EPISODE RECAP & SUMMARY
What is one of the most intimidating aspects of stepping onto the selling floor at a dealership for the first time?
For newly minted salespeople, it may be the fear that they’ll forget a crucial step in the process and deliver a less-than-ideal customer experience.
For the customer, it may be the concern that the salesperson speaking with them isn’t dedicated to helping them solve their specific need beyond earning a commission.
Incorporating technology into the sales process can relieve both issues, depending on where and how a dealership applies the tech — keeping communication open and team buy-in high is critical for effective adoption.
Elwira Wilczynska, Director of Sales Training at Del Grande Dealer Group (DGDG), knows a thing or two about the intersection of technology implementation and sales team success.
From onboarding new hires to revolutionizing the car buying experience, Elwira shares insights on how dealerships can effectively train employees on using technology to create seamless experiences for all manner of customers — with buy-in from leadership.
How training platforms set green peas up for success
Picture it: Your first day on the job, ironed pants, perfectly combed hair, a winning smile, ready to hit the floor and start selling cars for the very first time. Sweat collects at your temples and palms. “Gosh,” you think to yourself, “I hope I don’t forget anything.”
Your colleague calls your name and you turn to find them holding out a tablet, saying something about a guide — you remember from your onboarding they had mentioned a tablet. A weight lifts from your shoulders.
You take it, and, to your immense relief, find a straightforward roadmap of how to complete a sales process — you can do this.
That’s the level of confidence the right tech can provide to new hires and the reason dealerships can survive the coming years of increased technological advancements and innovations.
“When you think about a brand new team member that's never sold cars before, for them to be able to use a tablet for the in-store piece where our guests are coming in — they have the steps of the sale right in front of them,” Wilczynska said.
Leveraging tech — alongside applying effective communication — is how Del Grande Dealer Group equips its sales team with the ability to provide a world-class guest experience, and that starts during the hiring process.
“We have a team that looks for dynamic, new team members that want to be challenged,” Wilczynska said. “With the expectations of what our organization is doing and being at the forefront with using technology, we set that precedent in the early conversations.”
Wilczynska and her team have spent the last 15 years developing a training platform that prepares new team members for a successful run at the dealership level. Every brand-new team member goes through a five-day, 20-hour course of sales training that focuses on:
- Culture
- Guest experience
- Leveraging technology to streamline guest experience
“Whether it's a CRM, our digital retail tool, or even our video messaging platform, the new hires are the individuals that are using it. That's their baseline, that's all they know,” Wilczynska said. “So when they go into those stores, they become pioneers and movers and shakers that allow for this unified process to happen at the store level.”
With a solid baseline for what success looks like, team members have the power to enact change and deliver those world-class experiences.
Why building and cultivating culture is equally important as integrating game-changing tech
Guests want a transparent experience with someone who has credibility when they walk into a dealership. With 60 percent of the car buying process happening online today, it’s even more critical to foster a trusted connection in person.
Even when you think about how people experience and consume in today's environment — across multiple industries — consumers may still not expect digital sign processes at a car dealership. However, it’s gaining traction for a reason.
“What we've noticed is that the transparency of using technology minimizes a little bit of the sales resistance,” Wilczynska said. “Because they look at the technology that's telling them information in real-time — ownership options are being sent to an iPad, it's no longer handwritten.”
At the very beginning of launching the in-store tech, DGDG saw guests negotiating less due to the level of trust established through real-time data.
“They didn't go back and forth, because there was this technology that allowed them to feel a lot more comfortable and confident in the information they were receiving,” Wilczynska said.
Before that can happen, you need a solid foundation of culture to support the tech integration — you can’t just throw a new CRM into the mix and hope for the best. That’s why DGDG has worked hard to create a system that feeds into a confident and effective adoption process.
The vital role of open communication when implementing and testing new tech and processes
DGDG has a two-pronged approach to building a solid foundation of buy-in:
- Set the proper expectations with new hires
- Ensure there is buy-in from the top down
If leadership is not on the same page about tech adoption, the effort is doomed to struggle. There must be buy-in and continued reinforcement in the hiring process to curate a tech-enhanced process that lasts.
“Before we even introduce an idea to the product specialists or people that are going to be using the technology, we have layers of conversations to make sure that we're on the right path, that this is the right message, the right ‘Why,’” Wilczynska said.
When GMs and GSMs are a part of the initial conversation, they’re more likely to take ownership of those initiatives and take accountability as the process develops, making for a stronger foundation and a higher chance of success.
The conversation isn’t only at the high level — individual team members also have a chance to weigh in on new tech and procedures thanks to DGDG’s training center, where focus groups can test out tech and give their feedback.
“We can bring 20, 30, 40 people into one location and have an honest conversation — What are some of the speed bumps we're experiencing? How can we help mitigate this?” Wilczynska said. “Our leadership team has always made it easy for us to communicate our feelings, thoughts, and input.”
The people using the tech day in, and day out will have the most relevant and accurate assessment of what needs to change, what works, and why it does or does not work as intended. Keeping those channels of communication open is an essential part of adopting tech to earn the best results.
Stay tuned for new episodes every other week on the Leadership in the Dealership Podcast.
