First 90 days is critical to reducing car sales staff turnover says Symco

June 9, 2015 - PRLog -- With the average franchised dealership losing nearly a third of its sales staff every year, typically double that of most other industry sectors, the retail motor trade continues to lose millions of pounds unnecessarily, mainly due to historic challenges with training staff from day one.

That’s according to automotive training specialist, Symco, which is on a mission to help dealers to chip away the automotive sector’s stubbornly high staff turnover rate of around 30%. It has introduced a unique online coaching programme that’s designed specifically for new sales people during their first three months of employment with the aim of lowering personnel churn and boosting profitability.

Developed as a suite of short videos with one emailed to the new recruit each day, 'The First 90 Days' demonstrates a range of techniques and processes with the aim of sharpening skills, building confidence and creating a culture of learning within the dealership. A number of quizzes, tasks and coaching tips are built in to the course, which is the introductory stage of Symco’s comprehensive career-wide ‘Sales Fitness Programme’.

Symco’s owner, Simon Bowkett, himself a car salesman before launching his business, said many dealers are reluctant to invest in training new staff until they’ve passed a probationary period. Bowkett believes this to be a false economy:

“The first three months can make or break a career in car sales so it’s critical that the time and money spent in recruiting a new person is not wasted. This doesn’t mean sending staff away on courses but instead, giving them the tools to learn skills at their desk, which they can apply in every sales situation.”

Continued Bowkett:

“In our experience of working alongside sales teams in showrooms, new starters are often left to their own devices with the added pressure of competing against colleagues who, understandably, may not wish to pass on their hard-earned skills.

“By enabling sales staff to learn proven techniques from day one and helping them grow in confidence, it’s much more likely that the business will benefit and sooner from retained, profitable staff. Too many dealerships make the mistake of failing to assist sales people from the outset, which ends up costing them more if they leave.”

“The motor trade is quick to say that people are its greatest asset but in reality, the industry is doing itself a disservice when it comes to getting the personnel right. There needs to be a change in attitude towards new staff, which will deliver better returns down the line,” he concluded.

Dealers interested in learning more about ‘The First 90 Days’ can request a free, no obligation demo by contacting Darren Bedford at Symco on Darren.bedford@symcotraining.co.uk

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