Change is the only constant since the beginning of time. Yet, it remains one of the most difficult things to do. The majority of people struggle with change, including businesses like your dealership.

Let’s talk about change in your dealership. Many sales professionals contact you on a daily basis. They try to sell you on making a change, whether it’s products or processes. You see their vision, embrace it, begin believing in it, and then decide to make a change.

In hundreds of change implementations, I’ve noticed the problem is the new vision is often not passed throughout the rest of the company. There’s no true buy-in on the change from the rest of your team. This means you’ll continue to fight an uphill battle long after implementation. The teams won’t use the new tools provided and your high expectations will suddenly drop.

The next thing you know, you’re back in front of another salesperson from another company, selling you another change. This type of change cycle causes great tools and solutions to be major expenses.

So how do you make your next big change stick?

Get Management Involved

Get your management team involved as early as possible. This gives them the opportunity to hear and see the proposed changes. They can ask questions and start building out their plan of how this change could work for them. When management is on board, they will help make change a reality throughout the rest of your store.

Be Ready to Teach… and Learn

You have to be ready to teach and your teams have to be ready to learn. You and your management team should discuss the changes with all employees. This will give them the opportunity to ask questions and let them know you are serious about this change. Also, ensure managers are present at all training. When your sales staff and technicians see managers taking time to learn, it will solidify the importance of the change.

Turn Off Distractions

Distractions can be old tools, programs, materials, or even processes no longer in use. If the old way of doing business is no longer in reach, your employees will adjust to changes faster.

Conclusion

Changing your status quo is only successful when everyone is on board, from the dealer principal and owner down to the receptionist and detail crew. Don’t leave your next big change to chance. Doing it right can yield big results for your dealership.

For more information on training and system utilization improvement, contact Reynolds Consulting Services at 1.800.657.9784 or send us an email, consulting@reyrey.com.

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