Ben Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
Truer words have never been spoken, but unfortunately, too many businesses across the country look at education as an expense, not an investment. Similar to my feeling about employees, not just dealer principles, attending trade shows, you’re front line staff needs to learn. There’s a similar saying when it comes to education that I’ve seen passed around LinkedIn recently. It’s something like this. Person #1 – What if we educate our employees and they leave? Person #2 replies what if we don’t and they stay?
Invest in your staff, and treat them right. Your customer will thank you.
The press release from Bell Helmets on Powersports Business sparked this article. They announced the introduction of a Dealer Training Website consisting of 5 modules ranging from brand education to specific model education.
We’ve already talked about some seminars being hosted at AIMExpo this year in a previous post, but with 32 sessions available over two days, there is sure to be something valuable for each member of your staff.
Other brands reply on in store education from brand reps, and the distributors often pitch in as well helping to train your staff on the features and benefits of their specific products.
And don’t forget about the internet. It’s chock full of information to use to your benefit.
How do I implement a training program in my dealership you might ask? You simply do it.
Start with a short 15-minute session during your weekly meetings. Assign a different staff member each week to conduct the training. Have them teach the rest of the staff the features and benefits of a product. Studies have shown that when you learn something to teach it later, you retain more knowledge and information. Set up a monthly schedule and hold each person accountable.
Follow that up with a monthly, more in-depth training session. Buy bagels before the shop opens or pizza after it closes, bring a distributor or manufacturer rep in have them teach you about their product. The investment will show in increased sales.
If you already have an education program for your staff, I’d be curious to hear more about it. What are you teaching? What is your procedure?
If you don’t, why not? It’s very simple to implement. Trust me your customers will thank you.
As always the ideas expressed above are my own, and I make no claims to the success or failure of implementing them. They are suggestions to make you think. Please vet all ideas against your business plan before implementing them.
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