Education Isn’t Training!
It seems that anybody who is anybody in the training sphere has an online platform. Because of this, it is important for you to understand exactly what you’re getting and what you’re looking for from any trainer or training program. Dealers call companies like NCM and mine, every day, to ask for training, and some will make it a point to specifically ask for live training. What they want is for someone to come in and talk to their people, for several hours a day, for a few days, explaining whatever it is they are trying to teach.
The problem is that this is not really training, it is only education. At the end of this type of “training,” the Dealer is satisfied because his salespeople are pumped up about all the stories that they heard in the conference room. However, when the trainer follows up he is told that the salespeople were excited for about a week after he left, but now they are back to doing what they were doing before.
What’s the problem?
The first problem: Even though the salespeople were sitting in that conference room for eight hours, their attention span only lasted for about twenty minutes.
The second problem: Everyone learns at a different rate. Some people can hear something once and understand it, some need to hear it fifteen times or more for it to sink in.
The third problem: Repetition is the mother of learning. Training is not about a one-time pump up session, it’s all about repetition.
What real training looks like!
Even if the trainer actually did simulate or train during that session, now what? That’s not enough. Professional golfers don’t just hit a bucket of balls once every six months. They hit bucket after bucket of balls daily. This is why I’m a fan of online platforms. Why would you take hostages in a conference room for hours on end, when that same training could be delivered online at everyone’s individual pace, fifteen minutes per day, in a way that also tracks and monitors. It’s that easy!
Then, you need to simulate. Someone should be doing this at your dealership on a consistent basis. You can role play different skills for a few minutes every day. That’s all it takes, and that’s training! Let’s quit confusing education with actual training.
Use Your Power Tools
Online platforms are invaluable tools to help you get the job done. Managers need good tools. A contractor could just use a hammer and screwdriver to build a house, but couldn’t he get the job done much faster with power tools?
Online platforms are the power tools that management should use to get the job done better and faster. They make training sustainable in the real world environment of the dealership. Live events can be great momentum builders, and can be useful when concept and processes are being discussed and collective feedback fuels the conversation. Both live events and online platforms have a place in making sure you have a solution that accomplishes your goal.
Ready to train your team? Check out in-person training options through NCM Associates; also, Alan Ram’s Management by Fire course offers additional tools for your dealership training needs.