You arrive at your dealership and notice that the outside is appearing a bit drab.  To fit with the brand and the neighborhood, you determine that a great paint job would do wonders for the entire building.  So, you make the decision.  Here are your choices:

• You call the top commercial painters in the area and get an estimate.
• You hire a couple of college kids give them a truck to pick up paint and turn them loose.
• You pull your managers off the desk and other duties, hand them paint brushes and remind them they still need to sell cars.
• You grab a roller, a brush, and a ladder so you can do it yourself after hours.

While you're putting your painting plan together, you start to notice the grounds.  A lot of your grass is burnt brown.  The plants look more like a forest fire had passed through, and the weeds are pulling your light poles down.  What the heck.  You figure that while the building is being painted, you may as well get the rest of the outside up to snuff.  Here are your choices:

• You call on a highly recommended landscape design firm to plan and execute your vision for a great exterior.
• You see if the college kids have any friends who aren't doing anything and have access to a weed wacker.
• You pull the rest of you rmanagers out of their office and hand them rakes and remind them they still need to sell cars.
• You drive home and get your riding mower, stop at Home Depot for some bushes and a shovel and have at it.

In both cases, everyone mentioned could certainly perform the task at hand to varying degrees of success.  Perhaps, they could even do a good job.  But, from a practical standpoint, what is the only real choice that makes sense in each case?  My guess is that most of you wouldn't hesitate and bring in a professional.  Someone who only has one focus, doing what they do better than anyone else.

If you've made decisions like this and spent money just to look good, I have one more scenario.

You arrive at the beginning of the month and you have come to the conclusion that to reach the volume you feel is necessary, you need to hire more sales people.  Knowing that you want these new people to follow your syswtem, you seek out highly skilled people who may not have any auto sales experience.  Here are your choices:

• You call on a top level experienced company who has only one propose - hiring and trianing new sales people for dealers.
• You ask your salespeople if they know anyone who needs a job.
• You pull your managers off the desk to do a few days worth of interviews, then take another few days to place these new people in a room to train them.
• You decide that you can design a highly effective ad, place it in the right places and interview and train all by yourself.

  

While these examples may be extreme, it's often the organizations who are willing to invest in the best people to get things done, are the ones who stay ahead of the competition.  Whether you need new computers, equipment for the service department, new construction for expansion, or even advertising, you often seek out experts so you can get it right the first time.  Shouldn't you do the same thing when looking to make additions to the most important element of the dealership - your sales team?

There are many organizations who can help you achieve your objective.  Let your managers manage, your sales people sell, and let yourself be the dealer who is willing to do what it takes to maximize your true potential.

"THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AMATEUR AND A PROFESSIONAL - THE PROFESSIONAL KNOWS WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP."