When a key employee leaves — someone responsible for selling major units, managing parts & accessories, or running your service department — the impact on dealership revenue is immediate. An empty seat in a revenue-generating role is one of the most expensive problems a dealership can face.
So, how do you protect your dealership from that risk?
Ask yourself: If one of my top performers quit today or had a health issue that kept them out for a month, how would I protect the revenue they generate?
The best protection is to have a “next up” plan — identifying who could step into that seat quickly and effectively. The strongest dealerships think ahead and prepare for transitions before they happen.
Promoting an existing team member is ideal. Internal promotions reward loyalty and motivation, and the employee already understands your systems, processes, and culture.
For example:
The key is to keep your eyes open for potential talent already on your team and provide them with the training and mentorship needed to grow.
Sometimes internal promotion isn’t possible. In that case, hiring someone with direct experience in the role can shorten the onboarding process — but it’s not always seamless.
Experienced hires often need to “unlearn” old habits or adjust to your specific dealership systems and product lines. The right training and clear expectations can make this transition smoother and more successful.
One of the best hires I’ve ever made had never worked in a dealership.
Here’s the story: My wife Nicole was shopping at our hometown Walmart when an employee approached her and asked if she needed help finding anything. She was surprised — the employee didn’t just help her find the item; he helped her load it onto a cart, walked her to her vehicle, and loaded it up for her.
Nicole told me about his energy and attitude, and since I was looking to grow our sales team, she got his name and number. Turns out, he was a customer that had purchased snowmobile parts from our dealership several times. I called him the next day and hired him.
He had no dealership experience, but with the right product, process, and sales training, he became one of our top-performing salespeople within 45 days.
The lesson: Always be recruiting. Look for great people wherever you go — people with energy, enthusiasm, and customer-first attitudes.
Identifying your next-up employees is just the start. The next step is to make sure they’re ready to contribute quickly.
For a limited time, Herohub is offering a New Employee Fundamentals Course designed for:
It’s built to help new team members (those who’ve started within the last year) ramp up faster and make an impact from day one.
👉 To apply, click here.
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