User talk:Donmcewen

Q: Do we really need to train salespeople? A: Don McEwen • I have always told my managers that either they hired the wrong person or they failed to train them and make a commitment to continuously develop them-period. To take it a step further, if you hire the right people, those that match your customer base and your managers truly have a handle on the showroom process you will never again fill a position out of desperation. In fact, you may get the reputation of being a place where there are never any openings, imagine! In addition to my new car experience, I spent 7 of my 30 years in the business underwriting BHPH loans. As Partner and GM I also got to work with the collectors, you learn quickly as you review a repo file that the repo could have and should have been predicted at the time we wrote the loan. Sound familiar? One last comment, when you terminate a salesperson immediately write down your feelings and put the note in a cookie jar. The day will come when they stroll in asking for a job. You will be in the middle of a bad month or short on salespeople and gee, he wasn't so bad anyway...OPEN THE COOKIE JAR! Doesn't work with ex-girlfriends and doesn't work with salespeople either, it's gonna be good for about a week.Donmcewen (talk) 17:16, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

Dealerships changing license plate frames without customer consent
Don McEwen • The Service Manager should have a standing rule that he/she or the Advisor with the most seniority is made aware when a first time customer is in the Dealership. A plate frame should never be changed without first asking the customer but why not take it a step further? How about a manager approaching the customer in the lounge with "Hi, I'm Dave the Service manager and I understand it's your first time here", this is a perfect opportunity to engage the customer, tell them what the Dealership's core values are and why you want their continued business. At that point you could offer their NEXT oil change free of charge in exchange for a shiny new plate frame, the free oil change coupon has a line for Dave's signature that is left blank. Dave instructs the customer to "ask for me" when you come in for your next service and they will have me sign this, another opportunity for Dave to go out and say "hi", further cementing the relationship. Ask the GSM what the advertising cost per sale is and they will tell you depending on new or used and floor traffic that month it is between $250 and $400, what is the cost of acquiring a lifetime customer in the shop? I learned very early in my career that the common denominator of success is "doing the things that unsuccessful people are unwilling to do", you don't have to like it or it may be extra work but being successful means that you do it anyway. For those who are skeptical of the free oil change imagine that your RO count is down 15% two months in a row and see if it makes more sense. Finally, while you were speaking with this new customer your weakest advisor gave away three time the cost of that oil change discounting a brake job.Donmcewen (talk) 17:17, 22 October 2012 (UTC)