Recruiting the best auto sales reps and retaining them for the long haul can be challenging for even the best sales leaders.  Successful managers practice effective sales management by devoting time, effort, and resources to their teams.  

This article highlights seven steps all sales leaders should consider to build the best team, motivate their employees, and create a great working environment. 

Effective Sales Management: 7 Strategies 

1. Promote the Dealership Brand 

Target marketing and branding are directed not only at consumers looking to buy a car but also at potential employees, making employer brand equally crucial. Management might foster a supportive and empowering workplace, but dealers cannot rely solely on word-of-mouth advertising to secure more interviews.  

Instead, sales managers might consider proactive strategies to advertise their dealership as a great workplace. These strategies might include the following: 

• Online review platforms. Management can proactively respond to employee feedback on websites like Glassdoor. They can empathize with unhappy workers and explain how they’ll revamp processes to address their concerns. Favorable evaluations can also be amplified by responding to them and spreading the word about them on other platforms. 

• Social media. Management can highlight team accomplishments on Facebook and Instagram pages. This strategy raises the morale of current employees and demonstrates to potential hires how management values its workforce.  

• Thought leadership. Dealers can also attract top talent by sharing industry knowledge and insights via a blog page. Being a thought leader will draw in individuals looking to work alongside innovative and self-assured automotive professionals. 
  
  

2. Align KPIs and Goals 

A sales leader must be able to define attainable KPIs and align them with the organization’s overall objectives and communicate them clearly to the sales team. 

Additionally, team members may track different KPIs to achieve their objectives, depending on their role, and excel in various aspects of the business.  

For example, one employee may already be excellent at prospecting but needs help with the closing stages of the sales process. A sales leader must assist in spotting these patterns and provide support to enhance the sales rep’s skill set in any given area. 

3. Hire with the Team in Mind 

Knowing the persona of the desired salesperson can help management create job descriptions to match the ideal candidate. 

Additionally, managers must consider the hiring procedure as building a cohesive team rather than merely a collection of individuals. How team members communicate with each other and customers are greatly influenced by their personality types, and contrasting ones could produce a disjointed unit. 

4. Find Ways to Compete with Remote Work Businesses 

Much of the nationwide workforce now enjoys the option of working remotely – whether part- or full-time. However, a work-from-home structure is not practical for sales teams working in the showroom. As such, management should consider providing flexible schedules to offer workers the freedom they need to maintain a better work/life balance. 

This flexibility should include accommodating obligations such as family plans, personal appointments, and general lifestyle improvements to compensate for limited remote work options. 

Sales managers can compete with non-automotive businesses by supplying comparable perks and flexible scheduling. These benefits might include the following: 

• Paid holidays and sick days 
• Paid bereavement leave 
• Paid time off for new parents  
• Wellness initiatives 
• Special discounts on vehicle purchases 
• Attractive insurance packages 
  
  

5. Manage the Process but Coach Your People 

To help their salespeople advance from where they are to where they want (or need to be), dealers should communicate with them early and often about their specific goals and performance. 

However, successful leaders accomplish this without using intimidation or fear tactics. They must possess an inherent ability to play to their team members’ strengths and support them in succeeding. 

6. Listen to Feedback from Your Sales Team 

Although sales managers might think they’ve developed a sound plan in principle, it might prove less effective in practice. However, the managers are only sometimes on the front lines interacting with customers, and they learn most about the plan’s success via sales team feedback. 

When choosing whether it’s time to switch strategies and try something completely different, dealers should pay careful attention to all feedback and consider the team’s collective perspective on the current strategy. 

7. Offer Learning and Development Opportunities 

A sales leader’s responsibility is to motivate and teach their team, and they should provide regular sales training chances for the sales force to share their expertise. These opportunities might include the following: 

• Simulated customer interactions 
• Roundtable discussions 
• Question-and-answer sessions  
• Third-party training sessions 
  
  

Building the Best Team Requires Supplying Them with the Best Tools 

Effective sales management requires positive interactions with team members, clear direction, valuable support, and a healthy work/life balance. Building a successful team also involves training and enhancing individual capabilities and performance. 

However, you can only enhance team members’ performance so much without providing them with the digital resources necessary to make their daily tasks more manageable and customer interactions more productive. These resources include the industry’s top CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and digital marketing tools. 

Contact us today and learn how Affinitiv’s innovative data-driven solutions can help you practice more effective sales management and attract and keep the industry’s top talent.