Last week, we talked about the steps you should be taking BEFORE you implement a managed floor process in your dealership. It’s important to set a strong foundation and put all of the guidelines in place to communicate to your team.
After the team is trained and the process is officially in motion, you can walk away and trust it will all work out. Right?
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Old Habits Die Hard.
In the first few weeks after rollout, you may notice some growing pains. Some of these can be attributed to simple habit. Maybe your team has not gotten used to making the new process a part of their daily habit or routine. And that’s okay. The key here is consistency.
The reps may just need a few nudges to keep those team members on track so that it WILL eventually become second nature. If you let it slide, it can come across like you are not committed to the process and the rest of the team may not take it seriously.
Check in with your team regularly to verify they are on the list and following the guidelines you laid out (from the last post).
More often than not, you will get pushback from reps or even management, who are set in their ways. These particular reps could be toxic to the rest of the team.
I’m not saying to get rid of them. What they have done in the past HAS worked for them and they wouldn’t be where they are if it didn’t. However, just because their way worked fine, doesn’t mean the new process isn’t better. It’s the same reason you take your car in for a tune-up. Just because it’s running, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t change the oil.
To combat this, work closely with these reps and establish regular checkpoints to be sure the problem isn’t bigger than just stubbornness. You might find out, they may just need a little more training on the process than others.
Having pushback is normal. It means you’re doing something right.
Identify Areas for Improvement
Having a managed (closed) floor really allows you to get more insight into how each rep is doing. It establishes accountability not only with your team but with the information in the CRM. When your reps are able to manage their time more efficiently and every walk-in is being logged, you will start having a true idea of what everyone’s close ratios are and wherein the process they may need some coaching.
It’s also important at this stage to manage your team’s new found “free time”, not just in their usage of your CRM but by directing them to see the numerous opportunities around them.
When staff is NOT at the point positions on the floor there are several things they can do to help the dealership (as well as themselves) be more profitable.
Service Drive Customers with High Miles:
Are they working with the Service advisors to identify customers that could be in a position to upgrade or renew a new lease or finance deal? Are you looking for specific pre-owned vehicles in high demand that could be sourced from service customers? There are great opportunities in the service drive.
Orphaned Customers in CRM:
Now that the staff is taking more time with the CRM to log their transactions, have them look for orphaned customers. Find interesting and unique ways to re-engage them, they did business with you originally for a reason. Demonstrate the “whys” and get them back in.
Online Training:
It’s a reality of the business now that everyone at the store has to touch multiple software platforms. Build a goal list for the team of software you, as a group, feel you could all improve on. Each month allow and encourage staff to get any training available to them through those vendors.
Social Media Videos to Build Their Own Business:
It’s crystal clear how much engagement a video can create between your staff, prospects and existing customers. Moving to a managed floor shows staff that they have time to shoot a quick product video, troubleshoot an issue a customer may have reached out about or simply reconnect. A video is a perfect way to stay top of mind.
Call Current Clients on Their Birthdays:
Tried and true, it’s nice to be remembered on your birthday. There’s still the good ol’ fashioned phone call or reach out with a well thought out message to your client base you’re connected to via social media.
Ongoing Training & Maintenance
As time passes and you are identifying areas of improvement, you may need to tweak the process a little bit. That’s normal.
Maybe you need 3 reps on the point instead of 2. Maybe your reps are cycling through the rotation to quickly and you’re actually understaffed.
Whatever the problem, it’s important to make small changes in order to make the process work for your dealership. This doesn’t mean to switch back to the old ways. Minor tweaks and changes along the way can make a big difference.
After those changes have been set, go back and reevaluate.
With any new process, it’s important to review the guidelines you set, be consistent with your team, set regular checkpoints, and always reevaluate to see where you can improve.
