Fixed Ops Journal - April 2021 - F19

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

QUANTUM
continued from previous page

phone, and said, 'I'm on your website, and I'm
doing this and this, but I have a couple of
questions.' "
That is an opportunity to figure out what
pushes the right buttons with the customer,
and to use that information to start building a
relationship, he says.
Instead of reading from a menu or reciting a
script, O'Brien wants service advisers to listen
to what customers are saying and look for
cues that will place customers into one of four
social styles:
1. A " driver " is in a hurry and wants the bottom line.
2. An " analytical " wants more detail and time
to mull it over.
3. An " amiable " likes to build relationships
but has trouble deciding.
4. An " expressive " likes to express feelings
and is an impulsive decision-maker.

" They can do it in 15
minutes, which is about
how long their attention
span is. They do it at
home, at odd hours, in
their free time; they can
jump into it at any time. "

BRIAN KRAMER, Germain Toyota

O'Brien, whose father was a car dealer, started selling vehicles at a Chevrolet dealership in
downtown Chicago in 1981 and recalls salespeople then were schooled in the basic skills
of talking with people to learn their motivations. As more communication became digital, those skills have steadily eroded, he says.
" The last 20 years we've concentrated on
[customer relationship management], how to
write email templates, how to respond to a
customer quickly and give them all the information, " he says. " We stopped working on the
basic [sales] skills a long time ago as technology got between us and our customer.
" They don't talk to people about their needs
or motivations. They talk to them about deal
facts. "

From left are Quantum5's Jason Frank, Germain Toyota General Manager Brian Kramer, Quantum5
CEO David O'Brien and COO Ken Herfurth. Frank helped train Germain Toyota sales staff.

Quantum theory

Here is how the Quantum5 training program works:

 Prior to in-person or virtual training, service advisers take an online test to set a
baseline for their sales and social skill levels.

 Training, typically 2-3 days, focuses on recognizing the personality styles of

customers, how to build relationships, ask questions and present solutions that will
motivate the customer to purchase services.
 Service advisers then become part of a " community " of learners who use a phone
app to reinforce skills taught during training. Advisers can use the app at any time to
review training content presented as questions, audio clips and video scenarios on
the service drive. Content is presented in bite-size pieces that may last less than a
minute.
 Learners have to show competence at lower skill levels to advance to higher ones,
and the content varies by each person, even if they are at the same skill level.
Artificial intelligence calculates where learners are strong and weak and adapts the
content accordingly. As learners advance, they also are given options as to the
content they use. " It's a non-linear process that is more like a game than a
corporate [training] app, " says Quantum5 COO Ken Herfurth.
 A " community manager " from Quantum5 interacts with learners to motivate and
guide them in the ongoing training, monitor their progress and answer questions. As
the community manager, with help from artificial intelligence, gets to know the
adviser, they can offer motivational incentives based on the adviser's interests, such
as a sports-related prize or a donation to a favorite charity, instead of a single
incentive for everyone.
 Quantum5's software can integrate with the dealership management system to
monitor an adviser's success at selling repair work found in multipoint inspections
and target areas that need improvement.
 After 90 and 180 days, advisers retake the skills test they took before they started
training to measure their progress and determine where they need more work.

see QUANTUM, Page 20

APRIL 2021

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Fixed Ops Journal - April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Journal - April 2021