With school in the home stretch and summer just around the corner, I wanted to share some insights I learned from reading “It’s Not About the Mangos” by Kent Coleman.  The book’s setting revolves around a successful tire repair shop that Kent bought and the bumpy first few years he experienced.  The tire repair shop was a franchise location in a larger network around the country and just so happened to be the highest-growing store in the entire network by revenue.  Quickly, Kent discovered that he had a lot to learn about the tire repair industry as revenues declined significantly in the first eighteen months of owning the store.  One of Kent’s breakthrough observations was that his tire repair store, and really all businesses that sell a service or product, are basically a sales organization.

Kent’s epiphany came when he realized that he needed to focus on people first, and then, eventually, success would follow.  The book’s title is derived from one of Kent’s initial hires, a gentleman named José, who used to sell mangos for his family’s produce business in Mexico.  José became the best salesman in town despite not having the lowest prices and offering nothing different than the same mangos all his competitors were selling.  José’s secret weapon was the relationships he formed with his customers.  He spent time getting to know them and listening to them.  In a short time, all the customers would stand in line and wait extra time just to buy from José.

So, what does this book have to deal with auto dealerships?  Just like Kent’s observation with his tire repair store, auto dealerships are ultimately a sales organization.  Think about it: your employees, like your general manager, new/used car salespeople, and your service writers and technicians, are all dealing directly with your customers on a daily basis.  Focusing on people will provide a direct return to the success of your auto dealership.  In this blog, we’ll discuss some key highlights and lessons from the book.  Don’t worry, there won’t be a quiz in next week’s blog to see what you’ve learned.

Organizational Success Is Based on How Willing You Are to Value Other People

One of the book’s recurring principles is finding people who show light and knowing how to identify those people to bring into your dealership.  Characteristics of people with light are:

• Usually smile
• Genuinely interested in others
• Confident but humble
• Have strength to move past their failures

Employees who are curious and generally interested in others ask more questions.  They make the customer feel like they matter and that not everything is just in the dealership’s interest.  Employees willing to move past their failures and recognize their flaws can identify setbacks as teaching moments.  Their confidence and leadership will help lift the culture of other employees in your dealership.

Build People Up and They Will Build Up the Dealership

Expressing that your employees are needed will inspire them to improve and value their work.  This will translate into self-motivation to improve and add value rather than simply responding to a direct initiative from the general manager or dealer principal.  In turn, these employees will inspire others to follow their lead, building up the entire dealership.

The book also introduces the concept of creating “love” in the organization, defining love as how employees communicate with each other respectfully, interact with customers, treat vendors, and not judge people based on their appearance.

Focusing on people and culture in this manner will have far better results than tearing people down or creating fear and anxiety by delivering directives from the top.  It also preaches about setting and maintaining employee expectations and recognizing the value of giving second chances.  Have expectations and keep accountability, but don’t expect or demand perfection.  A happy, fulfilled employee with a sense of purpose will deliver far better results than an unhappy, pressured employee.

Find People Who Enjoy Work

Most successful employees are working long/hard hours.  Find people who actually enjoy the work they are doing.  Characteristics of these folks resemble:

• Good attitude
• Willingness to jump in and help
• Enthusiastic
• Ask questions

The focus should be on inquisitive employees.  Are they willing to jump in and learn a new task or another business segment?  Are they willing to ask questions to learn the “why” behind systems and processes, allowing them to challenge or suggest more efficient ways to perform the same tasks?  Are they willing to find something to do that will benefit the dealership even when their direct tasks are completed or when they have nothing explicit to do?  Finally, avoid the temptation to hire or favor cheap labor.  The adage “you get what you pay for” certainly has relevance in this context.  Employees with all of these characteristics will not accept the lowest offer, but hopefully, their rewards will far outweigh the costs.

Every Organization Is a Sales Organization

As I mentioned, every organization that sells a product or service, including auto dealerships, should recognize that it is ultimately a sales organization.  Once you realize that, what are some principles of becoming a sales-driven dealership?

• Keeping commitments
• Willing and able to ask for the sale
• Willing to learn
• Positive attitudes
• Hungry for more

Think about every sale being a direct interaction with a customer.  You want employees who can communicate effectively and empathetically with your customers.  You want folks with integrity who strive to stay relevant and are committed to keeping your dealership relevant.  Finally, you want folks that can remove mental limiters.  What does the author mean by that?  Think about the cars that have a “governor” installed; the purpose is to limit the speed at which that vehicle can travel.  Mental limiters involve the same concept; the human brain also has natural governors.  The brain has safety measures to protect humans against excessive risks and mental danger.  Mental limiters remind us that future experiences will mimic prior recent experiences.  Identify people who can recognize where they have mental limiters and break through those barriers to improve and continue to learn.

Little Things Are Big, Especially When Valuing the Customer

Every little thing can be a big thing for a customer.  Customers will forget what you said and what you did, but they will never forget how you make them feel.  Think back to the book’s title and the story about José; his customers only bought from him because of how he made them feel.  It wasn’t what he was selling, how much his mangos cost, or the quality of his mangos versus his competitors.  To sum it up, “service, in short, is not what you do, but who you are.”

Conclusions

This book has many takeaways, and I hope that the principles I’ve highlighted can be implemented to create a more successful, sales-driven dealership.  At the end of the day, we are only as good as the employees that we surround ourselves with.  And while the best employees instrumental in building your dealership’s culture may cost more, their interactions with customers can be the most effective investments you’ll make in marketing as happy customers become your best advocates.  I hope many of you will pick up a copy of this book to read and gain as many insights as I did.

Mercer Capital provides business valuation and financial advisory services, and our auto team helps dealers, their partners, and family members understand the value of their business.  Contact a member of the Mercer Capital auto dealer team today to learn more about the value of your dealership.