AutoSuccess addresses the specific, researched needs of new car and light truck dealerships by providing entrepreneurial, cutting-edge, solution-based editorials to increase dealership profits and reduce expenses AutoSuccess, magazine, sales, new, used, selling, salespeople, vehicle, dealer, dealership, leadership, marketing For similar content visit http://www.autosuccesssocial.com/

1. 2011
APRIL

2. HOW MUCH MONEY
are you losing daily
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5. 11,123
used vehicles sold
2010
311
percent increase in
used inventory retail turns
2009 to 2010
170
dollars of average
price concession
2010
1
solution
to master the market
Before Jack Anderson started using vAuto’s RealDeal at
his 18 dealerships, he was accustomed to pre-owned
customers questioning his prices. Not because his
vehicles were over-priced, but because the customers
weren’t confident that they were getting the best value.
RealDeal changed all that. Jack replaced negotiation
with documentation, reducing his average price
concession, tripling his pre-owned turn and selling
more used vehicles than ever before.
“I’d recommend vAuto’s RealDeal to any dealer.
My sales have improved and so has our
customer satisfaction.”
With vAuto, Jack is now a Market Master.
You too can become a Market Master.
Visit vAuto.com/ja or call 877-828-8614
to learn how.
Jack Anderson,
Used Vehicle Director
West-Herr Automotive Group
Buffalo, New York

6. THE #1 SALES-IMPROVEMENT MAGAZINE FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE PROFESSIONAL
AutoSuccess Magazine is published monthly at 3834 Taylorsville Rd., Building A, Ste. 1B Louisville, KY 40220; 502.588.3155, fax 502.588.3170. Direct all subscription and customer service inquiries to 877.818.6620 or info@autosuccessonline.com. Subscription rate is $69
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Susan Givens, Publisher Thomas Williams, VP & Creative Director Dave Davis, Editor & Creative Strategist Brian Ankney, Account Manager Ryan Ruth,John Warner, Sales-Improvement Strategist
Account Manager
Susie Horne, Account Manager
sgivens1@autosuccessonline.com design@autosuccessonline.com ddavis@autosuccessonline.com super6@autosuccessonline.com rruth@autosuccessonline.com
shorne@autosuccessonline.com
jwarner@autosuccessonline.com
feature solution
leadership solution
marketing solution
sales & training solution
how Many sales opportunities will you lose toDay?
lokey MerceDes-benz Discovers the fortune hiDDen
with Live Chat: Engage Shoppers, Monitor Online Behavior and Leverage Business Intelligence
vseo strategy increases internet sales 28 percent
appointMents set anD consistently captures More than 95
successful Managers are successful teachers
the high achiever’s guiDe to getting things Done
rate your Dealership’s online perforMance in 5
teDDy nissan averages More than 60 percent sales call
yeah i’ve got a Mobile Dealer website, so what?
Manage relationships to influence reputation
how to improve your closing percentage by painting personal pictures
Death of the traDitional salesperson, part 8
in their inactive (lost custoMer) Database
custoM Music to your custoMer’s ears
the be-attituDes of internet car sales
relevant reciprocity in a cyber worlD
Drive Sales
congratulations, you’re pregnant
at napleton’s palM beach acura
percent of all inbounD service calls
sales eDucation toDay:
the reality vs. the ideal, part 1
staying in business
stories sell
easy steps
toddSmith
24
36
28
10
20
22
18
26
40
16
30
08
42
32
34
38
14
richardf.Libin
JoelleJay
pogoParr
MarkTewart
susanGivens
bradSipes
shaneBoland
chadPolk
JamiePowers
glennPasch
MarshBuice
JohnBrentlinger
MattBaker
MerlaTurner
erikStuttz
susanGivens
bryanAnderson
12
6
20
42
1

8. SusanGivens marketing solution
vseo strategy increases
internet sales 28 percent at
napleton’s palM beach acura
In today’s market it is imperative for dealers Group’s 35 branded franchises, located in Google also indexes all video-sharing sites, not
to optimize their online marketing strategy. Florida, Illinois and Missouri. just YouTube. This means that the more video
Video search engine optimization (VSEO) is sites a dealer distributes their video content to,
one of the most effective means of generating Napleton’s VSEO platform automates the more opportunity that the search engines
the highest possible volume of quality traffic to thousands of activities to ensure their will index those videos and consider it relevant
your Web site. dealership captures the most popular search content for search returns; the result is multiple
terms and as many relevant keyword phrases listings for key words or phrases like “Palm
Dealerships like Napleton’s Palm Beach related to the Acura brand as possible on all the Beach Acura.”
Acura, in West Palm Beach, Florida, recently major search engines organically with high-
implemented a digital marketing platform to impact videos to increase their ”page one” Napleton’s Palm Beach Acura is ranked in
help them optimize video assets to appear on results. With increased page one results, and the top-30 Acura dealers in the country and is
top of the leading search engines like Google, more page one results than their competitors, third out of 48 dealers in the southeast region.
Yahoo, Bing and YouTube in their local market Napleton’s statistically increases their chances As the No. 1 Acura dealer from Palm Beach to
to attract, sell and service more customers of a consumer clicking on one of their dealer Tennessee, Napleton’s is also very proactive
profitably. “Since initiating our VSEO strategy videos or links versus those of a competitor. about online reputation management. While
in November of last year, our Internet sales “We have found that using VSEO is a very optimization is key for online recognition and
are up 28 percent,” said Terry Leeder, General effective tool to push the competition off of presence, maintaining and managing content
Manager of Napleton’s Palm Beach Acura. page one on valuable search engine sites like is equally important. Napleton’s makes sure
Google, Yahoo and Bing,” Cole said. This the right message is out there. Napleton’s
Online video is a highly effective and cost- practice has become vital to the success of manages as much of their online exposure as
efficient means of advertising within the their online marketing strategy. possible to promote the positive message they
automotive industry. With more than 90 percent want customers to see and they make sure their
of consumers using the Internet to research and “People would rather watch the movie online content is accurate and streamlined to
shop for goods and services, Napleton’s works than read the book,” said AJ LeBlanc, vice help consumers reach what they are looking
to proactively dominate their local market president and co-founder of www.Car-mercial. for without having to go through too many
online in an effort to reach the more than two com, the company that Napleton’s Palm Beach hoops to find the information they need. When
million people living within a 30-minute drive Acura uses. “VSEO is ‘targeted TV,’ and a consumer clicks on a page one result for
of their dealership. “We’ve increased our overall VSEO allows dealers to deliver their message Napleton’s they can quickly access information
online presence in this competitive market by to engaged consumers. Google reports that on vehicles, financing, parts and service,
targeting actual in-market consumers at the consumers are 55 percent more likely to click current specials, available inventory and more.
research phase of the buying process when on thumbnail video images than static links, so
they’re looking for a product and pricing in their Google actually gives more ranking authority Susan Givens is the publisher of AutoSuccess.
local market,” said Brian Cole, e-Commerce to video which places videos on the top of She can be contacted at 877.818.6620, or by
Director of the Ed Napleton Automotive search engine results,” LeBlanc said. e-mail at sgivens1@autosuccessonline.com.
08 autosuccessonline.com

10. JoelleJay leadership solution
the high achiever’s
guiDe to getting
things Done
High achievers. Go-getters. Type-A 2. sort and purge
personalities. Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start
digging. Go through your pile of “stuff” and
Whatever you call them, one thing is certain: look at each item to determine what you should
These people want to do it all, and they want to keep and what you can toss. For each item, ask
it all right now. yourself:
• Is this idea or information still important to
While having many lofty and simultaneous me? “Realize that the answer to getting
goals is a good thing, doing too many things • Can I retrieve this information from everything done isn’t about doing
at once can make you feel overwhelmed and elsewhere should I ever need it?
stressed out. There just never seems to be • Is this information duplicated somewhere
less, especially since high achievers
enough time to make everything happen. But else? gain great happiness from getting
that doesn’t stop high achievers. They are • Will this information or idea help me reach many things accomplished. They’re
determined to make everything happen, even if one of my goals?
doing so ruins their day and everyone else’s in
determined to do whatever it takes
the process. As you decide which items to keep, put them to meet their objectives. Rather, this
in separate piles or files as they relate to a is about having a system in place that
Realize that the answer to getting everything particular goal or task. can simplify the process of doing
done isn’t about doing less, especially since
high achievers gain great happiness from 3. organize your list many things fast — one that will
getting many things accomplished. They’re Look through all your “keep” papers and ideas bring you progress as well as peace.”
determined to do whatever it takes to meet to get clear on which goals are truly important
their objectives. Rather, this is about having a to you and what steps you need to take. Put all planning and organizing; it’s already done. And
system in place that can simplify the process of your ideas and action items into one organized most important, no more confusion of what to
doing many things fast — one that will bring list, preferably on one page. You don’t have to do when. Just look at the list, take the top task
you progress as well as peace. painstakingly detail every action step at this and knock it out. What could be easier?
point; the objective is to simply create one
If you’re ready to supercharge the completion coherent “to-do” list, rather than have multiple Mission complete
of your “to-do” list without becoming lists floating around your office. This process works for a variety of scenarios,
overwhelmed or alienating others, the including special event planning, home and
following five-step process will help you get it 4. rank the list in chronological order family goals, work and business projects,
all done, with less stress and greater results. Redo your list one more time, now paying as well as long-range strategizing for
special attention to the order in which you professional and personal objectives. And
1. Make a Mess feel you should do things. At this point, you while it’s designed for high achievers who
If you’re like most high achievers, you likely can also add more detail to your action items. tend to have many high-priority tasks going
have numerous sticky notes, lists, files, piles, In other words, you can list not only what to on at once, it works for anyone who simply
papers, and a host of other items spattered do, but also how to do it, who to call for help, wants to end the stress and chaos of having
around your office, on your desk and in your which resources you may need, etc. You may incomplete tasks hanging over their heads.
computer. Each one is meant to help you move feel as if you’re wasting time here by going By taking the time to complete this five-step
forward to reaching your goals; however, over the same tasks, but trying to rank your process, you can finally meet all your goals
as the piles and files grow, they become initial ideas in chronological order is difficult and achieve the results you want.
overwhelming, no matter how neatly you may until you can see them all on paper at once.
have them organized. Therefore, begin by Dr. Joelle K. Jay, Ph. D., is an executive
coach and the senior managing partner
getting all of your ideas and notes in one place. 5. get going!
of the leadership development firm, Pillar
Make a big pile of all the papers and items in Now that all your ideas are organized, all Consulting. She can be contacted at
the middle of your office floor or on your desk. you have to do is take action and tick off the 775.324.5377, or by e-mail at
Don’t leave anything out. tasks as they’re completed. No more thinking, jjay@autosuccessonline.com.
10 autosuccessonline.com

12. Drive Sales with Live Chat:
Engage Shoppers, Monitor Online Behavior and Leverage Business Intelligence.
Shoppers’ online behavior and expectations about vehicle purchases we engaged people on the site. Live chat is perfect for this. People have
have changed dramatically, and your communication should reflect these questions but many don’t want to call or come into the store to get answers.”
changes. As the evolution of Internet technology and innovation continues
to accelerate, consumers expect more choices and instant gratification. Jim Bell, Internet performance and marketing director for Don Ayres Honda,
For example, live chat has become the “1-800” phone number of today. began researching live chat options more than a year ago, and deployed
In the 1980s, businesses were slow to offer toll-free numbers. As more chat last winter. “We all know that a lot of people search for automotive
companies provided them, it became a consumer expectation to conduct information while they are at work. Many of them can’t talk on the phone
business. The companies that didn’t provide toll-free numbers began to while working because they are being monitored. Sometimes even e-mail
lose prospective customers, while those that did gained more customers. is monitored, but they can ‘stealthily’ use live chat. We constantly chat with
Live chat now follows the same path. Innovative dealers began to offer it Website visitors during the work day who give us their phone numbers and
early on, and now consumers expect this alternative contact experience. tell us to call them in the evening. By the time we talk on the phone, we’ve
It is true that technology has given consumers more control, but it’s already given them valuable information and begun building a relationship.
also true that technology can give you more power to track and analyze It’s a great service for everyone involved.”
shoppers’ behavior. By offering consumers a faster, more interactive
online experience, you can leverage technology behind the scenes to Successful Live Chat Requires Highly
capture more data that can be turned into business intelligence.
Trained, Dedicated Chat Reps
By now, most dealers understand that live chat is a required component Making the important decision to deploy live chat is a start, but
of a successful online marketing plan. Chip Diggs, director of Internet understanding the staffing requirements is just as important for success.
sales and marketing at Zeigler Automotive Group, began using live chat Some dealers have the internal resources to manage chat from within the
on his dealerships’ Websites more than six months ago. “Even a year dealership, but many do not. It is critical to understand that dedicated
ago, we weren’t convinced that we needed live chat, but now we know chat reps are required for effective live chat. Further, the reps must be
it’s a necessity. Most Website visitors expect it, and you can actually lose trained in best practices for the unique communication requirements of
shoppers if the service isn’t available. Chat has enabled us to ‘soften’ the first chat. If your dealership does not have staff members who are committed
contact with clients. We invest a great deal to drive traffic to our Website, and trained to manage chats, then it is essential to use a qualified service
and we finally realized that we would earn more leads from this traffic if that can handle the chats for you.
“If you’re planning to manage live chat from within the dealership, the
activMobile™ biggest challenge is staffing,” Diggs said. “You must have dedicated,
highly trained staff to handle the chats. You will lose shoppers if they
think chat is available, but no one responds to them. We have an Internet
team with 10 trained sales people who manage our chats. We now
typically sell 125 to 130 vehicles per month just from Internet sales, and
live chat is an integral part of this.”
Bell takes a different approach. “We don’t have the internal staff to manage
chat, so we use ActivEngage’s full service live chat, ActivConcierge. It’s
great because the chat reps really make our Website visitors feel like a
part of the dealership, and all chat transcripts and contact information are
tied directly to our BDC. Our customers consistently tell us how much
they like having live chat available on the Website, and we don’t have to
worry about managing the chats from within the dealership.”
Data Drives Internet Marketing Success
Once live chat has been deployed and properly managed, it’s time to look
at the tracking and analysis that turn mere data into business intelligence.
Measuring online data is a start and can help you better serve consumers,
but refining that data is the key to leveraging its true value. Measuring and
refining relevant data allows you put it in perspective, and learn how to use
it to improve your business. While looking at numbers on spreadsheets
may not be particularly enjoyable, examining data via interactive charts
and graphs, within the context of your overall marketing plans, is always
illuminating — and actually can be fun.
Further, three levels of consumer data should be captured and analyzed:
visitor, engagement and conversion. Visitor data lets you know how shoppers
find you and how they navigate your Website. Engagement data tells you
where and how they take action. Conversion data lets you know where and
when they take the crucial step of moving from visitors to qualified leads.

13. Live Chat with Business Intelligence
activDashboard™ and the Bottom Line
Automotive retail success is still (and always will be) all about creating an
outstanding customer experience, but today we must use online technology
to meet and exceed shoppers’ expectations. Consumers spend a lot of time
online, and most are now trained to expect instant gratification. Live chat,
coupled with business intelligence, helps you provide this gratification
and sets you apart from your competitors. With the prevalence of text and
instant messaging, most consumers are comfortable with, and even have
a preference for, live chat online. In the end, it comes down to improving
the bottom line, and live chat that incorporates data tacking and analysis
consistently yields outstanding results.
“On average, we set appointments with half of the people we chat with,”
Diggs said. “Of those appointments, we typically close 80 percent.
Live chat is now one of our highest percentage closing tools. It’s really
amazing. Clients who use live chat are ready to do something. It’s on
their minds right now and they want someone to help them in a non-
Connect the Dots with an Internet invasive way, and they want that help immediately.”
Marketing Dashboard
Now that you’re tracking the data, an online marketing dashboard is “We’ve already had hundreds of chats in just the first few months of use,”
essential to refine it and realize its full value. Advanced dashboards allow Bell said. “We have increased our sales leads, and have been pleasantly
auto dealerships, dealer groups and manufacturers to track all marketing surprised that parts and service leads have also increased. Some people
metrics — including Website analytics, conversion points, ROI and even use live chat to schedule service appointments. There is a high
more — from a single Webpage. Historically, monitoring dealerships’ return on the investment and it’s a great convenience to shoppers. In fact,
online marketing from multiple campaigns, vendors and sources was some shoppers will even leave your site if live chat isn’t available.”
time-consuming, complicated and sometimes impossible. Now, however,
technology allows this consolidation, and the best dashboards quickly and The foundation of success is creating a great customer experience,
easily display all marketing campaign performance. The most advanced whether shoppers are in the showroom, on the phone or online. And
online dashboards also have a single login that enables dealerships to see with more than 90 percent of vehicle consumers conducting research and
exactly how their Internet business is performing in one location. shopping online, it’s not enough to merely have a nice-looking Website
— with a form for shoppers to submit their contact information before
Analytics dashboards should incorporate all marketing data from live you even help them.
chat, phone, e-mail, third-party lead sources, Website analytics and any
other sources used. The data can then be integrated and analyzed to Diggs summed it up: “In the past, customers had to give up their information
provide dealerships, dealer groups and manufacturers advanced business before we gave them anything. Chat now allows us to give before we
intelligence to create the most effective marketing and sales mix. A receive. Once we answer questions and send requested information via
single online dashboard login also ends the inefficiency of creating and chat, shoppers are much more comfortable and willing to give us their
monitoring multiple reports, and puts the most important information contact information. It’s sort of like having to deposit money in the bank
into an interactive visual display, helping you connect the marketing dots. before trying to make a withdrawal. We start the relationship by giving, so
it’s no wonder that live chat leads have such high closing rates.”
Mobile is Now Mandatory
It is also important to note that consumers increasingly access the Todd Smith is the founding partner and chief executive officer of
Internet via mobile devices and expect full Website functionality on activEngage Inc. He can be contacted at 866.891.1193,
or by e-mail at tsmith@autosuccessonline.com.
hand-held devices. Mobile applications are now available to offer
dealers advanced chat functionality on mobile devices. Web-based,
native mobile applications provide full live-chat capability, unlike other www.activengage.com
mobile offerings that merely allow text or instant messaging. Further,
with advanced technology, live chats can be seamlessly transferred
between mobile devices and computers. For example, a dealer can
be at his/her desk chatting with a customer and the shopper requests
detailed information about a car on the lot. The dealer is then able to
effortlessly transfer the live chat to his/her mobile device and continue
the conversation while walking to the vehicle of interest. In addition,
chats can be moved from the mobile device back to the computer, with
Sales Associate: Hello how can I
help you today?
no interruption in the communication. Chat transcripts and contact
Tom Smith: I am looking for a
information are then seamlessly entered into the dealership’s ILM, CRM 2012 Chevy Silverado
or DMS, with no manual data re-entry.
Sales Associate: I can help you
with that!
activConnect™ Toolbar

14. BryanAnderson marketing solution Active involvement in one’s online reputation
has quickly become a vital component of any
Manage successful branding strategy. This holds true
for the auto dealer as it does for his favorite
relationships to restaurant down the street. The sea of online
consumer forums (Google Places, Yelp!, Yahoo
influence reputation Local, etc.) is a significant voice with which
to contend when promoting your dealership.
The game changes frequently, so managing this
expansive sea can prove difficult when going it
The need for online reputation management (ORM) is indisputable, especially following massive alone. Finding a reputation management solution
changes made by Google last October. And with new customer forums created daily, dealers can that works for you, with your existing processes
no longer ignore the importance of a strong online reputation. Ultimately, it’s about selling and and your data, is fundamental for success.
servicing more vehicles; first, however, we must understand what it is and how it works. True
reputation management tracks customer actions and their opinions around your brand, reports Exactly how does a dealer best manage his
on those actions and opinions, and influences the content posted by engaging with consumers at online reputation? More and more, dealers are
strategic points in the sales and service cycle. paying attention to what the online community
is saying about them; but simply tracking
reviews, while necessary, is a far too passive
response. You may solicit ratings as a means
to improve online reputation, but a successful
reputation management strategy must go
beyond mere solicitation. Above all this, the
ability to influence consumer interactions will
take a dealer’s reputation management to an
entirely new level.
By far, the smartest way to drive reputation
management is through relationship
management. Think about it: No matter how
strong or weak, positive or negative, there is
always some level of relationship with your
customers. In fact, the stronger the relationship,
the stronger the influence you have on
consumers to post content that will leave your
competition green with envy. Your prospects
and customers — everyone managed through
strong CRM processes — are the very people
you can influence the most to leave positive,
compelling comments about your dealership
online. The natural link between a strong CRM
and a successful ORM strategy is undeniable.
That link leverages the existing relationship
to generate online content and turn it into
measurable ROI — a crucial component far
too often missed with most ORM solutions.
CRM-directed relationship marketing engages
customers at just the right times through
their preferred media preference. This timely
engagement is the key to generating a high
quantity and quality of responses. The final
step is simply to distribute this valuable
content across sites such as Google Places,
CitySearch, and DealerRater; and do so in such
a way that maximizes reputation wherever
your prospects might find you online.
Reputation management is practically over-
discussed these days. To keep clear of the
ORM fog, stick with the basics: Employ an
agile strategy that best utilizes your CRM and
lean on a provider who can help make sense of
the jungle. Then, having influenced your brand
consistently across the Web, you can enjoy the
profitable fruit of a five-star reputation.
Bryan Anderson is the founder of Autobase.
He can be contacted at 866.667.9659, or by
e-mail at banderson@autosuccessonline.com.
14 autosuccessonline.com

15. The New Dealer.com Platform
Empowering Connections
“It is very important for me to have a
company like Dealer.com that has
one login for everything. One platform
allows us to be efficient and provides
us with analytics that we need to help
run our dealership. We have built a
strong relationship with our Account
Manager, and they are proactive
with recommendations on areas
we can improve upon. What I
like most is that everyone at
Dealer.com is willing to help.”
Ben Weir
General Manager
Vehicle Operations,
Pearson Ford
+
223 % Pearson Ford
Website visitors have increased 223% since using the
Dealer.com platform.
To learn more, visit Dealer.com or call us at 888.785.5418

16. GlennPasch leadership solution
successful Managers
are successful teachers
In this competitive marketplace, a successful customer’s needs. Keep that up.” Now, that what they did previously, and see where they
business needs not only a great company vision is something they can repeat. It is a specific may be cutting corners. It should be very easy
but also great managers to see it through. action that the employee can duplicate. to get them back on track.
Examine any successful dealership’s business My second point is: All feedback must be an I have been asked what percentage of time
module and you will find a great manager action the employee can emulate. should be dedicated to the top performers. That
there turning each goal into reality. A great depends on your day’s activities, but I suggest
manager understands how to take hold of Helpful hint: When thinking of feedback, if at least 40 percent of your training time should
a company’s vision and translate it into you cannot get up and demonstrate how to do be spent with your top people. They are the
processes and procedures that will accelerate it, then you are not being clear enough. ones who will be there for the long run and
their staff to the top. their bad days impact your bottom line more.
This type of feedback makes your follow-up
We are all here today and in our current easier. When you return, the person either will One last point: Let’s discuss the opposite of
positions because many people took the time be doing it or they won’t. If they are, then again, a good communicator. I believe unsuccessful
to teach us how to succeed. Our parents, our compliment them, as this locks in the behavior communicators fall into two categories:
teachers, our friends, our coaches in sports and and they will continue to achieve results. If they
other business people — if you think about are not doing what you need, it will be easy The “Love to Hear Myself Talk” teacher —
how many people impacted your life through to get them back on track as long as you are They take too much time, too many examples.
teaching or coaching, it is overwhelming. specific about what you expect them to do. Somewhere during the training, they are
focused on how smart they are, how well they
The best of this list made an impact because are doing and lose their audience. The listener
they took the time to show you how to do Now let’s look at another popular feedback
phrase: “I need you to pick up your numbers.” shuts down and stops hearing what is said.
something and you applied the training and This, in turn, frustrates the teacher and both
learned. That is the mark of a great manager. My response to the manager would be, “How
can I pick up my numbers? Did the numbers spiral into a place where nothing can be taught
So how did they do it? Excellent communication. fall on the floor?” Sarcasm aside, I want each or learned.
manager to realize what they are actually
How many of you in sales or service have saying versus what they really may be trying to The “Look How Much I Got Done” teacher
heard the following: communicate. — They are focused on speed and moving on
• “Good job. Keep it going.” to the next task. This type of teacher assumes
• “Your numbers are dropping — let’s get it What they could say instead is, “I need you to everyone picks things up as quickly as they
rolling.” listen to what the customer is asking so you can do. They do not take the time to make sure
• “You’re killing it today!” provide the correct information. This way, you the information is anchored in and able to
• “Come on, you can do better than that.” will book more service appointments instead of be applied properly. They come across as if
• “Last month we missed our sales goal. This dropping so many calls out of frustration. This they are talking down to the staff. Then upon
month we need to knock it out!” will lead you to close more sales.” Again, in this review, the people do not grasp what was
case, the feedback was detailed and actionable. taught and the teacher would never think it was
In my many years of delivering training to their fault and the listener spirals to the place
managers, I cannot tell you how many times I A word of caution: Managers can be lulled of no learning.
have had to address these same issues. So, can into a very dangerous comfort zone when their
Managing a successful team is teaching people
anyone tell me how the employee is able to teams are achieving the results they expect.
to change behavior to achieve success. If you
improve from that vague feedback? They do not dig into why their people are
are not willing to put in the effort to correctly
getting results. Successful people understand
communicate what you are expecting, then you
Let’s first address the “Good job, keep it up” what they need to achieve to attain positive
are wasting everyone’s time. Have patience
feedback. My first response to the manager results so they can repeat that behavior.
and a sense of fun. If you are not enjoying the
would be, “What is ‘it’? Could you be more
process, why should anyone else?
specific?” Make sure you spend time anchoring in the
proper behavior among your top people. Make Glenn Pasch is the COO of PCG Digital
This leads me to my first point: All feedback them aware of what they do to get results so Marketing and the president of Improved
must be specific. Maybe the manager could they can repeat that behavior. This way, if their Performance Solutions. He can be contacted
have said, “Great job. You are asking the performance drops for any reason, then you at 866.611.0998, or by e-mail at
proper questions we designed to discover the can see what they are doing, match it against gpasch@autosuccessonline.com.
16 autosuccessonline.com

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