I noticed a theme in this week’s issue, a common thread connecting the two pieces. That thread is staffing. More precisely, the importance of hiring the right people – better yet, recruiting them, as Dan Schneider of The Rawls Group tells us this week. Successful expansion of a dealership group isn’t just about the money, Karl Schmidt of Morrie’s Auto Group tells me, “it’s about the people”.
According to the 2016 NADA Dealership Workforce Study, overall turnover at dealerships was just below 40 percent, compared to 46 percent turnover for the entire private sector. Not so bad. Overall sales consultant turnover, however, was an abysmal 67 percent, and a frightening 88 percent for women sales consultants.
Given that sales consultants are often the first human contact a customer has in a dealership, a bit more longevity seems desirable. If dealerships took some tips from Schneider’s column on MAGIC, would sales consultants hang around longer? Perhaps. Read his column to see what MAGIC stands for.
Also this week we have a profile of Morrie’s Automotive Group. It has been growing like gangbusters and I talk with CEO Karl Schmidt to learn about the Group’s strategy for dealing with such fast expansion. One thing that struck me is that Morrie’s has a very detailed staff development program that includes many of the elements that Schneider discusses in his column.
And would we leave out Transaction News? Of course not!
Enjoy!
