Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 14
D E A L E R OP S & M ANAGEM ENT: Su cce s si on pl anni ng
By David Weaver, CSP®
Associate,
The Rawls Group
Automotive
Manufacturers
New Direction
Affects Long-Term
Dealer Planning
A few years ago, I
received a call from a
successor candidate we had
been working with for the
past couple of years. This
dealer's son was an
exceptionally bright,
hardworking lad with lots of
promise. Before coming to
work for his family's
business, he spent a handful
of years in another dealership, earning respect,
experience, and the kind of
14
APRIL 2019
humility that comes from
working somewhere that
does not display your last
name on the building. He
had learned what makes the
various departments click
(as well as exposure to what
didn't work), the structure
and process, how to read
the financials and other key
performance indicators.
Now working for his family's
dealership, he had proven
himself as sales manager to
D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M
the point of earning his
current role as GSM. The
managers respected his
leadership and other than
the typical over-exuberance
for immediate change, the
successor was continuing
his development to someday
buy out his dad and become
the dealer. All appeared well
until I received his call.
It isn't unusual to listen to
a clients' concerns and let
them propose solutions for
handling a stressful situation
and this was no different.
Coming off the heels of an
industry conference, the
successor was overwhelmed
by information taken from
workshops and expressed
his anxiety over the future
of the car business and the
impact on the future of his
family's business. He shared
his grave concerns about
the dealership location, lack
of room to expand, reduced
net on new cars due to
volume pricing requirements,
monitoring and qualifying for
ever-changing manufacturer
incentive programs, problems
finding and keeping techs
and on and on. Let's just
say I let him go on for a few
minutes. After he stopped
for a breath, I thought of
lightening the mood a bit by
asking, 'And the problem is...
what exactly?' However, not
wanting to minimize his concerns, we reviewed the work
he and other managers had
been focusing on to minimize
outside uncontrollable issues
(threats) and targeting those
they could influence. In other
words, basic strategic and
operational planning.
This young successor's
concerns were valid given the
time, financial, and emotional
commitment it takes to one
day become a dealer-owner.
However, this young successor's concerns are similar to
what I hear from mature and
experienced dealer's across
the country due to changes
impacting the industry. Many
dealers are now fraught with
concern about the future of
autonomous vehicles, shared
mobility and what that might
mean for fleet sales directly
http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM
Digital Dealer - April 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - April 2019
Digital Dealer - April 2019
Contents
A Message from the Show Director
Conquesting Through Service
Pricing Strategy: Dare to Compare
Policy & Shop Supply Abuse
A Hiring Optimization Framework to Grow Revenue & Attract Qualified Applicants
Automotive Manufacturers New Direction Affects Long-Term Dealer Planning
Interview with Apple Chevrolet
DD26 Pre-Show Highlights
When Analytics Lie
Digital Word-of-Mouth: The Overlooked Hero During a Slowing Auto Economy
It's Time to Stop Guessing About Your Marketing ROI
Embracing the Essential Digital Media Mix
Facilitating Online Car Buying Without Losing Profit or Control
Social Selling: 4 Keys to Selling on Facebook
4 Strategies for Effective Dealership Marketing on Facebook
How to Create an Employee Pipeline for Your F&I Dept.
The 4 Laws of Influential Conversations
Upsell Process
Sustaining a Successful BDC
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Digital Dealer - April 2019
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Cover2
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 1
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Contents
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 3
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - A Message from the Show Director
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 5
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Conquesting Through Service
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 7
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Pricing Strategy: Dare to Compare
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 9
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 10
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Policy & Shop Supply Abuse
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - A Hiring Optimization Framework to Grow Revenue & Attract Qualified Applicants
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 13
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Automotive Manufacturers New Direction Affects Long-Term Dealer Planning
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 15
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Interview with Apple Chevrolet
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 17
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 18
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 19
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 20
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 21
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - DD26 Pre-Show Highlights
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 23
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 24
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 25
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 26
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 27
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - When Analytics Lie
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 29
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Digital Word-of-Mouth: The Overlooked Hero During a Slowing Auto Economy
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 31
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - It's Time to Stop Guessing About Your Marketing ROI
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 33
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Embracing the Essential Digital Media Mix
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 35
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Facilitating Online Car Buying Without Losing Profit or Control
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 37
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Social Selling: 4 Keys to Selling on Facebook
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 39
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 4 Strategies for Effective Dealership Marketing on Facebook
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 41
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - How to Create an Employee Pipeline for Your F&I Dept.
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 43
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - The 4 Laws of Influential Conversations
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 45
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Upsell Process
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Sustaining a Successful BDC
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - 48
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Cover3
Digital Dealer - April 2019 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/dd26showdirectory_042019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/digitaldealer/201708
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com