Digital Dealer - November 2019 - 45

MY ADVICE TO DEALERS IS TO FIND SOMEONE
YOU TRUST WHO KNOWS FIXED OPS. HAVE THEM
DO AN HONEST ANALYSIS OF YOUR PARTS AND
SERVICE DEPARTMENT - AND BE PREPARED TO BE
EMBARRASSED. MOST IMPORTANTLY, ACT ON THEIR
RECOMMENDATIONS!"
Manning hired Mark Demaro
as fixed ops director as his
family of dealerships began
to expand. Demaro knows
you grow a business by
growing your people, and
the more people you hire,
the more customers you can
serve.
When they bought their
most recent dealership earlier this year, there were three
line techs and one lube tech.
In just a few months they've
grown to eight line techs and
three lube techs... and they
need more!
So, how important is fixed
ops? Manning answered,
"Seth grew up on the sales
side of the business; I grew
up on the finance side of the
business - yet every month
we begin our executive
meeting with strategies on
how to move the needle in
fixed ops."
"The real money is in
parts and service; that's the
only way we can hit our net
to gross," Manning concluded.
So how did he do it - five
dealerships in five years
before the age of 40.
First, he attracted great
people; both at the store
level and at the corporate
level. (just this year he has
added a CFO, accounting
manager, and HR director
to his executive leadership

team.)
Second, he earned the
respect of great people:
vendors, strategic partners,
industry experts, community
leaders, etc.
Third, humility. "That may
sound strange, but successful people come with egos
- and usually baggage."
Manning explained, "my faith
teaches me to be humble.
My church family is very im-

variable approach to fixed -
meaning we focus on sales!
We have service sales
managers and service sales
advisors at each dealership.
Their job description and
pay plans are built around
sales production," he explained.
"If you want to increase
the bottom line of a RO you
start by increasing the top
line - which means you

MANNING AND HIS
TEAM STARTED 'THE
PATRIOT PLEDGE,' A
RETENTION PROGRAM
THAT ENCOURAGES
LIFETIME LOYALTY
THROUGH LIFETIME
VEHICLE PROTECTION."
portant to me and my family.
Without my faith I would not
be humble."
"I have to surround myself
with people that are better
than me. Seth is better at
selling cars than I am. Mark
is better at growing fixed ops
than I am."
"If you always have to
be the smartest guy in the
room, then you limit yourself.
Humility lets me defer to
others who know more than
me," Manning said.
Fourth, an emphasis on
fixed operations. "We take a

must sell service."
Manning continued,
"Many dealers, like me,
didn't grow up on the service
side of the business; so my
advice is to find someone
you trust who knows fixed
ops - a vendor, a partner, or
a manager. Have them do
an honest analysis of your
parts and service department - and be prepared
to be embarrassed. Most
importantly, act on their
recommendations. I did, and
it paid off!"
Fifth, tie car buyers to the

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

service department. "Sales
customers become service
customers; and service
customers become customers for life," he said. To that
end, Manning and his team
started "The Patriot Pledge,"
a retention program that
encourages lifetime loyalty
through lifetime vehicle
protection.
"It's an investment in our
customers and in our future
- and it's working," Manning
concluded.
So, what's next? "Our
house is built on the goal
of being the best and most
respected dealership in each
of our markets."
When asked if more acquisitions are on the horizon,
Manning didn't hesitate for a
moment, "we are still on the
grow - and managing the
growth. I'm always on the
lookout!"
Hats off to Tatton Manning; a family man, a businessman, a Christian man,
- and a true patriot!
CHARLIE POLSTON is an
Automotive Customer Retention
and Profitability Consultant
with BG Products, Inc. Charlie
has been with BG's Fixed
Operations Division for over
36 years. He has trained over
7,500 dealers, managers, and
technicians - and has been a
frequent workshop leader at
NADA's annual convention.

NOVEMBER 2019

45
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Digital Dealer - November 2019

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