Successful dealerships do a lot of things right to be successful. Whether you’re coordinating inventory orders, expanding your service department, or initiating a new marketing campaign, your success depends on one thing: communication.
Without effective communication processes in place, your business may struggle to survive. You could lose out on sales and repeat service. Eventually, you could even lose customers and your employees. However, if you can master the art of communication, you – and those you hire — are likely to thrive.
6 Ways Communication Makes Dealerships Successful
Communication brings out the best in people because it increases understanding and lessens the likelihood of making mistakes. When your employees can openly discuss situations, they’re more likely to develop effective problem-solving strategies. If an error happens, they correct it and move on.
Your organization will experience increased success in these six ways:
- Trust levels increase. Employees and customers are more trusting when communication is frequent and transparent.
- Your employees unify as a team. Communication brings people together, and when departments communicate regularly with each other, the organization becomes unified.
- Customers sense greater professionalism. Buyers are more likely to purchase from a professional and knowledgeable dealership because each stage of the vehicle-buying process feels seamless.
- Communication encourages friendly competition. When communication is working well in your organization, inter-and intra-department goals become fun.
- Communication destroys toxic attitudes. The more you and your team communicate with each other, the less room you’ll have for gossip and negativity.
- Teams bounce back quicker after defeat. Employees should rarely have to figure things out on their own. The team that communicates well lifts each other up to prepare for the next sales opportunity.
If these sound like worthwhile benefits for your dealership, it’s time to start communicating better now.
Communicate Better Right Now
Communicating well is a lot harder than it seems, but you can do several strategies immediately to communicate better. One of the most successful plans for improved communication is a three-part process called introduce-practice-reward.
The process works like this:
- Introduce – Hold an employee meeting to discuss your new initiative. Explain what it will look like, and how it will benefit everyone individually and as a team. This initial stage may include a discussion about setting goals, messaging departments, and having routine huddles.
- Practice – Asking everyone to communicate more is not the same as doing it. Like any new initiative, communication requires practice, feedback, practice, and opportunities to correct mistakes.
- Reward – Catch your employees communicating well and recognize them for it. Reward them with praise, company swag, or gift certificates. The rewards show that you’re taking the time to acknowledge their contributions.
Finally, consider communicating with an automotive recruiter who can find, screen, and prepare applicants with good communication skills to join your dealership team.
So when you’re ready to have the recruitment team at Autopeople in your corner, give us a call at 1-800-659-9501, visit our website at www.autopeople.com or email us to discuss what Autopeople can do for you.