The Automobile Sales Manager's Complete Success Formula: A Current Guide to Managing a Profitable Car Dealership
Jon McCormick didn't get a book on his first job as a dealership manager.  The library had nothing, and no one had the time or expertise to teach him the job, "Short of going to the Northwood Institute or the dealer academy," he says, there weren't a lot of educational opportunities out there for managers."   So McCormick decided to write "Automobile Sales Manager's Complete Success Formula" (University Publishing House, Provo, Utah, $21.95). It represents a four-year effort to cover the secrets of managing a profitable dealership in an era of uncertain sales and slim margins.  Full of insider tips, it also lists the challenges a dealership manager faces during an average day.With personal anecdotes and an informal style that would put any novice manager at ease, McCormick first cites the facts and rules on a subject (such as turn-and-earn distribution systems), then recommends successful techniques.  In covering floor-planning, for example, he explains why understanding cash flow is important: "If you don't keep a finger on your cash flow, your problems will mount faster than you can believe.  Your company may reach the point where they try to float their money by delaying payment to the flooring source.  This is usually a sign that the end is near."   On factory relations, McCormick offers tips on building bridges with the district sales manager: "Do not think this person does not have some effect on the computerized turn-and-earn system he administers.  They will tell you all day long their hands are tied, but present them with a program they like, in guidelines where they can perform, and they will listen to you."   The manual's topics include recruiting sales and F&I; staff, earning higher used-car grosses, writing and producing ads, boosting customer satisfaction, organizing daily reports and staff meetings, and structuring work days for maximum productivity."I've learned these things through trial and error." says McCormick, who has spent 20 years in the business and is general manager of Gary's Westland Olds/Buick/Isuzu, Twin Falls, Idaho. The manual, he says, is aimed at people who were "never taught the basics." --Aaron Robinson, Automoative Executive magazine, October 1995