Why sales skills are more important than technology and automation — Sean Gardner, Joe Verde Group

Dealers are starting to understand that a market recovery does not guarantee business will return to normal, especially when their teams have grown accustomed to the relatively easy sales environment the last two years have nurtured. Sean Gardner is a long time trainer at Joe Verde Sales & Management Training, and has a passion for teaching stores the skills needed to earn their customer’s loyalty. CBT News anchor Jim Fitzpatrick got the chance to sit down with Gardner at the 2023 NADA convention to hear his thoughts on the state of sales training in the auto industry.

Key takeaways:

1. As the market recovers from the COVID pandemic, dealers should focus on equipping their sales staff with the right processes and skills to excel in a normal, fast-paced market.

2. Sales staff are no longer familiar with the fundamentals of car selling, which is why many dealers are hoping to bring customers back through competitive pricing.

3. Gardner notes that excellent sales teams are able to build value through the customer experience, allowing dealers to sell vehicles without dropping prices.

4. Although automation promises to transform the industry, Gardner warns that dealers need to have tunnel vision, and focus on the human element in the car buying experience.

5. If dealers cannot afford to send their entire sales team for training, they they should at the very least train their managers.

“You know What a general manager needs More than anything right now in this industry? Tunnel Vision.” — Sean Gardner

Notable background:

— Sean Gardner is an instructor at the Joe Verde group, where he has spent the last 26 years imparting indispensable leadership, sales and management skills to dealers.

Click here for more 2023 NADA Show coverage on CBT News.

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