When companies don’t have a standard operating procedure handbook, the result is typically controlled chaos. By making sure that you have your four p’s in place—people, policies, procedures and processes—you can start growing sales and improving profits.
People
People who are working for you but are not committed to your dealership can be labeled as team breakers. They are like bad apples; you place them in a bushel of nice apples and all they do is rot the rest. Find out who is committed, and who isn’t. You can either tolerate, motivate or eliminate.
Policies
Having written policies will clear up miscommunication along with all the excuses you hear people use to cover up their mistakes. Today’s teams need to have clear expectations on how to perform at your company. The last thing you want is an underachiever teaching a new employee some bad habits.
Procedures
Teaching and training your team on how to execute a variety of procedures is what makes your company different—and better. This is how you ensure consistent customer service and high productivity across the dealership over a sustained period of time.
As a company experiences employee turnover, the procedures often become watered down because most companies don’t conduct enough training. The results are almost fatal, as nobody knows what to do and/or how to do it. It’s important to develop proper procedures, get them in writing, and train all employees to follow them.
Processes
How can businesses expect their team to execute if they don’t have clear expectations or the skills to execute? Like procedures, processes are more important today than most business owners realize. The process is the “how to do it”. Again, you have to take the time to identify correct processes, record them, and train employees on how to execute them.
Profit
Teams need to be focused in order to succeed. If you don’t have a course of expectations, you will lose your way—along with the fifth P: profit.
- Proper planning prevents poor performance
- Proper people prevent poor profits
- Proper processes produce productive profits
When you recognize how all of these P’s work together, you can gain control of your team. Look at any successful organization and you will find consistency as one of their backbones. In an inconsistent world we need to be consistent. With a standard operating procedure handbook, you and your company will be standing long after others have fallen victim to their excuses.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: George Dans is a speaker, trainer and founder of The Worlds Greatest Closer, a sales training and life changing firm specializing in personal and professional development. With over 20 years of experience, George helps maximize potential at organizations that are small-business owners to Fortune 500 companies. He is the author of “How To Become The Worlds Greatest Closer.” To find out more, please visit worldsgreatestcloser.com or call 909-440-9981.
