Aug. 16, 2004 – The key to success

As we at PowerHouse analyze dealerships under the microscope of the 20-Group environment all across the country from several hundred units sold per year to several thousand we look for common denominators to success.
We find without exception that it dose not matter how good your products, services and facility are if you do not have strong sales people in EVERY department you will not realize your potential.
There are several commonalities that show up in 100% of the Strong, consistent, profitable Top Gun departments/Dealerships. The No. 1 trait is well trained, competent, committed teams with strong systems in place. If fact we have ample evidence that shows that without a strong team even the best systems fail.
So if competence and commitments are the components of all winning teams. What makes up these components? Let’s start with competence.
Competence is learned and is a combination of two things. One is knowledge and two, the skill to use that knowledge. As an example: You can take a new rider who wants to race and give him all the knowledge necessary to go fast but will he go fast without the skill to use the knowledge? I think you will agree the answer is an obvious no.
Commitment is attitude and is a combination of desire and confidence. To further our example of racing, if our rider has the knowledge necessary to win and the skill to use that knowledge but has no desire to ride, what are his chances of winning during the heat of battle? Now consider the last component of commitment, confidence. If our rider dreamed of racing his entire life (great desire), read all the books and took all the classes (knowledge), put in the grueling hours of practice (developed skill), but was convinced in his mind that he did not have the ability to compete much less win (no confidence), what are his chances of winning? I’m sure you will agree that again the answer is “no”.
The first step in having a winning team is hiring only winners and potential winners. There are several companies that will profile your potential hires at a very reasonable price based on your job requirements and help you match the right personality to each position you hire for. This has proven to greatly increase your success percentage with new hires.
We as an industry in general make a HUGE mistake by putting the emphasis on Competence (which is trainable) while we are hiring with the excuse that we don’t have the time to train. What do we end up with? A full house of burnt out profits of doom! Think about it. What is the easiest to “put into” someone, desire and confidence? or knowledge and skill? Without any doubt it is the easiest to increase a team members knowledge and skill if the desire and confidence (belief that they can) is there. Imagine for a moment someone who has years of knowledge and skill but no desire to do the job. You probably have those on your team right now. They are the ones that every time someone suggests a new way of doing something they have 101 reasons why it will not work or is not worth the effort.
The next step to a winning team is the proper training or “coaching”. A Top Gun Coach matches the appropriate training to each team member’s current development level. We have identified five steps that all great coaches use to create and maintain winning teams.
1. Tell them how “Build Knowledge”
2. Show them how “Develop the vision”
3. Let them try “Build the skill”
4. Observe performance “Gives ability to match development level to training style”
5. Praise progress and redirect. “Maintains desire and confidence”
Then go back to step 3 this begins the coaching phase of developing winning teams.
REMEMBER if you are going to win it is NOT HOW MANY you have on the team but WHO you have on your team coupled with proper coaching. psb