Improvise, Adapt & Overcome!
by: Jack Fitzpatrick
In the tumultuous world of fixed operations, as it stands today, it is challenging to say the least. All we see on the news is how things are looking better, and the markets are rebounding, and slowly but surely the economy is on its way back. I sit there watching the news thinking...”I wish they would send some of those people my way!”
All kidding aside, we know things will eventually improve, regardless of how fast or slow the recovery. But what do we do today to improve our sales on the lane? In the words of Clint Eastwood in the movie “Heartbreak Ridge” (1986) we need to IMPROVISE, ADAPT & OVERCOME!
Improvise
Stop, Look & Listen to your operation.
What I mean by this is to disconnect yourself from your role at the dealership (Dealer, GM, Service Manager, etc.), and take a look at the operation from the 50,000 foot level.
How can you position yourself differently from other dealerships in the area?
Take it one step further, and think about what the Independent Service Providers (ISP’s) are doing.
Some of them are doing a fantastic job in growing their customer base with the overwhelming dealership perception that is out there today.
Remember the definition of insanity?
Doing the same thing over & over again, and expecting different results.
Step outside the box, and try something different.!
Adapt
We need to adapt to our current environment.
How do we do this?
We need to determine how competitive our market is today. Dealerships and ISP’s alike are getting very aggressive in the way they promote, attract and retain customers. You need to do the same thing today.
When is the last time you did a local (ISP) competitive market survey?
If customers are going to compare us when it comes to the easy maintenance work we perform, does it not make sense that we make sure that we are viewed as competitive!
We can also go back to the basics and start to focus on taking care of our current customer base.
The focus needs to be on selling the effort on the road to the sale, as opposed to just trying to sell the business. Customers will not be bullied into doing anything they do not see value in, or feel they don’t need. Focus on taking care of the customer, and build that relationship, and the sales should increase with the new focus!
Overcome
I would grab all of the “positive spheres of influence’s” you have in the Service & Parts department.
Lead technicians, senior advisors, veterans in all shapes and sizes.
Talk to them on how we are moving out of the Survive mode, and into the Thrive mode. You want their opinion, and involvement in the process. Let them know that we are now thinking outside the box on how to promote and gain more business on a daily basis.
The reason for this is that you want the people who have the “ear of the shop” to be involved in its eventual renaissance, so they can feel like a part of the recovery process.
Once you have their thoughts and ideas, you can move ahead with the plan knowing that they will not let the plan they helped develop fail. I would also talk to the staff as much as possible regarding what we will do, and how this can have a positive effect on our business, and eventually their own paychecks!
In closing, I would like to state again how important it is to differentiate yourself from your competition. The sky is the limit when you start to think outside the box, and make people talk about the experience they had at your dealership. Think about how you can make them leave your shop after a service visit, and tell their friends and family what a good time they had at your place of business. If you make sure you don’t forget about the customer, hopefully they will return the favor and not forget about you!
Please contact any of us at M5™ with any questions, thoughts, ideas, or comments. It would be our pleasure to help you retain and regain more of the customer base you have been missing over the last few years.
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