The Talent Pool Ain’t What It Used To Be!…..Or Is It?

“The Talent Pool Ain’t What It Used To Be!” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been in front of managers on a dealership level and have heard these words. I myself have had these thoughts run through my mind when running a dealership. How many times have we found ourselves thinking or saying, “It’s not like the good old days”? Well I have come to believe that the talent pool for salespeople is deeper and stronger than it has ever been.

Exciting things are happening for us in the dealerships because of the economy! Think about this for a moment. There are people out there that are being forced to re-invent themselves. They are having to step outside their comfort zones. In getting to know some of these people and talking with them I am finding out that the talent they bring with them is probably better than it has ever been! These are individuals that would have never considered working in a dealership 2 maybe 3 years ago. Many of them never dreamt that the career they had would ever disappear. So they come a little hesitant but curious about this great industry we have come to love. Granted most of them come with very little experience in sales of cars, but many of them come with college degrees and other types of experiences that we can’t begin to put a price on.

Maybe when we say these words or have these thoughts, what we really mean is that the person that is coming in these days is not someone we can just throw right on the floor. Maybe it’s someone that is in need of some training and new tools to be successful in their new career path. Maybe it’s someone that we have to invest some of our time with. Maybe it’s time that we as “managers” get up off our butts and do what we’re supposed to do...train, guide, mentor and manage!

I find myself getting very excited in these times with the people that I am able to hand over to a dealer after some training. These are good quality, very solid and VERY talented people that have a lot to bring to the table! The next time you find yourself thinking this way, stop and take a close look at what you really have in front of you...you might just be surprised! You might have some of the best talent you’ve ever had!

Where are you finding new talent? What industries make the best automotive sales people? Lets share some success stories, stories of sales people that came from an industry you had no idea would make a good sales person. Leave a comment below.