We all know dealerships have a high employee turnover rate throughout every department. According to Automotive News, the sales department has one of the highest with an average turnover rate of 67%. It also has one of the lowest tenured lengths, with the average salesperson having just a year and a half experience in the dealership. Why?

The majority of salespeople simply lack experience and haven’t had the proper training to be successful in their position. Salespeople interact with customers and other departments every day. They have a lot of responsibilities and tasks they are in charge of completing; however, if they don’t receive the right training and develop bad habits, they’ll be more likely to leave.

According to Brainshark, inefficient training leads to lost productivity and can cost up to two and a half percent of total business revenues. Therefore, every time your dealership loses a salesperson and has to hire a new one, you’re losing time and money. So what are you doing to avoid these circumstances? Here are a few tips to help you train your sales team and keep them motivated to stay in the role.

1. Set clear expectations for your sales process. Setting a standard for how you want your sales process to look will keep salespeople on track with each customer. This standard will ensure no steps are skipped during the sales process, and will increase the likelihood of the customer purchasing a vehicle. Using a system to facilitate following your sales process, you will increase the success of your entire team. You also will keep your sales team motivated, which will result in less turnover.
2. Assign a mentor. Training your salespeople when they are first hired may seem obvious, but the amount of training needed may not be. According to the Brevet Group, it can take more than ten months for a new sales rep to be fully productive. Ensuring your sales team is prepared to sell effectively can make a huge difference in profit for your dealership. To make sure your sales team works together and new salespeople have someone to turn to, assign new hires a mentor.
3. Offer continuous training. Even when initial on-boarding and training is complete, sales education shouldn’t stop. Providing opportunities for continued growth will keep your team engaged with your sales process and will increase their success. Sales reps report 50% higher net sales when they have continuous training according to the Brevet Group. These additional sales can be a motivator for your sales team. The feelings of success will help your dealership retain salespeople and reduce turnover.
4. Use sales aids. Even if a salesperson knows the sales process, using a sales aid that walks them through the steps of the process will help keep them engaged in the sale. Salespeople who are interested and involved in their role are more likely to stay at their jobs. According to the SiriusDecisions State of Sales Onboarding Report, two-thirds of high-performing salespeople use self-paced sales aids. Using a mobile-based sales tool could benefit your entire sales team enabling salespeople to keep track of where they are in the sales process from their phones to ensure they don’t miss a step.

Successful sales reps typically want to stay in the job they have, so creating a sales process that works for your employees will reduce turnover and increase sales. Salespeople who can keep track of the sales process themselves will put less strain on your sales manager, who will be free to ensure your sales team is as productive as it can be.

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