It can be difficult at times to instill a drive to succeed in your dealership employees and teams – this is something all managers and owners struggle with. But it is incredibly valuable to have staff who feel confident in their roles and who have a true desire to make customers happy. It's important to consider your management process when it comes to recognizing high performance.
Positive reinforcement is the most effective way to foster hard-working employees who yield results – it's human nature. Strong, empowered team members who feel acknowledged and appreciated for their value will sell more and feel more motivated to perform. On a similar note, those achieving high performance with no recognition or reward are likely to get discouraged and frustrated, feel unmotivated to continue. Don’t get caught in that trap – make it a priority to reward those that work hard for you.
When a boss or manager demonstrates praise, individual employees and teams feel motivated to push results beyond limits. That is what creates top-rated dealerships and crazy sales, leading to dealership expansions for growth in sales and more. Team recognition in addition to focused, individualized attention help to boost morale and drive commitment to excellence. It’s important to practice both.
Here are some habits to put into practice at your dealership to accomplish this:
- Keep your dealership's values at the center of praise. For example, "When you went above and beyond to turn a disappointed customer into a happy one, you demonstrated our commitment to never let a customer leave without a smile."
- Take a step beyond that, and connect the employee's (or team's) good work to the goals of your dealership, letting them know that their actions are making an impact. Ex. "We always want our customers to think of us when it comes to their powersports needs, and your hard work has helped us gain a life-long customer."
- Deliver praise in a timely manner. Verbally or otherwise, let the employee or team know that their accomplishment is recognized, promptly following the achievement.
- Consider rewards – extra time off, a VIP parking spot, or maybe just an Employee of the Month-style honor are all good options. Not only will the employee or team feel motivated to receive the reward, it also creates positive competition that enhances the performance of others.
- Let other employees nominate team members for honors and rewards. Instill a sense of teamwork and comradery. Foster a workforce that is supportive of one another.
There are a number of simple practices that can help to keep your employees motivated to achieve. You'll find that many of these habits actually require a limited amount of effort from you, but go a long way in making your team members feel valued and appreciated. Staff members who are motivated to succeed are more likely to make your customers happy – that's a win for everyone.