Sales & Marketing
Why Don't We Train Ourselves? - Part I
Ed Kovalchick
When does the need for training end? Perhaps when an employee demonstrates capability in a skill. Then, has that employee proven that additional training is not needed? Is training now complete for them?
I always use analogies that students will relate to when I am teaching classes. If I can recount their life experiences, points can be emphasized that make a significant impact on their thinking. Trying to teach some arcane position to them, without putting it into a simple perspective, is simply a waste of time.
One of my favorites relates to baseball. Let's say John Doe wins the batting title this year, with an average of .350. Of course that makes him the best hitter in baseball for that time period. I ask the class what John will do at the beginning of the next season. They all note that he will attend spring training to practice batting. Why so, I query? He did win the title and has proven he is the best. As usual, they state that he has to practice to keep his skills at the highest levels. "Does that relate to you?" I ask.
Training yesterday, training today, and training tomorrow is on the top of my list of vital dealership activities. Unfortunately dealership personnel receive very little ongoing training, except for the occasional manufacturer school, or the review of a CD/ROM sent into the dealership, shared over a loud lunch.
Regular, in-dealership training is an inherent part of each department manager's responsibility and training should be at least a weekly event - fifty weeks a year. For many reasons, I suppose, automotive dealership managers assume other responsibilities, while leaving the training to someone else. If any regular training is performed in a dealership, it is in the sales department, driven by the fact that more than forty percent of the sales force turns over every year.
I experienced a good example of the lack of in-dealership training when one of my clients lent me a new car with a five-speed manual transmission. It was obvious that the clutch was out of adjustment, so I checked the files and found that the car had been mechanically prepped for sale. The next morning I gave the keys to the appropriate service advisor, and asked her to have a technician adjust the clutch.
An hour later, she handed me the keys, stating that the technician claimed that the clutch adjustment was fine. I immediately visited the technician and asked him what the adjustment specifications were. He stumbled around a minute and admitted to me that he did not actually know the specs. "Then how can you say the adjustments are fine?" I asked.
Since the service manuals are on CD/ROMs, I asked him to come with me to the computer to look up the proper specifications. Rather than look up the information myself, I asked him to sit at the computer and find what we needed. To my chagrin, after he stumbled around a few minutes, it was apparent he did not know how to use the computer to locate anything. Using the computer was the only available method for reviewing the repair manuals for this manufacturer in this dealership. To make the matter worse, this technician was presented to me as the most skilled technician on this product in the shop.
"Have you received training on the use of the computer?" I asked the technician. "No," he told me, "I just use past experience to solve problems." "Would you like some training on how to use it?" I asked. "Sure," he said; so I spent 30 minutes demonstrating all of the capabilities he needed. He was thrilled that someone cared enough to teach him this skill, and he thanked me profusely.
Incidentally, when we found the clutch adjustment specs and printed them out, he discovered the clutch was indeed quite a bit out of adjustment, and after the proper adjustments were made, the vehicle became a pleasure to drive.
How much training, when, how long, what to cover, even why, these are the questions that must be answered before a proper training plan is developed and executed.
Training is a multi-part effort. It is a formal communication device, used to relay information, to review information, and to practice using information. Training also sets the level of excellence that a manager expects. Without ongoing training, the level of performance is left up to each individual, and the message from management is that excellence is not necessarily expected.
To plan, set up, and perform training effectively is a skill set of its own, and one that few managers are exposed to formally. I imagine that's why few department managers ensure regular training is completed in the dealership. Of the many skills required of dealer managers, the art of conducting training has to be on the bottom of the list.
Yet, considering the crying need for skilled employees today, it should be on the top.
Many times managers complain about manufacturer training demands, but can you imagine how trained most dealership employees would be if all the training was left solely to the department managers? Even though manufacturers have provided volumes of in-dealership training materials, not much of it gets formally reviewed, let alone made a priority for establishing excellence in performance.
In my next column I will review the fundamentals for both planning and performing effective in-dealership training.
Ed J. Kovalchick is CEO of Net Profit Inc., an international automotive dealer and manufacturer training and management consulting firm, located in Alabaster, Ala. Mr. Kovalchick is a featured speaker and instructor at conventions, 20-Groups, associations, and other automotive-related events worldwide. He also is a former six-franchise new car dealer, and independent shop owner. ekovalchick@dealeronline.com.
