Joe Webb

Company: DealerKnows Consulting

Joe Webb

DealerKnows Consulting

Apr 4, 2016

Does Your Dealership Need a Traffic Cop?

Have you ever run a red light? Did you do it by accident? Not paying attention? Did you need to because you were in a hurry? Or maybe you did because no one was around and you just felt like it. Could that have been it?

Inevitably, the law catches up with everyone that continues to break the rules of the road, whether it be a stiff warning, a few points on a license, or a citation and fine. You know it is wrong, so you are deterred from doing it again. In most cases, it is senseless rule breaking, or a careless oversight that should be prevented. You get busted for doing it once, reap the consequences, and stop running red lights.

No, this isn’t a driver’s education class, but minor infractions are being committed on your showroom floor, within your CRM every day, and no one is correcting the bad behavior.  If you never stop someone from running red lights, they’ll continue to do it over and over. Eventually, a major accident or tragedy could occur. It is up to dealerships to elect a traffic cop in their CRM.

Whether your team are falsifying call logs/attempts with a simple “LM” note in the CRM (the most common culprit), or flipping active prospects to “Lost” far too early to avoid having to make follow-up, there are countless ways sales and BDC teams are getting away with wrongdoings. It isn’t their right to cost your dealership money if you’ve set forth rules for them to follow. But with no one to slap a wrist, issue a warning, or lay down the law, your CRM will be a cluttered intersection of wrecked opportunities.

If a salesperson knows you’re not watching (or doesn’t believe you care), they’ll continue this negative behavior. Not catching these sales misdemeanors as they take place is nothing short of burning your marketing and ad dollars.

You need a traffic cop. Someone who actually puts the “manage” in a manager title. Whether it is our , or an individual you select, we’ll tell you there is no better enhancement to your bottom line and lead metrics than actually ensuring no one is acting above the law.

Hold your people accountable. Demand them to utilize your CRM and follow the processes as they’re designed. Employ a traffic cop and see how quickly you can drive profits safely.

Joe Webb

DealerKnows Consulting

President

Joe Webb is the President of DealerKnows Consulting. He is also a husband and father, writer, speaker, process leader, and mediocre funny man. Dedicated to blurring the line between entertainment and education.

4277

4 Comments

Mark Rask

Kelley Buick Gmc

Apr 4, 2016  

this is spot on and so needed ....thanks joe

Greg Jackson

Jackson's Toyota

Apr 4, 2016  

Any steps or process that works best that you have found for the "traffic cop"  Also in your experience who makes the best "traffic cop"?

David Ruggles

Auto Industry

Apr 4, 2016  

I've been pitching and installing rotation boards in dealerships for 25 years.  Each store is different but dealerships without real rotation systems are simply BSing themselves.  Who benefits the most?  The dealer and the most experienced sales people.  Green peas get a legitimate chance to succeed.  Who hates and resists them the most?  The skaters, the masters of crosshairs qualifying, in short, those who are already gaming the system.

CRM in most stores are a joke.  Who wants to log everyone when doing so destroys your closing ratio and balls get busted over it?   It requires cultural change in most dealerships to go to a legit rotation system.  Your best sales people are NOT who you think they are.  Your best sales people aren't the people hustling and burning through UPs to get a good month's sales.  Your best sales people are those who prospect and work their owner base. 

 

Who's watching the lot?  Who's on first?  How many people does it take to watch the lot?  Designate those who are responsible and everyone else can be doing followup, prospecting, and working the service department.  If everyone is lurking behind the light poles to jump the next "Larry and Lorretta Laydown," your dealership will continue to get what you've been getting.  If you're happy with that, don't change a thing.

david ortega

traffic cop CRM

Apr 4, 2016  

Joe, Traffic Cop CRM has been in business since 1997. I need you to contact me as soon as possible. I have left you a Voicemail. David, Senior Manager at Traffic Cop CRM

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