expect from him, his answer is
simple: "Measurable results!" he
says. "otherwise, why bother?"
lisa reinicke, president of automotive
Warranty Network inc. (aWNinc) in
Greenwood village, colo., says proof of
past results shouldn't be hard to fnd. "A
professional trainer must have proven
results that they can point to. The car
business, more than many others, has
its share of big talkers. But results that
can be verifed are hard to fabricate."
"dealers don't
need to start
from scratch.
they just need
to implement the
right structure,
technology,
process design
and marketing
tactics."
jerry Thibeau, ceo of Phone Ninjas in
charlotte, N.c., agrees. he believes
that, while dynamic speakers can
provide a few hours of "entertainment"
for the staff, getting results should
always be the primary goal. "if you're
going to invest in training, make
sure there is a defned process
that will not only measure success,
but also help reinforce the original
training," he says. "it's all about
growth and providing results."
achieving both is a short-term and
long-term goal, according to joe
verde, president of a san juan
Capistrano, Calif.-based frm that
specializes in sales training. he says
his dealers get immediate results
after training, but "proper" results
require a broader approach.
"i say 'proper' results because how
a dealership gets those results
will determine their long-term
success," verde says. "honesty
and integrity, along with effective
processes and well-trained people,
will produce 'proper' results."
verde also warns that lofty promises
are no substitute for verifable results,
especially when a dealer's processes
are at stake. "Because training
controls the direction dealers take
in sales and management, dealers
should be very careful and do their
due diligence on the trainer, their
company, the processes they teach
and their results — not just rely on a
marketing piece or bold statements."
sean v. Bradley, ceo of Dealer synergy
and automotiveinternetsales.com
in audubon, N.j., adds that trainers
should provide, among other items,
"a 'plan,' an outline, a synopsis,
road map, etc., before they train."
6
2
experience
like most trainers, Bradley says he
began his career "on the front lines,"
selling vehicles and directing internet
sales and a business development
center. Gerry Gould, director of
training for united Development
systems inc. (uDs) in clearwater,
Fla., became a trainer after his former
dealer principal asked him to serve
as a mentor to new hires. he believes
trainers must offer "the most up-todate and logical processes available
for their particular situation. They
should also expect a trainer that can
communicate on the same level as
their most tenured employee."
"When a consultant comes to the
dealership, they should expect them to
be able to perform the task that they
are training," says carl Bennett, director
of the reynolds consulting Group in
Dayton, Ohio. "For example, if you are
teaching sales process, you should
be able to take an 'up' and sell them
or take a turn and close the deal."
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