I have been recruiting and training new sales people. It has happened again. Dealership Management has passed on Mothers that cannot work three nights a week and Sundays. Their thinking is that it would not be fair to the other salespeople. “The floor must be covered and each team must stick to the schedule ... “We cannot allow a part time salesperson to take fresh ‘Ups’ ... it would cause problems ... no part timers and no flex schedules”.
I suggested to the GM: “Let’s use the Real Estate Office model that allows part timers and flex scheduling. Just think about all the multi-million transactions that are closed by Soccer Moms on a flex schedule. They are happy, work on a schedule that allows time to manage the kids and they list new business from a network of contacts in the community. Why not model this and apply it to the Automotive business ?
My Mate has a flex schedule and has sold over $40 million in homes by networking with Mothers ... just think of spider web of networks with school activities ... PTA, Scouts, Church, YMCA, Gyms, Clubs, Sports ... Soccer Moms drive and buy cars ! Why not have a Sales Team of Mothers ? I will train them to network, guerrilla market and prospect ! They will take floor traffic only after every full timer is with a customer.” There was silence ... thought ... and ... “NO, that would not work here”.
A Sales Team of Mothers ... it works in The Real Estate Office ... who will be the first innovative Sales Manager to buy-in ?
What say you?
Although it is a great concept, I dont think traditional upper management will ever get past the “indentured servitude” attitude towards their sales force. What do I mean? Simply put, for as long as I can remember sales people have been used as free labor for “lot parties”,(at the managers whim) errands ( hey kid my dry cleaning is ready), etc. Count the number of idle hours a salesperson truly has during the course of an average week and how that time is best utilized;follow up, prospecting. The most successful go getter has at the very least 20 hours of pure down time in a 60 hour week. Why wouldnt a smart manager allow a “socccer mom” choose to spend that time away from the store? When they mix their dealership obligations with their community involvement, isnt that a form of “prospecting”? And infinitely more productive than cold calling or dialing 9 month out lease lists over and over again. It continues to amaze me when I see dealers and GMs refusing to think outside the box when business is down and competition gets more ferocious by the day. Sort of like working 13 hour days, it probably is not necessary in most stores for anyone to work open to close, it certainly has some negative impact on the sales persons productivity, but ya gotta do it, why? well because that is the way the car business has always been.
Thank you Sue … you said it all !