This document discusses improving salesperson recruitment, training, and retention at car dealerships. It argues that most dealerships do not effectively recruit candidates, as they do not promptly return phone calls or follow up after in-person visits. It also suggests that interview processes should be rethought and screening tools used to better evaluate fit. The document advocates for daily training focused on emotions rather than just products, and finding each salesperson's motivations to keep them engaged. It positions improved hiring and ongoing training as critical to boost dealership performance.

1. Did You Hire Them Dead
or Kill Them After You Got
Them?
By Craig Lockerd
CEO AutoMax Recruiting And
Training

2. LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURN
• Stage #1: Addition Of More Salespeople
• Stage #2: Input = Output
• Stage #3: Additional Salespeople Decrease
Production
• Most Dealerships Have No Idea Where Stage
3 Is For Their Dealership
• It’s Not About The “Flooding” The Floor

3. IS MORE BETTER?
• How much time do salespeople have to create
more business when they’re at the dealership
bell to bell?
• Did the dealership sell more cars when it had
more sales staff?
• Some rural dealers are selling 5 to 10 times
more cars than dealers in major metro areas.
• Dealers need better recruited and trained salespeople.

4. HOW TO RECRUIT
• The Way Dealerships Hire Salespeople Is
Broken
• Candidates will call but when transferred, they go to a
manager’s voice mail. These calls may or may not get
returned.
• Candidates walk in, but the manager is busy, so they
are told to wait……and wait……and wait….and
then….the candidate leaves.
• Candidates walk in and leave a resume. They never get
called back because the resume was buried or there
was no procedure where resumes should be placed.
• Does This Sound Familiar?

5. TAPPING INTO THE MARKETPLACE
• What Are The Benefits Of Working At Your
Dealership?
• There Are Superstars In Every Market
• Dealership Offer An Outstanding Career
Opportunity
• Revise Your HR Practices, Invest in Training,
And Retention

6. Quality/Quantity Of Applicants
• How To Write An Effective Help Wanted Ad
• Where To Post The Help Wanted Ad For
Maximum Result
• Does Your Dealership Have A Career Tab
• Job Aggregators – Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com, etc…
• Online Vet Jobs.com
• Scheduling Interviews Applicant Tracking
System ( ATS)

7. WHAT HASN’T CHANGED IN 50 YEARS
What Managers Think Employees Want
1. Good Wages
2. Job Security
3. Promotion/growth opportunities
4. Good working conditions
5. Interesting work
6. Personal loyalty to workers
7. Tactful discipline
8. Full appreciation for work done
9. Sympathetic help with personal problems
10.Feeling “in” on things

8. WHAT HASN’T CHANGED IN 50 YEARS
What Employees Want
1. Full appreciation for work done
2. Feeling “in” on things
3. Sympathetic help on personal problems
4. Job security
5. Good wages
6. Interesting work
7. Promotion/growth opportunities
8. Personal loyalty to workers
9. Good working conditions
10.Tactful discipline

9. THE INTERVIEW
• What Does The Interview Process Look Like?
• “So what makes you think you can sell cars?”
• “Why did you leave your last job?”
• “Can you handle 60-hour workweeks?”
• “How do you feel about working with a bunch of men
hitting on you everyday?”
• “Sell me this pen.”
• Dealerships Need To Rethink The Interview
Process

10. SCREENING
• Use A Predictive Index Or Screening Tool
• Wunderlick
• D.I.S.C
• The Car Sales Simulator by Hire the Winners

11. WHAT ARE WE SELLING?
• Spencer Johnson, M.D. “People don’t buy our
products, services or ideas; they buy how they
imagine using them will make them feel!”
• Dealership Training Must Focus On Emotions
And Feelings
• Avoid Pain
• Seek Pleasure
• Train Staff To Direct Conversations Towards These
Feelings

12. KEEPING THE TEAM MOTIVATED
• Salespeople Will NOT Be Motivated If
Management Doesn’t Understand Their Real
“Why”
• Why Is A Must Instead Of A Should
• Take The Time To Find Out The Why Each
Month
• Encourage Salespeople To Express What They Want
• Write It Down
• Obtain The Feeling
• Write It Down
• Keep A Copy And Give A Copy To The Salesperson

13. RETHINKING TRAINING FREQUENCY
• Training Must Happen Daily!
• Salesperson Lead Training
• Be A Facilitator
• Ask The Sales Team About The Situations Their Having
Trouble With
• Ask Sales Team About Solutions
• The Facilitator Can Share Their Solution
• Creates Engagement

14. TRAINING
• Invest In A Strong Training Program
• In-House
• Outsource (Online or Live Workshop)
• Typical Scenario After Limited Training – Story
Time!
• Five Car Fred’s Make 4 Car Franks
• Lets Get Real: Did You Hire Them Dead Or Kill
Them After You Got Them?

15. Q&A
• Clockerd@AutoMaxRecruiting.com
• Office: 800-878-5090 x 5
• Cell: 609-517-1152
• AutoMaxRecruitingAndTraining.com