NEWSLETTER

Issue No. 16 | June, 2013

I just read your article, Has your store become the Perfect ContradicGarage Testimonials tion?, published in the May 6th edition of Powersports Business. As a recent college graduate, and starting a new job as a marketing specialist for a tire company, I found this article very enlightening and inspiring. I am going to forward it to my professors back at school! Nate Hamilton Nice website. Still go through my notes when Im in a slump and it always helps! Thanks for the training. Jeremy Barnard, Cycles of Jacksonville I just had a GREAT meeting with the sales team this morning! I opened up the Sam Dantzler books and showed everyone our composite and protability of the dealership. We went over the tra c log, the P&L, contribution, and showed them why each step in the process and each customer interaction was so important. I even threw in a few Samisms to drive it home! Everyone walked away with their eyes open and pumped up to get it done!! Thanks for all the help and resources... Theres really nothing better than the 20 group and SPG to get your head out of the swirl and refocus on the business. Chris Wilhelm, Freedom Powersports As always, please continue to give us feedback on the website and suggestions for training topics we can address: sam@samspowersportsgarage.com

Groundhogs Day
The most worthless piece of information is what you told your salesman yesterday. Ed Lemco In the November 2003 issue of the Lemco Letter, I wrote an article titled Sand Castles on the Beach. The idea behind the article was that no matter how awesome your sand castle is today, the tide would come in overnight and leave you with a blank canvas the following day. If you wanted another cool sand castle, you needed to rebuild it the next day. Sales Managers are notorious for saying to their sta , I just told him that yesterday! But yesterday doesnt matter. Did you tell them today? Perspective is everything The fact that salespeople are forgetful can be a very good thing. Remember when Brett Farve forgot the interception he threw just two plays prior? He forgot about it, which allowed him to go back out there and give 100% on the next play, not worried that it might happen again. If youre tracking everyone through the department, you should be closing around 10% of the tra c log. That means the salesperson can say and do everything right, yet still fail 90% of the time. To come back the next day with a smile on his face, he must sometimes forget. He must forget that he gets told no over and over and over. He must forget the counter pounder who wanted the bike at half price and everything else thrown into the deal for free. His resilience is part of what makes him good at this job. So yes, you might have to tell him tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that. DJ Stringer is a buddy of mine who just returned to retail after a long stint in a corporate, training-type environ...continued p. 2

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ment. When asked how he was doing he said, I forgot that its like Groundhogs Day. The reference is obviously to the movie of the same name, where Bill Murray wakes up as a reporter to cover Punksatonie Phil Groundhogs viewing of his own shadow. Unfortunately, he wakes up to the same day that repeats itself again and again and again, and so the movie unfolds. Yes, retail can be like Groundhogs day for certain, and a managers job can often feel repetitious. But there are two sure-re ways to minimize (you cant fully eliminate) this daily cycle. The rst is who you hire, and the second is how you manage.

of one of his proles attached. Im particularly fond of his assessments, as he pinpoints exactly what type of roll (within a dealership) the candidate would be best suited for. Email me directly if you want his contact information.

How You Manage

Personality proling is becoming much more mainstream these days, and companies like DiSC Proling are putting logic and structure to all of our little quirks as human beings. The questions is, once you gure out what sort of person I am, how do you manage me di erently than my peers? During

Personnel Profile
5%
Factor A: General Mental Ability 1. Learning/Reasoning Ability 2. Judgment
Factor B: Occupational Interest

20%
(Fast) (Consistent) (High) (High) (High) (High) (High) (High) (Outgoing) (Warm) (Positive) (Low-Risk) (Accept) (Easy)
(Tough-Minded)

50%
7 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

20%
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 (Slow) (Inconsistent) (Low) (Low) (Low) (Low) (Low) (Low) (Low-Key) (Cool) (Negative) (High-Risk) (Reject) (Difficult) (Sensitive) (Inactive) (Satisfied) (Follow) (Low) (Low)

5%
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

9 9

8 8 8 8 8 8

Who You Hire

This is not meant to be an HR article, chocked full of dos and donts and state legalities. Instead, its meant to allow you a better understanding of the skill set of the person you are interviewing relative to the job you are hiring for. If you look at the best Parts Managers out there, they are fundamentally di erent than the best Sales Managers, Service Managers, etc. Parts Managers are typically much more analytical, yet still quite good with customers. Sales Managers are all about dealing with customers, and most have little concept of how to maintain an Excel spreadsheet. Service Managers like perfection (think torque specs), and frequently are very, very organized, and not always people people. Im not the expert here, but why wouldnt you want to tap into what the experts know, and have your employees tested prior to extending an o er? There are many companies out there that do this type of personality testing for a fee. Oh damn, another fee Well, how much does it cost to hire the wrong person? The one guy Ive dealt with personally is Dr. Ron Trego, and there is a snapshot

3. Sales 4. People Service 5. Finance 6. Technical 7. Mechanical 8. Creative Factor C: People Relations 9. People Contact 10. Friendliness 11. Attitude Factor D: Conscientiousness 12. Work Ethic 13. Accepting Policies/Supervision 14. Manageability Factor E: Durability 15. Emotional Toughness Factor F: Success Motivation 16. Energy Level 17. Competitive Aggressiveness 18. Assertiveness SUMMARY 19. Endorsement 20. Development Potential

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

8 8

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

8 8 8

(Active) (Ambitious) (Lead) (High) (High)

8 8 8 8

BEST FIT:
Sales Sales Manager General Sales Manager Finance Manager Name: Position: NA Sales Service Manager Service Advisor Shop Foreman Parts Manager Results To: NA Date: Parts Body Shop Manager Office Manager Other September 27,2011

REMARKS
Average learning/ reasoning ability, socially outgoing sales personality. Conscientious attitude regarding policies and procedures. Self- starter, energetic, high sense of urgency. Average drive and aggressiveness, average take charge personality. Primary downside risk ambiguous interest pattern which is compatible with everything indicating some confusion with regard to what he really wants to do. Overall, follow-up interview with focus on reasons for wanting a sales position is strongly recommended.

...continued p. 3

What We Learned
You must inspect what you expect: This is something that Uncle Ed preached for years, and is so

incredibly overlooked. Brandi manages all our consultants and little gets done without her oversight. Having someone reformat a document, upload a report, or come up with a set of quiz questions sounds simple enough. Yet, without constant follow up, tweaks when necessary, and a truckload of patience, stu simply doesnt happen. What you think your sta is saying to customers and whats actually being said may shock you. Its not that your employees arent talented or capable, but if nobodys inspecting their results, what motivates them to do it right each time? Everybody has their way of doing things and their own priority list. You should inspect what you expect of them and remind them how to succeed so that you will as well.

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our management programs at Lemco, we trained a concept called Feather or Brick. Some employees theoretically need to be hit by a brick to make the point of the manager. Others will simply break down and cry if you ask, Why did you do that? I want to take that a step further, dividing human personalities into four quadrants. Each personality should be managed di erently if youd like to glean the full ability and performance of each employee. Its all in your delivery Managers People Management 101. Remember, if you cant do it, why the hell are YOU the Manager anyway?

Dependability is a key part of a supporters life. That said, they dont like to rock the boat, even when necessary, and always respond to encouragement better than criticism. Everyone on your team is friends with the supporters they are givers and garner support easily. Management tip: These guys are great at giving out atta boys to the team and can help you through mutinous times. They can play an important part in encouraging your team to embrace change, see the benets of new management, begin a new system, etc. They like to see the glass half full. Play up emotion, unity, kumbayas, etc. to enlist your supporters when the rebels are restless. Ya know, I think it would really help the team if

CONTROLLER Those with controlling characteristics are calm, mostly rational, and thought-provoking. They focus on results and accomplishments, are disciplined, and like to take control of situations all situations. They are often stubborn and focused, and less likely to deviate from the course/plan theyve set for themselves than any other personality type. Management tip: Ask Controllers how THEY would handle the situation, then listen and guide them in the direction of success; dont TELL them how to do it its not working! Encourage them to lead by example. They believe they are the Leader anyway. Oh yeah, and they likely believe they are smarter than you so you could not possibly have a better idea. ANALYST An employee with this character trait is all about the data. They will not make a decision until all data has been assimilated and analyzed. They are very objective and quite concerned with accuracy. They have a tendency to ask a million questions and require time to process information they dont jump to solutions right away; that would be too risky for them. Management tip: Come to the meeting armed with more data then you think is humanly possible, share it with them, set an action deadline, let them absorb it for an hour or a day or whatever seems appropriate, and reconvene to set the wheels in motion. They will be in HEAVEN and you will be checking things o your list e ectively. SUPPORTER An employee with a supporting personality is your most loyal employee. He will do whatever is needed and asked by management. He is patient, and a good listener.

PROMOTER Think Don King here. Promoters cannot help but to constantly be promoting themselves. (I have no idea how that feels.) They are very animated, fun and motivating, as well as uber-competitive. (Ive never been described as any of these things.) They are high energy, magnetic, enthusiastic and make great salespeople. (Oh yeah!) Down side - they can su er from 3 week old puppy squirrel, squirrel, theres a squirrel syndrome. Gotta keep an eye on promoters or else theyll be taking in lawn mowers on trade and over stocking the bright orange helmets because, Doesnt everyone want one of these? (My wife added that part.) Management tip: Ever heard of stroking? How can you make your promoter look, think and feel like a hero? Wow man, youre e n good at (ll in the blank). Do you think you could take on the next guy this way (ll in the blank) and be as natural? Then release onto the oor. It helps to allow them freedom to have fun and a bit of center stage in some capacity while learning/working/managing. They love to put on a good show and they particularly love to be the main act it validates their existence while achieving your goal now thats gotta be good for something. Work it, people, work it! ...continued p. 4

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Taking time to hire the right person(ality) for the right role is a huge step in the right direction. Its worth the time to get to know who youre working with. You will achieve better performance, more respect, and less turnover from your sta . You can help yourself by considering personality proling for positions. Small tweaks to your management style, an open mind to a not-so-new concept, and managing with intention and by design based on personalities will kick start that journey. After all, Id be willing to bet that you Managers want your employees owning their jobs and knowing they are uniquely adept at them based on Who they are, not What they do...unless youre a total ass and then you should have stopped after the Ed quote.

FAQs...
Question:
I forgot my Password / Username and I cant get on...

Answer:

Sam Dantzler

Seriously, dont email us about this. You are wasting both our time and your time. Be resourceful. Remind yourself of it from the Login page link titled, aptly, Forgot your username? Secondly, your Dealership Representative / General Manager has a list of employees who are authorized under the Dealership subscription. They know your Username and email associated with your account. If you are not on that list, then you have not been authorized and must be before you can gain access to training in the Garage. Neither we, nor your GM, can retrieve your password so you must reset it from the Login page with the link, Forgot your password? If you ask Brandi to do it, she will email a note to your GM that you are not resourceful enough to even reset your own password, for Gods sake, much less be trusted with customers, inventory, wrenches, spreadsheets, or anything else that requires half a brain. Thank you!

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JUNE 2013 3-4 Denver, CO 5 Dallas, TX 10-11 Las Vegas, NV 20-23 Colorado Motorcycle Trip! 25-26 Houston, TX JULY 2013 2-3 Alexandria, LA 9-10 Houma, LA 16-17 Media, PA AUGUST 2013 4-7 Atlanta, GA 19-21 Denver, CO 27-28 Orlando, FL

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