Lightspeed has a long legacy of innovating and supporting dealers in the outdoor recreation industries. While so many have contributed to this legacy, we can trace some of Lightspeed’s earliest innovations and visions back to Hal Ethington, one of Lightspeed’s earliest and most influential contributors, who was a dealer himself.
He was also a visionary in how he saw the future of the industry, connected with dealers, and understood their needs and challenges. In this “Then and Now” series, we’re revisiting the most impactful articles that Hal wrote from the 2000s and pairing them with fresh insights from our Chief Sales Officer, Brian Bodine. To learn more about how Hal created Lightspeed, check out the introduction to this series here.
In this entry, they reflect on how to find the source of an issue, and also how your employees can be the most critical differentiator in your organization.
From Hal:
“Rudy Seichter managed Lightspeed some years ago, and his mantra was consistently, ‘Shift left.’ ‘Shift left.’
And we soon learned what he meant.
When we couldn’t find a contract, he stopped processing contracts and created a filing system that properly organized them. When our dealers complained about a price book we did not have, he focused on the missing manufacturer and made sure we got his prices. We learned to shift left, to the source of the problems, and got them fixed.
So what is happening in your dealership today that seems to keep coming back, time after time? Parts counter not manned during lunch? Bikes don’t get pushed out on time each morning? The gate didn’t get locked last night? Closing ratio on deals low? Trades consistently over ACV’d? Techs still on hourly instead of flat rate? Cars parked in front of your used bike row? Parts margin seems low?
Shift left.
Get to the source of the problem, wrestle it down, and get it fixed.
If you don’t, it will still be with you tomorrow. And the next day, and the next.
Fix your problems. Find the source and fix your problems. You will be amazed at how much easier your life will become.
Shift left. It works.”
This is a poignant message from Hal years ago, but our current Chief Sales Officer, Brian Bodine, had more to share about how the root of problems (and successes) often lies in the quality of employees you have:
“I’ve found that the source of success or failure at dealerships often comes back to the people. From dynamic salespeople to qualified technicians, when you find the right people, you want to make sure you can keep them.
I recall a dealership we worked with that had a receptionist named Daisy, and I guarantee everyone at Lightspeed knew who Daisy was. She was friendly, warm, and kind. When you hung up the phone, you said “I really enjoyed talking to that dealership.” Those are the types of employees you want to keep.
The same goes for bad employee interactions. We tend to plug the problem initially, where we say that this guy just had a bad interaction with this customer. We address it and move on because we’re busy, but what if that’s the fourth or fifth time? Again, you have to ‘slow down to speed up’ and figure out what’s causing the issue.
These days, you can find parts and equipment anywhere in the world. The reason people come to your dealership is often because of the people, the relationships, and a certain level of trust. If your employees aren’t building trust and achieving excellence, you have to address it. That might mean shifting staff around or letting people go, but it could also mean more training and coaching.
Regardless of the issue, my best advice is to gather as much information as you can about the issue and try to solve it at the core level. What’s really causing it? You do that best when you have the data to back it up.”
For more information on Lightspeed, contact your local sales representative. And stay tuned for more installments of our “Then and Now” series with valuable insights from Hal and Brian.
Meet the Authors
Brian Bodine
