Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/307185
19 get from clients is [the lone gunfi ghter] approach has worked so far, 'Why do I have to change?'" he says. "It's hard to see another way might be a better way moving forward when the current way has worked for so long." "I think the mindset is there [for change]," says An- gelo Volpe, executive director at the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN), "but sometimes people get so entrenched in what they're doing they sort of lose sight of it." Pancero advises business owners to present the SWAT team idea fi rst to manage- ment, and says only when that group accepts it can the next step be approached. He refers to that step as the team development — taking the time to build the tools the team will need moving forward. Your competitive advan- tage should be clearly visible throughout this process, Pancero says. "Ask your customer, 'How do you defi ne great support?' and build from there," he says. This includes best practices for sales calls, methods for communicating customer interaction, consistent and unique language for all cus- tomer service situations and coaching tips for manage- ment. Pancero says the last one is incredibly important with the next generation. They ap- preciate guidance in all areas, and will thrive if given the opportunity to regularly meet with a coach or mentor who can help them improve their performance. But before showcasing your new strategy to your entire team, make sure your sales managers can teach it, Pancero says. Leading a SWAT team requires a specifi c ap- proach. "You have to teach them how to coach," he says. "If they've never done account planning, they probably won't be good at it." Work to pro- vide them with the tools they need so when they are tasked to do the same with your salespeople they can succeed. At Midwest Wheel, Execu- tive Vice President John Mi- nor says his sales people work together to help mentor each other. Veteran salespeople educate new employees on products and customers while the young employees return the favor with information about technology. This falls into the fi nal step of the SWAT team selling — teach your entire team how to use the tools and the coaching you've created. Pancero says once man- agement has mastered your strategy you can debut it company wide. This is the practice at In- land, where Garafola says "We give all of our team the same tools and then give them the best ways to use them." "A sales team is more than just the one person who calls on a customer," adds Willis. "He might be the salesperson, but he's not the only person in your business who interacts with that customer. "Your driver probably sees [your customer] more than anyone else and your counter guy probably talks to him more than anyone else … each one should be offer- ing your customer the same message." Building a team-based selling structure also indi- rectly provides your business an excellent recruiting tool for that next generation sales professional. "It defi nitely gives you an advantage against your com- petition," says Volpe. As one of the aftermarket's most active training organiza- tions, CVSN has honed in on the aftermarket's next gen- eration. It believes Pancero's SWAT team strategy offers a great selling point with pro- spective employees. "This is such a big part of everyone's business," says Volpe. "If you want to deal with this next generation of customers you're going to need salespeople who know how to reach them." "The more you can build your systems to attract young talent the better off you will be," adds Garafola. "And that's not just for salespeople. We're always looking to recruit that next level of management." W W W . T R U C K P A R T S A N D S E R V I C E . C O M M a y 2 0 1 4 | T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E One "gunslinger" sales tactic the aftermarket hopes to re- tain within team sales is the personal sales relationship. But with non-verbal com- munication (email, texting) becoming increasingly com- mon, the aftermarket must be proactive in creating opportunities for professionals to interact. "Technology can help a business in many ways, but what really gives you that extra edge in sales is the ability to connect with other people," says Edward Kuo, director of sales, motor vehicles at Datalliance and treasurer of the newly formed GenNext. Created last year, GenNext was formed to help educate, recruit and mentor young aftermarket talent. One area where Kuo says it's been suc- cessful thus far has been pairing aftermarket rookies with veterans and letting them witness the value that comes from personal relationships. "Any time you get people that have different perspectives together your hope is they can learn from each other," he says. "Our goal is give young aftermarket [professionals] someone to lean on and learn from so they are prepared to take over," adds Steve Hansen, Gen- Next president and national accounts manager at Minimizer. New group helps train, mentor young aftermarket professionals Cover Story