Fixed Ops Magazine - 2020 Vol17 02 - 62

ADM I NI S TR ATI O N
MARCH APRIL 2020 || FIXED OPS MAGAZINE

municate with the customer, show them
the value of working with you and your
dealership, and then setting the appointment. Appointments must be confirmed,
and missed appointments reset. The
message to associates must be, "we contact the prospect until they say 'Stop'."
You can also develop a team professionals dedicated to business development
throughout your dealership. These people must work in tandem with you managers and associates, not at odds with
them. It happens and we see it all the
time. If this is new to the associates, they
may see it as a threat to their income,
their role at the dealership, or their job
itself. You must communicate effectively
from management through the business
development initiative, to the associates. The receptionists must be involved.
Everyone must be focused on the one
underlying goal that can never be overlooked. "Success comes from having satisfied customers that leave our lot with a
new or used vehicle on which we make a
profit, or world-class service that is profitable as well."

SUCCESS COMES FROM
HAVING SATISFIED
CUSTOMERS THAT LEAVE
OUR LOT WITH A NEW
OR USED VEHICLE ON
WHICH WE MAKE A
PROFIT, OR
WORLD-CLASS SERVICE
THAT IS PROFITABLE
AS WELL.
62

ing, role play, more training, and upping
your game both personally, and as a
member of a team.
Success in sales and improving service
ROs starts with leadership demanding
and building a culture of business development. There has to be buy-in from
owners, senior managers, and AGMs. It
must start at the top and run through the
entire organization. Why? Because even
stainless steel needs a regular buffing to
remain bright and shiny.
You can build a culture of business development with an existing team of managers and sales and service associates.
It's done all the time. It takes more focus,
and dedication to get everyone on board
with the basics. Answering and transferring calls properly is vital. You must work
on scripts and messaging to best com-

There's no secret potion, formula, or
magic, but we have worked with thousands of dealers that have learned the
mechanics of business development,
implemented them, and made them an
integral part of their day-to-day business practices. The result is they are the
people on social media you may not hear
a lot from, but they're reading about the
challenges others are having.
Lawson Owen is the
founder and CEO of Proactive Dealer Solutions,
The BDC Experts, based
in Charlotte, N.C. The
international firm has
worked with more than
3,000 automotive retailers across North
America and is credited with developing the BDC concept for retailers more
than 25 years ago.

Fixed Ops Magazine - 2020 Vol17 02

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Magazine - 2020 Vol17 02