Starting Position
2019 Dealer of the Year in Chicago, IL
- A high-performing store part of a five-store auto mall
- Award-winning customer satisfaction
- Online asking prices and final prices were only $347 different
The Spark
Looking to improve the 57-step process
- Customers disliked waiting for several people and spending 2-5 hours to buy a car
- Discovered A2Z through NADA and decided to move to a One Person℠ Sales Model
The Goals
Create a best-in-class customer experience
- Quickly transition to One Person℠ Selling
- Improve the customer experience, efficiency, and the store’s image
- Sell more cars, grow market share
- Raise satisfaction scores while increasing overall pro
The Approach
A commitment to making change
- The first 30 days was a One Price transition
- Training began 60 days before the launch
- Management presented the new sales process, responsibilities, and new pay plans
- Building client-advisor F&I knowledge was a huge focus, with help from the store’s F&I provider
- Managers learned to train in a new way with frequent one-on-ones and build menus for client advisors
- Former F&I managers became team leaders
- During the launch, previous pay was guaranteed while a new pay plan was being assembled
- Large screens were brought in to support team collaboration
Keys to Success
Total dealership transformation at every level
- A detailed implementation plan that included new organization charts, job descriptions, and pay plans
- Upfront training and communications about pay plans early in the process was essential
- Management made a full-bore commitment to adopt the One Person℠ Sales Model
- “Ripped off the band-aid” with no looking back
The Learnings
A transformation that requires full buy-in
- Managers need to keep their focus on training and coaching, allow Client Advisors to problem solve but don’t allow them to train on customers
- Adhere to all of the AZZ steps, avoid taking shortcuts
- Plan ahead, allow 60-days of training before the launch
- Aggressively manage change and turnover – some managers and client advisors won’t want their new roles – let them go
The Results
More happier customers and higher referrals and repeat business.
Insights from the leadership team.
“We can now recruit a variety of different, and often times stronger, people for sales positions. Bottom line is this new process leads to selling more cars and making more money.”
-Chris Lima, Vice President of Marketing & Sales
