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If you own or are the general manager at a car dealership, you’re most definitely very invested in making sure that your business succeeds. Success means more car sales and higher customer satisfaction. How can you help make that happen? A good management style can go a long way toward better sales. Read on for a few tips.

Get Everyone Together

Hold five-minute meetings every morning. These should mostly be just a few words of encouragement from you to get everyone pumped up and ready for the day. Bring coffee and doughnuts, and no one will resent getting to work early enough for a few inspirational words. This is a good time to recognize and give credit for any outstanding performance you’ve seen in any of your individual employees lately. That recognition feels great and will encourage them to continue working at their best.

Observe Customer Interactions But Don’t Micromanage

Most car dealerships have a “tower” where you and the other upper management will be able to see everything going on in the showroom and on most of the lot. Use this position to observe your salespeople’s interactions with customers. Make note of what works and what doesn’t. Then have individual meetings with your salespeople to encourage them to improve their weak points and reinforce their strengths.

You don’t want to spend all your time in your office in the tower, though. You’ll just look like you’re not connected. However, you don’t want to follow your salespeople around like a shadow, either. If you micromanage every step they take, they won’t feel as if they have any agency or ownership. If they feel like they’re safe to make decisions on their own, they’re more likely to take ownership and work better for you.

Take the Pressure Off

When times are tough, it’s easy to get stressed out and let the you-know-what roll downhill. Instead of letting your employees feel your stress, hold a meeting and take the stress off. Let them all know that you know that loan companies are choking up on financing and that the economy is rough. If you make them feel safe and take this stress away as much as possible, they’ll be more likely to genuinely smile at customers. They won’t panic and try to pressure customers, either. Overall, the whole operation will run more smoothly, and you’ll end up selling more vehicles.

These tips for your management style should help your work environment. Implement them, and you’re sure to see improvements in sales.