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If the number of cars you’re selling each quarter is down, or you’ve hit a plateau that you just can’t seem to break, you’ve probably already tried observing your sales team. They may look like they’re doing everything they can, or they may look to you like they’re floundering. In the former case, it’s easy to blame the economy or the weather on poor sales. In the latter, it’s easy to blame your team.

Instead of casting blame around, though, why not help your sales team improve? Here are a few tips that can get your whole team up and running and improve your overall sales numbers.

Do You Have a Plan?

It should be a no-brainer, but for some reason, most car dealerships leave their sales tactics almost entirely up to their sales team. Now, every salesperson has his or her own style, and you don’t want to make them all sound like they’re reading from the same script. However, you need to put guidelines in place that drive each sale forward.

For example, if your salesperson sees someone on the lot looking at a particular car with interest, they should offer that person a test drive. Once the test drive is done, if the potential customer likes the car, your salesperson should suggest that they look at pricing and financing options. There should be a plan in place so that your salesperson is always in control of interactions with the customer; always directing the customer toward a sale.

Give Good Direction

Don’t hover over your salespeople, but you should observe them and their tactics. Give them feedback on what they do well and what needs work when they’re talking with customers. Make suggestions as to what they can do to improve. If you have a salesperson who tends to choke at one point in the transaction process, work on training him or her to get through that point, as it can become an anxiety-ridden sticking point.

Incentives and Team Building

If you make your team feel like they’re all a part of the whole, you’ll get better work from them. Show them the numbers. Show them your goals. Give them incentives for great performances, and give them plenty of opportunities to give their own input and feedback on your process and your car dealership’s overall efficiency.

By taking an active, directed part in your car dealership and in working with your sales staff, you’ll no doubt see increases in your customer service and the number of sales you close on every day, quarter, and year.