Can You Raise The Bar?

I often hear dealers complain about the quality of the people coming into the business. They complain that it’s hard to find people willing to work and who want to make some real money.

Could it be that dealers are trying to hire the same type of person they were trying to hire 20 years ago?

I’m betting that many of you have experienced sales people selling less than 8 units a month. How can someone come to work every day, and only sell 8 cars a month? You have to ask yourself, how is that possible? Are you making excuses for their lack of performance? Have you accepted mediocrity?

There’s a difference between showing up for work and actually coming to work.

The best way for you to start to raise the bar is to raise your standards for the type of people you hire and the type of processes you demand that your organization embraces.

Raising the bar is exhausting. Raising the bar means being committed to the hiring and training of a different type of sales person.

Raising the bar goes against the grain. Raising the bar requires one to be a student of the game and have the willingness to change the game knowing there will be serious opposition from the masses. Raising the bar means developing new and innovative pay plans. Raising the bar means changing the selling system to fit today’s buyer. Raising the bar means having the courage to throw “Legacy Thinking” out the window.

Changing the game means changing the rules. Changing the rules means holding more people accountable for raising the bar. The bar does not get raised and left in that position. The bar has to be raised every day if you are going to continue to play the game and be successful.

Realize that raising the bar even just a little bit gives you an edge. It’s easy to do because so many of your competitors are locked into lowering the bar and accepting the business as it is, not as it could be.

To raise the bar:

Do It With Enthusiasm
Have No Fear
Change The Expectations
Don’t Make Exceptions
Create Accountability
Defeat Legacy Thinking

So, the choices are easy, you can continue to lower the bar, you can raise the bar or you can head to the bar. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs