4 Secret Skills of Successful Managers
It is incumbent upon dealers to create a culture in which success and change is possible. The first step is to empower managers and staff to engage with an audience — any audience — with ease and intention. Those who cannot will never realize their full potential nor attain a maximum measure of success.
With this in mind, here are four tactical tips to help sales, F&I and service pros become more effective communicators and, in doing so, gain better control of their career trajectory.
1. Become the Universal Translator
The most valued and successful person in any business is the ‘universal translator.’ This person can translate facts, figures and concepts into actionable ideas. Those ideas must make sense and resonate with their bosses, peers and subordinates. In the dealership space, the same rules apply to fresh ups, returning customers, agents and vendors.
Globalization, technology, rampant regulation and fierce competition at every turn have created an increasingly complicated work environment at most auto dealerships. This is causing professionals at all levels — from the service bay to the boardroom — to flounder as they attempt to navigate the escalating complexities, consistently perform at a high level and achieve upward career mobility.
As a direct result, dealers and managers have less time than ever to spend coaching and mentoring employees or to benefit from such guidance for their own professional gain. In addition, many younger workers are ill-equipped to navigate the “gray area” of dealership life; specifically, the environment and culture that manifests from the multifaceted challenges and forces every organization faces. The result is a glut of entry-level and newly entrenched professionals who are unprepared, unequipped and unable to effectively communicate in a way that will productively impact their career in the auto retail space.