Rudy Luther Toyota
Coaching increased sales and employee engagement
With 25 locations, Rudy Luther Toyota is one of the largest auto dealership networks in the Midwest. After decades in business, Wipfli helped the dealership reorganize around a new growth strategy.
The Challenge
Rudy Luther Toyota was worried about losing customers to new competitive dealerships. Sales were average — but not where leaders wanted them to be. The dealership wanted to secure its market share and increase profits. That meant finding new ways to organize and operate the sales division.
The Solution
Wipfli analyzed the dealership’s operations to learn why it wasn’t hitting its sales goals. At the time, 35 salespeople all reported to one or two individuals. Wipfli created a new organizational structure for the sales team and introduced team leader/coach positions. Employees took tests to determine their personality types and were matched with complementary team leaders. Wipfli also trained team leaders, so they understood the coaching role, especially in a changing environment. With Wipfli’s help, the dealership also implemented new metrics, job descriptions and daily feedback opportunities.
We were surprised how the results improved so quickly. Our franchise is currently outpacing the market. We attribute that to the sales training and new processes that came from a collaborative effort between Wipfli and the management team here.
The results
The dealership saw immediate, positive changes in morale. And sales increased, exceeding the manufacturer’s market share by more than 10%. Rudy Luther Toyota also measured customer loyalty and employee engagement and learned that loyal customers buy more often and refer friends and family to the dealership. With loyal customers, engaged employees and an increase in market share, Rudy Luther Toyota is hitting its profitability goals.
