they visit.
